JARED'S POV
The journey to Anna's apartment was longer than I had expected.
There was only one umbrella, and I insisted that she used it. However, she took it with pouty lips, looking at me sadly, especially when I got soaking wet from the heavy rain. I was pretty sure I could have wringed out my whole dress shirt and collected a few large buckets of water.
Anna would stop every few minutes to try and hand me the umbrella, telling me that I could use it, but, I didn't mind getting wet knowing she was nice and dry. I didn't want her to get cold, even if I had given her my jacket.
I kept an eye on her walking, noticing how she was a little unsteady on her feet due to the champagne she had drunk, a part of me concerned that she was going to fall over and hurt herself. I wheeled closely behind her, just in case she fell. That way, I could catch her.
We spent the majority of the trip laughing and chattering, Anna seemingly much more at ease having left the party. She had somewhat enjoyed it, but things had got a little heated, and she was uncomfortable. I didn't want her thinking she had to stay to keep anyone happy, so I was more than happy to escort her home.
I was a little riled up over Jake, his attitude really getting to me, but spending time with my mate was a good distraction. I didn't want to lash out in front of her, so, I forced myself to keep my cool.
I wanted nothing more than to tell her what she meant to me, but, I knew she would laugh in my face, slowly becoming creeped out after I didn't let it go.
I knew it wasn't the time, so I decided to keep quiet. I didn't want to push it too much. I needed to ensure Anna was completely comfortable with me until I told her anything about who I was.
After around thirty minutes of walking, Anna turned to me, assuring me that her apartment was only around the corner, and she would be okay to be left alone and could make her way to the door by herself.
I obviously told her no, saying that I would like to walk her to her to it to ensure that she got in alright, but she went red, shaking her head. She was adamant that she didn't need to be escorted, and she wasn't going to change her mind, so I had let her go.
She had scurried off in a rush, thanking me for walking her home, letting me know that she would text me, but, I was unsettled.
I rounded the corner, watching Anna as she hurried off, splashing through puddles, probably soaking her feet even more, and making her way towards a large beige building.
I couldn't quite make out the doors to the different apartments through the pouring rain, but I waited for a few minutes until I received a text from Anna, letting me know that she had made it inside.
I couldn't help but feel disappointed that Anna didn't want me to see her apartment, her making it very obvious that she wanted me to remain far enough away from the building that I couldn't see it. What was she hiding from me that she was so ashamed of?
I had to remind myself that she was human though, and they took things much slower than wolves. I couldn't expect Anna to take this at my pace. It was all going to be on her terms, and, I didn't mind.
I was currently sitting in the spare room at Dylan and Clara's house, tapping my pen against my chin as I attempted to sort through the workout regimes I had been planning for the fighters.
I wasn't happy with some of their rotas, having done them in a rush, my mind completely filled with thoughts of my mate. I had made multiple mistakes, and had been trying to fix them, knowing Dylan would notice the issues and would bring them up with me when he returned home from work.
I pulled out my phone, having checked it three times in the past thirty minutes, and I cursed at myself for looking yet again. Anna hadn't replied yet, and I needed to stop checking while I was working.
The rotas weren't going to write themselves.
Throwing my phone onto my bed, I sighed, turning back to my computer, tapping away at the keyboard as I began to sift through the sheer amount of work I had to do, groaning to myself.
Suddenly, my phone began to vibrate, and I widened my eyes, whirling around in my chair to grab it off of my bed, pressing answer and putting it to my ear, fully expecting to hear Anna's soft voice.
"Jared? Where are you? You're late for our meeting," spoke the voice on the other end, and I furrowed my brows in confusion, pulling the phone away from my ear and gazing at who had called me.
Doctor Oliver.
"Shit!" I exclaimed, glancing at the clock, quickly shutting my computer and wheeling myself out of the room, cursing yet again. "Oliver! I'm so sorry, I will literally be there in five minutes!"
Hanging up, I shoved my phone into my pocket, entering the living room, noticing an extremely hungover Gia laying on the couch, holding a bag of frozen peas to her head.
I chuckled, rolling my eyes at her, hearing her groan in response, but, I didn't have time to speak, so gave her a quick nod, rushing out of the front door.
I wheeled myself across the grass in the direction of Doctor Oliver's office, pushing myself a little bit too fast, bouncing as I went over holes and rocks, my wheel getting stuck more than once, making me flustered.
I had completely forgotten about my appointment with Doctor Oliver, despite it being something I had been looking forward to for weeks now. Meeting Anna had definitely distracted me, and I wasn't thinking about myself much anymore.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I muttered as I growled to myself, pushing myself faster along the grass, eventually skidding onto the dirt path, the ground more even and stable, my wheels no longer groaning under the pressure.
They were quickly becoming battered, and they would need replacing soon.
I needed to make a note of that so I didn't forget.
I was out of my breath as I reached Doctor Oliver's office, a small droplet of sweat trickling down the back of my neck, and I used my T-shirt to wipe at my forehead, grimacing as the red fabric had darkened slightly, wet to the touch.
Knocking on the door, I waited sheepishly as Doctor Oliver opened up the door, arching his brow at me humorously as he checked his watch, tapping his foot against his tiled floor, looking slightly unimpressed.
"I'm sorry," I spoke, and he chuckled, gesturing for me to enter, and I wheeled myself into his office, parking myself in the corner right next to his desk.
"Right, Jared," Oliver spoke, pushing his glasses up his nose, and taking a seat at his desk, tapping away at his computer to bring up my files. "Last time we spoke, you were getting on alright with everything. Is that still the case?"
I nodded, shrugging. "As well as I can do."
"Yes, and we also spoke about the operation didn't we?" he said, leaning closer to his computer so he could read off it, humming as I nodded once again.
"Yes, I have been giving it some thought, and I think it seems like a good option. I'm happy with the idea of going ahead with it," I responded, and Oliver turned his attention towards me, nodding.
"That's good, that's good," he spoke, clasping his hands together. "It would obviously be a major operation though, Jared. We would be removing your legs just above the knee. It's irreversible."
I nodded in understanding. I had been thinking a lot about my options lately, it obviously taking a bit of a back seat since meeting Anna, but, before then, I was spending every day considering my options.
The doctors had been mentioning this operation for years, but, I had never really trusted the idea of what they were going to do. The fact that the operation was irreversible freaked me out, and if anything went wrong, there would be nothing they could do to fix it.
It meant I would be getting my legs removed for nothing.
However, I was growing tired of being stuck in my wheelchair the past few years, finding myself significantly jealous of everyone else who could walk, and I was worried it would soon turn me into a pretty bitter person.
I didn't want that to happen, and if going ahead with the operation was going to make me happier, despite the risks, I was willing to give it a go.
"Alright," said Doctor Oliver, smiling at me. "So is this something you definitely want to continue on with? We can order the materials in for you if this is something you want to go ahead with?"
"Yeah, that would be great, thank you," I told him, and he began to scribble down something on his clipboard, mumbling to himself as I sat with my neck craned, trying to sneak a peak at what he was writing.
I couldn't help but be nosy.
"Okay, let's go through what it's going to be like adjusting to your prosthetics."
•••
My sweet baby Jared.
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