Divorced from the Alpha (Beasts of Arizona Series #1)

Chapter 7

I walked down the stairs and saw Ambrose already in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. I looked at the clock and saw that it’s only six in the morning. I woke up later than usual today because of the movie marathon last night.

I cleared my throat as I approached him, making him turn to me. He smiled. “Oh, you’re up,” he said before transferring the bacon strips from the pan to the plate.

I turned to the table and saw that he already prepared everything. I suddenly feel guilty. He’s got a meeting up today and here I am, waking late and couldn’t even prepare breakfast for him before he goes to work.

Ambrose nodded at me. “Come on. Let’s eat breakfast,” he said as he placed the plate on the table and pulled his chair.

I pursed my lips and just followed him. I sat in my place and started eating. “I’m sorry I didn’t wake up early,” I told him.

Ambrose narrowed his eyes at me before shaking his head. “It’s not a big deal. You’re tired because of the movie marathon last night that lasted until one in the morning.”

I smiled weakly and just resumed eating. He’s very considerate. That’s something I have noticed about him. He looks rough and intimidating but he’s actually a soft guy. I only knew him for days but I couldn’t dare to say something bad about him. Well, except for not correcting the sales lady from the fruit shake stand.

“I will be gone until lunchtime,” he continued. “You can just scour the fridge for your food. I would tell you to call the delivery but my house is too far.”

I smiled and nodded. “It’s okay. I’ll just fix something for myself,” I replied. “Will it just be until lunchtime?” I needed to know so I could make snacks for him later. He’s probably going to just wander around or be in his gym. But I still think it’s appropriate that I fix him something. I’m not paying for anything. I would gladly do labor work.

He shrugged. “I need to ensure that I have already fixed everything before coming back home,” he replied. “I’ll call you later.”

I nodded and just ate. In all fairness, Ambrose could really cook. His fried rice was one of the best ones I have tasted—second to my mother’s. The bacon strips were cooked better than I do. Maybe when he’s got some free time, I’ll ask him how he does it.

“What are you planning on doing today?” he asked me as he wiped his mouth with the table napkin.

I sighed. “I’ll apply for a job online,” I replied.

He raised his brow. “Are you really planning on living in the city?”

I nodded. “I want to start afresh,” I retorted. I haven’t told him anything about my past because I thought it was unnecessary for me to narrate my life to a stranger. But after everything that he’s done for me, maybe I can pay him back by telling a bit of my past. “I ran away from home. I want to prove to everyone that I can make it without anyone’s help.”

Ambrose stared at me, watching my every movement as I started to open up a bit of myself to him. “Where were you from?” he asked me.

“I grew up in Winslow,” I replied. “It’s three hours from here by car.”

The clenching of his jaw and the narrowing of his eyes at me didn’t go unnoticed. I bit my lip and looked down at my eyes.

“Are you saying that you came from Winslow when I saw you in the forest?” he asked me.

Stupid. I was thinking of a way to escape this questioning because I unknowingly dug my own grave with this opening up. I should have just shut up and eaten. This is definitely a wrong move.

“I rode a bus somewhere—”

“And you magically appeared in the forest?” he asked me, sounding really suspicious.

I looked at him, wide-eyed and mind empty. I don’t know how I could possibly find a way out of this now no matter how hard I force myself to think. I let five seconds pass and was about to respond when his phone suddenly rang, making him stand up and answer it.

I sighed in relief. I watched him take the call while walking to the living for some privacy. I shut my eyes, completed annoyed at myself because of what I attempted to do. Open up? That’s bullshit. I shouldn’t tell him anything about me. He’s just a kind person who helped me. It was nothing more than that.

Anyway, even if I tell him, he wouldn’t believe me. Who believes in wolves and shifting nowadays? No one. It’s nothing but fiction to humans.

I started to gather the plates to the sink and started to wash them. Ambrose was still on the call with someone who I think is his secretary. It was something urgent because he didn’t even bother wasting a second.

I sighed and just focused on what I am doing while thinking about what I need to do today. There’s not a lot of things to do though because I have finished cleaning up his backyard, garden and patio. I will just have to do a bit of cleaning inside the mansion before I finally look up and apply for a job.

I can’t help but be excited as to when I will be able to land a job to pay my bills. Living independently, financing myself and being free from everyone who looks down on me is my goal for now. When I get more opportunities in the future, I will pursue my dream to be in the entertainment industry.

Ambrose came back and looked at me urgently. “I’m sorry. I have to leave now,” he told me and I nodded. “Don’t forget to cook your lunch,” he reminded me before running upstairs to change.

I pouted and looked at the stairs where he ran off to. It must be fun to have work and be busy with something else except for household chores. I wonder if I would be able to feel that same kind of feeling when I finally find my place in the city.

I sighed and placed the plates on where they were originally.

