Sadie POV
"Put the poster on the fridge and hang the sign over the high chair," I ordered. "Set the bags of glitter on the table and I'll open them tomorrow."
"And the streamers?" Andy asked.
"Hang them around the sign."
Once I gave my orders I turned my attention back to the cake that I had been decorating. I allowed myself to be fully consumed in the cake, attempting to avoid my own thoughts, but of course it didn't work. I couldn't stop my mind from traveling into the thoughts that I wanted to ignore.
My mind was obsessed with one thing; Alan. It had been two weeks since I had last seen the hunter Alan, who claimed to be my brother. Even though I somehow knew he spoke the truth about us, I was refusing to acknowledge it. I hadn't even told anyone about that little part of our conversation. As far as everyone else was concerned, he was just trying to take me and Ember away.
I tried to stop thinking about what would happen if I hadn't got up when I did, if Elly hadn't shifted, or if my mom didn't keep a gun in the house. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have been able to hurt Alan if I had to after he told me that he was my brother. I liked to think that I would have ripped his head off, but I wasn't sure and I didn't know what I was hesitant about. It wasn't like he had been a part of my life, or had done anything nice for me. He was just some cruel hunter that just happened to be related me. Just like my dad and my grandfather, and I thought that was bad enough.
I couldn't bring myself to tell the truth about Alan. I was sure that everyone would look at me differently, or act different around me and I didn't want that. I was ashamed of that half of my family, they were cruel and evil people that I didn't want to be lumped together with them. I was nothing like them and I would never go with them willingly, but I couldn't help but think that eventually I would have no choice but to go with them. Soon enough they would get tired of taking it easy on me and just come at us full force. I could only hope that I would be ready for it.
"Where the hell did you find a pink unicorn balloon?"
Andy's voice pulled me out of my head, causing my body to slightly jerk in surprise. Ever since that night, I couldn't stop thinking. Every time I had a spare second I would go off into my own little world, thinking about what could happen or how I would deal with it. It was becoming a very annoying habit.
"The party store downtown," I replied with a slight smile and internally cringing at the high volume of his voice.
Andy had begun to drive me crazy. He had become the most suffocating bodyguard since that night. He refused to take any time off and constantly kept a close eye on me. I used to enjoy his company, maybe even crave it, but that was quickly squashed when he decided to smother me with protectiveness.
If I went to work- he went with me, if I went for a jog- he drove behind me, if I bought tampons- he would carry the dang box to the register. I swear, the only alone time I had was when I took a shower, and I had a feeling that wouldn't last for very long.
"Shouldn't you be more excited?" Andy asked. He had a huge smile on his chiseled face. The pink unicorn balloon that was floating over his head clashed with his dark jeans and gray hoodie. It just wasn't right, someone that tall and buff should not be carrying a pink unicorn. "I mean your baby girl is turning one tomorrow!"
"I am excited," I argued, starting to feel more upbeat in regards to his lifted mood. He was good to Ember, like an amazing uncle. He would do anything for her, and sometimes I think he felt that she was his child too. I didn't like that thought though, because she wasn't his, she belonged to Jackson and so did I. "I'm just a little stressed I guess."
Andy tied the balloon to the chair that stood next to him, tucked into the table, and then walked over to me where I sat at the kitchen island. He took the stool beside me and placed his hand over mine. "I have an idea," he smiled largely.
I looked at him suspiciously and then looked at our hands. His touch didn't cause butterflies and my skin wasn't tingling from the sensation of his skin touching mine. No, it did none of that, but it did make me feel awkward and cause me to squirm around in my seat. It was too much. He was always touching me. Either putting his arm over my shoulders when we would wait in line or rubbing some body part to get my attention. At first I didn't mind, in fact I hardly ever noticed, but soon enough it began to irritate me.
"Sadie, did you hear me?" Andy asked, sounding very amused.
"Uh, what?" I asked, shaking my head slightly.
"You should go change."
"Why do I need to change?" I asked. I was still in my dark pink scrubs that I wore to the clinic, and I hadn't seen any patients so I figured I would just stay in them until I went to bed. No need to add to my never ending pile of dirty laundry.
"So we can go to dinner." He still had a large smile on his face, and his eyes shown bright. He was up to something, something that I was sure would annoy me. Hell, he couldn't do anything lately without annoying me. I almost turned him down when he offered to help me decorate for the party because I felt like I couldn't breathe around him, but then my lazy side took over and I accepted.
"I can't, Ember is sleeping." I answered meekly. Ember had been sleeping for an hour and was due to wake up at any time, but I didn't think dinner was a good idea. It didn't feel right, just his words made it sound too intimate.
"No, I mean just you and me. We can get Elly to watch the baby." There it was, he had just confirmed my thoughts.
