Our So-Called Breakup Chapter 02

Our So-Called Breakup Chapter 02

Vincent walked over to where Kenneth was sitting on the sofa.

The second Kenneth saw him, he froze, absolutely paralyzed with fear.

In mixed families of humans and werebeasts, the kids might turn out entirely human—or they might not.

We were living proof of that-I was human, but Kenneth was a weredog. A werehusky, to be exact.

Our family had lied on his paperwork to get him into the military academy, claiming he was a werewolf

This book had been added on your bookshelf.

He got in, just like they wanted, but while the actual werewolves were howling, all Kenneth could manage was a bark.

He fell miserably behind the others in physical training and cried every time he called home.

A few days ago, he’d shown up out of nowhere, dragging his suitcase behind him.

When I asked him what he was doing back, he just rubbed his nose and wouldn’t look me in the eye.

“I messed up my knee,” he’d lied. “The academy sent me home to recover.”

Now, I looked back and forth between the two men.

-How on earth did Kenneth know Vincent?

Kenneth looked utterly blindsided by the visit

“Colonel Rowley?” he stammered. “What are you doing here?”

“I was in the area for a mission,” Vincent said, his voice completely level, “and I figured I’d check in on your leave of absence.”

All the color drained from Kenneth’s face, and he broke into a cold

sweat.

He shot me a guilty look before quietly pulling Vincent aside.

Right on cue, my takeout arrived.

I took it into the dining room to eat giving them space.

This book had been added on your bookshelf.

They deliberately kept their voices hushed to shut me out of the

conversation.

Vincent pulled out a small notepad. “You requested leave because your sister was getting married,” he said, dropping into a strictly professional tone. “What was the date of the wedding?”

Kenneth was so on edge that he was stuttering.

“Is… is that really relevant?”

Vincent gave a solemn nod.

“Yes. The academy requires verification.”

“The day before yesterday,” Kenneth told him.

-Vincent fired off the next round of questions without missing a beat.

“What is your brother-in-law’s name? Where does he work?

“How did he and your sister meet? How long were they dating before they got married? What’s their relationship like, and what kind of man is he?”

Kenneth looked incredibly anxious and deeply uncomfortable.

“Isn’t… isn’t that crossing, a line into my personal life? Does the academy actually dig into all that?”

Vincent nodded solemnly again.

“Yes, they do.”

“I… I don’t really know much about all that stuff.”

Vincent snapped the notepad shut. When he spoke again, his tone was sharp

“In that case, the academy has every right to question the legitimacy of your leave and determine the appropriate disciplinary action.”

Kenneth looked absolutely terrified.

Glancing over at me as I ate my takeout, something suddenly seemed to click in his head. He raised his voice and shouted, “Liv, did Emmy order dinner for you again?”

Vincent instantly snapped his attention to me.

The heavy weight of his stare hit me like a physical pressure, and my appetite vanished.

-I gave a stiff nod and glued my eyes to my food.

I had worked late today, and to make up for it, my boss, Emmett Hertford, had paid for my dinner.

Kenneth zeroed in on my meal, laying it on thick.

“Emmy is so good to you. He got all your favorites!”

Vincent just watched me. Utterly silent.

His intense gaze made my skin crawl with discomfort.

Finally, he looked away and slipped the notepad and pen back into his pocket.

He stood up to leave.

Kenneth trailed right behind him, falling over himself to be accommodating and submissive.

“Colonel Rowley, are you heading out already?”

Vincent let out a curt grunt of acknowledgment.

“I’ve found out everything I need to know.”

His voice was deadpan, but I caught the faint, unmistakable edge of

anger.

He strode right out the front door without so much as a backward glance in my direction.

I just kept my head down and forced myself to keep eating.

>Beside my plate, my phone chimed.

Two new texts from Emmett.

“You left your coat in my car.

“I’m downstairs at your place. Come get it.”

I scowled at the screen.

It was already late, and the absolute last thing I wanted to do was go back outside.

“I’m not home,” I texted back, opting for the easy lie. “Just bring it to the office tomorrow.”

The text thread went dead for a moment.

Then, a photo popped up-a picture of a trash can.

“I can let the trash can hold onto it for you.”

Jerk.

I threw on a jacket and rushed downstairs, cursing Emmett in my head with every step.

A flashy convertible was parked downstairs, and inside, that flamboyant werefox was lounging lazily, waiting for me.

I snatched my jacket from him. “We’re going to see each other at work tomorrow anyway,” I complained. “Why go out of your way to drop this off?”

ZAR:

-Eminett flashed a casual smile, his eyes crinkling in that way that

made him look gentle and deeply affectionate.

“I’m heading to a bar later. If I end up driving a girl home, I can’t have a woman’s jacket sitting in my car, can I?

“It’d look like someone was staking their claim.”

Grossed out, I shot him a look reserved for absolute idiots.

Spotting the two bulky packets of sauce stuffed into his pockets, I just rolled my eyes, completely speechless.

Emmett was obsessed with the chicken pies and roasted drumsticks at a new bar on the west side of town.

If the place were open during the day, he would eat all three of his

meals there.

His routine was always the same walk in, find a corner, pull out his two massive sauce packets, order a drumstick, a chicken pie, and ten eggs, and devour everything before heading home.

When he burped and smelled like a literal poultry farm, what girl was actually going to want to talk to him?

He was my cousin.

When I was little, I always assumed he was a wereweasel.

It wasn’t until I experienced his incredibly shameless personality firsthand that I finally stopped questioning his actual species.

>People always said werebeasts held onto some of the natural instincts

of their animal forms.

Emmett, being a werefox, was overly flirtatious.

Kenneth, a weredog, was a bit dim.

And supposedly, weresnakes were naturally lustful.

So why was Vincent always so cold and aloof?

I glared at Emmett, grabbed my jacket, and turned to head back upstairs.

The second I turned around, I spotted Vincent.

He was sitting in his car, his eyes meeting mine right through the windshield.

Vincent just stared at me for a split second before indifferently looking away, as if his gaze had only landed on me by total accident.

He started the engine and drove off without a single backward glance.

He was so distant tonight, treating me like a complete stranger.

Did this mean we were broken up?

I couldn’t stop dwelling on it.

I went back upstairs, ate dinner, and took a shower, entirely distracted the whole time.

I climbed into bed, but the second I closed my eyes, my phone rang.

>”Hello, is this à relative of Mr. Emmett Hertford?

“I’m calling from the werebeast detention center.”