My ears ring with the music that blares in them but no real sound is heard. Raising my hand the swing of hammer meeting nail sends vibrations to run through my arm.

Pound. Pound. Pound.

Moving to the next the hammer drops but my temperament rises. I hear a humming above the roaring in my ear but choose to ignore it. I want to get this over with and move on.

Pound. Pound.

A hand shakes my shoulder. My hammer hits the roof like a heavyweight, splintering the wood underneath it. "Shit." Taking out the headphones before turning to the intruder, Sam is standing over me with an apologetic look. I stand to my full height. "Sorry Cage, I was calling out to you but you didn't hear. It's time to quit for a bit, we were thinking of grabbing a bite in town." He is cautious with his invitation.

"I'm not interested." Pressing words through clenched teeth causes the sound to whistle out. Bending down to get back to my work he doesn't leave, hovering above me still. My mood isn't his fault but my anger is hard to maintain. Closing my eyes before pinching the bridge of my nose I have to count in an attempt to calm myself. It doesn't work. "What Sam?" Tensions are rising in me. I just want to be alone. He scratches the back of his neck unsure where to start. Putting down the hammer to stand back up he meets my eyes. "Your phone rang. We tried to call out to you but you weren't responding." He pauses to swallow. "It was Sophia." It's a whispered breath and he puts up his arms in defence waiting for a blow to come. Brushing past him I don't bother to use the ladder. Jumping off the roof to land on two feet before going into my jacket to retrieve the phone. I have missed calls and text messages from both Sophia and Wayne.

Damn it.

Reading through the messages quickly she wants to meet up to talk but I have more work to finish up. I grind my teeth. We won't be finished until the sun is setting. Typing up a message the best I can my fingers are trembling.

"Just go we will cover for you." It's Justin this time interrupting my thoughts. Sam and the other few nod their heads in agreement. I am glad for the understanding especially how I have been acting all day today. Muttering a thanks before jumping in my truck and dialing her number, heading out of these lands. She answers quickly not allowing it to ring.

"Where are you? You busy?" Asking before she has a chance to speak. We need to get this discussion over with now before we can continue on.

"The correct way to answer is 'Hi'." Her tone is easy.

"Not right now Sophia. You said we need to talk about what happened last night. This isn't a joke to me." Grounding down molars I may not have any left after all this.

"I'm at home. Come get me and we will go somewhere to chat." Her tone changes to a severe one quickly. I guess she will take this seriously now. Not bother to say anything before ending the call. I can't. My anger is boiling to the brim. Speeding down the road gravel flies behind me with the dust, my hand squeezes the steering wheel too tight, I can hear it groaning against the pressure in protest. This truck can hardly handle my aggression. Pulling over to step out and breathe, I need to calm before meeting with her. No need for words or actions I might regret.

Arriving at the house, Sophia sits on her porch looking in a small mirror to fix her hair. She is nervous, I can tell from here. When she spots the truck she slowly stands stuffing the compact into her purse. No smile for me. Cautious steps forward.

I wait. Grounded to my seat.

Breathing in, she breathes out before pulling open the door and climbing into the passenger seat. "Where?" It's a grunt more than a word. For the first time, she remains silent. Turning towards her, emotions collide. It's hard to stay mad when she looks like that but I need to. "Where Sophia?" Repeating myself. She trembles slightly and it takes everything not to reach out for her. "There is a drive-in restaurant forty minutes from here. Can we go?" Voice low and wary, eyes trained on her lap she doesn't look to me when she speaks.

I feel her fear.

Am I being too much? Too harsh? She can stare down a mountain lion but this frightens her? Eyes slam shut. Jaw ticks. Her scent tangles itself around my airways. Breathing through my mouth is all I can do to stop from gagging on the bitter taste left in my mouth. Slow breaths out, "How do I get there?" The anger is starting to fizzle down but I can still taste the salt on the air threatening to fall from her eyes. She doesn't speak just hands me a piece of paper with directions. It isn't her handwriting.

The drive is silent. My ears burn from the strain the quite causes them. I wait for the anger, the hurt, the accusations, but they never come. Her silence only growing to push everything out of the small cab. I rather listen to her tempermant than this.

