Rejected At First Sight (Spinoff Series)

51

Ash

Jaws dropped. And maybe if I wasn't still drunk off my ass, I would look just like them. My hand flies to my mouth in shock. I was never going to drink again. Soon I was going to be spilling all of my secrets.

Zeb smiles from behind Jay. I don't return the gesture.

"You know?" Jay asks, I don't quite understand the intense emotions behind his eyes.

"Oh, uh, yeah." I slurred, the confidence from earlier completely gone. "I mean, you guys aren't the best at hiding it."

Zeb's eyes glow golden from the shadows as everyone stares at me. What did he remind me of?

"How long have you known?" Sage asks, his voice quiet.

"About a week." I shrugged. "I still don't understand all of it, especially fact from fiction, but I'm willing to learn. That speed thing you guys do, pain in my ass by the way. And it's SO unfair that I'm the only one drunk right now. Clearly, you guys were going to tell me at one point. I was just waiting for you to tell me. So we could talk about it." My voice got quieter and sadder as I spoke, my emotions swirling inside of me. I looked up at all of them. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Silence. No one made a move to talk to me. Everyone is frozen in place.

I tilted my head to the side. "Are you guys doing that mind-talking thingy right now?"

"You know about that?" Ronnie says, a laugh filled with no joy leaving his lips.

"Are you?" I pressed. "I hate being left out of the conversation."

Jay approached me, slowly, step by step. He stops directly in front of me, his head hanging in shame. "How did you find out?"

"I mean, the internet helped a lot, but you guys left all the pieces there for me to put together."

Jay's eyes were pointed at me but he didn't see me. They were filled with horror and guilt. Desperation lined his whole face.

I smiled, grabbing his hand. "It's okay, Jay. You're a werewolf. So what?" I look around at all of my friends. "You guys are my friends! This does not change that."

Ronnie shakes his head, turning away from me. His shoulders shake slightly.

"What..." Something dawns on me. I look up at Jay's eyes and find them blank still, so I turned to Sage. His face was crumpled in so much pain. "What's going on?" I whisper.

I had not expected this reaction.

I knew that they probably couldn't tell me for whatever reasons, but this... this seems different.

Zeb cleared his throat from the shadows. "If one of you mutts doesn't start talking, I will."

Clementine sucked in a breath, tears in her eyes. "Jay." Her voice wavered.

"I know." Jay said and I faced him again. His eyes blinked down at me.

A sinking feeling lodged in my stomach. "Jay?" I felt myself spiraling, my lungs not taking in enough air. It's like my body knew I was about to get hurt beyond repair before it had even happened. My bottom lip quivered.

I was scared.

I didn't understand what was happening.

I just wanted Jay to wrap his arms around me and tell me everything was going to be okay.

Ocean-blue eyes stared into mine. Jay reaches his fingers up a brush my cheek. So much emotion crowds his face. I feel a tear slip down my cheek. He quickly bows his head and kisses it. "Ash, I love you." Jay whispers and I open my mouth to reply but he quickly covered my mouth with his fingers, shaking his head.