Page 49 of Till Orc Do Us Part

“You slept with him,” she says, eyes narrowing in delight. “Didn’t you?”

I don’t answer.

Liara whistles. “Hot Shrek strikes again.”

“Liara—”

“Oh, babe.” She flops into one of the chairs. “Tell me everything. But use adjectives.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” I mutter, sinking into the chair across from her. “It happened. It was… a thing. Now it’s not.”

“Uh-huh. And how was this ‘thing,’ exactly?”

I glare.

She holds up a hand. “Fine, fine. But judging by your lack of pants and the thousand-yard stare? I’m guessing it wasgood.”

My cheeks burn. “It doesn’t matter.”

Liara leans forward, eyes suddenly sharp. “Why not?”

“Because he left,” I snap. “Before I woke up. No note. No explanation. Just gone.”

She whistles again, low and sympathetic. “Oof.”

“Yeah. Oof.”

Silence hangs for a beat.

Then Liara says softly, “Do you regret it?”

I close my eyes.

The way his hands moved. The way he looked at me like I was the only solid thing in the world. The way he murmured my name like it was a secret too precious to say twice.

I shake my head. “No.”

Liara raises an eyebrow. “Then what’s the problem?”

“I don’t know what thisis,” I say, voice cracking. “He’s… gods, Liara, he’sa man-shaped emotional bomb.He’s either going to destroy everything or disappear before he ever gets the chance.”

“Or,” she says gently, “he could surprise you.”

“I don’t want to be surprised,” I say flatly. “I want predictability. I want Jamie safe. I want my store and my town and mylife.”

Liara nods. “And instead you got a six-foot-something green-skinned heatwave who listens when you talk and sketches your bookstore like it’s holy.”

I groan.

“You’re allowed to want things, Ro.”

“Idon’twant him,” I say too fast.

Liara smirks. “Okay.”

“I don’t,” I insist. “I want himgone.”

She nods again. “Uh-huh.”