novelraw Chapter 402 402: All Together
Chapter 402 402: All Together
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~Valerie's POV~
The bond was trying desperately to bridge the gap I'd created, pulling at me from six different directions, demanding attention, demanding connection.
I steadied myself against the doorframe for a second.
"Hi," I managed awkwardly, closing the door behind me and walking further in.
I sat down opposite them on a single chair, suddenly very aware of how small I felt under six pairs of intense gazes.
The air felt thick as a whole minute passed with no words.
Kai cleared his throat, breaking the silence first. "Are you okay, Val?"
"Yeah," I said too quickly, trying to act casual but failing miserably. "I'm fine."
"We got your text," Dristan said gently. "We're all ears. Whatever you need to say, we're here to listen."
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I tried to speak again but paused. My hands twisted in my lap.
How did I even start?
"I..." My voice cracked. I swallowed hard, feeling tears already prickling at my eyes. "I'm sorry."
The whole room fell silent.
"I have no excuse for the way I've been acting. If I start coming up with one, I'd be lying to you and to myself." The words tumbled out in a raw and messy and desperate way.
"I just... I felt out of sync with myself and everything around me. Nothing felt right. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't want to bother you guys with my mess. You all have your own things to deal with, and I just..."
I started to lose my words, feeling a lump in my throat. A tear rolled down my cheek.
"You're not a bother, Val," Axel said firmly, pushing off from the wall and taking a step closer.
"Never have been," Ace added gently.
"Never is," Ashton continued, moving toward me as well.
"And never will be," Xade finished.
Dristan leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "We're not angry with you, Val. We were never angry. We just... we felt helpless knowing you were dealing with things alone and we couldn't fix it. We couldn't help you."
"We should apologise too," Kai said softly, running a hand through his hair. "We pushed too hard sometimes. Overwhelmed you when you needed space. That wasn't fair."
"We just wanted to help," Ashton murmured, kneeling beside my chair. "But maybe we went about it the wrong way. Maybe we smothered you when you needed room to breathe."
"We're sorry for that," Xade added. "For making you feel like you couldn't come to us."
"You can always come to us," Ace said. "Always. No matter what. No matter when."
One by one, they moved toward me.
Dristan wrapped his arms around me first, holding me like I was something special with his warm and steady hug. Next was Axel, who hugged me tightly and securely.
Then came Kai, whose embrace was gentle and comforting. Ace leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead, lingering for a moment. Xade took my hand and squeezed it, rubbing circles with his thumb on my skin.
Lastly, Ashton wiped away my tears with his thumb, brushing softly across my cheek.
I hadn't realised I was crying so hard until Axel wiped away another tear, then another.
"We've got you," he whispered. "We've always got you."
I looked up at them with blurry vision. "So you forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive," Dristan said immediately.
Kai nodded. "We are just glad you found your way back to us."
"Thank you," I sniffed, trying to gather my composure.
"All this emotional stuff has made me hungry," Ace announced suddenly, obviously trying to lighten the mood. "How about we grab a bite to eat? It could be nice to hang out and forget about all this emotional baggage for a while."
I laughed, a real, genuine laugh that felt like sunlight breaking through clouds. It bubbled up from my chest, surprising even me.
"Leave it to you to think about food at a time like this," Kai teased, shaking his head.
"What? Emotions are exhausting! They make me hungry!" Ace defended himself with a grin.
"Everything makes you hungry," Xade pointed out dryly.
"We're glad to have you back," Dristan said, smiling down at me, ignoring their banter. His eyes were warm, full of relief and something deeper.
"Really glad," Axel echoed. "It felt wrong without you, Val. Like something was missing."
Kai cracked a joke about Ace always thinking with his stomach instead of his brain, and Ace threw a cushion at him. Just like that, the weight I felt lifted away, fading like morning fog when the sun comes up.
I wiped my eyes, still smiling, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. "So where are we going?"
"There's this new place in town," Dristan said, standing up and offering me his hand. "Italian. I heard they make the best carbonara."
"Italian sounds nicee," I agreed, taking his hand and letting him pull me to my feet.
Axel grabbed his jacket from the armrest of the sofa and draped it over my shoulders. "It's a bit chilly outside."
His scent hit me and I found myself taking in a deep breath to inhale more of him.
The simple gesture made my heart warm. These small acts of care… I'd missed them more than I actually realised.
"Told you honesty was all you needed?" Astra's dreamy voice sounded in my head and I couldn't hold back the smile.
I could tell she was also happy.
"Thanks Astra," I replied mentally.
We filed out of the lounge together, and I found myself sandwiched between Kai and Ashton as we walked down the hallway.
Students stared as we passed; six Alphas and me wasn't exactly a subtle group, but honestly, I didn't care.
The restaurant was a cozy little place tucked away on the edge of campus town. String lights hung across the outdoor patio, and the smell of garlic and fresh bread wafted through the air.
"Table for seven," Dristan told the hostess, who nearly dropped her menus when she recognized who we were.
She led us to a large corner booth, and somehow I ended up in the middle again, squeezed between Dristan and Axel. The booth forced us close together, shoulders touching, and the mate bond hummed contentedly at the proximity.
"So," I said as we settled in, menus in hand. "What's everyone getting?"
"Everything," Ace declared immediately.