“Then you’re paying too much attention to Matt because I see the way Creed looks at you, and he sure as shit doesn’t look at me that way. A—Matt would maul him, and B—I’m like the kid sister who he never wanted but somehow got Turned into a bear shifter by his crazy friend so he had to adopt me by default. Creed’s so lucky. My point is, he doesn’t look at you like a sister, Gia. He watches you even when you aren’t paying attention. Creed’s eyes are always on you. And besides, if Creed didn’t love you, why would he have gotten up at four in the morning to plan a trip to Minden to face down your asshole parents?”
Startled, Gia stared at Willa and waited for the punchline. “Wait, you weren’t joking? We’re really going back to Minden?”
“Yeah, Creed’s already packed your bags and everything.” Willa batted her eyelashes and sighed. “Oh, lovers.”
Gia took one last squeeze of cheese and slid out of bed. Outside the window, Matt and Creed were loading suitcases into the back of Creed’s truck.
Her stomach curdled. Willa was wrong. He wasn’t going to meet her parents. He was going to drop her off where he thought she belonged—far away from him. Betrayal blasted through her, tearing, ripping, and burning as she realized exactly what those three stupid words had done. They’d cost her everything she cared for. Tears stung her eyes, and she spun for the bathroom, denying the urge to chuck the can of cheese at the wall that stood between her and Creed.
“Gia, what’s wrong?” Willa asked.
Unable to speak through her closing windpipe, she shut the door and locked it, then turned on the shower full blast to disguise her crying.
He was taking her back, but what kind of life could she have in Minden now? Mom and Dad wouldn’t give her the time of day, and Brittney and Kara had shunned her. She’d have to raise her little bear cub in a small town where the rumors would be a constant weight on her shoulders. The internship she’d landed had fallen through, and she’d be far away from here. Away from the chaos of the Gray Backs, which she was getting used to, and away from Willa. And worst of all, away from Creed.
“Gia,” Creed said, knocking on the door. “I can hear you crying, open up.”
“Go away.”
Apparently the lock was just for show, because Creed opened the door easily and stared at her. “What the hell is wrong now?”
Anger pounded through her veins, and she lifted the squeeze cheese and pressed the nozzle as hard as she could at him.
“Shit!” Creed hollered, jerking out of the way. “What is that?” He pulled his black sweater away from his torso and frowned at the cheese worm Gia had drawn on him. “Is that squeeze cheese? Did you just shoot me with squeeze cheese?” Creed looked pissed now.
“You want to get rid of me?” she yelled. “Well, I don’t need an escort. You could’ve just asked me to leave!”
Creed looked utterly baffled. “What are you talking about?”
“Taking me to Minden. I know what this is about, and I’m sorry I ever did it. I’m sorry I said those stupid words because now you’re hurting me with them.” Oh, she felt like a psycho now, but the hormones were a-ragin’, and she was running hotter by the second. She shot him with cheese again.
“Stop it, Gia. Stop it!” He grabbed her smelly weapon and yanked it out of her hand, then hugged her to him. Only her cheek squished against the liquid sharp cheddar, and it enraged her more.
Pushing off him, she glared him down, uncaring how silver his eyes had turned.
“Don’t look at me,” he said.
“What?”
“Look away, or I won’t be able to say it this first time, because fuck it all, I’m not scared of much, but you and water are my Kryptonite, so look at the wall if you want me to tell you what’s on my mind, woman. And I have half a mind to empty this cheese can on you, so do it quick before I give into that urge.”
Baffled, Gia spun away from him. The half empty can made a hollow echoing sound as it hit the floor, and Creed’s hands gripped her shoulders from behind.
“I’m sorry I messed everything up last night, Gia. I didn’t expect you to say what you did because no one’s ever said that to me before. And I’ve never said it before either. The more I waited for the right moment, the more it didn’t feel right. I didn’t want it to be a reaction to what you’d said. So I guess what I’m saying is this is my moment, covered in fuckin’ cheese while Nards stares at us from beside the toilet.” Creed inhaled deeply and released it. “Gia, I love you.”