The Bear’s Secret Page 2

  “You should know better than to mouth off at me.”

  “I don’t take kindly to you thinking you’re the boss of me just because you run the household. You may have helped in creating me, but I’m a goddamn adult, and you need to treat me like one. I came back to help, and I can just as easily leave if that’s the case. I didn’t get this treatment back in Missouri,” she snapped.

  It was something Nikki honestly considered for a while. But now she had met him. That guy from the bar, Billy, or whatever his name was.

  She remembered that she had kept the card in her wallet because she thought that it might be a good idea, but now, now she was wondering if she could convince this man to leave with her. Or at least listen to her story.

  Her father looked at Nikki, red in the face, and Nikki simply stood still, grinning at him.

  “Don’t patronize me, father. I can be just as mean right back at you, and I won’t hold back,” she said.

  “If it weren't for the fact that you're kind of useful, I would’ve kicked you out the second that you showed up. But, I don’t take kindly to you thinking that you’re someone just because you’re doing this for us. I don’t like that you think it’s okay to come home late like this.”

  “Well, I don’t like being treated like some child! And would you rather I will be coming home late, or not working at all? I could just, you know, come here and be a bum. But instead, I work. I provide for the family. You take so much from me, dad, and your business isn’t going to pay the goddamn bills!”

  She knew her dad sold some luxury meats, that’s what he claimed, but she also knew her mom was in one of those shitty MLM scams. She knew that, if her dad was going to hit below the belt with working, she would do the same goddamn thing.

  “You will regret saying that, you little shit,” he said.

  “Make me dad. What, you gonna hit me? Because I can call the cops on you for that. Don’t think I won’t either,” she said.

  He grimaced at her, and she could see the anger in his eyes.

  “Still doesn’t excuse you coming home late. It’s disrespectful and rude.”

  “What, like how you treat me, and how you treat mom?” Nikki spat back.

  She could tell her father was getting angrier by the second, but Nikki didn’t care. She didn't like being treated like some garbage by a man she once loved.

  “You little shit. You know, you better cut that attitude my dear, or else I’ll-”

  “Or else what? You’ll hurt me. Not in front of mom, you won’t. She’s sick, and you need to keep your image, so you won’t,” Nikki said.

  Her father looked at her, and for a second, Nikki saw a different look to him. It was almost… evil.

  “I’ll teach you to regret the moment that you mouthed off to me,” he said.

  He stepped forward, and Nikki looked at him with shock on her face. Would he really do it? Would he actually hurt her? It was shocking to see him like this, but then, as he got closer, a faint voice was heard.

  “Darryl, don’t touch her,” the sickly voice said.

  He whipped his head around, looking at the source of it.

  “Oh Margie, don’t worry about her. She is just being a brat, and I was teaching her to respect her elders,” he explained.

  “It looked like you were about to hurt her, Darryl. Which I don’t condone,” she said.

  Darryl looked at Nikki, and Nikki could feel his gaze boring into her.

  “You’re lucky this time, you little shit. Mommy dearest is here to save the day,” he said.

  She glared at him, but not before feeling that gaze practically penetrated her body. She didn’t like that her father was like this, but at the same time, she almost expected it by now.

  He’d been like this since she got back. She figured that it was due to his job, but something about his actions always felt a little off. It was as if he was someone else. As she continued to watch him going upstairs, she heard her mother coughing.

  “I’m sorry to have woken you up, mom,” she said.

  “It’s fine, my dear. Sorry, I just don’t like it when he acts that way. He should know better than to be rude to his own daughter. You’re helping us a lot, and I thank you for that,” she said.

  “No problem, mom. But, are you okay? You look like you’ve been through hell,” Nikki said.

  “Oh, it’s nothing. But, don’t let him get to you,” she said.

  “Mom, dad and I fight constantly. I don’t know why either. I mean, we used to be close. It’s like he’s a… different person. I don’t like it. I feel like his attitude is bringing the whole house down,” she said.

  Her mother paused when Nikki said those words, and Nikki caught the look immediately.

  “Did I say something-?”

  “No, you didn’t, Nikki. You didn’t at all. I’ll talk to your father. He’s probably just stressed about his business. No need to worry yourself over him,” she said.

  The tone of her voice was obvious dismissal, and Nikki pursed her lips.

  “If you say so. Anyway, it’s three a.m. I need to sleep,” Nikki said.

  “Go to sleep. If you need anything, let me know. I’m here for you,” she said.

  Nikki nodded, climbing up the stairs to her room, which was across the way from her parents’. She didn’t like the way that they were acting. Something about both of them seemed off. Something about her father felt different as if he was hiding the truth from her.

