1 hour later (After T.G.I Fridays)..

"So how are we getting home?" I looked at Darius who was kind enough to hold all the leftovers we didn't eat from inside. We had a bunch of leftover Mozerella Sticks and Potato Skins, you know with the cheese and bacon inside, some of my favorite foods.

"Well," we started walking down the sidewalk and he grabbed my hand, making my heart skip a thousand beats. "We can walk for forty-five minutes to the pack house.. and your house. Or, we can run for fifteen minutes." He debated. I'm starting to think he doesn't like the idea of me being impossibly far away from him.

"I don't wanna risk spilling the food, I think we should walk for forty-five minutes." I said, I know it would make more sense to run in wolf form and get there in one-third of the time, but if we walk longer than we could get to know eachother faster? I know. shocking. Who would think little old badass me would consider getting to know this handsome devil walking next to me.

"Considering how you live so far from the pack house,you are like a good twenty minutes out of the way.Can I ask you something?" He questioned looking down. He let go of my hand, handed me the food, and put his hands in his pockets. I think he does that whenever he get anxious or nervous, which is ironic because Alphas aren't supposed to lower their head to anybody.

"Normally I would say no, but recently I find myself not being able to say that to you." I smiled up at him but he didn't return it.. uh oh.

"Why, um, Why did you move so far away? And to that lake?" he questioned, it was innocent but it opened up memories in me that I didn't want to re-live.

"I moved so far away because, at the time, I felt forced to stay. Which in a way I was and I didn't want to be anywhere near you." I said, reading his face trying to look at his expression.

"And the lake?" he questioned. The lake.. The only place I felt comfortable going to when I would get pushed around. Where I could sneak out and relax and then have no choice but to go back. It was right at the edge of the territory; If it wasn't for the guards and patrol on both sides I could've ran away into Spike's territory if I wanted too, I couldv'e left it all behind. I could've left Lexi behind, Then where would I be? I would've gone there the day Darius rejected me before he exiled me and I wouldv'e gone there to hope and pray that he loved me.

"The lake serves as both good and bad for me." I decided to make the answer mysterious and simple. Of course, Darius wouldn't accept that!

"Like?" he pressed on, and I sighed.

"When I would get bullied and hurt, I would go to that lake and just skip rocks and watch the water ripple and just think. It helped me. This maybe hard to believe but I think that if I didn't find that lake I probably would've been dead a long time ago. So, it's both good and bad. Good? because it was a place to go and Bad? because the memories aren't all that great.." I looked beside me and Darius stopped, grabbed my hand and pulled me in front of him. He pushed my hair out of my face and carresed my cheeks.

"I'm sorry-" he started but I cut him off.

"I know-" Then he cut me off.

"No, you don't. I'm sorry because I know that even if this does work, and I will make it work, you will never forget all the horrible things that the pack and I did to you and Lexi. If only I was a better future Alpha I would have stopped Lexi's parents and I would have noticed it too, I would have accepted you as my mate and gotten rid of Gabrielle a long time ago and you would probably be taking care of our child and holding another one right now, you would be happy and not sad whenever you look at me."

Tears were forming in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks and he wiped them away, causing me to laugh. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do. I can see that he was serious and meant every word but It's not that I didn't believe him I just didn't know..

Ever since Lexi and I left I've had myself convinced that I hated him and I never wanted to see him again. I thought of him everyday and now I know, I never hated him. I was too much in love with him to convince myself and anybody else that I loved him more than anything, and he never left because I thought of him everyday.

So, I said the first thing that came to my mind and the one thing that I've felt for him since we were kids.

"I love you."