Page 78 of Curvy Nerdy Omega

Liam knew who I was during my heat.

And so did Cas.

My stomach lurched and I swallowed down the bile.

Considering the conversation we’d had at Bite, I’d say Liam knew then as well. I’d thought something felt off, but I never would have been able to guess why.

Forcing myself to focus on the bead in my hand, I realized just how empty I felt.

Numb.

He’d promised he would find me when he got back – when it was safe.

I’ve waited for him for so long that I could barely remember what it felt like to live any other way…but the girl he’d left standing in the rain no longer existed. Every spider lily inked into my skin was a reminder she’s long been dead and gone. I was forced to become someone else to survive in such a violent, hateful world.

The small flower slipped through my lifeless fingers and the sound of it clattering against one of the rocks was loud in the thick bubble of silence around me.

That boy had disappeared from my world one rainy day like he’d never existed.

Sliding my hand up to the spider lily tattooed on my neck, I felt the familiar bands of adhesive. The sensation of them gave me a tiny shred of comfort until I remembered why I even had these tattoos.

Final goodbyes.

I got lost in the longing for a future I’d never get every single fucking time it rained. I would daydream about someone who’s face I couldn’t even remember, wondering what his scent had evolved into…

Oranges, vanilla, and sandalwood.

Up until now, I’ve never been able to put that scent to a name or a face.

Liam Valor – a man who shines so brightly it’s blinding.

My head jerked to the side as all the thoughts in my head clamored for attention and I closed my eyes against the deafening chaos.

The loss of light in tandem with the sudden sound of rain pounding against my window seemed fitting somehow.

Oranges. The rain always reminded me of the perfect sweet orange – tart and juicy, washing away the taste of everything else. It always lingered in the back of my mind—haunting me.

Whenever it rained, I looked up at the sky covered in clouds so I could feel the way I did when he left, but I always searched for the sun in the hopes that I could feel warm again because once it started raining, it rarely stopped before nightfall.

It shocked me the sun had been there this whole time when I’d been convinced it had disappeared for good.

How long had he known who I was?

Had he known when he’d asked me about my father at his brother’s house? Or when he’d been so insistent that it wouldn’t be long before I’d take his name? That would explain why he’s been so weird.

So devoted.

But he was always like that.

When I got sick, he took care of me. Found me a doctor who would actually be able to help me. Napped with me despite the fact that we barely knew each other. Before that, he’d practically demanded I pretend to be his girlfriend.

Then he helped me through my heat.

All his random reasons had made sense at the time, but now…

He must have known from the very beginning.

I didn’t think he knew who I was before I stepped into that elevator. The look on his face was too shocked and the way he’d stared at me like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing…

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