THE FIRST DATE
1321 Words
EPISODE 7:
*THE MORNING AFTER*
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
I woke up at 7AM. Alone.
But the guest room door was open.
The bed was made.
He’d slept there.
Like he promised.
“Morning, Mommy!”
Lila was already in the kitchen. In her pink pajamas. Hair in a messy bun.
Leo was eating cereal. Straight from the box.
“Where’s Daddy?” Lila asked.
“Working,” I said. “The pack is busy.”
That was true.
After an attempted murder, a lot of pack paperwork happened.
But also...
He left before I woke up.
Was that on purpose?
---
*10AM. PACK HEADQUARTERS*
I wasn’t supposed to be here.
But the charity foundation paperwork wouldn’t file itself.
“Good morning, Luna,” Beta Thomas said. New Beta. Young. Nervous.
He used to be Kade’s guard.
“Morning,” I said. “Where is he?”
“In his office. With the Council.”
“Is it bad?”
He hesitated. “They’re talking about Selena’s father.”
Of course they were.
Elder Marcus. The man who hated me 5 years ago.
The man whose daughter just tried to kill me.
I knocked.
“Come in.”
Kade was behind the desk. No tux. Just black shirt, sleeves rolled up.
Tired.
But when he saw me, he straightened.
“Ava.”
“Can I talk to you? For a minute?”
The Council members looked at us. Then at him.
“Give us 5,” Kade said.
They left.
He stood up. Walked around the desk.
“Are you okay?” he asked. First thing.
“I’m fine. Are you?”
“I’ve been better.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Marcus is demanding Selena’s release. Says it was ‘a crime of passion.’”
I laughed. Bitter. “A crime of passion. With a knife.”
“I know.” He stepped closer. “I’m not letting him.”
“I believe you.”
We stood there.
2 feet apart.
Like we didn’t know what to do with our hands.
“Kade...”
“Yeah?”
“Last night. You said—”
“I meant it.” His voice was low. “Every word.”
My heart did that stupid thing again.
“Good,” I said. “Because I’m tired of pretending I don’t feel it too.”
His eyes darkened. “Ava.”
“Don’t.” I held up a hand. “I’m not ready for... all of it. But I’m ready to try.”
He nodded. Slow. “Then let’s try.”
“How?”
He smiled. Small. Real. “Have dinner with me. Tonight. Just us.”
“Dinner?”
“A date, Ava. An actual date.”
I stared. “You want to take me on a date? After everything?”
“Especially after everything.”
---
*6PM. GETTING READY*
Jeans.
Plain white tee.
Mooncrest jacket.
No red dress. No cameras.
Just me.
Lila helped me with my hair. “You look pretty, Mommy.”
“Thanks, baby.”
“Is this a date with Daddy?”
“Yeah.”
“Yay! Kiss him for me!”
Leo: “Don’t forget to bring me ice cream.”
Kade knocked at 6:30.
In jeans too. And a black hoodie.
He looked... normal.
Like a dad. Like a man.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“The twins?”
“Asleep in 20 minutes. My mom is watching them.”
His mom.
I hadn’t seen her since the rejection.
“You okay with that?” he asked.
“No. But I’m doing it anyway.”
He held out his hand.
I took it.
---
*7PM. MOONCREST DINER*
Not fancy.
Not the Grand Hall.
Just a diner. With neon lights and burgers.
And nobody staring.
The waitress didn’t know who we were.
“Table for 2?”
“Yes,” Kade said. “Please.”
We sat in a booth.
Across from each other.
Like normal people.
“This is weird,” I said.
“Good weird or bad weird?”
“Good.” I smiled. “I forgot what normal felt like.”
He ordered for both of us.
Burgers. Fries. Two milkshakes.
“You remembered,” I said.
“Chocolate. Extra whipped cream. You used to get it every Friday.”
I looked down. “I did.”
“I remember a lot of things, Ava.”
Silence.
But not the bad kind.
“How are the twins?” he asked.
“Good. Lila asked if you were my boyfriend.”
Kade choked on his water. “What did you say?”
“I said ‘something like that.’”
He grinned. “I’ll take it.”
We talked.
About the charity. About the kids. About nothing.
No pack politics. No Selena. No past.
Just us.
Halfway through, his hand brushed mine on the table.
He didn’t pull away.
Neither did I.
---
*8:30PM. THE WALK*
“Wanna walk?” he asked.
“Where?”
“Nowhere. Just... walk.”
So we did.
Through Mooncrest.
Past the park. Past the school.
Past the place where he rejected me 5 years ago.
We stopped there.
The fountain.
Empty now.
“I was an i***t,” Kade said.
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
He looked at me. “Do you forgive me?”
“I’m trying.”
“That’s enough.”
He reached out. Tucked my hair behind my ear.
His hand lingered on my cheek.
“Ava...”
“Yeah?”
“I’m not asking you to be my Luna tonight. Or my mate. Or anything.”
“Then what are you asking?”
“To let me take you on a date. Again. And again. Until you believe I’m not going anywhere.”
My throat closed. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
---
*9:45PM. HOME*
My mom was asleep on the couch.
Twins in bed.
Kade walked me to the door.
Didn’t try to kiss me.
Didn’t try to come in.
Just stood there.
“I had fun,” he said.
“Me too.”
“Can I do it again? Friday?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Friday.”
He smiled. That full, real smile.
“Goodnight, Ava.”
“Goodnight, Kade.”
I closed the door.
And leaned against it.
And smiled.
---
*3 DAYS LATER. FRIDAY. DATE #2*
He took me to the bookstore.
I bought 3 books. He carried them.
He bought Leo a comic.
Then the park.
We pushed the twins on swings.
Kade raced Leo. Lost on purpose.
Lila climbed into his lap. “Tell us a story, Daddy.”
So he did.
About an Alpha and a girl who was braver than him.
I cried a little.
He pretended not to notice.
---
*SUNDAY. PACK MEETING.*
“We have a problem, Luna.”
Beta Thomas looked pale.
“What is it?”
“Someone put in an application for Beta. 3 someones.”
“And?”
“And one of them is Marcus’s cousin.”
My stomach dropped.
They weren’t done.
---
*THAT NIGHT*
Kade was on my couch again.
Reading.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked.
“We have a problem.”
“I know.” He closed the book. “Marcus.”
“What do we do?”
“We fight.” He looked at me. “Together.”
I nodded.
“Together.”
He stood. Walked to me.
Sat on the floor like last time.
“Ava.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you said yes to the date.”
“I’m glad you asked.”
He reached for my hand.
I let him take it.
We didn’t kiss.
We didn’t need to.
We just sat there.
Hand in hand.
While Mooncrest slept outside.
And for the first time in 5 years...
I felt safe.
- Writer
