Chapter 47: Chapter 47

"Okay, mom. I'll see you in a couple of hours. I love you. Okay bye." She ends the call with a sigh and drops the phone on the counter.

Max had his eyes fixed on her as he takes careful sips of his steaming coffee. She noticed how he'd been staring at her since she was on phone with her mother. "What?" She asked him.

He just got home yesterday from his trip and she hasn't told him Aaron was here. He had told her he wasn't going to leave until she was willing to leave with him. She wasn't going to do that, of course. At least not with him.

"You've been uneasy since I came back last night, what's wrong?" His eyes softens and he's looking worried now. She loves and hates how he gets worried about her easily. He shouldn't worry about her, at least not at the times she's not willing to tell him what's bothering her. But Max deserves to know what's happening because Aaron might decide to show up right now when they're leaving for work in couple of minutes.

"I don't know..." she heaves a sigh as she massaged her temple. Her eyes were closed when she did that but she could feel his piercing gaze on her. She opens her eyes and just as she thought, his eyes were on her face, waiting to hear the answer.

"You can tell me anything, Alice." His assuring smile was contagious. She smiles also and nodded her head.

"You're definitely going to hate this but I'm just going to rip it off," she said anxiously. He's more anxious because he drops the mug on the kitchen island and approached her by the counter next to the fridge.

"Aaron is in New York..."

He gasped. His mouth is gaped, so was his eyes. He isn't even moving a muscle but it scared her before he even gives her his reaction.

"I swear I didn't know he was coming. I don't even know how he got the apartment address. I don't know why he's here but he keeps saying that he's not going back with me." She was gasping for air now. She hates how she gets panic attacks too often.

He grasp her shoulders to calm her. She halts, astonished that he's calm but it doesn't last long because he's frowning now. "When did he come?"

"Friday, the night you left..."

"Did he come back after that?"

"He came Saturday, Sunday..."

He lets go of her shoulders and she doesn't like that he just did that. He paces back, rubbing his eyes and cursing under his breath. "For fucks sakes..."

He paces back and forth, trying to keep his cool and not overreact. He doesn't even know exactly how he's feeling but he sure is feeling a hell lot of angry.

He halts and looks at her. His eyes had turned the shade of red. His orbs had changed from the Hazel brown they were to black. He's breathing through his mouth. Alice can't remember if she had seen him this angry.

"I'm so sorry. I should've told you sooner..."

He walks toward her, shaking his head. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just worried about you. Call me selfish but I don't want you to end up with that guy because he's a total jerk and an idiot. I don't even believe that he truly loves you."

Alice was staring up at him as he spoke. She looks down and sighed. "I'm not following him back home, Max. And I sure am not taking him back also."

When she looks up, she saw the relieve on his face. He smiles and nodded. "Good. Good. When he comes back again today, I'll handle him." He walks back to his coffee and took another sip as though he just didn't tell her his brutal plan for Aaron.

"What are you going to do?" She asked curiously.

Max shoulder shrugs. "I'll just talk to him," he says, making his way to the sink. He was his mug and dried it before placing it in the drawer.

"You ready?" He asked, his face holding a stoic expression. It scares her because she doesn't know what kind of talk he meant but she's not about to force it.

She nods her head and they make way out of the apartment.

He dropped her at the coffee shop and left, promising he'd pick her up as soon as her parents arrive.

The thought of her parents coming to visit her excites her. It made her to forget the worries surrounding her.

Speaking of worries, Ryan was standing by the cashier, looking directly at the entrance. She knows he must've seen Max dropping her off. She hold on to her purse and dart her head down as she makes way to the staff room to change.

"Alice," he calls out just when she was about to walk past him. She halts with yet another sigh and look at him.

She forces a smile as she raised her eyebrows. "Good morning, Boss." She calls him that now since he chose to stop talking to her ever since he caught her almost kissing Max.

"Meet me in my office after you change, please," he inquired and walked toward his office. She watched his retreating back until he closes his office door before him.

"Of course," She mumbled under her breath and sauntered into the back room.

She finished changing into her room just as Brooke walks in. She was already dressed and it shocks Alice to see her that way. Brooke always changed after she comes to the coffee shop and she's always almost late, and rushing to change. But today, she was on my time and already dressed.

"I was here before you," Brooke said and stuck her tongue out. "I just stepped out to get something." She hangs her bag on the bag hanger.

"Well, I'm so happy for you." Alice doesn't say anything after that. She walks out of the room and head to Ryan's office even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

She kind of enjoys the silent treatment he was giving her. She didn't expect him to break so quickly.

