Pursuing My Rejected Luna by Cara Anderson novel Chapter 281

Ch.51

Cassandra

Jack has been hanging around for weeks now. I probably would have noticed him sooner if I hadn’t been so oblivious to any man who wasn’t Noah. But I must have noted his presence, at least subconsciously, because I wastr’t all that surprised when he asked me to dance at the pack gathering.

He’s a pack warrior-one of the ones who runs the eastern boundary rotations, which means I’ve processed his patrol logs through the administrative system more times than I can count. I said yes immediately when he asked me to dance too. Did I say yes because Noah’s been flaunting his relationship with Piper and I wanted to show him I don’t care. Yes, absolutely I did. At least in part.

It definitely wasn’t because I’m feeling ready to move on. I’m still not sure I’m ready. But that doesn’t really matter now, does it?

Noah has officially made his choice clear. My options are to move on or end up completely alone.

I’m really running out of reasons to keep saying no to things. So when he comes by the office, looking determined, I have a split second to decide what I’m going to say before he asks me out.

Only he doesn’t come in right away. Not lurking exactly-Jack doesn’t seem like a man who lurks. He’s too sweet to be some kind of stalker. More like he’s working up the courage.

“Coffee.” He finally pokes his head in the door and spits the word, like he’ll lose his nerve if he doesn’t get it out..

“I don’t “I start.

“It’s okay,” His face drops. “After the party I just thought… well, you seemed like you were having a good time with me. But I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

I stand and cross over to where he’s standing. “Jack, I never said you make me uncomfortable.”

“Not out loud. Your face,” he says by way of explanation.

I sigh and shake my head. “I’m sorry, Jack. But trust me when I say whatever you see on my face, it has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh.” He smiles sheepishly. “Sorry I jumped to conclusions. Rough week?”

“Yeah, something like that.” It’s the easy answer.

He doesn’t need to know the details. Yet. Or maybe he does. I mean, I could end up really liking him, right?

He’s not calculating. He’s not trying to play me. He’s just here, this straightforward man who runs border patrols and apparently reads faces, asking me to have coffee with him like it’s a simple thing.

Maybe it is a simple thing. But I can’t risk it going anywhere if I’m not up front with him about Noah. I wouldn’t be able to hide it for long anyway.

“I’d love to get coffee with you. But I need to tell you something first,” He beams at me when I open the door wider and wave

him in.

I invite him into the administrative office because it’s empty and because I need to say this properly, not standing in a corridor where anyone could walk through. And also because, if he decides I’m not worth the trouble, which is entirely possible-it seems to be a theme in my life-at least I’ll still have work to distract me.

He sits across from my desk. I stay standing-not a power move, I just think better on my feet for hard things. And saying any of this out loud is going to be hard.

“This isn’t my first time in Ironwood.” I start at the beginning.

I tell him everything. Arriving at Ironwood a year ago with Liam, feeling the bond snap into place, looking at Noah and deciding

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in the same breath not to accept him. What I chose instead. What I used Liam for-the lie about his father, the manufactured episodes of illness, all of it.

His face cycles through a myriad of emotions, especially when I tell him about Noah’s rejection, the words he used, the way he walked away. The rogue months. Vera’s call. The attack on the road-he growls through that part. And finally, coming back here with nothing and asking for mercy from the man I’d wronged.

I don’t censor it. I say the ugly parts with the same flatness I use for everything else. The ugly parts are facts. They happened. There’s no point in arranging them to sound better than they were.

He listens to every word without interrupting.

When I finish, I force myself to look him in the eye. “So,” I breathe out. “Now you know.”

He’s quiet for a moment and it bothers me more than it should that I can’t read him at all. I have absolutely no idea what he’s thinking or what he’s going to say about all of it.

“So he’s with Piper now?” That’s not what I expected him to say at all.

“You’re a manipulative bitch and deserve to be alone.” Maybe. “That was a shitty thing to do.” Probably. “Forget about coffee.” Definitely. But not that.

“y-, yes.” I stammer.

“Are you still in love with him?” Wow. I was not prepared for that either.

I could say something less than truthful. I could say it’s complicated or the bond makes things difficult to separate or any number of things that are technically true and functionally less than honest.

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