Chapter 23

23

MARIAH

T he sun beats down on the back of my neck as I furiously yank weeds from the overgrown garden behind the inn. Thick vines tangle around my arms, their thorns piercing my skin, but I barely notice the pain.

It's nothing compared to the ache in my chest, the gaping wound left by Thorak's betrayal.

I toss a handful of weeds into the growing pile beside me, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. This garden has been neglected for far too long—much like my own heart.

But no more. I'm going to pour all my anger, all my hurt into making this space beautiful again.

I envision trellises dripping with fragrant moonflowers, their pale petals glowing in the twilight. Winding stone paths leading to hidden grottos where guests can steal a private moment. A fountain, with water that sparkles like starlight. It'll be a place of magic and wonder, an escape from the harsh realities of the world.

Like the reality that people don't change.

I grab my shovel and start attacking the hard dirt, churning the soil with a vengeance. I should have known better than to let my guard down with Thorak. He tormented me for years, made my life a living hell.

And I actually believed he was different now? That he cared about me?

I must be the biggest idiot in Elderberry Falls.

But even as I mentally berate myself, a traitorous little voice whispers in the back of my mind. Thorak's wounded look when I confronted him in the town square yesterday. The way his voice cracked as he called after me.

Could it be that...

No. I shake my head vehemently, squashing that flicker of hope. I won't let myself fall for his act again. Thorak was just using me, like he always has.

Whatever game he was playing, it's over now.

I'm so consumed by my bitter thoughts that I don't hear the heavy footsteps approaching until a familiar deep voice rumbles, "Mariah..."

My head snaps up and I find myself staring into Thorak's solemn face. He stands at the edge of the garden, hands awkwardly shoved in his pockets, looking uncharacteristically uncertain.

For a moment, we just gaze at each other, the air thick with tension. I'm acutely aware of the sweat trickling down my spine, the dirt streaking my arms, the loose strands of hair sticking to my flushed cheeks.

Part of me wants to scream at him to get the hell out of my garden.

But another part, the part I've been trying so hard to ignore, drinks in the sight of him like a woman dying of thirst. His wild dark hair, those intense metal-hued eyes, the bulging muscles straining against his shirt...

Damn him. Damn him for still affecting me this way, even after everything.

Thorak takes a tentative step forward, then seems to think better of it. He clears his throat.

"I...I don't want to bother you. I just came to..." He trails off, searching for the right words.

I lean on my shovel and raise an eyebrow, trying to look unimpressed even as my pulse races. "To what? Gloat? Rub it in my face that you played me?"

He flinches as if I've struck him. "No, Mariah, I would never..." He takes a deep breath. "I came to pay the rest of the extermination bill."

Thorak hands me an envelope and my stomach bottoms out. He'd promised to pay even if the deal with Kingsley fell through.

But I honestly just assumed he would leave me hanging after what happened yesterday. After all, the deal collapsed because of the conversation that I initiated. The things that I said.

Even if it was totally justified.

That tiny, traitorous voice sneaks back into my head, telling me that it's unfair to take the money when I'm at least partially responsible for the deal disappearing, for Thorak losing his chance at his dreams.

"Thanks," I say curtly, cutting off the little voice and taking the envelope.

Thorak probably just doesn't want any loose threads. It's cleaner this way. He's paying me off so he doesn't have to feel guilty and can go back to his life with Ygra without another thought about me.

I turn back to my gardening, expecting him to leave, but after a few moments I can sense his presence behind me still.

"Do you need anything else?" I snap, turning back around to face him. "I promise you've run out of ways to humiliate me."

Thorak's cheeks flush, but he stands his ground. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I meant what I said yesterday. What we had, it was real. I wasn't faking or using you. I really do care about you. More than...more than I've ever cared about anyone."

I just stare at him, my emotions warring within me.

I want so badly to believe him, but the walls around my heart are thick and high. He hurt me too many times in the past for me to let him scale them again.

Thorak takes another step closer, his gaze imploring. "I've given you every reason to doubt me. I was an ass in high school, and I'll regret how I treated you until the day I die. But I'm not that orc anymore, Mariah. What happened with Ygra was awful and I should've told her about you the moment she showed back up. I'll regret that forever, too."

He reaches out a hand as if to touch my cheek, but stops himself.

"I get it if you can't forgive me. If you can't trust me. I'm not asking for another chance. I just..." His voice cracks with emotion. "I just need you to know that it was real for me. Every moment, every kiss, every time I held you in my arms. It was the realest thing I've ever known."

