The Café

Chapter 13

Link dropped everyone off at home on the way back to the pack territory.

He dropped Tom at his hotel, Issy and Georgia at Issy's house, and Pete at his house. The only people left were Link, Evan and Penny (who all live within the pack main territory), and me.

Link pulled into my driveway, hopped out of the car and starting getting my surfboard off of the roof for me while I collected my bag and said goodbye to Evan and Penny. They were so cute together. Finishing each others sentences, knowing exactly what the other wanted before they even said it, just loved up. Exactly what I had always expected the mate bond to look like and exactly as Mum had described - two parts of one whole.

"Where do you want your board?" Link asks me.

"Oh, here I'll take that out to the shed." I say as I put my bag on the porch and reach to grab my board from him.

"It's ok, I'm happy to take it back there." Link replies with a smile.

"Thanks." I say as I lead him around the side of the house to the shed. I show him where to hang the board on the stand and go to walk out. Link puts his hand on my chin and directs my face to face his. The fireworks are lighting up my whole body. My wolf is urging me to reach out to him and not let go. It takes every bit of self restraint that I have to resist.

"You aren't with Tom are you?" He asks. I can hear the nervousness in his voice as it shakes. His breathing is loud as he waits for my response.

I shake my head. I can't seem to will myself to speak. I am utterly, utterly spellbound by the man in front of me and the sensation his touch is having on my skin.

Link smiles his beaming, knock-your-socks-off smile. I'm pretty sure my wolf has fainted from the sight of it.

"Good." Link answers before leaning in and inhaling my scent in my neck. "You smell like lavender... did you know? It's very calming."

"I use a lavender body wash..." I reply nervously.

"No, it's your scent. Lavender. It's beautiful." Link adds as my heart skips a beat. "Can I message you later?" He asks.

"I would really like that." I agree honestly. I am excited by it already and he hasn't even left yet. I felt like my face might split in two from the grin I was wearing.

I follow Link out of the shed and back around to the van. He hops back into the drivers seat and winds his window down;

"Well I'll talk to you later then." He almost sounds shy.

"Drive safe!" I call out as the car reverses out of the driveway.

I stand on the grass for a few minutes after the van has driven off. What a day.

Once I have had a shower, unpacked my bag, aloe vera-ed my sunburn, and checked my phone about one hundred times, I go to get some dinner from the kitchen. Mum is in there whipping herself up an omelette for dinner too.

"Would you like one?" Mum offers, pointing to her omelette in the pan with the spatula.

"Yes please!" I plead before sitting on the breakfast bar stool.

"How was your day?" Mum asked while continuing her little cooking dance in the kitchen. She made it look effortless. I was good at cooking but Mum was the best, hands down.

"Eventful." I reply with a sigh.

"Really? Good eventful or bad?" She asks curiously. I decide to get her take on the whole Link situation.

"Well, Tom was right there all day. Sitting next to me, calling out to me, flirting with me, all day. I'm not sure if I am annoyed or flattered you know?" I continued, "But there's this other guy." I take a deep breath.

"Other guy?" Mum raises her eyebrows.

"mhm.." I nod, " and I get all the things we were talking about yesterday, but I just don't know whether he's coming or going! As soon as Tom is around its like he runs away." I slump on the chair in defeat. I can see Mum trying to hide her joy.

"So you think he might be your mate?" She tries to act calmly.

"I don't know..." I whine. "Like he always talks to me and now messages me, and sticks up for me and is attentive. But I have no idea if he is feeling the same things!" I am so frustrated.

"Honey, sometimes things happening outside effect the inside. Maybe he has some stuff going on that he needs to sort out before committing to the mate bond. You said you have been talking?" Mum suggests positively.

"Yea, he started messaging me the other day and asked if he could message me again tonight." I mumble like a moody teenager.

"And he hasn't mentioned anything about the mate bond?" Mum asks while plating up our omelettes.

"He said that my scent was lavender and it was calming." I shrugged, taking a bite out of my dinner.

"Tess, that might be the sign you needed. Your scent must be pretty strong for him if he is feeling the effect of it in a calming way..." Mum sits down beside me and places her hand on mine, "Just be patient."

The three most annoying words every spoken. Just be patient.

Suddenly my phone beeps on the counter beside me. My face lights up in response. My heart flutters excitedly.

Tom: It was good to hang out with you today. x

"Who was that?" Mum asked me. "You look a little disappointed."

"It was Tom..." I state quietly, putting my phone down.

"I think that is a pretty strong sign that Tom isn't for you." Mum suggests, "You look miserable that it wasn't someone else."

I deliberate for a minute. She was right. I knew who I wanted to talk to. Link.

"How do I tell Tom that?" I ask. I didn't want to lead him on.

"You just reiterate the 'friends' line a few times and make it clear you aren't interested. Not much more you can do." Mum shrugs her shoulders apologising she doesn't have more advice for me.

Me: I did, it was good to hang out with some friends - pretty beat now though. How about you?

I hoped he might get the message.

Tom: Even better if it was just you and me!

Clearly, he isn't picking up what I'm putting down.

Me: Maybe we can have a lunch or something one day as friends.

Surely he can't miss that!

Tom: Friends? I was hoping we could be a little bit more.

Me: Just friends - I'm not sure where my head is at the moment, need to sort some stuff out.

There was no reply for a while. I didn't know if he was annoyed or cool about it.

My phone beeped again, I nervously check it.

Link: Hey Babe! Hope your not too sore from the waves you caught today!

In that split second I had completely forgotten about Tom and was on cloud nine again.