Page 12 of One Night with Her Mountain Orc

This is my cousin and closest friend. My sister from another mister. Our lives have been intertwined our entire lives. Holidays and lazy summer and cozy winters—our lives don’t exist without the other. Visiting was always a highlight for mom and me. It’s hard to untangle those childhood memories and emotions from the present.

Since my mom died, and she started dating Chad, we’ve fallen away from each other. I’ve been filled with grief, unable to verbalize or actualize the black pit inside me. And she’s been caught up making a major asshole happy. Neither of us has been able to help the other. Is this what growing up means?

But I can’t stand to see her in pain. Gathering reserve, I grapple to find words to get us through this—together. Before I can open my mouth, her confession spills out.

“Chad said the orc kidnapped you. I freaked out. I went to search and rescue and demanded the name of who you were with. I called the police. I called the mayor’s office. I—I called the newspaper.” She bursts into aching sobs. My shoulder quickly goes from dry to drenched.

My heart stills. My breath stops.

All I hear is a squealing whirling in my head. May called the cops on me. On Bjorn. She tried to get the government to...what? Have the mayor ask Bjorn to let me go?

Bjorn. His brothers. Even Brann. My heart pounds loudly as the screechy whirling gets louder in my head. This town lives in a delicate peace with our neighbors. I know it won’t take much to set chaos and vitriol into action.

“What exactly did you say to the police?” My mouth is dry and the words are hard to utter.

The screeching is outside. On the street. Louder and then quieter again as car after car race down the road under us.

“Brann gave me his name. Chad helped me find his address. His brothers’ names. I told the police he kidnapped you and was keeping you captive against your will.”

“Chad found his address, but didn’t come get me himself?” I mean, I wasn’t in danger, but it’s nice to think that if I were in danger, May and Chad would have my back.

Except, they didn’t.

Tamping down my anger is an effort in futility. Asshole is too kind a word to describe him.

“Too dangerous,” she whispers. She’s pulled away now. Her face is red. She won’t make eye contact with me. Shame covers all her movements as she smushes her palms against her eyes. And she should be ashamed—that she hasn’t dumped his ass yet.

Scrubbing my face to shake the cobwebs from my brain, I turn away and grab a root beer from the fridge. May follows, shuffling in her ridiculous bunny slippers. The sweet fizz gives me courage. “Look, May, I love you. I think Chad is an asshat you need to dump; I wasn’t kidnapped. The only time I was in danger was on the mountain with a twisted ankle and the sun sinking below the horizon, with the temperature dropping below freezing as I hobbled down. That’s also the only time I was scared. I had a lot of time to think—lots of quiet on a snowy mountain with a mountain goat. Chad is using you. And you deserve better. And if you can’t dump him right now, at least think for yourself.

“I’m going to leave now. I’ll be staying with Bjorn. Apparently, you know where to find me.”

Hopefully after today, he’ll still want me. Otherwise, I really will have nowhere to go.

Outside, I breathe in the crisp, cold air. The perfect accompaniment to my bubbly root beer. Now, I need to find Bjorn before the cops do.

Chapter 8

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