Page 24 of Timber Hollow

24

Coffee

Artemis

B eing back in the city feels like a thousand fire ants are crawling across my skin, my wolf pacing in the dark corners of my soul. And the taxi ride to Sam’s feels like it takes a whole year to complete. I should consider myself lucky that it isn't closer to the full Moon.

Maybe then I really would bite Ethan’s hand off. My snort of amusement makes the cab driver give me a scathing look in the rearview, but he doesn't comment as he pulls up to Sam's apartment complex. Sam's lights are on, and the ones in the lobby are glowing softly as well. After I unlock the door with her spare key, I send a quick text to Ivy, letting her know that I've landed. A moment of hesitation makes me also send one to Aggie.

Neither of them responds, but it's barely six am over there. I'm sure when they wake up they'll ask for another update.

By the time I make it up the elevator to Sam's apartment, she's waiting for me at the door.

"Hey. You look like shit." She greets me cheerfully, closing and locking the door behind me.

" Thanks," I respond, rolling my eyes.

"You're welcome!" Sam chirps, giving me a bright smile. "Are you showering now, or in the morning?"

"Now. I feel gross from the plane."

"Cool. Couch or cuddle?" Sam knows me well enough to understand I don't always want to be touched.

"Couch, please," I answer, giving her a small smile.

"Alright. I'll get it set up while you're in the shower. What time do you have to be at the dickhead's office?"

"Nine."

"Alright. I'll make sure we're up. I'm coming with you, I hope you realize."

"I can't ask you to do that, Sam," I reply quietly, my eyes burning with unspent tears.

"Who said you had a choice in it?" She breezes back, squeezing my hand gently.

"Thank you, Sam. I don't deserve you."

"You deserve the world, Artemis. I'm only glad you're getting out." I can't do anything other than nod, emotion clogging my throat. "Go get in the shower. I'll see you in the morning." With that, Sam turns and sets off to find linens, leaving me to walk into her bathroom, leaving the door cracked open.

My shower is quick and efficient. Sam doesn't skimp out on personal hygiene products, so there is an array of different shampoos to choose from. When I leave her walk-in with glass doors, I notice she has laid one of her large tee shirts just inside the door for me. The girl in the mirror looks different than I remember. She has more light in her eyes. Less weight draped across her shoulders.

Sam has already retreated to her bedroom, the lights all dimmed out in the living room. There is a soft glow from the hallway where her room is, letting me know that she's still awake, even if she's giving me privacy. The big green couch has a sheet thrown over the bottom cushions, and a plush blanket overtop complete with one of Sam's big fluffy pillows.

She's even set the TV remote and a glass of water on the coffee table.

"I do not deserve you," I say quietly to the room, truly wondering how I'd gotten so lucky to have a friend like Sam.

In the silence of my friend’s apartment, curled into a ball on her couch, my mind drifts—inevitably, to Jay. Why did I leave like that? Why didn't I tell him?

Why?

My wolf has nothing to offer, subdued in the dark corners of my soul. Sleeping, or waiting I can’t say.

Is it even going to matter, though? Will Jay do anything? Probably not. Laying here thinking about him is…making me feel alone. So very alone.

Leave it to me to create an art form of running from problems, only to make it a bigger mess in the end.

Fuck.

I can't stop thinking about how much of a fuck up I am. Can’t stop wishing I had told Jay about this so he'd come with me. Then maybe I'd find out if sleeping in my bed was anything more than a convenience for him.

That’s when I realize that despite how many times we've slept in the same bed, Jay has never taken advantage of my proximity. When he leaves the bed in the morning, sometimes he wakes me slightly by untangling our limbs. So I know that even if we're laying flush hip to hip, he never lets his hands roam.

I know I’m a fool for silently wishing he would.

We fuck, but Jay never really makes the first move. When I'd been in the kitchen making cookies, it was me who kissed him. At the party, I kissed him. Led him on a chase through the trees. Begged for what he was giving me.

My cheeks are wet before I know it, and my hand is clamped around my mouth to stifle my cries. I've known since I left all those years ago that Jay just doesn't feel that deeply towards me… It's just… I can't seem to let him go.

How do I tell my heart that he's not mine? How do I let him go?

Sam wakes me in the morning with the rattle-rattle-shimmy-shake of an iced coffee in front of my face. She's gorgeous, even in the morning without a drop of makeup. Her honey blonde hair is like a glowing halo around her head with the Sun streaming through the high windows.

My eyes feel crusty like there is sand beneath my eyelids. I guess that's from crying myself to sleep. "Good morning!" Sam says, grabbing her drink from the coffee table when I accept the one in her outstretched hand.

"Morning," I mumble, rubbing my face. "What time is it?" The iced coffee is delicious . Caramel notes but not too sugary. I drink almost a quarter of it in one go.

"Seven. We have plenty of time to get over there." She answers a grin painted all over her face.

"What's with you?" I ask, gesturing to her entirely too cheerful expression.

"Why didn't you tell me you have a bodyguard?"

"Huh?"

