“That’s a hard question to answer unless…does Keith know you’re a shifter?”
“No. I-I’ve just never figured out how to tell him. I know I should have by now but, hell, I was nervous telling you and we’re just besties. I guess I’ve just been afraid that he’d be horrified and dump me for it.”
Shelli winced at her response. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but just be honest with him. Completely. Don’t leave anything out, including the fact that you’ve been keeping a big part of who you are from him all this time. You’re absolutely right that you should have told him before now. I might understand why you didn’t say anything, but you still should have.”
Lily rested her forehead on the table and sighed. “Just shoot me and put me out of my misery. You’re right, I don’t want to hear that, but you’re also right that I need to be honest with him. How can my life get so screwed up in such a short time?”
“You’re just lucky like that.” Shelli couldn’t help but tease her. When customers walked in, she hopped up. “Finish your tea; I’ll take care of them.” She stood and put on one of her flirty smiles as she approached the two men who waited at the counter.
Lily shook her head. Shelli had a knack for stating the obvious in a way that didn’t offend, and she could make anyone who walked through the door feel comfortable and as if they were the center of the universe.
By the time they closed up that night, Lily still hadn’t figured out how she was going to sit down and tell Keith everything. She cared about him and she didn’t want to hurt him, and damn it, she’d been happy until Declan showed up.
“Talk to him, Lily; you owe him that much,” Shelli said as she locked the door behind them.
“I know, I know. He’s out of town for a couple of days on a business trip his boss sprung on him on short notice. I’ll figure out how to tell him when he gets back. I hope.” With that she said good-night and headed home. She had a busy day ahead of her; she was going to help Emelise start cleaning up the property she’d bought and then later she had to take both Eme and Declan to meet the Alpha of the Black Water Pard. A dominant wolf surrounded by leopards, what couldpossiblygo wrong?
