Chapter Sixteen Cory

"W hat do you mean you're seeing him again?" David asked, a look of utter disbelief on his face. "Wasn't it you that told me he nearly got you killed by drunk driving?"

I was already starting to regret telling David anything about Liam. The lies I'd woven were gonna get complicated fast now that Liam was back in my life. Not only would I have to remember it all when David was around, but so would Liam. But I guess werewolves were used to that sort of thing when it came to humans. We did the best we could to lead normal lives while keeping our secrets.

"Yes," I sighed. "He did. But I talked to him and well… he's cleaned himself up."

"How long has he been clean?"

"Ever since the accident," I replied, trying to make this lie easy and palatable at the same time. "He quit the moment he woke up and realized he'd almost hurt me."

"And he waited two years to tell you or apologize for all that?"

"Yeah. I guess he did." I let out a long sigh. "He wanted to be sure that he wasn't going to relapse before he saw me again."

David lifted an eyebrow. "Awfully thoughtful for a dude that nearly got you killed because he couldn't put down a bottle. He's not like any alcoholic I've ever known."

"It wasn't just that. He felt really bad too…"

"Good," David barked. "He should. He doesn't deserve your forgiveness."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "Why are you so protective all of a sudden? Wasn't it you that wanted to fuck him the moment you saw him?"

"I… I didn't mean that! It w-was a joke!" he sputtered.

"Uh-huh. Very convincing."

"This isn't about me anyway. This is about you and this maniac you're seeing now."

"Maniac?" I asked, the insult lighting a fire in my belly. I didn't like it when people said bad things about my mate, even if they were my best friend. "He's not a maniac! He just made some mistakes. We all make them."

"I think he's manipulating you."

"You don't even know him!" I roared.

Several people in the cafe turned to look at us, including the high-school aged barista at the bar. I took a deep breath, leaning back in my seat.

"You love him, don't you?" David asked after a moment, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What?" I scoffed. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you've never yelled at me about a guy before. In fact, you've never yelled at me about anything and actually meant it." He leaned across the table. "But you don't like me talking bad about him because you're already in too deep."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about."

I knew it wasn't a convincing answer.

"Uh-huh."

We stared at one another for a long moment before David finally sighed, uncrossing his arms.

"Cory," he said, his voice full of concern. "Are you sure this is okay? This guy isn't forcing you into this or making you feel guilty about turning him down, is he?"

"No. Of course not."

"And you're sure this is a good idea? After everything you've been through with him you really want to go and open up that can of worms again?" He shook his head. "I… I'm just worried about you. I don't want to see my best friend get hurt. I've already had to watch you wander around for the past year or so trying to find yourself. I can't even imagine how difficult it was for you before I even met you." He reached out, taking my hand. "The last thing I want to see is you get hurt again because this guy doesn't mean what he says."

I squeezed his hand, letting out a long sigh. "David… there's things about all this you don't know. Things I can't tell you."

"Can't tell me?"

"Yes," I nodded. "But I need you to trust me when I say that I'm making the right decision. Liam isn't trying to hurt me again. We've both grown up, we've both been through a rough time, and we both agree that we want to explore this further." I looked up at him, pouting my lip out a little. "I just need your support in this."

He looked at me long and hard, searching my expression for any hint of doubt.

"I don't understand why you're being secretive. You know you can tell me anything," he said finally. "But… if there's something you really want to keep to yourself, I'm not going to force you to tell me. I'll do my best to be supportive if this is what you really want."

"Thank you, David," I said, giving his hand one last squeeze. "I promise, it's nothing against you. And you have nothing to worry about. I can handle Liam. I'm not a kid anymore."

He shot me some serious side-eye. "Barely."

"Come on! You're only like two years older than me."

"Two years is a lot of time. You of all people know that."

I couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Yeah. You're right. Sometimes two years feels like a lifetime."

The bell over the door chimed as someone stepped into the cafe, breaking the silence. I glanced over my shoulder at a rather rough looking guy dressed in bad fitting clothing. He looked road-worn and a bit haggard. I assumed he was probably one of the long-haul truckers that drove by on their way north. There weren't many places to stop for a decent coffee and pastries if you didn't want fast food. Andy's cafe was easily the best you could hope for.

"So," I said, turning back to David. "What's our next trip look like? I'm assuming kayaking is pretty much off the table now that it's snowing."

"Yeah," David nodded, looking out the window at the fresh inches of snow clinging to the windowsill. "I'm not a big fan of freezing to death. And if one of us falls in, that's gonna be cold as fuck and then some."

"We calling it quits for the winter then?"

"On kayaking, yes." He lifted an eyebrow in my direction. "But we can still hike."

"Ugh… hiking." I couldn't help shaking my head. "That's probably one of the worst things I can think of."

"Oh, it's not that bad!"

"It's not that good in the summer. But hiking in the snow?" I scoffed, crossing my arms. "That's crazy."

"It's a good way to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors!"

"Indoors is better for me in the winter."

"Fine," he shrugged. "We'll go to the gym then."

My left eye started to twitch. "So, when are we going hiking?"

He smiled. "That's what I thought. It's amazing how fast you came around to that."

"Everyone has their price. Mine just happens to be weight machines and sweaty strangers."

David leaned forward. "Speaking of strangers…" He nodded toward the other side of the room. "That guy hasn't stopped staring at you since he came in."

I tried to nonchalantly glance over my shoulder by pretending to stretch. Of course, I accidentally made eye contact with the rough trucker-looking guy and felt pins and needles slink down my spine. I turned back to David, a cold sense of fear invading my chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Do you know that guy?"

I shook my head. "Never seen him before."

"Well, it doesn't look like he's gonna stop staring. I don't even know if he ordered anything…"

"Maybe we should just go," I offered. "I'm meeting Liam tonight anyway and I need to get ready."

David quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? Already putting out?"

"That… That's not…" I stammered.

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say," he grinned, patting me on the shoulder. "Just have fun tonight and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"What does that exclude exactly?"

His grin widened. "Absolutely nothing."