The Alpha's Secret Mate Chapter 20: The Cold Night

Mabel's pov

I sat on the couch, my leg shaking with nervous energy. I checked my watch for the hundredth time, then looked up at the clock on the wall. Adam was late. I tried to tell myself that it was no big deal, that he was probably just stuck in traffic. But the longer I waited, the more anxious I became. What if he didn't come at all? What if he had changed his mind?

I started to pace back and forth in front of the couch, my heart beating faster with each step. I felt like a caged animal, trapped by my own anxiety. Why did I even care so much? I barely knew Adam. But something about him had gotten under my skin, and now I couldn't stop thinking about him. I wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling. But I had no way to contact him, no way to know if he was even on his way.

I forced myself to stop pacing and headed to the kitchen. I rummaged through the cabinets, looking for something to keep me occupied. I settled on baking a batch of cookies. I measured the ingredients, trying to focus on the task at hand. But my mind kept wandering back to Adam. I had to know if he was coming. I checked my watch again and let out a frustrated sigh.

I could hear the clock ticking away, each second passing by like a lifetime. The scent of baking cookies filled the air, but it did little to soothe my restless spirit. I poured myself a glass of water, hoping it would calm my nerves. But my hands were shaking so badly that I spilled some on the counter. I sighed and grabbed a towel to clean up the mess.

In an effort to keep myself busy, I decided to cook something with the ingredients I had in the kitchen. I rummaged through the cupboards, trying to find inspiration. Finally, I decided on a simple pasta dish. I started boiling the water, then chopped the vegetables and herbs. The kitchen began to smell of garlic and fresh basil. I tried to focus on the task at hand, but I couldn't stop my thoughts from wandering back to Adam.

As I stirred the pot, the delicious aroma of the food filled the kitchen. I found myself becoming absorbed in the task at hand, forgetting about Adam and everything else. The world around me faded away, and all that existed was the sound of the pot bubbling and the feeling of the spoon in my hand. It was as if I had entered a state of Zen, where nothing else mattered except for the present moment.

I checked the time again and saw that an hour had passed since I had started cooking. Still no sign of Adam. I felt my disappointment growing, but I tried to push it away. I decided to eat the food I had cooked, even though it would have been nicer to share it with someone. I sat at the table and took a bite of the pasta, savoring the flavor. It was delicious, but it didn't quite taste the same without company.

I checked the clock once more and saw that it was well past midnight. I sighed and accepted the fact that Adam wasn't coming. I cleaned up the kitchen and carried my plate to the sink. I could feel the disappointment settling in my bones as I made my way to my bedroom.

I entered my bedroom and closed the door behind me. I set my plate down on the dresser and turned on the light in the bathroom. I ran a warm bath and added some lavender-scented bath salts. I undressed and sank into the warm water, letting it soothe my tired body. The scent of the bath salts filled the air, and I closed my eyes, trying to relax. But my mind kept wandering back to the events of the evening.

I thought about how disappointed I was that Adam hadn't shown up. I wondered if I had done something wrong, or if he had changed his mind about seeing me. I tried to push the thoughts away, but they kept coming back. Eventually, I gave up trying to fight them and instead focused on the feeling of the warm water against my skin. Slowly, I began to feel myself relax, and my mind started to drift.

As I lay in the bathtub, another thought came to me. I remembered the expression on Adam's face when he had left my apartment that morning. There had been something in his eyes that I couldn't quite place, something that seemed out of place. I tried to remember the details of our conversation, but my memory was hazy. Had he said something that I had missed? Or had I misread his expression?

I climbed out of the bathtub and dried myself off with a towel. I put on my pajamas and brushed my teeth. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn't help but think about how tired I looked. I had dark circles under my eyes, and my hair was a mess. I decided to skip my usual skincare routine and just went to bed. I pulled the covers up to my chin and closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly. But my thoughts kept circling back to Adam.

I lay in the darkness, my mind full of unanswered questions. Why hadn't Adam shown up? What was bothering him? I thought about the events of the past few weeks, trying to find a clue. I had met him at a coffee shop, and we had hit it off immediately. We had talked for hours, and I had felt a connection to him that I had never felt before. But now, I wasn't so sure. Had I misread the signs? Was I just imagining things?