Mistake (completed)

I wake up to a knock on my door. I look at my phone and realize it's probably Sandi here to yell at me because I didn't go on her outing.

Hesitantly I get up and answer the door. When I swing it open she looks upset. I say hi and she glares at me, "oh so you are alive". I nod and move out of the way so she can come in.

"Sure am, why?" I ask knowing I'm about to make her more mad.

She sighs, "you didn't call or text, you didn't answer when I called and text you, why? Margo and Maggie feel sorry for me now, it's embarrassing". I take her hand and lead her to the couch.

I squeeze her hand, "look Sandi I haven't been feeling so great. I could hardly move or function. I didn't even go to work". She looks concerned and asks me why I didn't call her.

I told her I was so exhausted I just slept all day. She keeps fretting over me which just annoys me, "Sandi it happens sometimes. I'll be ok, I promise. I just need to rest". She rests her hand on my arm and starts rubbing it.

Sandi kisses my cheek, "I really like you Tony, it wouldn't put me out to come take care of you". She kisses me again. I kiss her back fervently.

Kissing her is nice but, like with Cadence, I'm not good for her, I'm not good for me right now. I gently pull out of the kiss and tell her I don't want her to catch whatever it is that I have.

When I look up at her I don't see Sandi. I see my beautiful, sexy mate looking back at me. Diego stirs, he wants his mate.

She looks at me so lovingly, "Come home to me Antonio. André will take care of me, but I still long for you". I blink rapidly trying to clear my vision.

I look away and mumble that I should go to sleep. Sandi giggles, "I know babe, I just said that. You should see a doctor." I tell her I'm fine and then she helps me to my room.

Sandi gives me a final kiss on the cheek and heads out. I toss and turn for a while not really finding a comfortable position. I must find one eventually because I wake hours later with a terrible idea.

Staring at my phone I've decided I'm going to call the only doctor I know. This is going to be incredibly awkward.

I pick up the phone and dial. I hear it connect, "Hello, Dr. Rodriguez speaking." I try to talk but my mouth goes dry. She says hello again and sighs, "Hello". She asks if it's me and I say yes. Now she sounds angry "why are you calling me Antonio?" I explain that I rejected my mate so she could be free but that she accepted me anyway.

She scoffs, "what a stupid girl." I roll my eyes not that she can see it. I go on to tell her about my hallucination and she's asks how long ago that started, I tell her it started today. Then she asks about the rejection so I tell her it was six months ago.

My mom hums and says,"it seems the bond is trying to pull you back, the only way to stop it is to get her to reject you". Fuck. Cadence never will. My mother continues to tell me how stupid my mate is for accepting me,"I'm sorry I bothered you, just go back to acting like I'm dead. You won't hear from me again".

Tossing my phone on the bed I look out my door and there she is, my beautiful mate, "Tony... I need you. Please baby, come home to me. I love you". I blink a thousand times but she's still there.

Goddess she's so fucking beautiful. I wish we could be together... But we can't. Diego is feeling upset so he's restless. I relinquish control and we go for a stroll but the hallucination kept following me. Begging me to come back to her, even going so far as to trying to convince Diego to bring me home. He wants to but he's a docile beast and doesn't care so much for control. Me on the other hand. I like being in control. As we leave the cabin I beg her, "please Cadence, let me go".

We walk for a long time while Cadence keeps begging, "Diego please, please bring Tony home to us. Emara and I need y-" it just stops. I look around and realize it's over. Thank the Goddess.

..:::Cadence:::..

I wake up and André is sitting beside me brushing my sweat soaked hair out of my face, "Are you alright Cade?" He sounds so concerned, it's very sweet.

Looking into his worry filled eyes, I say, "I'm not really sure, I feel like I've done one of those extreme bootcamp workouts." he cups my face and kisses my temple.

André tells me to rest and disappears to go make me some breakfast. He really is the most wonderful bear. His mate was very lucky to have such an attentive partner. If I could let Tony go, I know I'd be happy with André.

A while later I wake to André gently shaking me awake. He smiles at me says, "goddess you're cute when you wake up." and helps me sit up before he gives me a tray with a delicious smelling plate of eggs, bacon, breakfast sausage, toast and some juice and coffee.

"You're my hero, thank you, for all of this." I take a bite of some bacon and enjoy the way the flavour bursts in my mouth every time I bite into it.

André smiles at me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, "Cadence, beautiful, sweet Cadence. I'd be honoured if you'd go on a date with me". I'm so shocked I just blink blankly at him. "Not here, in the city. I want to do something we can't do here".

I take his hand intertwining our fingers and say, "I'd love that." before I pull him closer so I can kiss him. Every pass of his lips over mine is more sensual, if I had the energy I'd definitely want to take it further. André makes me feel so desired, but I know everything would be better with Tony.

André kisses me one last time before he has to go. He tells me to call of I need him but I'm going to work soon so I should be alright.

Giffin is at work when I get there. He looks at me when I walk in and has this horrified expression on his face, "Goddess, Cadence you look like shit." I stop and quirk a brow at him, "wow thanks". I throw my bag behind the counter and hug him.

"How's André?" he asks. I groan, "he's perfect". He looks at me questioningly and asks why we haven't made it official. I sigh, defeated, "I found my mate Griff." He bumps me with his hip and says, "I know". Leon!

We chat a bit more before I have to know, "Griffin.. Did he tell you who it is?" he turns around looking at me curiously, "he said he didn't know". Well at least he kept one secret. Unfortunately I know Griffin wants to know now.

I take a deep breath and say, "Antonio is my mate".

"What?" Griffin looks so worried his eyes practically popped out of his head and I spin around and see my father standing in the door, of course it's then my father chooses to come into work.

This is bad.