Andrea and I chose an alfresco coffee shop just nearby. Jenny and Alba were just at the other table while both our guards were just within the vicinity watching over us.
We sat down with the coffeewe ordered from the counter inside, and we just smiled and giggled at each other because we didn’t know how to start our conversation.
I still felt a little awkward because she was so beautiful and innocent-looking that I couldn’t help but compare myself, but it was strange that now that she was in front of me, I didn’t feel any resentment towards her.
Jenny was right. Andrea seemed to be a lovely person, inside and out.
“Umm…” I cleared my throat, my hands cupping the mug in front of me as I looked at her. “I want to apologize for everything Riley has done. I…”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. Riley has apologized to Caspian and me, so I want to move on from it.”
“Thank you.”
“What for?”
“For your forgiveness. Riley is a good man. He’s just lost.”
Andrea reached for my hand that was resting on the table and gently squeezed it. “If there’s anyone who knows what it feels like, it would be you. I know you find it hard to forgive the people who did wrong to you, and it wasn’t easy for me either to forgive Riley. But I did, because I knew who Riley was before all of this took place. And you’re right, he was just lost, and I’m happy that he seems to be in a good place now.”
“He is doing much better,” I added, smiling at her as she pulled her hand away from me.
“I’m sure it’s all because of you. Nadia, I don’t want you to think that you’re where you are now because I ran away from Riley. I want you to take off all the doubts that you feel because even before I left Riley, he was already losing his interest in me.”
I swallowed and didn’t say anything as I listened to her. Riley had told me about it one time, but I still had my doubts.
“Riley smelled you once in Alpha Darvin’s pack, and he was never the same after. I think he realized that the one meant for him was somewhere out there, waiting to be found. He did try to look for you. For weeks, he would leave the packhouse early and come home late, only for the rest of us to find out that he spent the whole day with Alpha Darvin. So you see, I am nothing compared to you when it comes to Riley.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” And I mean it. Even if Riley and I were growing stronger together, at the back of my mind, there were still what-ifs and doubts in my head. And I was glad Andrea was kind enough to ease my mind.
“I want us to be friends, Nadia. We’re neighboring packs, but I’m not pushing it. Once you’re ready, I’m just a few minutes away.”
“I would love that. But yes, one day at a time. Riley and I are still figuring each other out and we’re taking baby steps too. But I’m happy with him.”
“He loves you, Nadia. He told Caspian and me that he was scared that he couldn’t make you happy. It takes a lot for a person like Riley to admit that, but he did.”
“Are you happy, Andrea?” I asked her. I just wanted the guilt of everything that Riley did to her washed away by knowing she was living the life she deserved.
She smiled at me. Her eyes sparkled as she answered my question. “Yes, I’ve never been as happy as I am now. And one day, I hope you can meet the man behind my happiness.”
Chapter 79
NADIA.
After my time withAndrea, Jenny and I went around the shopping center for another hour before we called it a day and decided to drive home.
I was in the passenger seat while Jenny drove, and another car with three warriors was following behind us.
We were just fifteen minutes away from the border of the territory, and we were threading the rough road along the forest line when something white appeared in front of the car. Jenny made an abrupt halt, making my body jerk forward, but her reflexes were fast as her arm went around my chest to stop me from bumping my head on the dashboard.
“Shit!” Jenny shrieked. “I think I hit someone!”
My eyes widened as my chest heaved while my hands held my stomach, wanting to make sure that there were no pains in my tummy.
I saw Jenny’s eyes flecked with white, letting me know she was in mindlink with someone, and in seconds, the warriors in the car behind us went in front of Jenny’s and immediately crouched down. It looked like they had found someone in there.
“Don’t come out, Luna,” Jenny told me as she slipped out of her seat and out of the car.
I watched as she talked with the warriors with a worried expression in her eyes before a head slowly popped out of the front hood and a figure of a female stood up. She was wearing a white nightgown, which was already almost torn from her body and was too filthy.