She knocks and didn't enter immediately until he gives her permission to. She entered and closed the door behind her.

He wasn't on his chair like he was the last time she was in here. He was in front of the desk, leaning against it with crossed ankles and folded arms.

"You asked me to see you here?"

He nods and smiled at her, and she knew it's not going to be work relevant. She sighs, hugging herself because his eyes were below her neck. He looks up immediately when she did that.

"Are we fighting?"

She can't believe he just asked her that. A disdain look wash over her face but she quickly waves it off before he could notice. "Are we?" She returned the question and he chuckled, standing on his feet.

He took slow steps towards her. "I'm not fighting with you. But it feels like you're mad at me." He's standing close to her now and it reminded her of how she hated being too close to him. "Because I caught you almost making out with your friend or roommate..."

"Whatever I do with Max isn't your business, boss." Her eyes seethe with anger as she stared up at him.

He stares back at her for a solid minute and nod. "You're right, I'm sorry. I was just... I was angry. I'm still angry..."

"Why are you angry?" She asked him even though she has and idea of what he's stupidly going to tell her right now.

"Because I have feelings for you," he said softly. His eyes held nothing but truth and innocence but she's not about to fall for them. She's not going to fall for any guys pathetic looking, innocent eyes.

"We shouldn't be talking about this while at work."

"You're right. We'll talk immediately after we close. I have so much to tell you."

"About that..." her heart stops pouncing as though it was going to escape. Her face was now relaxed and she kind of felt remorseful for overreacting.

"My parents are on their way from home and I was wondering if I could close early."

His face falls and she could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry I should've told you earlier..."

"It's okay. We'll talk whenever you're ready." He leans in and kisses her cheek. It's the worst thing he had ever done. She has never felt revolted like this before to his touch—not even when he kissed her lips because she knows what this peck means. He thinks that he's got a chance with her. He thinks that he's going to have his way with her like all the men in her life did.

She forced and smile and nodded before turning around to leave.

"Oh, one last thing."

She halts, closing her eyes shut. She mused a curse before fixing her face and turning around.

"Think about what I've told you before we meet up, okay?"

He wants her to have a whole scenario in her mind because he told her he has feelings for her?

Maybe she's a little bit tired of that.

She nods again but doesn't smile this time. She turns around and leave quickly before he has the chance to call her back again.

**

"I've missed you so much, honey." She kisses Alice's cheek again and gave her a side hug.

Alice chuckled, loving the affection she was getting from her mother but it was getting too much. "I've missed you too, mom."

They were sitting in a restaurant, eating dinner all together. Max picked them up from the airport and they came to Alice's working place to pick her up.

Ryan was there when they walked in and hugged her. He introduced himself to her parents but not as her boss. Now, her father won't stop asking questions.

"That boy back there seems a little bit too serious for you, don't you think?" Fredrick says and it made her to roll her eyes.

"Dad... he is not my boyfriend. He is my boss. Max, help me out on this," she said, turning her head toward Max.

He shrugs his shoulder. "He's my neighbour and I don't think there's anything between them." He also wanted to tell them that Alice and Ryan had kissed on Easter while they were at his parents but he shrugs it off because Alice has no idea he saw them kissing through the kitchen window.

She heaves a sigh with a smile. "See? You said no human boyfriend and I kept that promise."

Fredrick smiled, nodding his head. "I trust you, sweetheart. And thank you, Max for everything. Thank you for keeping an eye on her."

She groans softly and rests her back on the chair. Maybe she shouldn't have allowed them to come. They were making it look as though Max was doing her a huge favor even though he is. He's letting her live in his house rent free despite insisting she wanted to help with the bills. He told her he doesn't need her money, she should keep it.

Alice doesn't have anything to do with the money, especially when she goes back home. She doesn't go out and meet with the outcasts like she does here. So, the money isn't of any benefit. She's practically just like Brooke—working for fun.

"So, anything new? Anything interesting we should know?" Linda asked her excitedly. She was smiling from ear to ear, blithe with how her daughter had blended with the outcasts.

Alice shares a look with Max and they both thought of the same thing. Her father looks at the both of them curiously. "There's something we do need to know, right?" He asked and she was not about to tell them Aaron was here and he's pressuring her to follow him back.

Not even her parents were going to make her return home with them. "No... not at all. Just living the same life everyday. Wake up, go to work, come back home and repeat. I made a friend though. I'd love you to meet her before you leave."

