The Comments Told Me To Run, He Wouldn’t Let Me Chapter 04

I sat in Alden’s arms, listening to every word he and Tessa said. Each one landed like a stone in my stomach.

It started simple—why mechs, what her goals were. Then they slid into technical talk that went completely over my head.

Tessa’s voice was steady, her answers clean and direct. But when she hit a topic she loved, you could hear her light up.

Alden had started off detached.

By the end, the admiration in his voice was impossible to miss.

Tessa didn’t back down, either. When she thought he was wrong, she told him so.

They were having a great time.

My chest ached. I lifted a paw and scratched at my chest.

Alden took me to my favorite vegetarian diner for dinner, but I couldn’t shake the heavy feeling.

I didn’t even touch my greens.

I barely sipped my carrot juice.

Alden noticed.

He paused his video meeting, pulled me onto his lap, and lifted a spoonful of savory herb oatmeal to my mouth.

“Baby, you were amazing today. You pulled the strongest candidate out of that entire stack.”

“I was only going to interview the top ten. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve missed her completely.”

I let him feed me a spoonful.

“Is she really that good?”

There it was again. That tone.

“Female shifters are usually sharper, better at mech design. Males have the edge in raw strength.”

“But she’s got both. Her design instincts are top-tier, and her strength and agility max out the charts.”

[Comments]

[Willa, stop asking. The ML and FL are endgame. You’re just hurting yourself.]

[The little rabbit is kinda sweet though. At least she didn’t trash the FL’s résumé. And she’s so cute it hurts.]

[Okay, I’m actually starting to feel bad for her…]

Something bitter sat at the back of my throat.

I stabbed a few bites of greens and forced them down.

When we got home, Alden walked me to my room.

He was about to leave. Before I could talk myself out of it, I wrapped my arms around him from behind.

My rabbit ears twitched up.

“Alden.”

“Could you… stay with me tonight?”

His breathing shifted.

My face was on fire.

I thought he’d say yes.

Instead, he peeled my hands off him.

He carried me to bed.

His thumb brushed across my lower lip.

His voice came out low and rough.

“Baby, don’t.”

“Last night was a lot.”

“You need to rest.”

[Comments]

[Lmaooo the ML is NOT a restrained guy. Once he and the FL get together they’re insatiable. If he’s holding back with Willa, it just means he doesn’t love her. That’s it.]

[He’s already caught feelings for the FL. Calling it now.]

[I want Willa to find someone else SO bad. The second ML is amazing too! Willa, lock him down before the FL snatches him!]

I watched him walk away.

I bit down on my tongue until it stung.

The second male lead?

But…

I only ever wanted Alden.