  Nikki felt flustered, and as she stayed in bed, she couldn't find the urge to fall asleep. Everything felt different, it felt off. She wanted to talk to someone, and even though it was three a.m., she felt like she couldn’t get her mind off of anything.

  Why was her dad acting this way? Why did she feel like she was being attacked in her own home? This all felt so weird, so strange, and Nikki needed answers.

  She remembered the card in her wallet, the one that Billy had given to her. It had been a couple of hours since they parted ways, and she doubted that he would be up. But, maybe it was worth a shot to talk to him. It would help her get her mind off things, and, if she did have someone to talk to, she wouldn't have to worry about all of this as she slept.

  “I mean, he’ll either answer, or it will go to voicemail. I guess I’ll need to take a chance,” she whispered.

  She grabbed her phone, which was still half-charged, and she dialed the number. She didn't think anything would come out of this. There was no way that Billy would respond to her at this hour. However, as she sat there with the phone ringing in her ear, she had a strange feeling of hope.

  When she thought about Billy, she was happy, but she felt like she would just cheat herself if she did go forward with a relationship. She felt that she couldn't really be who she wanted to be with him, due to how her family was, but maybe, just maybe, there was a chance.

  She hoped he would respond. At least, that’s how she felt with every single ring.

  Chapter 3

  Billy, despite being rejected, had a smile on his face when he walked out. He said goodbye to her, and he had this feeling that things would get better. He wondered if she would eventually take his offer to go on a date.

  Even if she didn’t, having someone he could talk to regularly at the bar was certainly a benefit that he hadn’t expected.

  When he got back home, he saw that all of the shifters other than Benjamin were in their respective homes.

  “You’re finally home. Travis told me to stay up and wait for you. Wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said.

  “I’m good. I just went to the bar. Met a nice lady,” he said.

  “Well, you’re still in good spirits, regardless. It is late though, so I should probably head to bed. I’m sure Travis is going to help me with training in the morning,” Benjamin said.

  “Shit dude. Yeah. Go to bed. I figured you were off working on things,” Billy stated.

  “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. The others thought that you were going home with a
girl or something, so they didn’t care. But, maybe you’ll have a chance next time,” Benjamin said.

  “Yeah. If I get a call back.”

  They both laughed, and Billy headed towards his small home. It was probably the closest to the main house, and when he got in, he took a look around. It was messy, but that was how Billy lived. He didn’t like cleaning, so he never did. However, Billy spent the next couple hours of his life tidying up.

  Maybe it was because this was the first time in a long time he didn’t feel depressed. There was some sort of fire ignited within him. He felt well, strangely happy for the first time. In the past, he’d always struck out with women. They either weren't interested, or they already had a boyfriend. He usually didn’t really care about other people either, so he mostly focused on the clan. He was a shifter at his core, and he felt that was what kept him out of trouble when it came to the opposite sex.

  But now, after meeting Nikki, he wanted to get in trouble. He didn't want to completely strike out on this. There was a desire to make this right, and he wanted nothing more than to see this through to the end.

  He laid down on the couch, reading a book that he bought, expecting nobody to bother him, and maybe he would somehow fall asleep. But, as he laid there, his mind kept thinking about her and the way that she acted. He wondered as well what she was up to, and if she was still awake. He figured as much, but he didn’t want to linger too much on it. Besides, it’s not like she would call him.

  Billy didn’t think so. He was not that lucky. However, after about twenty minutes, he was pulled out of his reverie by the ringing of the phone.

  “Could it be Travis?” he asked himself. He knew that Travis would call them in the event of an emergency, so he figured that was the case. He picked up the phone with a little worry.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey. It’s Nikki. From the bar,” she said.

  Billy immediately felt his heart race. He couldn't believe it, she actually called him back!

  “Wow. I never thought I would hear from you… so soon,” he said.

  “Yeah, well, I kind of need to talk to someone. It’s 3 a.m., I know that, and I should be sleeping, but a lot happened last night, and I hate that it’s like this,’ she said.

  “Well, I’m here if you want to talk about it. I don’t really know what is going on, but hopefully I can help,” he told her.

  There was a pause, and then, she spoke.

  “Just people, man. I work on this job because I like making drinks. I find it fun, and I’m good at it. But like… man people get so weird about it, and they get mad because I’m doing something good for myself. It’s just rough, you know,” she said.

  “I get that. It sounds like you’ve got a lot going on,” he said.

  “Yeah. It's just hard to explain to others. I mean, I don’t even know why I’m calling you, Billy. Maybe it's because you’re the only one up, and I’m a fucking dumbass who doesn’t know what else to do. But, I’m glad that I did. For some stupid reason,” she stated.

