<b>Chapter </b><b>12 </b>
<b>Sofia </b>sat on <b>the </b>edge <b>of </b><b>the </b>bed, her expression softening. “You need to continue <b>your </b>life, <b>Ba</b><b>. </b>William won’t risk anything in public, especially after you formally rejected him.”
I <b>wasn’t </b><b>so </b>sure. The memory of <b>his </b>amber eyes<b>, </b>wild with fury<b>, </b>still haunted me.
“Where would we even go?” I asked, already feeling anxiety building in my chest.
“That new supermarket that opened on Fifth,” Sofia said, her tone deliberately casual. “I heard they have amazing coffee beans.”
I hesitated, weighing my fear against the cabin fever that had been building during my self–imposed istion. Sofia was right–I couldn’t hide forever.
“Give me thirty minutes,” I finally conceded. “Then we can go.”
Sofia beamed, squeezing my hand before bouncing off the bed. “Perfect! I’ll make some toast while
you get ready.”
As she left the room, I noticed something on the dresser that hadn’t been there yesterday—a small canister of pepper spray. Sofia had thought of everything. My chest tightened with gratitude for her friendship, a bright spot in the darkness my life had be.
The supermarket was busy but not crowded, for which I was grateful. Sofia pushed the cart while I followed alongside, nervously scanning our surroundings. Every tall man with blond hair made my heart skip anxiously<b>, </b>but none of them were William.
After fifteen minutes without incident, I began to rx slightly. Maybe Sofia was right—maybe
William wouldn’t risk making a scene in public.
“See<b>? </b>Not so bad,” Sofia said, noticing my easing tension as we browsed the produce section.
“I guess not,” I admitted<b>, </b>picking up an apple and examining it. “It’s actually nice to be out of the
apartment.”
We filled the <b>cart </b>with basics–bread<b>, </b>eggs, coffee, and enough snacks to sustain us through movie nights that Sofia insisted would <b>be </b>part of my recovery process. By <b>the </b>time we reached the checkout, I was almost enjoying myself, the weight on my chest temporarily lighter.
7:54 Sat<b>, </b>Sep
As we exited the supermarket with our bags, I felt bold enough to suggest we extend our outing.
“Want to look at some clothes?” I asked. “My treat, as a thank you for everything.”
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Sofia raised an eyebrow. “You don’t need to spend money on me. You should be saving every penny right now.”
“I can afford a shirt,” I insisted. “Come on, there’s that boutique over there.”
Sofia seemed about to agree when suddenly her expression changed, eyes widening as she looked past me toward the boutique’s entrance. She grabbed my arm, tugging me in the opposite direction.
“Let’s go somewhere else,” she said quickly. “I don’t… I don’t like that store.”
Her abrupt change of mood confused me. I turned to see what had caused it–and my blood froze in my veins.
William stood outside the boutique, his hand resting possessively on the small of Olivia’s back. Beside them, holding Olivia’s hand, was a small boy with William’s amber eyes and distinctive hooked nose.
The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet. Seeing them together–a perfect little family–made everything real in a way that even the photos hadn’t. The boy, just as the documents had indicated. He wasughing at something William had said, his little face tilted up adoringly.
I felt sick, remembering how I’d seen the boy’s photo as Olivia’s phone wallpaper once. She’d imed he was her nephew.
Five years. Five years of my life devoted to a man who had another family the entire time.
“You’re right,” I managed to say, my voice sounding distant to my own ears. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
Sofia’s grip on my arm tightened, guiding me toward the parking lot. We’d almost reached her car when a familiar voice called out behind us.
“Reba!”
7:54 Sat, Sep 20
Mated by Contract to the Alpha