Chapter 73: Enigma....?
"So this is why Mr. Charming’s mood is ruined." He wiggles his eyebrows, teasing, merciless. "Because his wife isn’t home. He didn’t get to see his wifey’s face this morning."
"That’s why you’ve been so irritated all morning."
My face breaks. Just a little. A crack in the armor, small but visible.
My mood is ruined because I didn’t see him this morning...?
How...
I shake my head lightly—a small movement, barely noticeable, like I’m trying to shake water from my ears after nearly drowning.
What the hell is this?
I look at Sum and snap, my voice sharper than I intended. "Sum. Stop spitting nonsense, or I’ll throw you out of the car."
Sum tries to control his laughter—shoulders shaking, lips pressed together in a thin line, eyes watering. He looks like he’s about to burst.
"Fine, fine." He holds up his hands in surrender before returning them to the wheel, exhaling slowly. "I’m sorry. I was just teasing."
He clears his throat, composing himself. Smooths his hair. Adjusts his grip on the steering wheel.
"Anyway." He glances at me, casual now, the teasing tucked away for later. "Now tell me—"
"Tell you what?"
"About Nick." He says the name like it’s something precious. "You said you’d tell me about him." Another glance, longer this time, searching my face for clues. "Is he an Alpha?"
My voice is calm. "I don’t know."
Sum’s eyes widen. His mouth falls open.
"What?" He nearly swerves, the car drifting slightly before he corrects it. "Didn’t you say—if I came to pick you up, you’d tell me about him?"
"I was lying." I pause, letting the words settle. "I only know his name."
"Ellis..." Sum’s voice drips with betrayal. "You heartless liar."
Despite myself, a smirk tugs at my lips. "It’s your punishment for spitting nonsense."
Sum sighs dramatically. "Ellis, I told you I was just teasing." He shakes his head. "At least introduce me to him. I asked you for one favor—one—and you’re doing this to me?"
"Can you stop being dramatic?" I look at him sideways, unimpressed. "Can’t you tell just by looking at him? He’s an Alpha?"
Sum’s face brightens like someone turned on a light inside his skull. His whole posture shifts, shoulders straightening, eyes widening with hope.
"Really?"
"From his pheromones and personality, anyone can tell he’s an Alpha." I let the words hang in the air between us. "And you couldn’t even see that?"
Sum rubs the back of his neck, sheepish. His ears go pink—a tell he’s had since childhood, one he’s never been able to hide.
"Come on, Ellis..." He glances at me, then back at the road. "You know I’m a little weak when it comes to sensing auras and pheromones. I thought he was a Beta."
A pause. The car hums beneath us.
"Anyway." His voice turns casual again, but the excitement beneath it is impossible to miss. "Did you read his mind? What was he thinking?"
"Just work."
Sum blinks. "Work?"
"He was only thinking about work. Worrying about a project. A file he lost. Nothing else."
Sum laughs again—softer this time, almost fond. Like he’s heard something that pleases him.
"Wow." He shakes his head in disbelief. "Completely my type. So good." Another pause. "He’s not thinking about Omegas."
I stare at him long enough for him to shift uncomfortably in his seat. His mind practically screams at me.
{He’s completely my type. Hardworking. Disciplined. Thinking about work instead of useless things. Tall, handsome, strong, glasses—seriously, he’s perfect. Ahhh.... my future husband.}
"You’ve completely lost your mind."
Sum shrugs, unbothered. He’s been told worse.
"Can’t you just settle on one person?" I continue, my voice flat. "Last time, when you met that blonde Alpha at the club, you said the same thing: totally my type. Now you’re saying it again."
Sum waves a dismissive hand. "Ellis, that guy was a jerk. He was obsessed with Omegas and just wasting my time." His voice softens, almost defensive. "But I feel something different about Nick. He seems loyal." He looks at me, searching my face for agreement. "Don’t you think?"
I whisper, almost to myself, "In a few months, you’ll be saying the same thing about someone else."
Then louder: "And do you really think he’s into Alphas?"
Sum pouts—a dramatic, exaggerated pout that makes him look like a child who’s been told he can’t have dessert. His lower lip pushes out, his brows draw together, his whole face crumples into theatrical despair.
"That’s what I want to find out." He crosses his arms, then remembers he’s driving and quickly uncrosses them, grabbing the wheel with both hands. "If he likes Alphas."
"What if he doesn’t?"
Sum stays silent for a while. The traffic light ahead turns red—a slow change, almost reluctant, like it’s trying to decide whether to stop us or let us through. The car rolls to a stop, the engine humming beneath us like a sleeping animal, warm and patient.
He looks at me. Really looks at me. His teasing smile returns—slow and unbearably confident.
"Then," he says slowly, savoring each word before letting it fall between us, "I’ll make him fall in love with me."
I look away, bored. "You’ll just end up alone again."
Sum frowns. "Ellisss..."
A pause. The light stays red.
"He’s completely my type." His voice is quieter now, almost vulnerable. The mask slips, just for a moment. "I don’t want to lose him."
I don’t answer.
Sum’s fingers tap absently against the steering wheel, restless in the quiet. His eyes stay fixed on the light. Still red. Like it’s taking forever just to spite him.
"Do you know what my real type is?" he asks.
My voice is quiet. "What?"
He smiles—not his usual teasing grin, not the sharp smile he wears like armor. Something softer. Something almost shy. Something I haven’t seen in years.
"An enigma." He says the word like it’s sacred—like he’s speaking it into existence, giving it form and weight.
"I want an enigma." A pause. "Who loves me."
I blink.
Enigma?
What the hell is that?