Neither of us order when asked. Her face remaining down the whole time and still hasn't come up. Deciding it's best to get something I order a burger with two sides of fries and a shake. She sneaks a peek out of the corner of her eye but otherwise, Sophia remains docile in her seat. Shaking my leg the truck shakes with it. She Dodgers with the hem of her shirt biting down on her lip. Blowing out a breath this is going nowhere. "You wanted to talk, so talk." Telling her to start before I do.

She swallows audibly before licking her lips. "I don't know where to start." She whispers. My anger resurfaces. After what happened yesterday she has nothing to say about it, after inviting me here to have a conversation she loses her voice? "Bullshit." My glare penetrates the side of her face and the first tear falls.

"I told you I was only going to hurt you, Cage." It isn't harsh or snippy, no, it's more of an apology.

"You didn't even give me a fucking chance." Voice rising she flinches away. I can't stop. "That's all I asked of you. I poured out my feelings to you, begged you. You agreed to give me one and the whole time you thought what? Convince me a fun time is better? That I would like that more? Think I would agree to your terms so you could have your fun or I would leave you alone? Is that what kind of female you are? Lying? Conniving?" Harsh words but my mind cannot convince my mouth to stop my hearts pain.

"It wasn't like that." She whispers as she wipes her cheeks pointlessly, the water doesnt stop it's flow downward.

"Tell me how it is Sophia. Tell me how you really feel. Don't fucking tell me you'll try and give me shit in place of effort."

"I told you how it was before we went out. I told you it wasn't a good idea. I'm not for you Cage." Finally finding her voice she slings her words back.

"Yes, you are." Pounding the wheel in interruption. She closes her mouth "A chance. A try. It's not that hard or too much to ask. You can't even let yourself be happy. You caused this because the moment you feel something its easier to build a wall and man the fort than to allow someone in. Isn't it?" Stance becoming stiffer, muscles coiling tight ready to release their preasure.

"You're right." I'm caught off guard, it is not the retort I expected. She opens her door and stumbles out slamming it closed before walking away. It takes me a moment to realize Sophia is leaving and I jump out to follow her. "Hey. Stop. Sophia!" She continues on not slowing her pace instead picking it up. I have to jog to catch up to her, stopping in front of her before grabbing hold of her shoulders. "You can't just walk away from this. We are going to discuss this and work through it."

"Why do you want to bother. If I build walls maybe it's because I don't want to tear them down." She scrunches her face.

"I'll climb over them." I refuse to give up on her.

She stops trying to push past me. Looking me in the eyes, really looking at me she doesn't ask the next 'why' question she wants to. Closing her eyes she inhales and exhales a few times before muttering something under her breath.

"What?" Lowering my hands to rest on her arms before the right starts to roam back up to grasp her chin. Forcing her face up she opens her eyes. "What did you say?"

"Mitch. The main reason I build walls. His name was Mitch." A tear falls from her eye over her cheek to coat my fingers. My jaw ticks. Do I really want to know this? Yes. Yes, I do. We can't make a future if she can't let go of her past. "Tell me." Croaked words. Trying to clear my throat of the obsticle filling it. I knew she had guys before me but it wasn't something I wanted to hear about.

She nods hear head slowly wiping the tear before taking my hand away from her face and walking back to our parking spot. She pulls down the tailgate to sit outside instead of sitting in the vehicle. Breaths mingling between us with each inhale and exhale. My skin itches, the wolf wants to be set free. The girl comes back with our order on a round tray, it's a welcomed distraction that I need. She sways slightly before righting herself blushing with an apology for the klutzy move. I hadn't noticed earlier she was on roller skates. Taking the food she attempts to skate off and I place it next to Sophia on the tailgate but she makes no move to touch it; she doesn't even look towards it watching after the girl instead.

Stepping into her space I place my hands on either side of her. The metal surface feels cool against my burning heat. Even enraged Sophia stirs me in a way no female ever could. I don't want to fight with her but I refuse to back down from this. "Sophia." Its whispered low in her ear but the threat is real. I'll find this out one way or another.

Her breath is sharp. I can almost feel her tongue grace my neck in a soft quick touch as it darts to moisten her lips. "It was a time ago." She tells me.

