Chapter 243

Judy’s POV

My entire body was frigid as I heard what this woman…a woman I had never even heard of before, saying that Gavin was in the shower. My entire body shook, and I could feel my heart shattering in my chest. I barely registered her words next because I was so numb from the inside out.

My hearing had faded, and all that was left was just me inside the little bubble I created around myself.

I pressed the “end call” button as she was speaking and I shoved my phone back into my pocket, not wanting to hear what more she had to say.

I’m not sure how I ended up outside of the student lounge; my body was working on overdrive, and I wasn’t in control anymore. I felt paralyzed as the world passed around me, swallowing me into a black abyss. I didn’t realize where I was until I heard Nan’s voice from beside me.

“Judy, what’s wrong?” She asked, studying my pale face.

I looked at her… really looked at her. I saw the worry lingering in her eyes and the way the corner of her lip tipped down into a concerned frown. Her brows were pinched together as she stared at me, the question lingering on her lips as I thought about what to say to her.

I felt so stupid; here I was, thinking this guy might actually like me… thinking he had developed genuine feelings for me as I had him… but instead he was off with another woman, playing house with her… letting her answer his phone… taking her on dates…ignoring me and wondering what it was I did wrong.

I didn’t realize that I was crying until Nan wrapped me in her arms and pulled me into a tight hug.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, but I didn’t feel like things were okay. I felt like I was breaking apart, and there was nobody around to pick up the pieces. My wolf was whimpering and howling inside of me, feeling and feeding off my pain, matching it with her own. “Tell me what happened, Judy. Please… I hate seeing you like this.”

“I called Gavin…” I heard myself whisper. “And another woman answered.”

She let out a breath and closed her eyes as she continued to hug me.

“That asshole,” she whispered. “He doesn’t deserve you if that’s how he’s going to treat you. Just because he’s a Lycan, he thinks he can play with your emotions. It’s not fair.”

At that point, my phone chimed. I pulled out of her arms and glanced at my phone, sighing.

“Who is it?” She asked, eyeing me carefully.

“Beta Taylor is here to pick me up,” I muttered.

‘Not Erik?” She asked with raised brows.

She knew Erik was my typical driver that Gavin appointed me a while back, and when it wasn’t Erik picking me up, typically it would have been Gavin. Taylor only picked me up if he needed to take me somewhere specific or in emergency situations. But this past week or so, it’s been him picking up from school and bringing me home. Even when I wasn’t tutoring Matt, it was still Taylor who picked me up.

“I have to go,” I told her, my heart heavy as I walked towards the parking lot.

Nan watched me go, shouting for me to call her later. I didn’t bother responding; my body was numb, and the words failed to leave my lips.

As I stepped out into the parking lot, I spotted his car almost right away. I got into the backseat, settling myself before my eyes found Taylor's. He was looking at me through the mirror with a curious gaze, and when he noticed me staring back, he quickly returned his attention to the front, his eyes fixed on the road.

He pulled away from the school without another word, pulling onto the main road and driving towards the Redmoon pack lines.

“Have you talked to Gavin?” I asked him, surprised that my voice sounded stronger than I felt.

He glanced at me through the mirror again, and I couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes.

“I have,” he murmured, without offering much more information. “He’s been busy with a new project for the Landry Corporation.”

I nodded, not believing a word he was saying.

“Does he have any new business partners or someone working with him on the project?” I asked,

He was quiet for a long while; his jaw was ticking, and he clenched and unclenched it. He finally glanced at me through the mirror.

“That’s not for me to say,” he admitted, his voice coming out softer than I thought it would. “It’s probably better if you spoke to him directly.”

“I would if he’d talk to me,” I muttered.

Beta Taylor looked as if he was about to say something else, but before he could, my phone started to ring. Aggravated by the interruption, I huffed as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I saw Irene’s name on the screen and big my lips as I answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Judy! I need your help,” Irene practically shouted into the phone. “It’s Emalyn… she’s sick. She won’t stop crying. Please hurry!”

She hung up without another word, leaving my stomach in knots. I looked at Taylor, who was still focused on the road, his mind a thousand miles away.

