Chapter 79

I spent a good half of the morning digging through my bag to find something remotely decent to wear to my lunch with Ben. It wasn’t as though I was trying to impress anyone, but the thought of going anywhere in sweatpants and an oversized hoodie seemed a bit inappropriate.

I felt like I needed to make myself look somewhat presentable even if it was just a short meet-up.

‘Perhaps, the Derek family mentality was finally rubbing off on me,’ I thought humorously.

I reached a point where I settled on a long sundress with a light sweater and a pair of comfortable sandals. I threw a good portion of my hair back in a clip and gave myself just a slight brush of mascara.

I felt Emily’s eyes dig into me for a good portion of the time I was getting ready. She sat stoically on the couch with her hand pressed to the side of her head.

“Are you sure going out to lunch with Ben is a good idea?” she asked.

I knew from the hesitant tone in her voice that she was worried. Truthfully, I didn’t see how going to lunch with Ben was such a big deal. Even if word, somehow, got back to James that I went out it shouldn't matter.

“James knows that Ben and I used to know each other when we were younger,” I stated. “I had told him a handful of times before that it’s not a big deal should Ben and I try to catch up on lost times.”

“What if James gets the wrong idea?”

Although the time we were spending apart seemed beneficial for our situation. I still felt slighted by all the vital information James had been keeping from me. I needed to move past the anger and pain that had been swirling within me.

“As of right now, I don’t care what he thinks. I’m doing this for me.”

Emily gave me a small smile and nodded her head. I gave a quick glance at the time on my phone and went to grab my bag. I gave my best friend a confident smile.

“Now, I should be back around three o’clock and no later,” I told her.

...

I stepped into the small bistro and spotted Ben across the room. He graced me with a wide smile and waved me over. One of the waitresses came over to take our orders and the two of us began catching up.

“You mentioned before that you were on break from classes,” I started. “How are they going?”

Ben rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. “They’re going well, for what it’s worth,” he snorted. “The workload is ridiculous. But my semester is almost over, so I’ll be home soon enough.”

“Well, I’m happy that things are going well for you.”

I could tell the conversation was about to shift toward me and made sure to keep my answers short, not wanting to give too much of my current situation away.

“Tell me, how are things going with you?” Ben questioned.

I took a long sip of my tea and lowered my gaze to the table. The ache in my chest sparked ever so slightly from the mere thought of James.

“I’m...okay, I suppose,” I said quietly. “James and I are...In the middle of taking some time apart from one another.”

Ben’s eyes widened in shock. He straightened his shoulders back and leaned over the table. “Is everything alright? Wait, did something happen?”

“...Well, I just recently found out that James is my mate.”

He didn’t seem too openly pleased with this information; however, he could tell that I appeared rather similarly.

“You don’t seem happy by this.”

“It’s complicated,” she tells him. “Apparently, he’s known this for a while and has been keeping it from me.”

“But why? I always figured something as remarkable as that should be embraced, not kept secret.”

I let out a long sigh of defeat. “You’re not wrong. I’ve always felt that way, myself. But, instead of feeling happy and excited like I thought I would have, I feel saddened and deeply confused.”

“Mia, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t much care for James Derek. I think the first time we came across one another, I immediately sensed that he was nothing more than an entitled prick who was used to getting things he wanted.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, I laughed. “You’re not wrong. James has always been accustomed to getting the things he wants. Even when he was younger. But, in a way, it shaped him to be able to thrive in the business world that he works in.”

“But what about you? What good has that behavior done when it comes to having you in his life?”

I sighed. “Honestly, I think James struggles a lot when it comes to facing his true emotions. Maybe he’s worried that it makes him appear weak. I don’t know. All I know is, he and I need time to figure out what we both need.”

“Well, in the meantime, I want you to know that I’m always around if you need someone to listen,” Ben offered.

“Thank you, Ben. That means a lot to me,” I said. My lips curved into a smile.

Ben and I finished our lunch and promised each other that we would remain in touch better with one another going forward.

As I made my way back to Emily’s place, I felt a strange sensation begin to crowd around me. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted a dark van that was oddly parked across the street. My heart flipped in my chest the moment that I noticed the van beginning to move.

I tried to keep calm while picking up the pace. Of course, nothing prepared me or my nerves for the terrifying sight that quickly followed. Two large men, both dressed all in black, came charging after me. They snatched me by the shoulders and yanked me off the sidewalk. A broken cry tore my chest but was hastily muffled from the large hand that was covering my mouth.