Adrian didn’t know what to say to Bently. He felt like he had fucked up, and that was throwing him off his game. Maybe mentioning that he thought he had a fated mate, and it wasn’t some internet stranger, before even one date was coming off a little strong. He stared at their last messages, which were from the day before, and sighed again. 

Mister.A

It's not like we're in love or something 

We just… know each other 

Bently

Is that why you're flirting with me?

He had typed and deleted so many explanations in the past 24 hours that he thought about closing the chat entirely and pretending their whole weekend of fun never happened. But that would be rude, and he didn’t want to leave Bently hanging like that. Maybe he should just apologize. Or would that be even more rude. ‘Sorry you’re not and never will be my fated.’ Maybe Bently didn’t want to hear that—maybe he was looking for something real. 

Yet again, Adrian brought his fingers to the keyboard. He typed out a message: Hey, I didn’t mean to drop off the face of the Earth or anything like that. I just got embarrassed, sorry. He deleted it, and started again. I need to apologize for yesterday. IDK why I even brought that up but it was stupid of me, please just forget about it. He deleted that one too. With the next message, his thumb slipped, and it was sent before he was emotionally ready. 

Mister.A

Hey, sorry I kind of disappeared yesterday, I 

Shit 

That message wasn’t ready yet

Sorry 

Again

But like, for everything

After the disaster that was both their conversation the day before, and that series of messages, Adrian was sure he wouldn’t get a response. He flopped back into his bed and stared at the ceiling of his apartment, silently cursing himself for being such a loser. It was probably a huge turn-off for Bently, to be talking to an alpha like Adrian. An alpha who probably had no right to call himself an alpha. Not one like Callum Bruin. 

Adrian scowled. 

His phone lit up. 

Bently

Wow, the prodigal son returns

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you again

Adrian rolled onto his side, his blankets moving off his bare torso. The afternoon light was streaming through the windows, but he wasn’t scheduled to be at the cafe, so he wasn’t rushing to get out of bed. He was too busy wallowing in his misery. But, Bently messaged him back—so maybe he didn’t have all that much to be miserable over. 

Mister.A

Listen, I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have brought it up. 

I just ran into him at the cafe, and it was on my mind, and I needed to tell someone

And you were the unfortunate target of that

I’m really sorry if that put you off 

Bently

Don’t worry about it, A

You didn’t put me off

I was just surprised 

Adrian breathed out a long sigh of relief. Maybe it was stupid, because he hadn’t been talking to Bently that long, but the thought that he’d almost lost whatever they had going on had gutted him. Just the thought of all the wasted potential had him moping through his whole shift the day before. He was about to respond, when Bently messaged again. 

Bently

Actually… I need to be honest about something, too 

I downloaded this app on a silly whim and at the behest of my best friend

But for reasons undisclosed, I can’t pursue anything from here

So I apologize if that was something you had in mind

I really do enjoy talking to you, A

As friends 

Adrian couldn’t tell if he was giddy or disappointed. It wasn’t that he was planning to pursue something in person with Bently, or ask him on a date or for a hookup in a dark alley as was the case on those apps most of the time. But some of the language Bently used was ticking off some alarm bells in his brain. He can’t pursue anything—even if he wanted to? Was there an outside force holding him back? That seemed a tad odd, given they were both in their 30s. 

Mister.A

I get it, no pressure 

It’s not like I’m looking for anything real on a dating app, either

Flirting with no attachments is fun, anyway

As friends, obviously 

Bently

I am glad we have spoken about this early on

Establishing boundaries in a relationship is important 

Mister.A

But it’s still alright to flirt a little, right? 

Bently

Do I need to be worried about future dick pics? My poor phone has been through enough 

Mister.A

Ha

Nah, that’s not my style 

Your phone—and your precious eyes—are safe from me

Adrian settled back into the nest of pillows on his bed, smiling warmly and curling his toes. It felt to much better to know he hadn’t fucked everything up. To know the potential was back. Yeah, okay, Bently wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, but Adrian wasn’t, either. They could be friends—maybe with some benefits—and he could keep the safe space he had acquired to just talk. 

Mister.A

Thank you

Bently

What for? 

Mister.A

For not totally shutting me out, after I got weird yesterday

Bently

Wouldn’t dream of it 

The days started to pass by in a blur for Adrian. Talking to Bently became part of his daily routine, any time either of them had a moment to chat—with most of their long conversations happening on the weekend. Before Adrian had a chance to process it, it had been a whole month since he met Bently. A whole month of the same thing, day in and day out, with his text chat being the only exciting part of his day. 

It was the last Friday of the month, which was when the Wild family got together for their big family dinner. It was all Adrian’s immediate family—his parents, and all his siblings. It was chaos every time, but that was home. And Adrian didn’t mind. He walked up to the door with his offering in hand—a large lasagna, to hopefully ease some of the cooking burden from his father—and turned the handle without knocking. He didn’t need to, because his family just wasn’t like that. 

As soon as he opened the door, it was crazy. Laughter filled the hallways and little footsteps from Adrian’s niece and nephew skittered across the floors. One of them zoomed right past Adrian as he made his way to the kitchen, and he quickly had to move the lasagna so he wouldn’t drop it. “Careful, Kya!” He called after her, but it was a pointless gesture. He sighed and chuckled, shaking his head. 

“Adrian! So good to see you, as always!” His mother greeted him, coming in to give him a kiss on each cheek. He smiled and returned the gesture because that was only polite. 

His father greeted him next, with a warm smile and a firm handshake. “Always a pleasure to have you home, son.” 

Adrian laughed. “You both see me every week at the cafe!” He protested, and his parents looked at him with an expression that read: You think that’s enough?

Adrian passed the dish to his mother, who set it on the counter with the other offerings to be warmed up for later. It was a lot of food, but they were sure to need all of it to feed all the hungry bellies running around the house. “I saw Kya already, so I’m sure Tate and Ashley are here. Judging by the little squeals and footsteps I’m hearing. Leah and her family unit are here as well. What about Jack? He here yet?” 

Mrs. Wild pointed at the living room, where Adrian’s three siblings and their respective spouses were chatting while the kids caused havoc around them. 

Adrian smiled, an affectionate huff escaping from his lips. “Guess I’m the last one. Sorry to keep you all waiting.” 

“Oh, hush, you. Go get washed up, okay? Dinner is in 20.” Mrs. Wild gave Adrian a loving pat on the shoulder, and Adrian went on his way, maneuvering over to the bathroom. 

His house was always warm. Always ready for them, whenever they needed it. All of their childhood bedrooms had been kept exactly as they left them. It was comforting, and Adrian always felt like a part of something when he went back to the family home. 

On his way to the bathroom, he passed his father’s study. He remembered the long nights Mr. Wild always spent in there, plugging away on he cafe. The door was a little open, and Adrian caught a glimpse of what was inside. 

The desk, normally pristine, was piled with mail. Books scattered across the floor. Adrian didn’t mean to look, but it was obvious. All the letters, with the big red stamp right on the front: PAST DUE. 

Adrian closed the door to the study and kept walking to the bathroom.