Free A Mate's Escape by Hazel Gower Page B

well…you see I’ve been...” God, she was choking. She was messing this up. 
    Dolton came closer to her so they were toe to toe. “You can tell me anything brat.”
    Alissa hoped she could, because what she had to say would either further their friendship into a relationship or end what they had. Holding her hands together, she squeezed them tight. “Dolton, when you come home I’ll be eighteen.” She looked down at their feet because right now she couldn’t look into his intense brown gaze. “I want to, no, I need to tell you.” Taking a calming breath she let it out and gazed up at him, she needed to have courage, she needed to say this looking at him, not at her feet.
    “I love you Dolton. I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I want you to give me a chance when you come home. I want to be with you.” She blew out her breath and studied Dolton, his eyes were closed and his lips in a firm line. Alissa knew this wasn’t good, but he hadn’t said no, or well anything yet, so she ventured on confessing all. “I want you to know so you knew you had someone waiting for you who loved you when you came back. I do love you Dolton, and I’ll wait for you. I want to be with you. I want to be your girlfriend. Your mate. Yours. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. Please tell me you want me too or I at least have a chance.”
    She gazed at him for what felt like hours, but was probably only minutes, his face barely moved, his lips compressed, and his eyes closed. Finally, his eyes opened and he let out a loud sigh. His hands took hers in his own and his gaze held hers captive. “Alissa.”  Choking back a sob at hearing her name for the first time in years, she held her breath hopeful. “You’re my friend, my best friend’s little sister. Not only am I twelve years older than you, but I’m a shifter and you’re human. It wouldn’t be fair to you or me for me to even give you any hope of us.”
    Right then Alissa’s heart shattered. “I’m a shifter and I won’t be anyone’s boyfriend or any other relationship status someone may think is permanent because only my mate, the other half of my soul will get to have that, the whole me.”
    Closing her eyes Alissa fought the tears that threatened to spill, she would not cry in front of Dolton.
    “I’m sorry to hurt you, but I would feel worse if I knew you waited for me thinking we had some kind of chance. I’m sorry Alissa.”  Dolton let go of her hands and stepped back.
    Devastation like nothing she’d ever felt, consumed her and she backed away from Dolton. Unable to say anything she nodded, turned and ran back to her parent’s house. Never again. She would never let herself be vulnerable. Alissa was going to university and be what she wanted to be. She would never volunteer to put her life on hold for a man again. She would never let a man tell her what she could do or what she wanted. And lastly she would move on and forget Dolton Brown.
     
     

Chapter One
     
     
    Alissa groaned as she struggled to pull herself any further.  Her arse currently stuck up and out of the restaurant bathroom window.  She looked down at the concrete street.  She was so close to getting away and now she was stuck in the God damn window.  “Alissa, how do you get yourself into these situations,” she grumbled.  She pushed forward hoping to move, but nothing happened. 
    A healthy size fourteen, Alissa was sure she’d fit through the window, she knew it would be a tight fit, but she was determined to get away.  She wiggled herself again then debated if she should yell for help and embarrass herself further.  Nothing happened, she didn’t even budge. 
    Oh okay maybe she was a size sixteen. 
    She wondered if she could just hang where she was until one of the women came into the bathroom and helped her, or if she risked calling for help and the person she was avoiding came to her rescue.  It was the work Christmas party so surely someone would be