“Change of plans… take me to the place,” I told him.

He furrowed his brows in response.

“Why?” He asked.

“Irene needs my help with the baby, that’s why,” I told him simply. “If Gavin doesn’t want to see me, then that’s fine, but I’m not cutting myself off from Irene.”

He nodded and, without another word, he turned in a different direction and started to drive towards the Silver Crescent pack.

Once we were at the mansion, I thanked him and hurried out of the car. I didn’t bother looking back at Beta Taylor, though I could feel his eyes on the back of my head.

Irene was in the living room, cradling a crying Emalyn. The baby's face was all red as she belted and sobbed, and it broke my heart to see her like this. Irene was also crying as she cooed at the little baby, trying to calm her.

Irene looked at me with relief in her eyes.

“I don’t know what to do,” she cried, her bottom lip trembling. “Please, help me…”

I immediately went to her, taking a look at Emalyn’s face. I put my hands on her cheeks and forehead, my stomach clenching when I felt how warm she was.

“She’s running a fever,” I told her. “Do you have any baby medicine?” I asked.

“Maybe in the kitchen,” she said, her voice cracking as she spoke.

I grabbed the baby from her arms, cradling her close to my chest. She relaxed a little, but not all the way.

“I need you to listen carefully, okay?” I said, trying to remain as calm as I could. She nodded, waiting for my instructions. “I need you to warm up some milk in a baby bottle and put a few drops of medicine in the milk. Not a lot… just a little. Then bring me the bottle.”

Irene nodded and, without another word, she ran off and into the kitchen. I continued to rock and cradle the baby; her crying subsided a little, but she was still whimpering as the fever took full effect.

“Poor little pup,” I whispered soothingly.

Not long after, Irene was returning with the baby bottle. I took the bottle from her and started to feed the baby. it took a few tries, but soon Emalyn started to drink greedily.

Irene sighed, resting on the couch now that the mansion was quiet and free from the crying. As the baby drank, her sniffles and sobs subsided. She stopped halfway through the bottle, and then I took a break to burp her before having her continue.

Once she was done with the bottle, I placed it on the coffee table and rocked her. The room had fallen silent as the baby nuzzled against me, trying to gain warmth, though she was sweating from her fever. It tore at my heart to see her like this.

I had to change her a couple of times within the hour because her diaper exploded. The second time it happened had Irene helped me bathe her. The warm water was soothing enough that it calmed her into a sleeping state.

Rocking her in my arms, I sat with her on the couch until she was completely asleep. She wasn’t as warm, but I could tell she still had a slight fever.

Irene looked relieved to see that she was finally sleeping.

“Thank you,” Irene whispered. “How did you get so good at taking care of babies?”

I shrugged.

“Just a natural talent,” I admitted.

“I wish I had that talent,” she murmured. “I don’t think I’ll ever be good at this kind of thing.”

We remained quiet for a long while, and then I turned to her.

“Can I ask you a question?”

She nodded, her eyes meeting mine.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“Is your dad dating someone?”

She raised her brows and then cocked her head.

“My dad doesn’t really date anyone… why?” She asked.

“I called him earlier, and a woman answered… I was just wondering how she was,” I explained.

She raised her brows.

“I haven’t spoken to my father in days,” she admitted. “He’s been busy with work as far as I know. I’m not sure who answered his phone, but I doubt he would have allowed that if he knew,” she told me.

I thought about it for a moment, and then I nodded.

“Yeah, maybe it’s just a misunderstanding,” I said softly.

She was quiet for a long while, and then she straightened her posture.

“You know what you need to do?” She asked, “You need to go to the Villa and see him for yourself.”

“What?” I nearly asked, my eyes wide.

“I’m serious,” she said, a grin forming on her lips. “Go to the Villa and see my father. If anything, you should tell him how you feel. You have obvious feelings for him, so you should tell him, right?”

“What if he doesn’t feel the same?” I asked, meeting her eyes.

“Then you’ll know the truth,” she told me. She stood and took the baby from my arms, cradling her. “I think her fever broke. I’ll put her in her crib… go to the Villa, Judy. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen, right?”