20 A Strange Feeling
Selma Payne’s POV:
Aldrich examined me very seriously, trying to judge the degree of ‘harshness’ from my expression.
He took a sip of his drink and asked in confusion, “Why? You’re a Lycan. Who would reject you?”
“He thinks I’m a human, so… I don’t think I care about Benson that much anymore. I could even easily recount the whole thing. I don’t care about his rejection, but he said many things that hurt me.”
Aldrich took a big bite of the sandwich in his hand as if he was avenging me.” Before the transformation, a Lycan looks like a human. Doesn’t he know that you’re a werewolf? You didn’t tell him?”
I shook my head. I didn’t know what he thought of my actions. Finally, he consoled me, “It’s fine. It’s all because of his poor taste. He doesn’t know what treasure he missed.”
I didn’t know it was such a happy thing to be comforted by a friend. There were already tears in my eyes, but when I saw his serious face and indignation on my behalf, I couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, this is all his loss. He said a lot of nasty things and even asked me to die. A real gentleman would not treat any woman like this.”
“What?” He slammed the table and stood up. Everyone in the restaurant looked at him. I quickly pulled him to sit down.
“Calm down!”
“How can I calm down when he treated you that way? If I had known you then, I would have thrown him into the river to wake him up. Fortunately, you were not affected by him. You are very important, and we all need you.”
I laughed bitterly in my heart. He had already affected me, but fortunately, I shouldn’t have tried to off myself because of him. No matter what, Aldrich’s reaction touched me.
“Relax, I’m still here. Don’t take his words to heart.” I didn’t know if I was telling this to him or for myself.
He nodded, and we continued to eat. After we footed the bill, we walked out side by side.
“Hey, maybe you should try to get the girl you love back. Maybe she’s ready now,” I whispered to him.
However, Aldrich shook his head. “We might not be together for the rest of our lives. Our relationship is very complicated …”
I heard his faint sigh. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s all in the past now. We’re friends, aren’t we? You don’t have to be so polite. ”
I opened the car door and got in. He looked relaxed and said with a smile, “Maybe you should consider getting a boyfriend and forget about the unpleasant past, or tell me where that d*mned sc*mbag is. I’ll beat him up for you.”
Beat him up? In my mind, I imagined Benson’s bloody nose and swollen face as he begged for mercy. This might be a good idea, but I was afraid I couldn’t do it right now. There was no need to do it at all. Keeping him in my mind all the time wouldn’t make me better. It’d only make me sink deeper into depression.
“I don’t think I’m ready for a new relationship or a fight,” I said with a smile.
“I’m sorry, what do you plan to do? Are you going to let go of the person who broke your heart?”
I looked into his eyes. He was furious and sad about what I had experienced. I could see the anger flickering in his dark gray eyes. If Benson had appeared before us, he would have attacked him without hesitation. He looked much cuter now. Perhaps I should hug him and thank him for his concern for me, but I didn’t like him earlier and bickered with him. It would be too strange to hug him now.
He got into the car, and a pleasant smell of the ocean spread in the small car. I couldn’t control my wildly beating heart. This was a sign that I was slowly awakening, but I was upset now and didn’t know whether to be happy or react.
He smelled so good, like a delicious cake waiting for someone to take a bite.
To avoid doing anything irrational while driving, I didn’t look at him the whole way. Perhaps our relationship had eased up, but the atmosphere wasn’t as gloomy as when we first arrived. He would tell one or two light-hearted jokes from time to time, making me hold my stomach and laugh non-stop. Even if I didn’t speak, I felt very comfortable, except for the scent on his body that was getting stronger and stronger.
He parked the car in the garage, and the soldier waiting beside him immediately said something to him. Finally, he turned around with a serious face and waved at me to leave.
I licked my lips. I didn’t know why I suddenly felt timid, but I still called out to him. He turned around and looked at me in confusion. Finally, I mustered my courage and hugged him. His arms were warm, but I let go quickly to avoid embarrassment.
“Thank you. I’m very happy to be able to go out and have fun with you today. I had a pleasant day.”
He looked at me with an ambiguous expression and smiled. “Me too, Selma. I’ve never been so happy before.”
I looked at him as he left, my heart thumping.