I swallow hard and turn my face away. I can't let him see how much his words affect me. How much I long to throw myself into his embrace and never let go.

But I can't. I won't.

I have to protect myself.

"Thorak, I..." My voice wavers. "I can't do this. Not now. Maybe not ever. Please, just...just go."

For a long moment he just looks at me, a maelstrom of emotions plain on his face. Then he nods slowly. He turns and walks away, his broad shoulders slumped in defeat.

I watch him go until he disappears from sight, my heart shattered into a million pieces.

Later that day, I'm mindlessly wiping down the front desk, lost in thought, when I hear a throat clear.

I look up into Kingsley's stone-cold face and feel myself blanch. It's like all of the work this town had done on him over the past week and a half was wiped out in an instant yesterday. He's back to being a sour businessman without a speck of warmth in him.

"Checking out," he tells me emotionlessly.

My eyebrows raise. "Already? I thought you were staying for at least two weeks."

Kingsley's lips press into a thin line. "Plans change. I have no reason to stay in this...place any longer than necessary."

The unspoken "since the deal with Thorak fell through" hangs heavy in the air between us. I glance down at the desk, where Thorak's check for Mystic Pest is still sitting.

Gods, that little voice is back, reminding me that this whole fake engagement was my idea in the first place. I got my end of the deal; the exterminators finish tomorrow and I won't have to worry about paying them. The inn is going to be fine.

I think back to all the times Thorak talked about his vision for the brewery, how he wanted it to be a place that brought the magical and non-magical communities together. A symbol of unity and understanding.

And regardless of what happened between us…if there's even a small chance that his vision for his brewery is real, I want the business to succeed.

I can't let Kingsley leave without trying to salvage this deal.

Decision made, I come around the desk, startling him.

"Robert, wait." I plant myself in his path, holding up my hands. "Please. I need to talk to you before you go."

He arches an imperious brow. "I think you and your ‘fiancé' have done quite enough talking, don't you? Now if you'll excuse me?—"

"Just hear me out," I plead. "Five minutes. That's all I'm asking."

Kingsley heaves a put-upon sigh, but to my relief, he sets down his luggage. "Fine. You have five minutes. Start talking."

I meet Kingsley's steely gaze head-on. "As you know now, Thorak and I were never actually engaged. It was all a ruse, a ploy to win your investment."

Kingsley's eyes narrow, his face darkening with displeasure. "I see. So you thought it appropriate to deceive me, to manipulate me for financial gain?"

"No, that's not—" I break off, shaking my head. "We shouldn't have misled you. And I'm sorry for that, truly. But Robert, the only reason we even considered such a scheme was because of your own prejudices."

"Excuse me?" Kingsley sputters indignantly.

"You made it very clear that you wanted to see human involvement in Thorak's business," I press on, undeterred. "That you didn't believe an orc could be a capable businessman on his own merits. Isn't that right?"

Kingsley opens his mouth, clearly prepared to argue, but then something shifts in his expression. A flicker of realization, perhaps even a touch of chagrin. "I...suppose I may have implied as much, yes."

I soften my tone, sensing an opening. "And now? After spending time here, getting to know Thorak and his vision...what do you think of him as a business owner?"

Kingsley is silent for a moment, considering. "I must admit, I've been quite impressed with what he's managed to build," he acknowledges grudgingly. "His brewery shows immense promise. The only thing giving me doubts is this whole fake engagement scheme."

"Robert, that was on me," I say quietly, my voice trembling. "I'm the one who proposed the idea to Thorak. I needed money to handle an unexpected crisis here at the inn, and I...I took advantage of his need. Of his dream. If it wasn't for my selfishness, Thorak would've come clean to you from the start."

I blink back the sudden sting of tears.

"Please, don't blame Thorak for any of this," I continue. "The fault is mine, and mine alone. He's a hard worker who deserves a chance to prove himself. To make his vision a reality."

Kingsley regards me with a frown, and for a moment, I'm certain he's going to walk away, my pleas falling on deaf ears.

But then, to my shock, he nods slowly.

"Alright, Ms. Parker. You've given me much to consider." He picks up his luggage once more, but pauses. "I'll be in touch with Thorak directly. To discuss…potential next steps."

With that, he strides past me and out the door, leaving me standing alone in the lobby, my pulse racing and my emotions a tangled mess.