Her Younger Mate (Old Version)

Chapter 8: This Is Number Seven

A/N: I rewrote this because of the excessive amount of cringe it used to have.

Anna

I was walking down the trail with my fingers interlaced with Xander's when we spotted the cutest and fluffiest white little bunny. By its size, I could tell it was not an adult. It ran to the bushes as soon as it saw us.

"Let's catch it," I winked at Xander and he groaned.

"Anna, no--" He could not finish talking as I pulled him by the arm to the bush I saw the bunny get in.

We walked between the bushes a couple of feet trying to find the bunny before I saw it. Not the bunny, but the sight I was getting used to now. My mate making out with another bitch--a bitch who had lost her t-shirt. Poor girl. I tensed up and squeezed Xander's hand and he looked back and forth between my mate-to-be and me. 

I still could not pull my eyes away from Caleb.

This morning it felt like someone was kicking my heart after it was down, but now it felt like someone was stomping on it. Xander grabbed my chin and softly turned my head toward him gazing down into my eyes, his eyes filled with concern and his mouth in a straight line. His expression changed to a smug one. 

I just stared at him. Why the sudden change in his demeanor?

"I guess this is number seven? Unless I missed something." He chuckled.

"Yes, this is number seven. More than enough times if you ask me." I bit my lip as I felt a bursting feeling in my stomach. I tried to hold it in but as soon as I heard Xander's soft chuckles, I lost it.

"Your fate is a path full of shit," he said clutching his stomach.

I roared with laughter, my eyes getting wet. I shifted my gaze to the teens in front of me.

"So-sorry for interrupting," I said between giggles as I did my best to straighten up.

"Let's go, princess," said Xander, releasing my hand and putting his arm around my shoulder. The second we turned around the tears of laughter in my eyes transformed into tears of complete disappointment. I didn't know what I was doing with my life anymore.

I sobbed against Xander as he led me to a bench surrounded by flowers of all colors and kinds. This place seemed out of a fairy tale. It was a shame I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to enjoy the sight. I do not even hear Larentia sob anymore, it is like in less than a month she has been let down so many times, that she does not even care to share her pain with me anymore.

"So, I am guessing that one there was your so-called mate-to-be," said Xander.

I nodded biting my quivering lip.

"Is he the reason you were crying again when I called you this morning?" he asked.

I slowly shook my head no as my eyes filled with new tears. The tears of a person grieving the one that got away. Xander just stayed in silence stroking my back in small circles.

"This morning I talked with my ex-fiance. We had not talked in three years."

I lowered my head and stared at a small pink rose on the ground. It had been stepped on before, but it somehow still managed to look beautiful, though I know it was actually dying right now. Was I like this flower? Only looking good on the outside but still being more dead than alive? 

If it was not like this I bet Xander would have never talked to me in the first place. Suddenly, having this stranger rubbing my back made me nauseous, but who was I kidding? Would I had even accepted drinking with him was he not so damn gorgeous? I was just being a hypocrite here.