Chapter XXVIII

"How are you feeling?" Atlas asked me after the third episode of Grey's Anatomy ended. We had not left the couch since I had come out of the bathroom. He let me cry as much as I needed and silently held me while we binged our favorite show.

"I'm okay," I responded from his chest, not taking my eyes away from the credits.

Something about this whole ordeal connected Atlas and me deeper than before. I don't know if it was him feeling the bond tear apart or me dying, I didn't care. We knew exactly what each other was thinking before either one of us said anything. He could sense when my mind started drifting to that dark water again and he would direct me back to reality. I did the same to him when I felt his body tense and his leg start bouncing.

I knew we had a lot to speak about. What happened in his old bedroom, the fake Hunter and him choking me out, but it was nice to let all that go for a while.

"Are you getting hungry?" He shifted from under me and I just nodded as a response knowing it had to be passed 7 p.m. and I hadn't eaten all day. "Okay," He said and lightly moved me off of him and held his hand out once he stood.

I grabbed it immediately not wanting to be alone at the moment.

Atlas held sadness in his face still but tried to cover it by smiling.

I knew he was feeling pity for me, I just hated that it brought him down to my depths.

He led me downstairs and we decided on spaghetti for supper. It was quick and easy so Atlas would not have the chance to burn anything.

I sat on the stool admiring his back as he stirred the pot of noodles.

What I would give for that hoodie to be gone.

A smile brought its way to my lips as I thought how ridiculous it was that I was just crying my eyes out and now I am watching Atlas like a piece of meat.

"What has you all smiley over there?" He turned with the pot of noodles, draining them in the sink.

Being caught made a blush form on my cheeks.

"Just that I have an Alpha slaving in the kitchen for me," I lied miserably.

"Right, I will act like I believe that," He laughed and shook his head before walking back to the stove.

I rolled my eyes as he mixed in the sauce.

Once he was done with that he twisted around to see me twirling around on the stool with the hood up over my head. He then pulled his phone out of his pocket walking over to me. "Come here,"

I looked at him confused and got off the stool walking toward him.

A weird noise sounded in the kitchen from speakers that I didn't even know were there. "Dance with me?" Atlas pulled me close to his body by my hoodie and I giggled loudly with a nod of my head.

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls filled the room as he gave me a soft kiss.

We started slow with the beat but as it picked up, we looked like idiots flying around the kitchen with laughs bouncing off the walls as he spun me around. The hoodie I was wearing covered my hands but somehow he managed to find them every time.

"There is that laugh," He smiled as the song ended and we were just swaying back and forth.

"I was thinking the same thing," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He smirked and dipped his head down rubbing his nose on mine playfully. "Oh yeah?"

"Mhm," I confirmed ogling at how perfect he looked from this angle.

"You know what is going to make me laugh?" He asked, grabbing my hands from behind his head and pulling them to the front of his face, kissing my knuckles.

"What is that?" I questioned as we stopped swaying.

He looked over to the stove with a displeased smirk, "When I see how bad this food is burnt to the bottom of the pot,"

I shrieked out an unattractive laugh and covered my mouth.

He chuckled and left me to check on the uneatable food, "That was cute,"

"That was horrifying. You do not have to like everything about me just because I am your mate," I said walking over and hugging him from behind as he tried to scrape the food from the pot.

"Whatever you say, Alpha Female," He picked at me.

"What am I going to eat now that you burned down the house?" I giggled when he turned around with the "really?" look.

He sighed and his eyes glazed over.

While he was mindlinking whomever else I just laid my head on his chest for comfort. Once he was done, his arms held me securely in place.

A knock sent me five feet into the air and Atlas held me tighter in his grip. "It's okay, it's just a pack member bringing us the leftovers from dinner," He soothed my racing heart.

I felt so embarrassed by being that frightened by a simple knock. I nearly beat myself in the head when Atlas left me to go answer the door. I sat down on my stool again and put my face into my hands.

Why couldn't I just be grateful for being alive and move on?

"You there?" Atlas nudged me, knocking me from my thoughts and making me jump in fear again. I did not hear him come back into the room.

"Yeah," I cleared my throat trying to hide the new panic in it.

"I asked if you wanted to eat in the kitchen or the room?" He put the pasta on the table before pulling two bowls out. "And I'm sorry, I forgot Celeste is taking a vacation,"

"It is fine and it doesn't matter," I mumbled, regaining my composure. "Are you sleeping with me tonight?"

I know it was a direct question but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep alone for a while. I did not need a man to be safe, but I had someone try to kill me. I think it was perfectly reasonable to be scared to fall asleep without backup.

Atlas hesitated and looked away from me. He brought his focus to the noodles and heated them. "I wasn't planning on it, but I can," I could sense the reluctance in his tone.

"You slept with me for the past two nights. Why is your bed any different?" I asked, feeling a bit anxious at his response.

Did he think I was trying to do something with him?

I was not opposed but, the day I got out of the hospital from dying was not the time to be doing the nasty. Especially losing my virginity.

Oh, my goddess, I died a virgin.

I am not letting that happen again.

"I don't know," He mumbled piling our plates with the food. "Can we just not talk about it right now?"

"Atlas," I pout in desperation to get an answer to one of my many questions. "Is it about the other night?"

"Enough, Everly," He snapped out. "I mean it. It's not important right now, you fully recovering is,"

He looked exhausted. I may have gone too far. I was going to completely leave it alone until I saw the dark circle under his eyes.

"You haven't been sleeping at all, have you?" I had not noticed how tired he was because of my issues going on. I felt so horrible for not keeping him in mind.

"Yes," He fake laughed trying to cover it up. I just couldn't tell if it was so I didn't feel bad or if he was hiding something. "Of course, I have slept. I was asleep yesterday morning wasn't I?"

"I don't know, Atlas. Were you?" I questioned him.

"No. I went on a run until I knew you would be waking up," He answered truthfully and rubbed his temples.

He looked so handsome without sleep, but that did not change the fact that it was extremely unhealthy.

"Atlas, just tell me what is going on so I can help!" I raised my voice for the first time at him.

Why couldn't he just be honest with me? I was expected to let him know anytime anything was wrong with me. Why couldn't he just let me in? I am his soulmate for goodness sake.

"Nothing, just leave it. Let's eat and I'll sleep with you like you want." He tried to reason with me but I was too focused on the issue at hand.

Getting out of the stool again my eyes blazed with anger as he just lied to my face. "Stop lying to me. Tell me what is going on? I do not get why honesty is such a hard thing for you to grasp!"

"I'm not ready! What else do you want me to say, Everly? Just stop!" He sounded like he was begging me to put him out of his misery.

My eyes dropped to his white knuckles. I could tell Helix was on his way out and I honestly did not have energy to deal with any of this any longer.

I was exhausted and I had no idea how to fix what he had going on without him talking to me. I could ask Artemis, but that almost felt like I would be betraying his trust. When I found out about his Mom, that was simply an accident.

It pained my heart to see him like this. I did it. I did this to him. Celeste would be livid with me right now, and I wouldn't blame her.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I grabbed my plate.

"Where are you going?" He asked while I retreated out of the kitchen.

"To my room. Don't worry about sleeping with me. I'll be fine." I said in a small voice and did not stick around for his response.

I needed to cool off before I made it worse, and I wanted to get my head straightened out for when he calmed down himself.

When I walked through the threshold, I heard the front door slam.

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