Chapter 42 Liza #2
“Are you fucking kidding me, Sabrina? Of all the men you could pick up, this is the guy you’re drooling over?” Not that he was bad looking—as a matter of fact, he was very delicious eye candy—but if he was doing her, he couldn’t very well do the job Ty was paying him for.
Laughing, Sabrina patted my shoulder. “It’s a joke, calm down.
Besides, I think he likes the extra attention.
” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and winked at him as we walked into the café and to our favorite booth in the back.
It was private, and whichever one of us was sitting against the wall could see the whole place. We took turns.
I couldn’t help but laugh, grateful for Sabrina’s lightheartedness. It was exactly what I needed to distract myself from the tension of the past few days, and it was good to finally be able to breathe for a moment.
Once we were seated, the security guard plopped into the booth directly behind me, facing the door. Unfortunately, this put him right in Sabrina’s line of sight.
“Damn, Liza. Your bodyguard has tree trunks for arms.” Sabrina sighed overdramatically.
“Pretend he’s not here.” I waved my hand dismissively. “That’s what I’m doing.”
She picked up her menu and used it as a fan. “I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises.”
I shook my head, used to her silliness. We placed our orders, and Sabrina pulled her eyes from the security guard, finally focusing her attention on me. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“Well, that’s probably because it’s been at least two weeks.” It was the off season, so catering jobs were few and far between.
“So, what’s new with business? Any exciting events coming up?” Sabrina asked, sipping her sweet tea like she didn’t have a care in the world. Right now, I didn’t know if she did or not, but I felt a thousand pounds lighter just being here with her.
I leaned back and shrugged. “Not much lately. I’m expecting things to pick up soon as party season approaches.
You know how it gets when everyone starts planning their summer events.
” I was looking forward to it. It wasn’t that I was hurting for money—the meals I cooked for my regulars kept me busy and paid well—but I missed the hustle and bustle of three parties in a week, a cotillion, or a dance to cater on a weekend, and any number of brunches and lunches.
Even though we weren’t slammed with clients, I still stopped by the office a few times a week to work on paperwork and make sure the place hadn’t been robbed. Otherwise, the clients who hired me as a personal chef kept us afloat while we anticipated the upcoming party season.
Sabrina nodded; her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“Oh, I can already imagine the fancy parties and glamorous soirées. This year, we’re going to make a splash, Liza.
I can feel it. Especially since you’ve broken into the world of the royals.
Our clientele is only going to get better once you become the alpha’s mate.
Can you imagine? You’ll have to turn people away.
They’ll come from several towns over, maybe even out of state, to hire you. ”
I tried not to think how my life might change as Ty’s mate, but I couldn’t help it. Would I even have time to continue my catering business? From what I’d seen of Persephone, I’d be expected to take on several social and philanthropic duties, which probably wouldn’t leave much room for my business.
Sabrina didn’t seem to notice the sudden shift in my mood as she continued talking. “I went on a date with a beta the other night.”
“Excuse me?” I leaned forward, my eyes wide. We’d been here for twenty minutes, and she had me blabbing on about work. “Why am I just now hearing about this?”
“It wasn’t that big of a deal.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder and glanced at the security guard again. “Well, maybe I’m lying. He was extremely dreamy, but there was just something that kept me from enjoying myself.”
“Oh? I can’t imagine you not enjoying yourself with a hot beta. You’ll have to enlighten me. Did you figure out what it was?”
Sabrina suddenly became very serious and lowered her voice. “I need to let you in on a little secret. Promise you won’t be upset.”
“Nothing you could say would upset me.” I thrummed my fingers on the table and waited. It was true. There were people in the world who could piss me off with nothing more than a look, but Sabrina wasn’t one of those. Sabrina was my best friend.
She looked down at her lap, biting her thumbnail. “I might have hooked up with Bryce.” The last four words were said in a whisper.
“What?” I shot up straight and slapped the table. “I am scandalized. I thought you hated Bryce. Am I in the twilight zone right now?”
Sabrina sighed. “I do hate Bryce. That’s why we had I hate you sex. It was so damn good, so then we had I hate you more sex.” She grimaced. “Don’t look at me like that, Liza. I know it’s toxic and we need to stop, but fuck. He’s so good in bed and, God, it’s just so intense and passionate.”
I knew about passion. I knew about desire. I knew about it all. “What about the beta guy? Are you still technically dating him?” I couldn’t wait to hear where this was all going. Sabrina had an exciting life. No doubt about it.
