Page 38 of Unforgivable Fate

Nova was still grinning at him as she shook her head, “You’re thoughtful in the strangest of ways.”

“Thanks?” He tilted his head. “I think?”

“Now, open the wine while I make a sandwich.” She ordered playfully, “And for the record, my sandwich of choice is pretty simple. Turkey with Swiss, lettuce, tomato, bell peppers and Dijon mustard on wheat.”

He used the corkscrew to work open the wine and smiled, “Sounds delicious.”

“What’s your favorite sandwich?”

“Turkey, bacon and avocado.” He grinned as the cork loudly popped free. “But Bear didn’t have any avocado. Said it was nature’s toe fungus.”

“Gross.” Nova squished her nose up adorably and he laughed.

“I may have called him an uncivilized beast. We argued. Now I get to do all the grocery shopping for both of us since I think I know better than him how to make a proper meal.”

“Silly, Bear. He probably thinks that’s punishment.” Nova was giggling again as she finished putting her sandwich together, “What kind of sandwich do you want? I’ll put it together while you pour the wine.”

“Same as you.”

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Sure. It sounds good.”

“Okay.” Nova took the sandwich she’d just made and put it on the plate in front of him. When he frowned and started to argue with her she cut him off, “I’m making another that’s exactly the same. You can have that one in exchange for doing the heavy lifting.”

Griffin basked in the easy comfort they’d found together as he poured the wine and she made the sandwiches. Not even ten minutes ago she’d been in his arms, shaking like a leaf, telling him that this place was the scene of her nightmares. He hadn’t missed the fact that she sat on the blanket with her back to the creek and the empty space on the other side where the cabin must have once stood. She was purposefully blocking it out and letting herself enjoy their time together and he was grateful for that. So grateful in fact that he didn’t push her to resume the conversation they’d been having before deciding to sit down and make dinner.

Instead, he passed her a glass of wine in a stemless plastic cup and picked up the sandwich she’d made for him. They ate in comfortable silence for a long time. Between chewing and sips of wine, they made small talk about everything and nothing.

They talked about their favorite movies to watch over and over again (hers was 10 Things I Hate About You and his was any or every Terminator movie ever made), and what they’d binged on Netflix lately (she’d just finished Bridgerton and he was working his way through every episode of Ozark). He told her what it had been like traveling all around the country and how different each pack he encountered was from the others. She told him about Leo’s mission to unite the packs and how she’d been using her gift to help him find others like them. He talked about traveling light and how his sole possession that held any meaning to him was a book his mother gave him on his last birthday before she died. She told him that the last thing her mother had given her was chocolate milk because she’d begged for it even though she knew she wasn’t supposed to have chocolate before bed. Her mother had given in but Nova hadn’t gotten to drink it because she’d spilled it when the banging had started on their front door.

Griffin winced at the memory, knowing what it meant. Nova had been a child. Just a little girl getting ready for bed, likely already in her nightgown, only she’d pleaded for a glass of chocolate milk and gotten to stay up a bit later than usual for it. Then, the banging had started and she’d probably jumped, scared at the sudden and unexpected noise, knocking the glass over and spilling the liquid everywhere. He wondered if it had spilled on her too, covering her pajamas, or if she’d had to avoid the sharp, shattered glass as she scrambled back away from the men that pushed their way into the house.

Nova bit her lip and he sighed, putting aside the plates. It was time and they both knew it. They’d put it off and enjoyed the evening but night had fallen and the moon and the small lantern he’d brought were the only light left. If they were really going to talk about this tonight, they couldn’t put it off any longer.

“Where do you want me to start?” She finally spoke, more softly than before.

“Wherever you want.” He admitted. “I don’t need to know exactly what Maddox did to hate him, Nova. I already do. For what he did to our family and for what he did to you. I wish I could go back and undo it so you never had to feel an ounce of pain or fear but I can’t. So it’s up to you, if you want to tell me more about him, you can, and if you’ve changed your mind and you’d rather not, that’s fine too. Because the truth is, I don’t care about him. I only care about you.”

Nova worried at her bottom lip and stared at him for a long moment, “You really mean that don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” He reached out and touched her hand, connecting them again, “I want what you want. Whatever that is.”

“Despite what I said earlier…” Nova sighed, “I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Not really. Not tonight.”

“Okay.” He nodded slowly.

“For a little while there, I actually managed to forget all about him.”

“Even looking at me?” He raised an eyebrow and she smiled.

“I told you. You don’t look as much like him to me anymore.”

“Because I’m better looking?” he teased, trying to lighten the mood again and grinning when she smiled in return.

“Absolutely.”

“Good to know.”

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