Scum (Book 2)

112. Friend-Zone

Chey's POV

Elijah, or Eli as he likes to be called, isn't that bad of a person after getting to know him.

I wanted to hate him, but that's hard to do, since I now know that overprotectiveness is in his nature.

The man’s in line to be his cousin’s beta, and Noah was supposed to be their gamma, but he randomly turned down the position for ‘something better’ after meeting a woman who claimed to be feeling a pull toward him.

‘In love,’ Noah gave the woman his debit card, intending for her to set up an apartment for them, but she instead drained the account of all the money left to him and his brother from their deceased parents, then left the state.

Needless to say, she wasn’t his mate; she didn’t even tell him her real name, things he only learned years later.

Noah is embarrassed about that part of his past, so he doesn’t like talking about it, and the people at the gym with him when we first met were mostly his personal guards.

They’re also the reason he didn’t come to my fight. He needed time to come up with an excuse to ‘go out’ alone.

Moving was part of the way he was able to visit me freely, but he couldn’t shake his brother’s suspicion, so when we visited a council building together, it sent all kinds of red flags.

Elijah was under the impression that I rejected my mate and promised Noah he could take his place, which makes me think that rejections in the city are much more common than they are where I’m from.

That said, I’m currently waiting for my cleaned car to be returned to me, but the vehicle that pulls up isn’t mine, and now, I don’t like Elijah again.

“Where’s my car?”

“Relax… that thing was a piece of sh*t, and getting it cleaned would have been a waste of money.”

“But I can’t afford a new one right now.” I’m extremely annoyed because Elijah already knows that.

“I know, which is why I paid for it.”

“No.” I keep my answer flat because I don’t want to owe the man anything. “Take it back and bring me back my vehicle.”

“Your car was a few hundred miles away from death. The mechanic I work with was willing to trade it for this one.”

“Why would anyone accept something you say is junk?”

“He’ll probably use it for parts, and I gave him tickets to my next fight… By the way, I need the title.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

“No, I don’t. In fact, I know you aren’t, so I made sure to prepare these before coming.” Elijah gets out of the car and hands me what looks like title transfer documents.

I recognize them from when Liam helped me buy my car, but I don’t feel right about this.

“Noah told me that you don’t like handouts. I don’t expect you to accept it as a gift.”

“So, you’re asking me to pay for a car I just told you I can’t afford?”

“I am, but not with money.” My nostrils flare, and realizing how what he said sounds, Elijah starts vigorously waving his hands. “Not like that… No. No. No… I mean I may have a job for you.” Again, he pauses, but his facial expression tells me that his words are just coming off wrong. It shouldn’t be funny, but I start laughing, making the man sigh in relief. “You know what I mean, right?”

“I do,” I admit, wiping my tears away. “What kind of job is it?”

“I don’t even want to tell you now.”

“Because it’s what it sounds like?”

“It’s no better.” Elijah tells me that he needs a ring girl, making me laugh hysterically.

“You want me to prance around in underwear for you?” Now that I’m on my own, I finally understand the issue with nudity.

It’s weird, and the first time I noticed it was when Jett walked around without a shirt.

It made me feel uncomfortable, and on another occasion, I simply could not step out of my bedroom without covering my body because I knew he was in the kitchen.

Now, the idea of wearing practically nothing in front of hundreds of people makes me cringe, and sometimes, I get embarrassed when I think back to all the times I stripped in front of Liam like it was nothing, and the things I did in front of him still keep me awake at night.

“I’m going to have to pass.”

“Know anyone who can take up the spot? Noah told me that you have a designer in your pack. It would be good exposure for him.”

“Why can’t you just use one of Noah’s clients?”

“I will. I just wanted to check in with you first.” Elijah hands me the keys, reminding me that…

“I can’t accept this.”

“For f*ck’s sake, Cheyenne. You don’t always have to fight everything. I’m just doing this because it would have been a waste of money to get that car cleaned. Humans can't smell the way we can, and even if they could, a trusted mechanic and friends said your car is only good for parts.”

“I don’t know how to accept this without it feeling wrong.”

“It’s only wrong because you grew up thinking that you have to give to get. Some people just like giving. Think about it, did my brother ever ask you for anything?”

“No, but-”

“Shut up,” the man whines, waving off my statement.