"Yet it still affects you now. Tell me, please." The wolf pushes forward resting below the surface, pressing my cheek to hers. Pulling away to looking her in her eyes I see the sorrow they hold. Deep swallows down I feel my heart begin to twist with hers with the words she is about to speak.

"It was right after mom died, " she begins, the quiver in her jaw isn't missed. I move my hand to hers, squeezing it; I know that pain. It takes a moment before Sophia can continue. "I was made to move down with my father, I was fourteen. It was hard. Leaving everything I knew to live with people who didn't want me around. For a year I listened to how much I was ruining everything. I started staying away more and more. I learned to play a guitar I found at dads, went to a coffee shop that had a mic, that's when I met him." Her eyes flash from hurt to anger. "It was slow at first. He worked there, would take my order, started small talk. Eventually, one thing led to another. He told me all the right things and I believed it. The night he told me he was falling in love with me I gave him everything and every time after that." My hand fists by her side. I don't want to hear this but I can't stop listening. Its like a train wreck; I dont want to watch but I cant look away.

Glancing to my hand she takes a moment to assess me before continuing on. "About four years I gave him. I just started college, he was a few years older so he had already started but it was different schools a bit of a drive but we made it work. He came to visit like he always did, just before my birthday, he got a hotel room, took me for dinner, " there is a pause before she whisperes, "dancing." Looking away I can't listen and watch her at the same time. The images my mind creates sets my fury ablaze, the wolf roars in my mind. Slamming into my barrier. Stop this. She continues on. "I figured he was making it all special, I was wrong when I assumed it was for me. When we made it to the bed that night it slipped out. 'I'm going to miss this', he told me." She gazes to the building, watching the people but unable to focus on anything she is seeing. Lost in the hurt of a memory.

"Why did he say it." My heart stops beating in objection to what my mind now wants to know. I cant help myself; I have to know.

She chuckles humourously at my question. "He met someone else and was getting married the next day. I was his own personal little stag party. I wasn't the one." She swipes at her tears angrily. I'm at a loss for words. The damage she holds deep from the actions of one prick is ruining my chances at a future with her. "Where is he now?" Grounding it out. I have to know. They would never recover that body.

"Going to hunt him down, are you? No idea, I left and haven't seen him since." She focuses down on her food before tossing a fry in her mouth. My hunger won't be satisfied this way. Teeth grind. She snatches my jaw applying pressure, hard. "Stop that." Her eyes spark as they lock into mine.

Grabbing her wrist I feel her pulse beating to a faster rhythm. "You stop. Stop this." She tries to pull away but I won't let go. "What is it going to take?" Eyes hold trying to reach out to her soul. My mind screams: Give this a chance.

She sighs. "Not going to quit this are you?" Her lip sticks out slightly.

"No. I told you, you are mine and I am never giving up on that. Whatever it takes, however long, I'm not going to ever quit this." Leaning in I can't stop the want to taste her pouting lips. She doesn't stop me. Bodys press hard against one another, her hands grip the front of my shirt and mine tugs her hair. Pulling her bottom lip between my teeth she moans soft before I pull away. Sophia body moves forward to follow. There is no doubt to me what her soul and body wants, her mind is what holds her back. "When you learn to let go, I'll be here. All you have to do is tell me you are mine, say it and mean it. Not drunk. Not just words to get what you want. Actually, mean it." Snatching the burger up before jumping up to sit by her I have to create distance between us. Sophia says nothing as she chews her cheek, thinking on everything.

We eat most of our food in silence but neither of us have appetites to finish it. The bond tugs harsh on the invisible chains and my stomach compresses in on itself. This is a pain I am not used to, its foreign feeling has sweat starting to form on my forehead from the exertion to maintain control and fight my very instincts that scream to me to stop this.

The drive back is just as silent. There is nothing more for me to say, it is up to her to make the decision to let go of a past with a man that only fueled her childhood fears. Love never lasts.

Her house sits dark in the evening. She pauses before getting out and I wait for her to enter before I leave. She doesn't go in, standing by the door with her hand hovering over the doorknob before turning and coming back towards the truck.