The other woman laughed dryly. “Lady friends? You mean, one of the women he fucks and dumps? I’m Leah.” She said her name like she expected Selene to recognize it. She didn’t.
Jett had told her about his reputation, but it wasn’t like he had gone through his little black book with her.
“I’m sorry,” Selene said. Jett was hers now, and there was no amount of bad looks and mean words Leah could say to make Selene change her mind.
“You think you know him. That you can change him. That he will suddenly be a one-woman kind of man. He won’t. He will always have a wandering eye, and he will always be led by his dick.”
But Selene did think she could change Jett. She did think he was going to be a one-woman kind of man. It was different between her and Jett because they were mates. He wasn’t going to betray her or hurt her. Selene believed that.
“There’s no need to be nasty,” she said to Leah, hoping her voice was firm enough to get her to back off.
It didn’t work. Leah laughed that nasty sound again. It was such an odd sound to hear coming from such a pretty package. Selene could only hope Leah wasn’t really a horrible person. She was only hurt that a man she cared for was with another woman.
“You’re plain and frumpy,” Leah spat out. “If you think for one second you’re going to hold his attention, you’re in for a world of hurt.”
Selene didn’t know what to say. This woman was clearly going through something at the thought of losing Jett. That’s something Selene could understand. Now that she had found Jett, she wasn’t going to let him go. If she lost her man now, she’d be sad. Devastated, more like.
“I’ll level with you, okay?” Selene said to the woman.
Leah narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I’m Jett’s mate.”
As Selene spoke the words, Leah’s face drained of all color and her breath caught. She couldn’t help but to feel bad for her. Not pity, just understanding.
“Mate,” Leah repeated.
“Yes.”
Leah’s eyes were lined with tears. “I guess it was going to happen eventually. I just thought…” she shook her head. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. I’m sorry for being a bitch. I just…”
“You care about him.”
“More than I should, obviously. I always knew we were temporary.”
“I’m sorry,” Selene whispered, meaning it.
“I was kind of hoping he would never meet his mate and that he would just settle for me.”
The words surprised the hell out of Selene. “No, I'll have none of that.” If Astra had said something like that, Selene would have pounced on her. Didn’t Leah have any sisters or friends who could help her realize that was a terrible plan?
“You can’t let a man settle for you. What kind of life would that be? You will find your mate, or at least, find a man who will treat you right. Treat you like you’re the most important person in his world.
"You’re a gorgeous woman, and I don’t know you, but I’m sure you’re a good person.” That was a bit of a lie since Selene’s own interaction with her hadn’t started out in the best way. But Leah was going through a heartache, some nastiness was to be expected, she supposed.
“You’re being nice to me after I insulted you.” Leah seemed genuinely surprised.
Selene shrugged. “No use being mean to others.”
“Right.” There was shame on Leah’s face. “I really am sorry. And you know, you’re not frumpy at all. I was just snapping.”
“It’s okay,” Selene assured her.
With a nod of her pretty head, Leah turned on her heel and left the diner. Selene could have been mean right back, but to what end? She felt bad for Leah. It was never easy to see an ex with a new person. Especially if you weren’t over them.
Selene took a deep breath and she let herself wonder if she would have any more run-ins with Jett’s sexual partners. She sure hoped not. She could be kind and gracious, but there was a limit to how many reminders she could take of her man’s past.
Jett was smiling at her as he was walking back from the bathroom. The smile made her heart do a few happy beats like it always did when he was around. He really was the most handsome man she had ever seen. It was no wonder the women he slept with chose to always go back for more, even when they knew they weren’t his destined mate.
“Are you all right?” Jett asked as he took his seat in the booth across from Selene, obviously sensing her swirling thoughts with his shifter senses.
She gave him a small smile and a nod. His past didn’t have to color their future. She had told him that and she believed it. It would be hard. It would be a challenge, but people could become better as they learned from their pasts.
“You look upset,” he pressed.
“I just met Leah.” She looked into her coffee cup.
“Fuck,” Jett swore under his breath and he went around the table to sit beside her. His arm went around her shoulders and he kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Selene. Really. I should have known she would pounce on you the second we were seen in public together.”
“She’s hurt that you’re with me.”
“She shouldn’t be,” Jett whispered with more force than necessary.
“Why not? I think she cared for you. Genuinely.”
“What makes you think that? Because she reacted to seeing us together?” Jett seemed to be confused by the thought that Leah truly liked him.
“Yes. Absolutely. Also, she told me. Not that she needed to. It was written all over her.”
“I honestly don’t know what to say.”
Jett looked uncomfortable with the knowledge that Leah had actually developed feelings for him. It made her wonder if Jett was still having reservations about being mated to her. After all, he still hadn’t actually mated her. Maybe he was just waiting until she left, not trusting she could have feelings for him.
Going off her instincts, Selene placed a hand on his thigh. The point of contact was as much for him as it was for her. What she was about to ask him wouldn’t be easy. “Can I ask you something? If we weren’t mates, would you believe I cared for you?”
Jett took his arm off of her shoulders, and wrung his hands together. “What a question, Selene.”
“I thought so.”
She didn’t need him to confirm what she already knew. He wouldn’t have slept with her, and he wouldn’t have started a relationship with her if it hadn’t been for the mate sense. Jett was obviously still caught up in the belief that he didn’t deserve love.
Selene didn’t know how to change his mind. All she could do was care for him and hope that, eventually, he would come to realize he was indeed worthy of love. Even with all the difficulty she would have at accepting that Jett had had a series of meaningless affairs, Selene knew he had behaved that way from a place of hurt.
It didn’t necessarily excuse the behavior, but she could have compassion for the wound that made him believe it was all he was good for. He had never been shown love, so how could he accept it or even recognize it? That would be the challenge of their relationship; Selene was acutely aware of that.