Rejection Pays A Price

Chapter Seven

(PIC TO SIDE~JOSH'S HEAVENLY HASHBROWNS)

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~Tamara Rose

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I moaned, stuffing another spoonful of hashbrown into my face. "Josh, this is like having a food-gasm," I mumbled past a mouthful of food.

He chuckled, piling another helping onto my plate.

"Why, thank you." He winked.

"Dude, I need another plate here!" Eric yelled from the opposite end of the table. Josh rolled his eyes.

"You don't need any more, you're already fatter than your own ego."

"That was mean!" Jordan whimpered.

Eirc eyed him suspisciously. "Why are you defending me?"

Jordan grinned. "I'm hoping Josh will see what as wonderful human being I am and reward me with more food."

Eric narrowed his eyes. "Why, you little--"

In the midst of all this chaos, an amazing scent hit my nostrils. I felt my back stiffen as Dylan walked into the room, taking note of the bickering pack members across from me before sitting to my left.

I swallowed the forkful of food in my mouth. My palms were breaking out into a sweat.

Out of nowhere, his hand reached across to my plate and stole a bite of hashbrown--and at that moment, mate or not--he was dead to me.

Gasping, I smacked his hand as he dropped the food into his mouth. "How dare you!" I yelled.

He smirked, amused at my reaction. "Aren't you being a bit dramatic? It's just--" He cut himself offr, eyes widening.

I couldn't help but laugh. "What was that you were going to say?"

"This is heaven on Earth," he moaned. The sound sent shivers up my spine. Ignoring them, I grinned and said, "Yeah, well, enjoy it while it lasts. Because that's all your getting."

Before I could blink, my plate had been lifted from up in front of me and nearly swallowed whole by Dylan. All the food from its surface dissapeared in a flash, wiped clean across by the mammoth-eating boy next to me.

"STEAL MY FOOD, HUH?" I screamed, anger clouding my ability to think coherently. Lunging across my seat, I shoved him to the ground until he was pinned, my knees pressing against his chest.

He swallowed quickly. "That was God's gift to man," he sighed happily.

I glared. "No, that was my breakfast!"

He stared at me for a second, as if he'd just realized I was there. "What? Oh, Rose, I'm so sorry!"

Shaking my head, I muttered, "It's too late for that. You're going to pay the old fashioned way."

Dylan's breathtaking eyes, normally so perceptive and serious, were twinkling with mischievousness. "You're going to hurt me? I'd like to see you try."

"He so shouldn't have said that," Josh muttered from his view across the kitchen table.

"He so so shouldn't have said that," Jordan added.

Grinning wickedly, I curled my fingers and....

"Stop, stop!" he gasped, arms flying to cradle his sides as he shook with laughter. I continued tickling, laughing myself. Tears were springing to his eyes. "Oh my gosh, please! I...can't...breathe!"

Pouting, I slid off of him. "You're no fun."

He sat up slowly, raking the hair from his eyes. I held my breath. He used to do that same gesture every time he spoke to me. The very sight of it made me shudder.

He was watching me carefully. "Hey, you okay?"

I swallowed. What was I doing? A billion thoughts were flying through my mind, racing in a whirlwind of tension. I had to be crazy. Was I seirously allowing myself to get comfortable with this man? The very same man who broke my heart?

Disgusted in myself, I stood up and brushed past him, storming upstairs. I heard him call after me and ignored it.

Why couldn't he be Damon or someone so I wouldn't hate him this much?

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A/n:

*Peace, love, goodwill, and scarlett red Mercedes Benz'!*