I stood up and slipped my hand out from under his, "You mean like a date." I meant to ask, but it came out more like a statement.
"Well yeah, if that's ok." Andy stood up from his chair and made a move to be closer to me, but stopped when I backed away. "I just thought that it would be nice for us."
"Andy, there is no us."
Andy smiled, undeterred, "Yeah, but there could be."
"I have a mate, that's the only us that I'm a part of." I said carefully. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I wanted him to understand that we would never be a couple.
"You really think that he's going to come back?" Andy asked. His voice had lost its soothing happy tone and was replaced with a sharp edge. It was like he was just waiting to have this argument with me, waiting to break my confidence in Jackson.
"Yes, I really do," I said.
"Sadie, he has been gone for over a year now," he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Hell, he won't even be here to see Ember turn one. He's never even met her!"
"That's not his fault!" I yelled. My anger had gone from slightly irritated to extremely pissed off within seconds. In that moment I couldn't understand how I had ever questioned my feelings for Jackson over Andy. It all of a sudden seemed impossible to think of anyone else in a romantic fashion.
"How long are you going to wait Sadie, huh?"
"Until he comes back," I stated. "Andy, you had a mate, you know better than I do how this works." Andy cringed and took a step away from me at the mention of Ken. "You don't want to be with me, I'm just a rebound."
"No, no," Andy said, shaking his head.
"But I'm not a rebound, I'm not anything to you," I pushed on, "I'm not anything but your friend."
"I don't see you as a rebound Sadie." He took to large steps and closed the distance between us, grabbing onto my hands with his own. "I'm in love with you."
I knew he was telling the truth, but more than that I knew he was wrong. He only thought he loved me, but he didn't. I was just the girl that made him feel better after his mate died, I was the one who cried with him and understood his pain, and I was there for him. After all that and with him being my bodyguard, he was bound to get confused. Hell I even got confused, but it wasn't real.
"No you don't," I spoke surely, "You're just comfortable with me. After Ken we both leaned on each other and became close. We're only friends, and if you took some time away from me I think you would see that."
"It's not like that!" He urged. He was gripping onto my hands like I would fly away if he let go.
"I think Mark needs to assign me a new guard," I said quietly. I couldn't continue to be angry with him when he looked so desperate. I felt like I had made him that way and it was eating away at my conscience.
"No!" He growled angrily. He dropped my hands and backed away from me. "We belong together!"
I stared at his face which showed no signs of hesitation. He actually thought that we belonged together, "No Andy, I belong with Jackson."
He huffed out a large breath of air and turned his body towards the sink. He placed his large hands on the counter and leaned into it with his head down. He was taking deep breaths, hopefully trying to curb his anger. "Sadie, please."
"I can't," I whispered. I felt the familiar sting of tears coming to my eyes. I felt horrible and he looked horrible, but I couldn't sugar coat it for him, he needed the truth. I couldn't leave him with false hope just because I wouldn't feel as guilty. "We can be friends, that's it."
Andy took another deep breath and pulled his head up, "How can I ch . . . Oh shit!" He slammed his hands down on the counter top.
"Andy what's wrong?" I asked hesitantly walking over to him. He was staring straight ahead, out into the yard. I was about to place my hand on his shoulder but then I didn't. I didn't want him to read into my touch, and with the situation we were currently in, he would probably think it meant more than it actually did. "Andy, what is it?" I tried again, my voice more demanding.
When he didn't reply and only continued to stare, I followed his gaze out the window. There, along the tree line of the forest stood a wall of black. There were easily a hundred hunters, all lined up and all staring at my house. I let out an involuntary gasp when I saw who was in the lead. Alan stood out in front of them all, and even from my small kitchen window I could see the small crooked smile on his face.
Absolutely nothing good could come of this. The new situation we had just walked into had completely wiped away my previous thoughts on the argument I was just having. I put my hand down on Andy's as an attempt to get his attention. I was scared, and I needed him to talk to me.
Andy finally turned his head away from the hunters and towards me, "Call Mark," He said taking a step away from me and ripping off his shirt. He moved through the kitchen and in the direction of the back door. "Call Steve too, let them both know to be ready cause we're about to be attacked."
I stood frozen, staring into his eyes that had begun to fade into a pale yellow. He looked undecided, but only for a moment. He then retraced his steps, closing the distance between us quickly. Without warning he slipped one arm around my waist and the other around my back. He pulled our bodies together and pressed his lips against mine before I could even register what was happening.
His lips were warm and hard against mine, channeling all his frustration into that one moment. The kiss didn't last long, probably because I didn't respond. He pulled his lips away from mine, leaving his eyes closed, and let out a defeated sigh. "Just stay in the house," he said opening his eyes to look at me.
I nodded my head and then silently watched him slip out the back door.