Beauty and the Gorilla: ONC 2023

Chapter 12: Calming Seas

Too fast they reached and breezed through the exit gate. One of the ticket booth clerks called a merry goodnight to Claire by name as she led the way out. Claire smiled and waved but didn't slow down until she reached her Pathfinder at the far side of the lot. It gleamed in the overhead light, its shadow stretching toward the entrance to the fire road, as though desiring its own adventure there.

In that shadow, a familiar red Jeep lurked when Claire rounded the Pathfinder's rear hatch to get to the driver's door. She fingered a scratch in the fiery paint, a souvenir of her race down the winding dirt roads the last day she'd spent time with anyone from Aspire. She jumped when his gloved hand closed over hers. The lightning under her skin was undeniable and oddly welcome. She marveled that the reaction between them no longer required skin on skin contact.

His voice vibrated the air around her. "Trent wanted to fix it. It's his Jeep, after all. I wouldn't let him, not until I found you again. He allowed it, because he knew once I could shift anywhere, nothing could keep me from you."

She spun, and he was right there. Of its own volition, her hand stretched out and brushed his cheek. His stubble tickled her fingertips through her fleece gloves, and she allowed herself another pass with her palm. He leaned into her touch, the heat of his skin searing into hers as though her gloves didn't exist. His hands cupped her hips and drew her even closer to him.

"To answer your first three questions," he murmured, "Yes, I need help, but the only person that can provide it is you. I'm here because I needed to see for myself that you're all right and to plead my case for our future."

Her shattered heart melted a little at his declaration. The ragged edges of its many pieces softened just enough to be tacky. A gust of icy wind froze them—and her nose— all over again, and she shivered, shaking off his hold. She reached around him to yank open the rear passenger door.

"Hop in before we turn into icicles. I'll sit next to you once I get the engine started." She gave him no time to protest, pulling open the driver's door as well and climbing up.

Less than a minute later, she couldn't procrastinate anymore. She'd started the engine, revved it a few times to hurry its warm up, adjusted the angles of the vents, and fiddled with the position of her seat and mirrors. In the warming air, her gloves felt hot and tight, so she took them off and laid them neatly on the passenger seat. Her hand gripped the door handle, but it wouldn't obey her command to pull so the latch opened and she could switch seats. What if his idea of a future didn't include her? What if it did, but only because he felt obligated to her with the whole "mates" thing?

Soft words warmed her ear. "If you'd rather stay in that seat, I can tell you a story, then get in the Jeep and drive out of your life. No further conversation or physical contact required. But that's not what I want. I would prefer you come sit beside me back here where I can hold your hand, encourage our bond, answer all your questions, and make you feel for yourself the truth of everything I say. But you're in the driver's seat. It's up to you."

Toni Braxton pleaded for her to end his pain, bring back his smile, "Unbreak My Heart."

Her heart softened a bit more. From his resigned tone, she wasn't the only one struggling with insecurity. She'd assumed he had delayed coming to her because he had changed his mind about them being mates. That he wouldn't want to spend the rest of his life with a regular girl like her when women around the world wanted to be with him. Perhaps that had been her own self-doubt talking. She'd never know for sure if she didn't take a chance and hear him out.

She climbed through the gap between the front seats, switching on the overhead light along the way, and sat down on his lap. May as well get a read on his feelings right away, she laughed to herself. Turned out, the joke was on her.