Ambrose came running down later dressed in his white long-sleeved button-down shirt and black slacks. Hanging on his arm is his black coat. His hair brushed up in a clean manner, giving light to his cutting jawline and his tantalizing eyes even more.

I wonder if there are times that he’s not handsome. I really want to see him in a not-so-handsome state. Maybe a little facial hair? I don’t know.

Hell, I don’t even know if he’s ever going to look bad. Maybe he’s never had a time like that. He’s always handsome. Even when he’s drenched on sweat.

“I’ll be leaving,” he told me. “Call me if something bad happens.”

I couldn’t even answer him because he was already rushing to the door. I shook my head and shut the door after him. He was scrambling to get inside his car. That’s probably an emergency.

***

Hiring: Assistant cook

I clicked on the job and checked the requirements. So far, this is the highest paying among all the jobs I have browsed. But of course, they require a college degree—which I don’t have. I only have a vocational degree which is not really considered at times like this.

I should stick to clerical and bookkeeping jobs because those are what I have studied. I looked for jobs related to them and applied to several of them. I took note of the jobs that had higher wages so I’d be able to notice immediately if they have emailed me back.

I was happy with how my day was going so I made baked macaroni for my lunch. I don’t know if Ambrose likes macaroni but I have cooked some for him, too.

I spent the entire day reading a book I randomly got from Ambrose’s library. Apparently, he has a lot of books. I wonder if he’s read all of them.

I got a book about a woman lost in heaven. She was not dead yet but when she woke up, she was already in there. It was a f******d.

It was almost three in the afternoon when Ambrose came home. He told me he’ll be here by lunch but I guess, he fixed some things in the office first. Anyway, I have finished everything I had planned to do so I was satisfied.

Ambrose came inside the house with a messy hair and the first three buttons of his shirt undone. His sleeves are folded to his elbows while his shirt is still tucked in his pair of slacks.

I stared at him and saw that his eyes looked so tired. I wonder how far his office is from here. I haven’t asked him. But maybe it’s as far his house is from the city.

He sat beside me and rested on the headrest of the couch. He sighed hard while his eyes are closed.

“Work is stressful?” I asked him carefully.

He smiled weakly and nodded. “Yeah, a little,” he replied, eyes still closed.

I chuckled lowly and shook my head. How could he deny it when it’s so obvious from the look of his face that he’s already tired? “Do you want some baked mac? I made some,” I told him and was about to stand up when he suddenly held my wrist.

“Later,” he mumbled.

I stopped and looked at his hand on my wrist. I don’t know why I suddenly felt my blood rushing to my face. I was stunned for a moment until he let go. “A-Are you not h-hungry?” I stuttered and I badly want to smack myself in the head for feeling nervous.

“Later,” he repeated and slowly opened his eyes. My eyes immediately widened because I have a feeling that he’s going to continue to ask me the question this morning. What if he does? I still don’t know how I could answer that. Should I just hope for another call?  

He pursed his lips tightly before smiling weakly. “What did you do today?” he asked me.

I blinked at his question before starting to narrate how my day went when he was gone. Of course, I wasn’t able to leave out the fact that I applied to different jobs.

“I don’t know if I will be called in for an interview, though,” I told him. I don’t have much experience on clerical and bookkeeping jobs but I am extremely hopeful that I would be picked.

Ambrose sighed. “How would they contact you?” he asked me. “What number did you give them?”

“I just left my email. I’m just going to check it daily,” I replied. “They didn’t need a phone number anyway.”

Ambrose raised his brow and crossed his legs before leaning his elbow on his knee, eyes onto mine. “You still need a phone,” he said in a serious voice.

I sighed. “I don’t have the money to buy a phone yet,” I told him. “Once I get into somewhere, I would be able to afford one…” my voice trailed when I saw him taking out something from the drawer of the center table. My eyes widened when I saw a box of the latest model of a known brand of phones.

“Here,” he said as he handed it to me. “You need a phone.”

“This is an iPhone,” I told him.

“I know,” he replied. “This is a necessity. Besides, you can check your emails better with this.” He sounded like he’s trying to persuade me to take it because I need it.

“But this is too…much,” I told him, reluctant because I know how expensive this one is. “I don’t think I can accept it.”

Ambrose raised his brow and stared at me like I am the most amusing thing in the world. “Taking this won’t make you less of an independent woman, Crystal,” he told me. “Sometimes, we need to accept the help given to us without thinking too much.”

“But…” I stared at the white box in front of me. “…I don’t deserve this.”

I heard Ambrose chuckling. “You don’t deserve an iPhone? Everyone deserves a better life, Crystal. And you can easily have one if you’re not too shy to accept the things given to you,” he said with a smile. “Besides, you can think of it as a loan. I’ll let you take it and pay for it when you get accepted into the jobs you signed up for.”

I pursed my lip and stared at him more before I nodded. “Loan. This is added to my list of loans from you,” I told him with conviction.

“Whatever you say, Crystal,” he said as he helped me unbox the phone.