If other townspeople hadn't vouched for Frank when he returned, I might have thought he was a con artist. Out of guilt, I'd given him free coffee every time he came to the café. Maybe that had caused this misunderstanding.
"I understand what you're saying. But Serenity, think about it. Are you rejecting me because you don't like me, or because of your past?"
My heart skipped a beat. I straightened abruptly and looked at Frank suspiciously.
Why would he bring up my past? What did he know?
"Don't be scared, Serenity." Frank softened his tone and quickly explained. "I haven't been digging into your past. It's just that I can tell. Even though you smile every day, there's always a hint of sadness in your eyes. You often look exhausted, like you're carrying something heavy. I think you must have a past full of stories that you still can't let go of. Am I right?"
I said nothing, letting my silence answer for me.
Frank stood up from his kneeling position. He held the bouquet of roses right under my nose. I had to look up at his face.
He said, "Serenity, no matter what you've been through, I don't mind. I hope you can let go of the past and look at me—the man standing right in front of you. Give me a chance to pursue you. Please?"
Hearing his words, I could only smile bitterly.
How could letting go of the past be that easy?
Frank made it sound so simple, but forgetting was so, so hard. All the pain I'd experienced, all the love, the child I'd given birth to—they were all scars on my heart that would never fade.
But I also knew Frank was right. Four years had passed. Elias had probably long forgotten I existed. He might be living happily with Liv now. And here I was, still tormenting myself over pain that no longer existed. That was foolish.
Frank, standing before me, was a good man. Not as handsome as Elias, but still the most attractive young man in Tara. He had a stable job, a gentle temperament, and had treated me well this past month.
If I wanted to find new love and a fresh start, maybe I really could try dating him first…
Just as these thoughts swirled through my mind and I couldn't make up my mind, the café doorbell suddenly jingled.
A customer had arrived.
I immediately forgot about Frank and turned toward the door with a bright, welcoming smile. "Welcome?—"
I stopped mid-sentence.
Because I caught a faint scent of my own kind. It was weak, but unmistakable—a werewolf scent.
I looked warily at the entrance. To my surprise, the customer wasn't an adult werewolf but a small boy who looked no more than three or four years old. His head was lowered, his brown hair soft and well-behaved. He wore an expensive, custom-tailored little suit, but his shoes and shorts were covered in dust.
I realized this was the perfect opportunity to interrupt Frank's proposal. So I pretended not to see his attempts to stop me, walked over to the boy, crouched down, and spoke to him gently. "Hello there. Are you alone? Are you lost?"
The little boy shook his head. Then he looked up at me with blue eyes identical to mine.
In that moment, my smile froze. Shock made my pupils contract. This child looked almost exactly like Elias!
"Excuse me, can I buy food here?"
He didn't notice my reaction. Despite trying to act mature, his soft, chubby cheeks made him look more like a sweet little marshmallow than a grown-up.
My heart melted.
"Of course you can. What would you like? Want to sit down and look at the menu?"
I forced myself to act normal. I stood up and led him to a table, found him a booster seat, and handed him a menu. While he studied it seriously, I studied him just as seriously. The more I looked, the more stunned I became. His face. His expression when he concentrated. Everything was exactly like Elias!
Who was he? What was his connection to Elias? Was he Elias's child… Could he be the child Liv had given him?
"No!"Novella shouted inside me."He's our child! His blue eyes and his age match perfectly!"
