Forever Is A Long Time

Chapter 5

“Nathan can this please wait until tomorrow morning?” I looked back at Brandon who was sitting up on my bed now, a confused look on his face with a hint of annoyance. 

“I just thought we could talk, that’s all...” he answered.

What is up with these two wanting to talk tonight. 

“I think we have talked enough for today. Besides, I really need my rest so I can help you strategize tomorrow.” I said crossing my arms as if he could see me.

Brandon started to get up from the bed. I’m glad he was on the same page. There was no way I was going to continue this night knowing my ex, his father, was trying to talk to me in private. Plus I didn’t need any distractions. Who knows what could have happened. He could have marked me and that would have been the end of me.

“I suppose it can wait...goodnight Athena,” he said, with a slight hint of defeat in his voice. It almost sounded sad. 

As soon as I could sense that he was gone, I looked over at Brandon who seemed pissed. 

“What the hell was that?” he asked with an annoyed tone.

“You’re asking me?” I said, raising an eyebrow at him.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, running his hands through his hair with frustration. “It's just that it almost sounded like he was trying to do the same thing I came here to do. I don’t get it. He’s happily mated to my mom. If you two are as over as you both said, then why would he come to your room this late?”

“Ok first of all it’s not that late,” I said with a matter-of-fact tone and looked over at the alarm clock next to the bed. It read 10:25PM. “Ok maybe it is a bit late…besides the point, I am not interested in your dad. He chose your mom, not me.” I turned away from him. 

“You really did love him, didn’t you?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, I did..” I replied softly, trying to hold back a tear which honestly surprised me. I felt it escape at the corner of my eye and discreetly wiped it away with my finger before he could notice. One thing I hated was crying in front of men. There had only been two men in the 1,045 years of my existence that had ever made me truly cry and Nathan had been one of them. He had been the one who had put me back together and the one who broke me all over again. 

I composed myself before turning to face him. 

“The moon goddess really has a sense of humor, you know,” I said, letting out a light chuckle. “She sent me my mate over a thousand years later and made him look like the splitting image of my ex.” 

Brandon stood there, his hands in his pockets, looking down as if processing. He looked up only to take a step towards me, closing the gap between us immediately. I looked away from his face only for him to reach out with one hand, softly moving my chin with his forefinger and thumb so that I could look him in the eye. His eyes held so much emotion in them that it made me want to look away because it made me scared. Scared that once he saw me, he also wouldn’t want me. I could never bring myself to say that out loud. 

“I’m not him,” he replied softly, still holding my face firmly in place. “I don’t know what type of relationship you two had or care for it. All I know is that I want you to be mine, forever.” He paused for a few seconds, his voice a bit lower as I could tell he was trying his best to word everything precisely. 

“I know it won’t be easy, as you seem like a handful…,” I rolled my eyes then smirked a bit at him. “...and we can take it slow, if you want, but all I know is that there is no one else, I want, then you.”

Damn, he’s good. Alexa voiced.

I mentally rolled my eyes at her.

I stayed quiet for a few seconds before replying. I could tell he was getting worried. 

“I know you’re not him...I just don’t know if I have anything left to offer, especially to you...” I replied, lowering my gaze. “Every time I thought that someone cared about me, I’d let my guard down and I’d give and give and go out of my way in every way possible only for them to not reciprocate it or appreciate the fact that I would do anything for them. And now...I don’t see how I can do that again…” 

Silence followed and just when I thought he wasn’t going to say anything he nudged at my chin lightly, making me look up at him. 

“It would be really stupid of me to walk away from you just because you think that you don’t deserve to be happy,” he said softly, a smirk then forming on his handsome face.

Now do you really want to give him a chance? Alexa purred sarcastically.

Ignoring my wolf, I slightly smiled at Brandon. I had to admit, he was definitely saying all the right things. While Nathan did have his moments, he was nothing like Brandon. 

“You sure you don’t just want to reject me and get it over with? You know, be stupid?” I teased. 

I kept checking to see if his expressions showed any type of doubt or hesitation. I saw neither.

He smirked at me, shaking his head in frustration as he let out a chuckle. 

“What do you want me to do to prove to you that I am not the same?” he asked, pulling me towards him by my waist. 

“You do know I was messing with you, right?” I asked with a smirk.

“I see your game,” he added with a grin.

“Don’t think this means you’ve won me over. There is still a lot about you I need to know,” I stated in a more serious tone. “Let’s just take it slow and see how it goes,” I added shortly in a lighter tone. 

“Fair enough,” he said with a smile. “That said, I will be having a talk with my dad tomorrow morning as well. He has a lot of explaining to do…”

Here we go...