Chapter 9
1240 Words
-Ava-
“I got it!”
I burst through the front door, but there was no reaction. I rushed into the living room and found Cassy fast asleep on the couch. I ran over and shook her.
“Cassy, Cassy!”
She groaned, half-awake. “Let me sleep. Some of us work nights at the hospital.”
“No, Cassy, this is important!”
She cracked one eye open.
“I got the job!” I exclaimed.
She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times before focusing on me. Slowly, a smile spread across her face.
“You got that fancy job?” she inquired.
“I’m an assistant. Nothing fancy.”
“But you’re an assistant to a very rich person,” she countered.
“And powerful. Don’t forget powerful.”
Cassy looked confused, but I barely noticed.
“You should’ve seen her,” I said. “You walk into the room, and you just know she owns it. She’s unbelievable! I can’t believe she’s my mate—”
“Whoa, slow down!”
I stopped short as Cassy stared at me.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“She’s unbelievable?”
“No… the mate part.”
“Oh. Yeah,” I said, looking down, my cheeks heated as I remembered the powerful reaction I’d had. “She’s my mate.”
“Holy sh*t,” Cassy whispered.
“Yes, I know, bad timing, but right now, I can’t think about that. I got the job!”
“Wow, whoa, Ava. Hold on,” she said, gripping my hand.
“What?” I asked, stunned.
“I know you don’t fully understand how important the mate bond is,” she said carefully, “especially considering you were stuck with a sociopath for years, but the bond is powerful.”
“I know,” I said, nodding.
“Do you?” she pressed. “I know you bonded with Zachary, but that was against your will, and it wasn’t a true bond. A true bond is much stronger. It’s…” She sighed. “Rina would probably be better at explaining it. I only know what I’ve seen and been told, but it changes you.”
I looked down, absorbing her words. Maybe I didn’t fully understand after all.
“And do you think it might’ve played a role in why you got the job?” she asked gently.
I considered that and felt my excitement drain away. “Oh no,” I murmured.
Cassy nodded, as if she’d reached the same conclusion, though I wasn’t ready to accept it.
“But she’s a vampire,” I argued.
“She is,” Cassy said, “but even if vampires are slower to put the pieces together, they do eventually. The attraction, the need to be close, the way you react when you touch, it’ll be impossible to ignore. Especially if you’re spending so much time together.”
I knew she was right, and yet my heart kept racing.
“You think she was attracted to me?” I inquired.
Cassy rolled her eyes. “Well, were you attracted to her?”
I remembered the moment I’d first seen Everly. I’d never felt anything like it before.
“Yes,” I admitted.
“And that’s only going to get worse,” Cassy said, only to tilt her head to the side. “Maybe ‘worse’ isn’t the right word, but it’ll grow. And that doesn’t always mix well with a workplace.”
I nodded, thinking it through. Then I remembered how Everly had scented the air.
“You think…” I started, noticing Cassy’s curious look. “You think she hired me because she wanted to be around me? Maybe… sleep with me?”
Cassy shrugged. “It’s possible. But with mates, it’s more than just sleeping together. Still, I do think she found it hard to say no because you’re mates.”
I sighed, feeling even more deflated. “So my speech had nothing to do with it.”
“I don’t know exactly what you said,” Cassy replied. “It might have helped. But considering who else probably applied, you likely weren’t at the top of the list, even with the speech.”
“Hurtful,” I muttered, crossing my arms.
Cassy raised her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m just saying, being that woman’s assistant won’t be easy. It takes certain skills, and you…” she trailed off as I turned to her. “I mean, you’re not really—”
“What?” I pressed.
“Well, you’re—”
“I’m what?”
“Do you really need me to say it?”
I looked away, my chest tightening. “And here I thought today would end on a good note,” I whispered.
“Hey,” Cassy said, drawing my attention back. “I wasn’t there. I can’t say for sure whether the mate bond influenced her decision. But maybe you two should talk about it, have a deeper conversation.”
“A deeper conversation?” I asked, confused.
Cassy studied me for a moment. “Wait, didn’t you two talk about it? The bond?”
“Well, like I said, she’s a vampire,” I replied. “And you pointed out yourself that they’re slower to connect things.”
“Yes, I said that,” Cassy snapped, “but I also added that the attraction between you two would be impossible to manage in a workplace!”
I bit down on my lip.
“You didn’t mention it?” she inquired.
“She didn’t!” I blurted out.
“Clearly because she hasn’t connected the dots yet, then,” Cassy burst out.
“I…”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I just—”
“What?”
“I really… I really wanted the job,” I whispered.
Cassy seemed to soften, exhaling deeply before placing a hand on my shoulder. “I know. But you can’t accept it.”
“What?” I stared at her in shock.
“Ava, you didn’t even tell this woman what you are to each other,” Cassy said.
“So?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, are you in hiding, or are you not?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but no sound came out.
“I’m sure that crossed your mind too, didn’t it?” she pressed.
I looked down. “Yes,” I whispered.
“I know you wanted this job so badly that you were willing to blindly pull your own mate into this mess.”
“That’s not… I wasn’t trying to drag her into anything!”
“No?”
“When I realized we were mates, I was already there. I couldn’t just storm out!”
“No,” Cassy replied, “but you could have said something.”
She was right. I could have.
Cassy squeezed my shoulder gently, offering a small, reassuring smile. “There will be other opportunities.”
“Not really… it was my last chance.”
“There are tons of jobs out there,” she insisted. “Someone will be looking to hire sooner or later.”
“Yeah… I guess,” I murmured.
Silence settled between us for a moment before Cassy squeezed my shoulder again.
“Besides,” she added, “you’d have to change your sleep schedule to match a vampire’s. They’re awake at night.”
- Writer
