Page 29 of Exposé

"So, now what?"

"Now I’ll talk to Liam and find out what's going on with the raids."

"Wait, you haven't done that already?"

I glared at her. "Don't lecture me too, Aria. I was working on a different angle."

She raised her hands in defense. "I'm not judging. I thought we'd discussed this already."

I brought it on myself.

"You did. But…"

"Don't let this get you down. I've got to go. I'm working on my own story." She raised her brows with a smile. "Wish me luck."

Aria grabbed her purse off her chair and spun around.

"Luck."

I picked up my phone, grimacing at the cracked screen when she sauntered down the walkway between cubicles and touched Liam's face on my screen.

"Hey." Liam's familiar voice filtered through my phone's speaker, setting a certain calm within me.

"Hi. I was curious if you had a spare moment so I could ask you a few work questions?"

"Is that all you need me for these days?" He chuckled, and I bit into my lip, guilt twisting in my gut.

"No. I'm sorry. I've been so consumed—"

"It was a joke, Ava. I'm finishing up an interview at Oakgrove Park. Meet me here."

I let out a stagnant breath. "Okay. I'm on my way."

"See you soon."

I am the worst friend ever.

Ditching my worn keyboard, I tucked tail and hit the exit, walking down the sidewalk for a few blocks until a small but quaint park surrounded by a black metal gate loomed ahead of me. Oak trees and trimmed bushes lined the oval concrete walking path littered with benches.

"Ava." Liam's booming voice settled over the preschool-aged children running around the playground.

I swirled around and saw him walking towards me in his black uniform, his shoulders set back, his smile broad.

"Hi, Liam."

"What's going on?" He reached out one arm and gave me a hug. The Buddhist tattoo he'd gotten in a small village in Indonesia stared at me as though judging through the eyes of the statue surrounded by flowers, burning incense, and traditional temples.

"Whitney's up my ass about this story, and I need something good."

We meandered down the path together, our shoulders brushing on the occasional step.

"What else is new? She did it with your story for the dentist's office."

I shrugged. "It's worse this time. I'm starting to doubt if I even have a story here."

"You doubted yourself on that one too." He chuckled. "You go through this every time you start a new story. It's like a ritual or something."

"I do not." I crossed my arms.

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