When He's An Alpha (The Olympus Pride #2) - Suzanne Wright Page 0,61
was best for you to have boundaries, so we had them. It was best for you to have nothing more than casual, so you tried to talk me into changing my mind when I ended it. And now you’re here, tossing me crumbs from your table, so I’ll struggle to forget you and move forward. That is definitely not best for me. But it’s what you want, so you did it.”
He stalked to her, his eyes hard. “It’s not like that. You’ve got things twisted in your head, and maybe that’s on me, since I am pretty selfish when it comes to you—I won’t deny that. But I’m not bullshitting you about this, Havana. I don’t know how to give you more without hurting you.”
She threw up her arms. “I don’t know what that means.”
“My cat … he’s obsessed with you. But he does that—focuses all his energy onto one female, gets all wrapped up in her—then he later pulls away from her out of goddamn nowhere. He’s done it ever since Ashlynn.”
Thrown, Havana could only stare at him.
“There were times he was so infatuated with a woman that I thought he’d finally gotten over his shit,” Tate went on, looking so tired all of a sudden. “But I was wrong every time. I don’t know what he’s looking for in a partner, but he never fucking finds it. So then he withdraws, leaving women confused and hurt. Shallow flings with firm boundaries are just simpler. Nobody has any expectations. Nobody gets hurt. There are no recriminations when I’m forced to walk away.”
Havana wished he hadn’t told her, because she didn’t want to “understand.” She wanted to hold onto her anger so that it would drown out the hurt. But how could she not feel bad for both Tate and his cat? “Sounds like your feline has commitment issues. Or he withdraws to protect himself from further hurt. It would be understandable if he just didn’t want to put himself out there again.”
Havana would be just as averse to relationships if the situation was reversed. Her devil? Well, she’d probably rage about it for the rest of her days. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner about your cat’s struggles?”
Tate lifted a brow. “Would you admit your devil’s failings to others?”
No, because she was as protective of the devil as the animal was of Havana. Predators didn’t admit to weaknesses. In which case it was no small thing that he’d opened up to her about this.
Havana rubbed at her chest. Right then, she truly ached for both Tate and his cat. All they’d done was love and commit themselves so fully to a woman that they’d thrown themselves wide open to the concept of imprinting. In return, that woman had tossed it all back in their faces. They hadn’t deserved that.
She frowned as a thought struck her. “I know your ex screwed you both, but it’s possible he’s holding back from other women because he nevertheless wants her back.”
His cat’s face scrunched up, and Tate couldn’t help but snicker. “Trust me when I say that he has no lingering feelings for her. He just can’t forgive or get past her betrayal. He refuses to let it go.”
“Pallas cats can sure hold a grudge.” She sighed, her shoulders drooping. “I get why you stick to casual now. I’d probably do the same thing, in your shoes. I appreciate you sharing all that with me. I know it couldn’t have been easy. I won’t repeat it to anyone.”
“I know you won’t.” Tate trusted her completely, but he couldn’t be so sure his cat had the same faith in her. He took a slow step closer. “I wish I met you before Ashlynn fucked up my cat’s ability to trust.”
“It might not be that he can’t trust another female. It might be that he’s just not willing to try.”
“True. I can’t be sure either way.” He tilted his head. “Still pissed at me?”
She let out a heavy exhale. “No. Like I said, I understand now why you stick to casual flings. But the friends-thing still isn’t going to happen for a while. Turning up here to ‘visit’ me … it isn’t fair to me, Tate, and you know it. You know you can’t do this again.”
His shoulders tensed. “Babe—”
“I’ve never asked you for anything. Not even for a real relationship, despite how much I wanted one with you. I respected your wish to stick with casual. I didn’t condemn you for it, didn’t bitch