#Chapter 57: Phelps

Ardal I stare into my phone, poised to notify Kadeem that I’m not coming into work today. I’d rather die than face him after yesterday. I can’t believe I burst into tears in front of him and particularly for telling him out of nowhere (at least from his perspective), to stay away from me when he was being kind. Worst of all, though, is the tsunami of emotions I feel when I’m around him. I picture myself heading for the forest instead. I could take the day off and just let my wolf run free for a while - an exquisite escape from reality. Simply the thought of it brings a measure of relief. I stop myself just short of texting him. The sooner I rip off the bandaid, the less painful it will be. My phone lights up with a text from Jack. My heart does an awkward flutter and I feel my stomach tighten into a knot. “How’s Erbao?” I type back quickly. “He’s good,” I say - which is the honest truth. Erbao seems to be handling everything like a champ. But me? I’m stil