“You have to tell them.”
The words fall into the room, silencing everything, making my heart drop heavily. Of course, I have to, but maybe I was hoping she had another way.
“I know, I just want them to get to know me better, to realise I’m not the kind of person who would do that. I just need a little bit more time.”
“It’s like a bandaid, you have to rip it off quickly.”
I hunch down in my seat.
“Cordelia, this town loves you, and everyone here will have your back, no matter what happens. You do understand that, don’t you? I have often wondered if your mother's habit of choosing a new pursuit every few months has made you feel isolated. I am sorry we didn’t do a better job of making you feel like you fit in.”
“I do fit in; I love it here,” I protest, but a tiny part of me uneasily thinks she’s just saying what I’ve believed all this time.
“If that were true, I think perhaps you would have just asked for help or told someone you needed a job. Why are you still living with your mother?”
I open my mouth, and the instant answer surprises even me. “I didn’t want her to be sad and alone.”
“Her sadness or aloneness is not your responsibility. You fix what doesn’t need fixing, what you are not responsible for breaking. You are trying to make up for everything, and you always have done this. It’s time to stop thinking about what is right and proper and start doing what your heart wants.”
I shift on my seat, and she sighs.
“What if I don’t know what my heart wants? I mean, I want them, that’s not in question, but I love…” I hesitate, lookingat the table so I don’t have to look at Sebastian. “I love Lynn Marino, too.”
“All right, here’s some wisdom for you. End this farce before the last day of this event. Do not let them make a future with you by starting with a lie.”
“I will, I will tell them. Even if they hate me, I will do it,” I say with burning cheeks, feeling about an inch tall.
“Good girl. Now, about this one,” Grandma points a thumb at Sebastian. “How has he been, really? Is he eating enough? Is he happy?”
I smile at Sebastian and tell her the truth. He does skip some meals when he’s working, but he’s very happy.
“Good.”
There’s a knock at the door, and Elijah walks in with Katsu and Fox. Seeing them here sets all kinds of crazy feelings off inside me. Happiness, nervousness, paranoia.
“I can’t stay, just dropping them off,” Elijah says with a grin.
Grandma stands up, and the alpha energy in the room crackles. Fox hunches smaller and lifts his chin in submission, but she’s focused on Katsu.
He doesn’t submit. No, instead, he bows formally.
“Good afternoon, Grandmother.”
She blinks.
“My name is Katsu Blizzard of Pack Blizzard. I am the lead alpha of our pack and have come with no ill will and only peace in my heart for one who will be family one day.”
Grandma’s hand rises to her chest. “Oh, my.”
“Grandma, are you all right? Shall we start chest compressions?” Sebastian asks.
She snaps her gaze to him, her eyes almost blazing. “You rotten child.”
He grins, and she dissolves into laughter.
“Yes, you did well. Keep this one.” She places her hand on Katsu’s shoulder.
I glance at Katsu, feeling even more nervous than before.
