I continued to gnaw on my lip, the metallic tang of blood hitting my taste buds. I had never been in a guy's car, and certainly didn't expect it to be Dante's. A pang of anxiety struck me, imagining how livid Jasmine would be about this. Although I was lowkey freaking out, a comfortable silence filled the car as he maneuvered through traffic. I hadn't even shared my address, so I was uncertain where Dante was driving. Breaking the quiet, he asked, "Were you really going to walk home?" His voice carried a subtle edge, as if he were trying to contain his anger. "Yeah... my dad was supposed to pick me up, but he bailed." I sighed, the weight of frustration evident in my voice. Tensing his jaw, he asks sternly, "You have my number, why didn't you text me?" My eyes widened at his question. "We just met, there's no way I would've done that. I'd rather walk than become someone's else's burden-" "Burden? You'd never be a burden to me, Princess," he grits out. "You said we could

"I know what you're thinking... I should be home right now, and you're right, but my dad hasn't come back yet. I'm pretty sure I have abandonment issues because I can't sleep unless I know he's in the house. I guess it's because my mom left when I was around four...I hardly remember her face anymore. My dad's always making these irresponsible, immature decisions and I just want him to be safe, you know?" My voice caught in my throat. "He's all I have now. My own mother walked out on me. I feel like that pretty much shows how worthless I am. If something happens to him, I'll be all alone. It's like he doesn't even consider that in his decision making, but that's all I can think about...that's my biggest fear." Tears began to stream down my face. I buried my face into the wolf's soft fur as its snout nuzzled against my chest. After crying out all the sadness and frustration I had been holding in for a long time, I found myself laying against the wolf's warm body, my breath slowing into

Once Peach removed her slutty hands from him, Jasmine eagerly stepped in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're here. You've been too busy to hang out with me for a while now," she teased. "You know that's not personal Jazzy," he replied, kissing her on the forehead. It was nice seeing them being nice to each other. Rashaad grinned upon spotting me awkwardly standing behind the other girls. "Well, well, well...if it isn't my angel!" he shouted. Striding over, he wrapped me in his bulky arms, slightly lifting me off the ground. His scent was a blend of citrus and sandalwood, emanating a wonderfully masculine aroma. If I weren't entirely uninterested in him, I might have been impressed. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Dante's face harden. Was he jealous? Wait, what was I saying... of course, he wasn't; he had Peach throwing her ass at him. Rashaad put me down but kept an arm around my waist. If looks could kill, Dante would have stabbed him a hundred times by now.Peach scoffed, as if

I entered the house, finding Dad seated on the couch, patiently awaiting my arrival. The ambient lights danced, casting ominous shadows on his face, intensifying the gravity of the moment. A palpable tension hung in the air, nearly suffocating the room. "Hey honey, take a seat," he uttered with a calm demeanor, yet the worry line etched deep on his forehead betrayed an underlying concern.Inhaling deeply, I settled into the chair opposite him. "Do you know what I want to talk about?" I inquired in a hushed tone.He offered a simple nod. "Yes, I've been made aware."Made aware? How? When?"Angel, there's a lot of things that I haven't told you. I-I've just been waiting for the right time, and I hope you don't hate me for this," he began, his words hesitant and weighted with a mix of remorse and apprehension.I held my breath. My heart pounded so fiercely that it felt as if it could explode at any moment. An overwhelming fear gripped me as I awaited the next words from his lips. Was he

Angel's POV It was around midnight as I stepped into the house. As I flicked on the kitchen light, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of my dad seated at the table. Despite his evident exhaustion, there was a palpable eagerness in his eyes as he spoke, "Angel, I'm glad that you came back. Where have you been?" "Sitting in my car on the side of the road," I mumbled, settling into the chair across from him. My body felt drained from the tears that had flowed relentlessly."Are...are you feeling better now?" he hesitated to ask. I breathed out a heavy sigh, "No, but there's nothing I can do but accept it, right?" It would have been nice to have known all this shit a few years earlier, or at least to have had a say in the decision to move here. However, I realized that embracing the inevitable was the only path forward.He nodded silently."I have some questions then."Again, he nodded. "I knew that you would. What would you like to know?" His nervous habit of rubbing the back of hi