  “Well, the feeling is mutual. I don’t even know why the hell I’m up either. Maybe it’s just the fact that my mind has been on a lot of things as of late,” he said.

  “I mean, that makes two of us. The people I’m living with are acting quite strange, and I don’t like going home. At the bar, it’s much nicer, and I feel happier,” she said.

  “Well good. I guess my presence helped a little bit there?” he teased.

  “Yeah. It did, my friend. It really did,” she said.

  There was a small laugh from both people on each side, and Billy felt a warmth inside of him just talking to her. He wondered if this could lead to something, anything at all, although he didn’t believe so. However, it was worth a shot, worth maybe asking her about it.

  “By the way, there's something I wanted to ask you. Something that I hope you say yes to, but if not, I get it,” he stated.

  “Sure, what is it?” she asked.

  He paused, wondering if she would respond to him. He then took a deep breath, feeling his heart race at the feeling he was experiencing. He just hoped she wouldn’t outright reject him.

  “I wanted to ask if you… wanted to go out on a date, that’s all. I mean, you don’t have to worry about anything, and we can go, maybe just as friends,” he said.

  He couldn't believe he asked it again. He didn’t ask girls out on dates. He always felt like he wasn't good enough for that sort of thing. But then, after a moment, he heard a bit of hesitation in her voice.

  “I’m not sure… I mean… aww fuck it, I’m down with that. It’s better than the shit I’m dealing with. But, I don't really want to do it tonight, for obvious reasons,” she said.

  “Oh yeah. No, obviously it can be some time down the road. Maybe next Sunday,” he said.

  “Sure. I have nothing going on then. Can ask James to cover my shift. Or we can go out during the afternoon or something. He does give me days off, I just prefer to work them sometimes. But yeah, I can ask for that,” she said.

  Billy felt his heart skip a beat. A radiant feeling grew within his body as he heard those words.

  “Good. I’m glad that you want this as much as I do,” he said to her.

  “Yeah, no shit. I would love this,” she said to him with a laugh.

  He felt super excited, better than ever before, and for a second, Billy wondered if there was anything he could do to make this even better.

  “Well, I’m glad that I can make you happy. Anyway, I need to be up around noon, so I should probably go to bed,” he said.

  “Alright. I should as well. Gotta work again. Or at least get out of this goddamn house,” she said.

  They both laughed as understanding rushed through Billy’s body. He felt like a new man, completely rejuvenated by something as small as a conversation that took place between them. He took a deep breath and spoke again.

  “I’m very glad that you agreed to this. I really am,” he said.

  “I am too. I was a little worried, honestly, but I feel that, no matter what happens next, it’ll all be okay,” she told him with a smile.

  Billy nodded, and he let out a sigh.

  “Yeah. It all will be okay. No matter what,’ he said.

  They hung up, and for the first time in a while, Billy felt happy. He didn’t feel like he was obsessing over anything anymore. It was the beginning of well, another life, a new adventure, and hope for the future.

  The next day, Billy woke up and made his way to the main house. When he got there, he sat down at the table, feeling excited about what was to happen next. When he sat there, he saw that Travis was grinning at him, and Darren made a coughing sound.

  “Looks like this is a first for you,” Darren said.

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “You’re in a good mood, and not just some fake good mood that I normally see from you Billy, but something real. You seem content. I guess going to the bar helped?” Travis said.

  “Yeah. It did. I met someone there, and she’s pretty great. I asked her out on a date and she finally said yes, so I’m a little bit shocked right now that I even have a chance, but I’m not complaining. I’m excited,” he said.

  “Good! It seems like you're finally taking control of your life,” Darren said.

  “Finally, I thought we would have to find you a partner through our own ways,” Darren said.

  “Nah. I think it’s just a refreshing feeling. To have someone to talk to,” Billy said.

  In truth, this was the first time in a long time he had someone like this, and he was happy about it.

  “Well, I’m not putting you down or anything. Go do what makes you happy,” Travis said.

  “Yes. I’m glad you’re in a better mood. I was a little worried about you,” Darren said.

  “No need to worry about me. Sometimes it’s hard, but I’m much happier,” Billy said.

  He finished breakfast and headed out to the garage to work on a few projects. For a moment, Bi
lly wondered if this was the beginning of a brighter life. He realized that this was the first day in a long time he hadn’t considered death, nor had he thought about them for a second. It was the first time he didn't touch the scars on his thighs either, and a part of him wondered if this was going to change.

  Would it be like this forever? Would he finally learn to be cheerful, for the first time in forever? Would he finally get to experience true bliss? A feeling that he wished upon himself for ages?