"He could have come up to the apartment. He didn't have to sleep in his car." I swear she's saying words but they do not sound like English.

" Huh? " I repeat.

Sam blinks at me twice, and then an even larger grin stretches across her face. She takes a delicate sip of her coffee, inspecting her manicure before deigning to reply. "Go look out the window."

I blink back at her, my not-awake brain just not understanding what is going on. " Why ?"

"You'll see." She sings back, looking at her nails and taking another sip of her coffee. I glare at the side of her face but she doesn't say anything else. So, before I get up I stretch out my muscles, arching my back and pointing my toes.

" Fine." I finally answer, after taking another sip of my coffee. The California Sun is bright and merry even this early, and I have to blink and squint against the glare as I make my way over to the large window that looks down on the street.

My stomach practically bottoms out, my knees going so weak that I have to let the window sill take my weight.

"Jay, motherfucking Temple." I breathe, and Sam cackles. "Did you do this?" I ask, staring down at his broad form leaning against the hood of what has to be a rental.

"Nope!" She hoots, "He was there when I woke up, saw me through the windows, waved, and then ten minutes later coffee arrived."

"So he's been out there all night?" I ask, unable to look away from him. I can't make out his expression, but I can tell he's looking at the apartment. Looking at me .

"Yep! Brittany- that's the neighbor-" Sam pointed towards her door, and the neighboring apartment before continuing. "-sent me a screen recording of her camera. You show up and then a little while later he shows up, parks there, and doesn't move."

"I have no idea what he's doing here," I admit to Sam.

"You didn't tell him to come?"

"I didn't even tell him I was leaving town for a few days."

Sam gasps, then starts laughing in earnest. She says "Call him. I'm going to get in the shower." She passes me my phone on her way through, still chuckling to herself.

As I search for his contact and press the little button to call him, my stomach does somersaults. What the fuck am I going to say to him? Jay's phone barely rings once before he pulls it out of his pocket, raising the device to his ear.

"Good morning, Gorgeous." He says, raising his hand to wave at me in the window.

"Good morning, Handsome," I answer back, placing my palm against the pane.

"Whatcha doing?" Jay asks his voice light and teasing.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked you first." He answers, and I don't have to think too hard to imagine the expression on his face.

"I'm here for the car," I eventually answer, turning away from the window to pace.

"Ahhh," Jay replies, and then asks "Well did you at least enjoy your coffee?"

I snort. "Yes, Jay. I am enjoying my coffee. Are you going to come up?"

"If you're asking, sure."

"That is what I just did, isn't it?"

"Which apartment?"

"Go up the elevator. You'll see me." I reply, ending the call. It only takes Jay a few moments to come up, elevator doors whining open. I'm already standing in the doorway, Sam's large door propped open. His face is too stoic, too closed off for my liking. "Whatcha doing, Jay?" I ask again after closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to race. I just assumed this was part of it." He jokes, giving me a sly half-smile.

" Ha-ha. Really, what are you doing?"

Jay takes his time responding, staring down into the depths of my soul. His eventual answer is "Just making sure you're okay." The muscles on either side of his jaw clench and unclench rapidly.

"I'm great! I'm about to get a free car." I reply, painting a bright smile on my mouth.

The bathroom door opens, and Sam emerges just as Jay opens his mouth. She's dressed in a pretty green asymmetrical dress, an assortment of chains around her neck and wrists.

"Sam, this is Jay. Jay, this is Sam." I say, introducing the pair.

"Nice to meet you, Jay. Thanks for the coffee." Sam says, raising her hand out for him to shake.

"Nice to meet you too. And, it's no problem." Jay responds, lightly returning the gesture.

"Artemis, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sam asks, laying her hand on my arm.

"Sure," I reply, furrowing my brow. What could she possibly need? She leads us over to the kitchen, pulling us partially out of Jay's line of sight.

"I got a text from one of my clients while I was in the shower, they're throwing a fit and I kind of need to handle it. Will you be okay with Jay going to the office with you? I feel awful bailing on you like this."

"Why do you think he's going with me?"

"Come on, Artemis. He flew across the country after you." Sam insists.

"That doesn't mean anything." Sam levels me with a flat look before she asks again if I'll be okay without her. "Yes, Sam. I'll be okay. Go. I'll text you later." I answer, accepting the hug she pulls me into. She's a flurry of movement as she gathers her things up to go, reminding me to lock up when I leave.

And then it's just Jay and I in Sam's apartment, and a thousand questions on the tip of my tongue. I doubt I'll ever ask them.

"So… I need to go get dressed. And then I need to go to Ethan's office to sign the paperwork. You're welcome to uh.. hang out here or whatever. I'll be gone for a few hours. "

Jay pins me with an arched eyebrow, a stupid smile pulling the corners of his mouth up. I want to smack it off his face almost as much as I want to kiss him.

"Go get dressed, and then I'll drive."

I swear he should be bursting into flames with how hard I'm glaring at him. But I do go get dressed, grabbing my iced coffee on my way to steal something from Sam's closet.