"You're not coming home with us?" Linda asked, shooting her eyebrows up. The table fall silent with the four of the sharing looks.

The waiter rolled in a cart and arranged their order on the table. "Enjoy," he said before leaving.

Alice was staring intensely at her mother. She folds her arms across her chest while waiting to hear the reason they've changed their minds after she had told them she wasn't going back until she was ready.

"Why don't we just eat and deal with this later? I'm starving..."

"I'm not going back to Scuris," Alice cuts in, stopping her father from attempting to grab a plate. He sighs, resting his elbows on the table.

"No one is forcing you to come with us, Alice. We've promised to leave you until you were ready to come home." Fredrick was looking at his wife while he spoke.

She scoffed softly and nod her head. "You're right, she's old enough to make her own choices."

"Thanks, dad." Alice sends an appreciative smile his way and grabbed her fork. She doesn't know when her father became this soft and less paranoid when it comes to her but she's glad that he has finally understood that she's old enough to take care of herself.

After they were done with dinner, Alice stepped out to the backyard to check her phone because Aaron wouldn't stop calling her while she was at the table.

"For the last time, I am not following you anywhere. What do you take me as? Some kind of dumb toy?" She was starting to get furious and paranoid at the same time. She can't even imagine why he wants her to follow him back.

"Alice, you don't understand. I promise you, I'm a changed man. I want to be with you. Just... trust me..."

"Well... where were you when I needed you? Why the sudden change of heart? Hmm? Why are you suddenly head over heels about me? And why do you want me to follow you back home?"

She heard him sigh and mumbled something under his breath. "Alice..."

"Listen, my parents are here and you know my father hasn't let what you did to our home slide. He is still mad at you and it's safer for you to stay away from him. If I want to go back home, I'll follow my parents." She ends the call without waiting for his response.

"Geez..." she massaged her temple as she walked back and forth beside the pool. Her heart was still pacing even after she had ended the call. It's hard to think or even do anything when you don't exactly know what you're doing or what you should do next.

The one thing she's worried about is her parents finding out Aaron was here. If it a year back when she really believed that he loved her, she'd be excited that he followed her and she'd let her parents know without hesitation.

She halts and looked down at her reflection in the pool water. The wavy water reminded her of the times she had spent with Aaron by the rock. She'd forever cherish those moments but she can't say if she'd want to have that kind of moment over again. He'd played with his chance and lost. He'd lost her...

The reflection that suddenly appears beside her made her heart to jump out to her throat. "Dad..." she gasped for air, placing a hand on her chest.

"Sorry," he muttered, stroking her back. "You've been out here for a long time. Your mother is worried."

She looks up at him and turned her head straight, and shook her head. "She's just overreacting."

"No, she's just being a mother."

Alice doesn't nod quickly but she agrees with that. Her mother has always been the worried and overprotective one but she never shows it because Alice was always by her side and she has nothing to worry about.

"You're all she talks about ever since you left," he told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She smiled, leaning to his chest.

"You guys are all I could think of too..." besides the men that have been pestering her life with worry and anxiety.

"Do you like it here?" He asked her.

She smiled and nodded softly. "It's amazing here. I actually thought I'd never blend in with the outcasts because whenever I'm around them I just feel like they could see the other side of me. But now, I feel like I'm one of them."

He breathes out gently, pressing his lips together. For one thing, he was afraid she'd get too comfortable here. He doesn't want her to feel like one of the because she'd eventually forget her true identity.

"I will never forget who I am, dad. I'm a werewolf and I'm proud of that."

He chuckled, heaving a sigh of relieve. "I was afraid of that."

She looks up at him for couple of seconds and turn her head to look ahead. "What if I decide to stay here instead? Are you going to be okay with that?" She's been wanting to ask that but was afraid of their reaction.

When he doesn't say anything, she looks at him to read his expression. Her father reminds her of Dominic, because she could read his expression. He was looking down at her but he was holding a stoic look.

"If that's what will make you happy and comfortable."

She was still looking at him when he told her that. She smiled and hugged his torso. "I don't know what made you to become this soft but I love it."

He laughs softly, hugging her back. "Oh, I'm still the strict Alpha you know me to be. I just believe that you'll be safe wherever you decide to be because you're a strong werewolf and you can take care of yourself."

She breaks the hug to look at him. He had never said anything that made her appreciate him more like these words. She never thought she'd ever hear him say that. So, she'll never misuse the opportunity he gave her. She was going to stick to those words and use them like he expected her to.

"You still have to find your mate, you know that right? Or you don't want to be a Luna anymore?"