Chapter 11
Rissa
I breathed in the familiar,comforting scent of paper and ink as I walked into the local bookstore. This place had been a second home to me since I was a kid. I ran my fingers along the spines of the colorful books on display, searching for something lighthearted to read. The last thing I needed right now was a heavy or tragic story.
"Fancy meeting you here," a voice called out, interrupting my thoughts. I turned to see Max grinning at me from beside a display of history books.
I smirked. "Shocking, right? Don't tell my students I have a life outside of Pre-K."
Max chuckled and set a book back on the shelf. "Your secret is safe with me."
We chatted for a few minutes about our classes. Max complained about how his third graders were already testing his patience this early in the year. I laughed and told him about one of my students who spent the whole day calling me "Miss Raptor" instead of Miss Rissa.
"Want to grab a coffee?" Max asked, nodding toward the small café next door. "I need some caffeine today."
I hesitated, not really in the mood for company. But Max was so easy to talk to, and I could definitely use a distraction right now. I shrugged. "Yeah, why not?"
We found a small table in the cozy café and ordered our drinks. I sipped my latte, savoring the rich flavor, while Max stirred his coffee absentmindedly.
"So, what made you decide to move back?" he asked. "Was it just the job?"
I exhaled and shifted slightly in my seat. "Mostly. And family, of course." I didn't really want to get into the details of everything that had brought me back home. The traumatic miscarriage, the devastating breakup, the need for a fresh start surrounded by my pack… Mom moving to Florida. Max was human. Many humans in Stock Creek knew about the shifters here, but I had no idea what he knew. Better to play it safe and not mention anything to do with the pack.
Max studied me for a moment. "Family is the best reason."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I missed my dad and brother. But now my mom and dad are getting back together, so Mom just moved back too."
"That's great." Max took a sip of his coffee.
We fell silent for a few seconds. I thought about telling Max a little about losing Faith, without going into too much detail. My therapist, back when I used to go, had told me that opening up to strangers about my loss could help. This was the first time I had thought about trying it.
I hesitated, then spoke before I could overthink it. "I lost a daughter."
Max set his cup down carefully. "I'm so sorry."
I gave him a small, tense smile. "Thanks." I didn't elaborate further, but the words hung heavily between us.
To his credit, Max didn't pry for more information. He just nodded in understanding. "I lost my dad a few years back. It's not the same, but grief sticks with you."
I appreciated that he didn't push me to say more. It made it a little easier to keep talking. "I went to therapy for a while after. They said telling strangers about it might help."
"Does it? Help?" Max asked.
I actually considered it. "Maybe. This is the first time I've tried it," I admitted.
Max offered me a slight smile. "Then that's an achievement."
We changed the subject then to lighter topics. Swapping book recommendations, funny stories from the classroom, updates on upcoming town events. As we chatted and laughed together, I started to relax. This wasn’t so bad. Max was nice.
Through the cafés front window, a familiar figure caught my eye. Nathan was heading toward the police station with purposeful strides. He glanced absently in my direction, and then his entire body seemed to lock up as he spotted me sitting with Max.
Nathan's expression was unreadable for a moment, a mask I couldn't decipher. Then his jaw visibly tightened, hands clenching into fists. When his intense gaze shifted to Max, something dark passed over his features. Lovely. Now he was jealous. I wasn’t sure how pissed I was about it, but I was definitely ignoring the tiny part of me that didn’t mind it at all.
I focused more on the irritation. Why should Nathan care who I had coffee with? It was none of his business. Before I could react, he abruptly turned away and continued walking, his posture rigid with tension.
Max raised an eyebrow. "Uh, did I just witness something?"
I let out a short, annoyed laugh. "No idea." But even as I said it, my stomach twisted uncomfortably. Because I did have an idea. And I really didn't like what it implied about my tangled feelings for Nathan.
