The Alien Reindeer's Wish by Thanika Hearth & Starr Huntress

Author:Thanika Hearth & Starr Huntress [Hearth, Thanika]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-21T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Elle

Braxen is fine with my insistence on quickly showering, washing the smell of smoke, sex and snow out of my hair, and changing into a more brunch-appropriate outfit. He has plenty of things to do, I presume, so I get busy.

I’m running a brush through my hair and stifling a yawn when Liara bursts through the door and whispers a curseword at it for hitting the wall and making a noise.

Then she spots me, and freezes in the doorway.

My yawn turns into a laugh and I turn from her back to the mirror. “You were out all night?” I ask.

She tuts and tucks flyaway hair behind her ears. She is indeed wearing the last outfit I saw her in, and looking like she got even less sleep than me. “I thought you’d be in bed,” she grumbled. “I need coffee now.”

As she storms over to raid the cupboards for anything resembling caffeine, she pauses to squint at me. “Did you do anything last night? Anything at all?”

Feeling suddenly defensive, I raise my eyebrows at her in the mirror. “Nothing. Why?”

But that was the wrong answer. Liara makes a big show of sighing. “Nothing at all? I told you, don’t just shut yourself away and work, Elle. Do something. Go see the market today?”

“I…” I can’t tell her my real plans today, unfortunately, but I can tell her some of it. “Yeah, I am heading the market. I met a guy, actually.”

I expect her to squeal and pry details out of me, but Liara shakes her head as she pulls out a French press and sniffs at some coffee before choosing one. “Elle, I just want you to get out of the house and off your laptop. Get your mind off work. Sure, meeting a guy would be great, but—”

I feel irritation flare in my chest. “You don’t believe me? Why would I lie?”

“Why would you lie? I don’t know, but I came home to grab some of my stuff last night and your laptop was open and ready, and I saw, like, six notebooks filled with work notes spilling out of your luggage. Where did you go really? To sniff something out?”

Damn. I set my brush down and turn to face her. She’s actually really angry. I hate hate hate conflict, so I just swallow and pause before I answer. “The truth is, I did go out to follow a lead for a story,” I begin, very carefully. The last thing I want is to fight. I open my mouth to continue, you know, to the good part, but Liara holds up a hand and cuts me off.

“I knew it. You know what, Elle? Do whatever the hell you want. I dislike what you’ve become since graduation, but I still loved the person you were inside. But this? You’re lying to me now?” She shakes her head, her eyes fiery with anger, and I want to yell over her, but I’m stunned. She’s never spoken to me like this before.

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