Free Romance: Loving The BillionBear: BBW Bear Shifter Romance Standalone (Spicy Shifters Book 3) by Ashley Hunter Page A

she shut the door in his face then peaked out the window and watched him walk back to his car. He looked dejected.  That’s when the tears started again and she spent most of the day alternating between tears of sadness and anger.
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    “I’ve lost her.” It had been two days since Amelia slammed the door in Barend’s face. He hadn’t seen or heard from her and he was on the phone with Carlie.
    “Why didn’t you tell her sooner?”
    “You know why. She would have run away.”
    “Not necessarily. You should have given her the chance. The thing about Amelia is she is very accepting of almost anything, but being lied to.  You know what happened with Lucas. Lying to her was the worst thing you could have done.”
    “I was scared. Now, I’ve lost her.” Barend stared into the fire burning in the fireplace. It was Sunday evening and his whole weekend had been miserable. He constantly checked his phone, looking for any sign whatsoever from Amelia.
    But, there had been nothing. He had talked off and on with Carlie, the one mutual friend they had. And, Carlie had both scolded him for not telling Amelia sooner, and acted as a sympathetic ear.
    “I don’t know that you’ve lost her.”
    “Yes I have. It’s been two days.”
    “Yeah Barend. Just two days. You threw some pretty crazy information at her. You gotta give her time to digest it. Just do me a favor, ok?”
    “What?”
    “Don’t go to her house again. Give her time.”
    Barend was still on the phone when the doorbell rang.
    “I have to go, Carlie. I will talk to you again soon. Thanks for listening.” He clicked the phone off just as he opened the big door and gasped.
    Amelia was standing there. She looked sad, but she was there. And, in that moment, it was all that mattered. He stepped aside and let her through the door, but neither one of them spoke.
    Instead she walked into the den…the one with the fireplace where everything had happened…and she began pacing the room. He followed her, afraid if he said anything, she would leave again.
    Finally, she started talking.
    “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”
    “Ok.”
    “You lied to me Barend. Why did you lie to me?”
    “I didn’t want to scare you away. And I told you the truth Friday night.”
    “Yeah, but you let me go out with you. We slept together. I told you loved you. At any point, you could have told me.”
    “I didn’t want to lose you.”
    “What did you think was going to happen?”
    “I don’t know. I guess I knew you would run away. It’s scary.”
    “Scary? I don’t care about the bear thing. Well, I mean I do. It’s a little crazy. But it’s whatever. What I care about is you lied to me.”
    “I’m so so sorry. I really am Amelia. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
    “But you did.”
    “I know and I have been kicking myself since I did.”
    She stopped in front of him. They were about three feet apart.
    “So, Barend. Here’s the deal. I don’t like being lied to. Lucas did it. Now you have done it. I don’t see how I have any reason to trust anyone anymore.”
    “It’s all my fault.”
    “So, don’t do it again.”
    “What?”
    “I said, if you want to be with me, don’t do it again.”
    “You aren’t leaving me?”
    She sighed heavily. “Barend, I was so mad and hurt the other night. I thought for sure that I was done. But, I get it. You lied because so many women would be out the door the second they found out you were a bear. But the thing is, I am not just any woman. You have to give me more credit than that.”
    “So, the bear thing wouldn’t make you run away?”
    “Well, it would freak me out. I mean you turned into a bear in front of me. But, I would have gotten over it. I have gotten over it. I talked to Carlie and she explained the whole blood line thing.”
    “I hear you Amelia, but honestly the only thing I am hearing is that you aren’t leaving me.”
    “No, I am not