Typically, I would be angry, but Elijah is a naturally aggressive person, so I don’t mind his bluntness. “Sign the papers here and here.” I take the forms and do as the man says. “Congratulations.”

“I don’t like what you just did to me.”

“Don’t be angry little alpha. This isn’t a challenge, this is one wolf looking out for another, and speaking of, you need to get out of the house sometime.”

“I have too much work to do.”

“And you’ll always have work to do, but you need to take a day off. Consider it p*****t for the car.”

“Where are we going though?”

“Have you been to…” Elijah ends up rattling off several locations before he takes out his phone and calls his brother. “Bro, what the f*ck? I thought you said Cheyenne was your friend.”

“She is. Why did she say something?”

“You’ve never taken her anywhere.”

“She only likes to work out and get smoothies.” Elijah side eyes me, but I pretend to be reading because nobody only likes the gym and smoothies.

“Alright, well, we’re taking her out, so clear your schedule.”

“Cool,” Noah says, ending the call without waiting for any additional information.

“So, you really friend-zoned the f*ck out of my brother, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Cheyenne, be honest with me. Were you homeschooled?”

“No…” I sing, confused as to why the man is asking. “My mother worked too much, and as patient as my father is; he wouldn’t have been able to teach us. Why?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but, you're kind of slow.”

“I’m trying to catch up, okay? Just tell me what friend-zoned means.” Elijah explains, but the way he said it almost sounded… “Is that something bad?”

“You imagine being stuck as a person’s friend when you want to be more than that. If you can’t do it, it probably means that you lack socialization.” That isn’t the first time someone is saying that to me.

“Yeah, well, experience tells me that friends aren’t all that loyal. They might forget about you when you need them the most.”

“True,” Elijah says, taking the documents from my hand and looking them over.

This is the first time that I’m actually looking at him as a person, and the first time that I’m realizing that he’s really attractive.

His skin is a warm shade of brown, his hair is curly and black, his body is very well built, and now… I’m staring.

“I got something on my face?”

“No, I was just wondering if you and Noah have different fathers.”

“We do not, but I take more after our mother.”

“How’d she die?”

“That isn’t a conversation I’d want to have standing outside.” Understanding, yet nosey, I invite the man into my apartment, and he immediately comments on the ‘unhealthy’ arrangement. “It doesn’t bother you?” Eli is referring to the fact that I’m encroaching on a young family, but right now, moving isn’t within my budget.

“It’s not ideal, but I do help them, and I’m rarely home lately. Have you eaten?”

“I could eat,” the man says, following me into the kitchen.

Marissa isn’t around because she stays with Miguel and Dyson when no one else is home, and I haven’t mind-linked her about my return because she doesn’t like Noah or Eli.

“Need help?” Help is always appreciated, so I accept it.

Hours go by before I realize that Elijah and I have long finished our meal, and that was only because Jett came home.

“Sorry Alpha, am I interrupting?”

“No. Come in. We just finished eating.” Probably uncomfortable, Elijah stands to leave.

Noah is supposed to pick him up, so I’m not worried about how he’s getting home, but I feel guilty about making him stand outside when we don’t know when his brother will get here.

“Should I give you a ride?”

“It’s fine. Noah said he'd be here in a few minutes.”

“Oh, okay. Good.”

“Don’t forget. We’re taking you out this weekend.” Opening my door, I wave as the man leaves, and immediately Jett is questioning me.

Next thing I know, the apartment is filled with people wanting to know what was ‘going on.’

“Just be careful. He’s kind of old to not have already found a mate.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. He’s friend-zoned.” Immediate laughter, telling me that I used the word incorrectly.

“All I’m saying is that he may be looking for someone to settle down with. If you’re not interested, you shouldn’t give him hope.”

“But he bought me a car,” I reply, holding up the title documents that were sitting on an end table. My response is a silence that makes me sink into my chair, already anticipating ‘rebuke.’ “What did I do wrong?”

“No one said anything.”

“But you’re all thinking it.” Marissa is usually the most vocal when she’s disappointed, so her silence is the most concerning. “Please? I’m still learning...”

“Do you remember the dress you wore to the pre-fight dinner?” Miguel asks. “This situation is kind of like that.”

“But… I’m paying him back by going out,” I reply before being hit with more questions.