Page 13 of The Time It Takes

"I'm sorry," I managed, a shitty apology.

I tried to think of what I should actually say to fix this. I didn't want to be on the outs with Arlie, and if he truly did think the pack wouldn't approve of him dating a man, this was clearly a touchy and complicated issue.

He managed to keep his voice even. "They've accepted Tina and Saoirse, but that was a stretch. And Tina was born in the pack. I wasn't. My choices are to be single or find a nice girl, unless I want to leave the pack. I thought you'd know that."

I'd wondered if it could be something like that, but to hear it stated so clearly was disturbing. The pack loved Arlie. Would they really reject him over something like his orientation? It was hard to believe it of them.

"You'd let them decide that for you?"

He shrugged. "I didn't think it would matter. I didn't think it would be that hard. If I like men or women, it shouldn't be this hard to find a girl I can stand. One person out of the whole world."

I gave him a look and let him think about that for a second.

He sank back into the seat, slouching, running fingers back through his hair, grimacing in embarrassment. "I'd be the asshole, huh? On the forum."

"Yeah, you kind of would." A girl he could stand, indeed. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, quit fooling yourself, all of that. But other people's judgment wasn't what he needed more of right now. He needed to figure out what he wanted. "Look, I don't—" I tried again. "It's none of my business. Not really. But I don't like the idea of you changing yourself for other people. Anyway, it doesn't seem to be working. Is it really worth staying in the pack if you have to pretend to be someone else?"

He looked startled by the idea. "I really like it here."

"Even if they can't accept you? Maybe they'd do better than you think."

"Hm," he said noncommittally.

This was his thing to figure out. I knew that. I couldn't fix it for him. Hell, maybe he even had a chance to do what he thought the pack wanted and find a woman to settle down with.

"You do what you've got to do," I told him. "I'll try and keep my opinions to myself. But could you at least make sure she gets home safe? None of this is Dylan's fault."

"You remembered her name," he said, sounding pleased. "You like her?"

I gave him a look.

He stopped smiling. "Okay, you don't like her."

"I don't think I'm going to like any little blond woman you bring around at this point. Anyway, what the hell does it matter what I think?"

I couldn't stand looking at him for another moment. I got out of the car and walked away. And yeah, it was my car, and I'd been planning to go to the gym. But a walk wouldn't hurt me. It would at least keep me from saying anything else I shouldn't say.