“Yes. Technically. He’s really great and could possibly be a fantastic boyfriend. But...”
“But what? Does he have a tiny little penis?” I laughed, then clamped my lips together when I saw the serious expression on Sabrina’s face.
“He just doesn’t light a fire in my belly,” she admitted and wouldn’t meet my gaze.
I shook my head, trying to grasp the complexities of dating in this day and age, especially the way Sabrina was doing it. She made it so complicated. While I understood the allure of passion, I couldn’t help but worry about the toll it would take on her when it faded or fell apart.
“I know how important passion is, Sabrina, but if he isn’t making you happy, don’t settle, and don’t sacrifice your happiness,” I advised, my tone filled with genuine concern. “You deserve someone who ignites that fire without all the toxicity that comes with Bryce, too.”
What was a relationship without passion?
As I pondered that very question, images of Ty in the throes of making love to me flooded my mind and overwhelmed me.
The man had a gift. And together, we had the all-consuming flame of passion—the one Sabrina had raved about with Bryce and lacked with her beta.
Yet, that passion, that chemistry between us, seemed to be fading out. I missed the way we used to be.
As if reading my mind, Sabrina asked, “How are things with you and Ty?”
“It’s... complicated.”
Our food arrived, and as we ate, I found myself opening up about my own struggles with Ty and the pressure that had seeped into our relationship.
The constant awareness of being watched, the overwhelming presence of the bodyguard…
While it was for my safety, and I was aware he was giving me space the only way he knew how, it still felt like an invasion of my privacy, and it was eating away at my sanity.
I didn’t go into the reason why we were under so much pressure—the looming threat that was Castro—because I didn’t want to worry Sabrina. Once she got worried, there wasn’t anything I could do to get her to stop.
Sabrina’s mischievous smile widened as her eyes flickered to the bodyguard. “He does seem a little overbearing, doesn’t he?” she commented, a playful glimmer in her eyes.
A chuckle escaped my lips. Sabrina’s lightheartedness was a balm to my soul. She didn’t offer a lot of advice, but some days nothing could beat witty commentary.
“Tell me about it,” I muttered, not bothering to keep the sarcasm out of my tone. “I half-expect him to start analyzing my breathing patterns.”
“In all seriousness, though, I’m on your side.” Sabrina pointed a finger at me. “You shouldn’t be forced into a mating when neither you nor Ty seem sure about it. Relationships are always so complicated.”
I nodded. “Truer words have never been spoken.”
We enjoyed the rest of our lunch, chatting about TV shows, movies, and celebrity gossip, and before I knew it, several hours had gone by, and we parted ways.
I returned home and was almost grateful to not see Ty’s truck in my driveway.
I silently scolded myself for thinking that way, but with things so weird between us, I genuinely didn’t want to be around the bad energy he was putting off. Was that so wrong?
I slipped into a pair of sweats and settled in on the couch to continue binge-watching the latest season of my favorite show. My dad said it was reality trash, but I couldn’t get enough of it.
As the evening went on, I realized Ty wasn’t coming. I pulled out my phone and sent him a text.
What’s going on?
A few minutes later, my phone beeped.
I’m staying at the estate tonight.
My fingers tightened around the phone until my knuckles turned white. My heart pounded so hard, my chest ached, and my breathing became labored as I struggled to control my temper.
I’d been happy he wasn’t at the house all of a few hours ago, but him not coming home felt like he was punishing me somehow. Like he was purposely distancing himself from me, and I knew damn well I hadn’t done anything wrong.
An inexplicable rage consumed me, surpassing any anger I had ever experienced before. It even eclipsed the emotions I had experienced when I’d found out the truth about Castro’s role in my parents’ death.
I tried to breathe and slow my rising heart rate, but it was no use. It was as if a fuse had been lit and there was no way to keep the bomb from exploding. I was scared.
My wolf’s snarl escaped my lips as if I had no control over my own body.
My trembling hands transformed into sharp claws, a physical manifestation of the inner turmoil that ravaged my being.
But as the claws emerged, fear washed over me, piercing through the anger like a chilling gust of wind. I had lost control, and the realization terrified me. With a desperate attempt to regain composure, I forced myself to take deep breaths, grounding myself in the present moment.
My first instinct was to call Ty, but he clearly didn’t want me to bother him right now.
The urgency to seek guidance overwhelmed me, and without a second thought, I reached for my phone and dialed my dad’s number.
My voice trembled as I spoke. “Something’s wrong. I need help. Now.”