Finding the Wolf Within

Chapter 28

Recap

Eddie kissed the top of my head and helped me gather up all of my things. We quickly packed everything in the back of his car but before I could walk around to get into the passenger seat, Eddie pulled me into a hug and buried his face in my hair.

“Happy one month anniversary.,” Eddie whispered.

Wait, what?

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Chapter 28

I didn’t know what to say. Was it our one month anniversary? Did we have an official day when our relationship began? One month ago was November 24th. I counted back to figure out what day that was. It was the Friday after Thanksgiving, the day we went on our first date. Gah – now I felt horrible.

Eddie had obviously been expecting me to say something about it all day today and I had been completely clueless. Stupid Ceci. I mentally smacked myself upside the head. No wonder he had been so quiet this morning. What kind of girlfriend forgets a one month anniversary? What kind of mate does? I answered my own question – the kind whose only previous relationship experience was a failed nine-day experiment with one of her best friends.

Eddie pulled back from the hug to look me in the eyes. I could see his twinkling with amusement. “You forgot, didn’t you?”

My cheeks burned. I stammered for a bit, feeling ashamed at having to admit that I hadn’t forgotten since it hadn’t even crossed my mind. A hysterical giggle escaped from my lips. And I thought I was a closet romantic! 

Eddie looked at me curiously. I felt almost delirious. First all of the gifts and now this, which just topped the cake. It was too much for me – it was emotion overload, too many sensations all at once. I managed a feeble smile at Eddie. I would have never considered myself to be an overwrought or neurotic type of person, but here I was.

“Hey – don’t worry about it. It’s not that big of a deal, especially since it’s not a set date or anything. We could have celebrated on the last day of every month, or two days before today, or any number of days.” Eddie gently wrapped himself around me again.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, “I’m not good at this whole relationship thing. I don’t have any previous experience to tell me what to do.”

“Would it be weird if I said that made me happy?”

“Uhh…” 

Eddie chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “I like that I’m your first real boyfriend. I like that I’m the first one to take you places, the first one you experience things with, the first one you’re celebrating a one month anniversary with. I want to be your first for every good thing in your life.”

I flushed. My mind had definitely gotten a lot dirtier since becoming Eddie’s mate. The first thing on my mind before probably wouldn’t have been sex, but now, it certainly was. Eddie’s cheeks also went a bit red, as if he just realized what his last sentence could be construed to mean.

“Uhh…,” he stammered. “I don’t, I mean…It’s not…That definitely didn’t come out the way I meant it.”

I giggled. “I think it came out exactly how you meant it.”

He gave me a lopsided smile and said, “Yea, you’re right. I just wasn’t thinking of that in particular when I said it.”

“Uh huh. Whatever you say.,” I replied sarcastically.

“I’m serious! It was meant to be a totally harmless comment!” Eddie’s eyes went wide with feigned innocence. 

“The gentleman doth protest too much, methinks.”