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She was clearly still angry with me, and I didn’t know when the right time would be to make things better—if it was even an option to begin with. I didn’t want to make it worse.
Letting out a deep breath, I urged myself to keep driving.
It would be impossible to avoid her since Rose Valley was evidently too small to put enough space between us. Eventually, we’d have to face each other again, and I’d rather do that without her being incredibly angry with me.
There was no way for me to guess when it would be the right time to try and reconcile with her, or if there was even anything left to salvage.
Chapter 12 - Cora
River’s coffee shop was as busy as usual, brimming with its comforting aroma and energy. Even if she was a shifter, I always thought she had the skill of a trained witch who knew how to create only the best atmosphere.
It was clear that everyone in town loved going to her shop, and they were there for a reason.
Sitting in one of the corners at a small table, my fingers glided across the keyboard of my laptop. I had been at it for most of the morning, entering Liam’s name and any identifiers into the search engine in as many different ways as I could think of.
I connected his name to the city but found nothing of substance. Again and again, I tried, but every search came up empty.
Sighing, I sipped from my coffee and tried to wrack my brain for something—anything. But I could hardly think by then.
There had to be something on him that I could go off. Some dirt that could turn public perception of him, at least enough to take him down a peg or two. He was obviously riding on that high of being welcomed back with open arms, and he wouldn’t guess that anyone would be looking into his past.
It made no sense how he could’ve possibly moved to the city and scored a high-paying job with no experience. It was unlikely. And coming from Rose Valley, I doubted he had very many connections there.
I just needed to uncover how he made his money. That had to be the key.
The bell above the door chimed as it was opened again, and I risked looking up, only to find him there.
Liam stepped inside and headed straight for the counter. River greeted him kindly and took his order.
While he waited, he glanced around, and his eyes landed straight on me.
I tensed in my seat, aware of that immediate recognition in his features. He absolutely saw me, and there was no denying it.
Please don’t come over. Do not come over, I chanted to myself, hoping some of my magic might kick in without being detected. Unfortunately, I couldn’t compel people on a whim.
After River handed him the coffee, he turned and headed right toward my table.
Cursing to myself, I closed any incriminating tabs and tried to keep the heat from rising up my neck.
“Cora, hey,” Liam said, seemingly willing the courage to speak to me.
Forcing myself to do the same, it was incredibly hard to overlook the fact that I had been looking for any speck of dirt I could find on his name. While my search didn’t get me very far, it was still embarrassing.
“Hi,” I managed, aware that I at least had to say something. Even if I didn’t want to talk to him at all, we were in public.
Immediately, the air between us was as thick with awkwardness as possible, and I did my best not to cringe because of it.
I was still furious at him after how he treated me, making it difficult to know what to say. If I had my way, I wouldn’t ever have to see him again. Yet, we always somehow seemed to cross paths.
Liam sighed. “Look, I’m sorry for how I left things between us. I didn’t mean—”
“No,” I said instinctively, finding that well of not only anger but disappointment within me. “I’m not interested in speaking to you. I don’t want to be blunt, but I don’t want to hear what you have to say. You’ve done enough.”
Visibly taken aback by the statement, Liam didn’t say anything at first. He only looked at me as disappointment set in, followed by what I detected as annoyance.
Likely because I refused to do what he wanted, and I wouldn’t hear him out.
I was icing him out, trying to get him out of my life, and it seemed to be working.
