~~

Star

~~

I hadn’t expected for yesterday to be so nice. I didn’t know what to expect at first, but it soon became a day that I was happy to have lived. I never thought that I would learn so much about the pack, about the people in this house, or about Artem.

I wanted to continue getting to know them, getting comfortable around them, and being here with them all together. I was finally starting to be happy, I was finally starting to let myself stop being afraid.

I went down to breakfast with everyone, again, and was happy to see everyone happily sitting around the table. I went to sit in my usual seat on the end and was happy to see that Reed and Bailey were nearby as well.

When Artem and Chay brought the food in together Artem sat in his usual spot just around the corner of the table from me. I had been nervous the first time he had sat there. At that time I had still been quite intimidated by them all. But now, I knew what nice people they all were and how kind Artem truly was. Though I did still seem to feel nervous with him sitting there, it was just a different kind of nervousness. One that was a little pleasant and very confusing.

The conversation was positive for the most part, but subdued as everyone was either too tired or too focused on their food to talk. But when we were almost done eating, Chay called out to me.

“Hey, Star, do you want to go shopping with me today?” I felt my eyes pop and the gasp try to become audible, but it was blocked by the food that was still in my mouth. Gasping with food in your mouth is not recommended, since when I did it I began to choke on the food I was eating. The yolk of the fried eggs went down my windpipe first, then it was quickly followed by the egg whites.

I was coughing and gasping for air around the food, trying to get my head and body to start functioning properly again.

“Chay, what are you doing.” Artem scolded her as he leaned across the table. I felt his large, strong hand begin to beat gently against my back. His hand would pat, pat, pat, three times then rub in three small circles. This pattern continued until I could breath. “Don’t surprise people when they’re putting food in their mouth.” He added as he looked at her angrily.

“I didn’t mean to surprise her. How was I supposed to know that she would almost choke to death from a simple question.” Despite the words themselves she was actually smiling and laughing at the odd predicament that had found myself in.

I took one long, though slightly shaky, breath and was able to compose myself somewhat. I grabbed my pen and wrote a quick note to Artem.

[I’m fine now, thank you]

“Are you sure?” He looked worried after he read the note but I just nodded my head and reaffirmed that I was better now.

After that I turned to Chay and wrote a note to her.

[Shopping? Where?]

“The mall in the city.” She was smiling happily at me when she said this. “I want to look for something special for you.”

[Why?]

“For your birthday of course.” I seemed to have done something funny because Chay was laughing at me with a gleeful face.

“I don’t know if it’s safe for you guys to go out alone. There should be someone else with you at least.” Artem seemed worried, more worried than I thought he would be. “Do you want to go Star?” He asked me as he looked down to see my reaction. I nodded my head. I was surprised by it at first, yes, but I was still happy to be getting out and about.

“Alright, if you want her to have more man power with us, then you come along.” Chay was looking pointedly at Atem when she made this declaration to him. “Who better to protect her than you?” She seemed to be having fun goading him into coming with us, but for some reason, Artem didn’t look affected by her words.

“Fine, then I will come along.” He was grinning.

“Only condition is, you have to hang back and let us have some girl time. We will yell for you if we need you.” I watched as his face fell then, she had cut him down at the knees and he was unable to overcome that condition. Things were not looking up for him, but I couldn’t help myself, I laughed. I didn’t hold it in this time, I actually laughed at the look on his face.

Every face in the room turned to stare at me with a surprised expression in their eyes. I had immediately slapped a hand over my mouth, embarrassed by my quick outburst.

“Oh my Goddess, you laughed.” Chay was staring at me.

“It’s a miracle.” Morgan grinned.

“I can’t believe it.” Reed added with a hint of laughter.

“I’ve never heard you laugh before.” Bailey looked like he was going to cry.

“Beautiful.” Artem’s word was whispered so even I barely heard it, but he was smiling so happily when I looked into his face.

Everyone was ready to go just a few minutes later. Chay hurried through her meal and ran upstairs to get her purse. I didn’t have a purse and it was nice weather outside so I didn’t need to wear a jacket, I was already ready to go.

Artem played chauffeur for us as he drove into the city, Chay and I sitting in the back and talking. Well, she was talking, I was writing. We talked about nothing really, just chit chatting about random things. That is, until she asked me the same thing my cousin did yesterday.

“Are you ever going to talk to Artem?” She whispered into my ear so quietly that I knew Artem didn’t hear the question.

[Eventually] I grinned at her.

“Why are you still waiting?” She whispered again.

[He looks kind of cute when he has to read my notes, I can’t help it] I smiled broadly as I thought about it.

“Cute? My brother? As if.” She laughed quietly, shaking from the effort to hold it all in.

[I don’t know, I think it’s cute] I was looking at the side of Artem’s face as she read those words.

“You like him don’t you?” She was staring at me intently, no joking in her tone now. “Like, you don’t really know how to feel about him but you want him around. He makes your heart race and your stomach do crazy things?” I gasped but nodded at her words.

[How do you know?]

“It means you like him.” She was ginning at me.

I didn’t know what to think about all this, she had given me a lot to think about. But I had to put it out of my mind, because we had finally reached our destination.

The three of us got out of the Jeep that I learned was Chay’s, it wasn’t the same car we had driven in yesterday but I remembered this one from the other day. When we had arrived, I hadn’t needed to open my door, Artem moved quickly and opened it for me, taking my hand and helping me down from the seat.

I just grinned, thinking about what Chay had been saying. Did I like him? I’m not an idiot, I know about love and feelings, but I had never experienced it before so I didn’t know what to feel. But I knew I liked being around Artem, and I liked the way he made me feel.