Page 101 of Begin Again

26

Selene

The sun is just starting to stretch over the rooftops, bathing the town in that perfect golden glow that makes everything feel softer, almost dreamlike. It’s cold, though—not biting, but crisp enough that it stings your lungs when you breathe too deep. Valkyrie’s leash is loose in my hand as she trots happily beside me, her nose dipping down to sniff every lamppost and patch of grass like it holds the secrets of the universe. Almost like she’s searching for something sparkly that she can’t yet see.

The sidewalks are quiet at this hour. A couple of shops are opening, their owners flipping signs fromclosedtoopen. A man in a puffy jacket waves as he walks by with a paper under his arm. I wave back, feeling that small-town comfort wraps around me like a blanket. Mrs. Josi waves at me from her flower shop, it’s strange how this place feels like home now. I didn’t expect that when Valkyrie and I first got here, but maybe this is just the kind of place that sneaks up on you. Or maybe it’s the people.

Or maybe I just need a moment that feels real.

We round the corner to the coffee shop, and Valkyrie perks up, her tail wagging hard enough that her butt is swaying side to side. “I know,” I mutter, smiling. “You’ll get your puppuccino, don’t worry.”

The bell above the door jingles when we step inside, and the warmth of the coffee shop envelops me instantly. It smells like heaven—coffee, cinnamon, and a sugary treat baking in the back. The line is short, just a couple of people ahead of me. I give Valkyrie a pat as we step in, but I barely have time to settle before I feel arms wrap around me tightly.

“Oh my goodness, Selene!” Aubrey’s voice is sweet, too sweet—like honey left out too long, starting to crystallize. It sticks to my skin and makes a cold knot settle in my stomach.

I stiffen automatically.

“It’s beenforever!” she gushes, her grip too tight. “Look at you—absolutely glowing. That mountain air must be doing wonders for you! I swear you don’t look like the same person you were when you got here a few months ago!”

I force myself to breathe. To smile. To act like I don’t know.

She pulls back, gripping my arms like I might vanish if she lets go. Her smile stretched wide across her face, bright and warm, her hair pinned back perfectly, not a strand out of place. She’s the picture of small-town grace. Perfect makeup. Perfect clothes.Perfect lie.

“Aubrey,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “Good to see you.”

“Good to seeme?” She laughs, patting my arm like I just told her the funniest joke in the world. “You’re too sweet. No, it’s good to seeyou. I swear, I’ve been so out of the loop lately. Things have been so…well, you know how it is.”

Do I? Or does she?

She doesn’t let go of my arm as she gestures toward the counter. “Come on, this one is on me. You must be freezing, walking around in this weather, I know you like them cold but humor me.”

I open my mouth to refuse, but she’s already pulling me toward her booth, already walking behind the counter like she owns the place.

Valkyrie nudges my leg, huffing in protest. I shoot her an apologetic glance.Trust me, I don’t want to be here either.

Once we have our drinks, she leads me to a small table near the window. She’s all smiles, all polished perfection as if we’re old friends catching up after years apart.

“So,” she starts, stirring her latte, “tell meeverything. How’s life treating you? Are there any handsome men in the picture? Like my Teddy? Or is it just you and that sweet dog of yours?”

My Teddy.

The words are a dagger slipped between my ribs.

I take a sip of the too-bitter coffee and force another smile. “It’s been good. Quiet. I’ve been helping Theo with some things, and spending time with my siblings. You know, the usual.”

“Oh, Teddy,” she says with a knowing grin. “That boy’s always been such a sweetheart. I can’t believe he hasn’t swept you off your feet yet.”

She pauses as if she’s trying to decide what to say next. “You know, I’ve been thinking about Teddy a lot lately. Poor thing, losing Gabriel like that. It’s been hard on all of us, of course, me especially, but I think Teddy has it almost just as hard. Gabriel loved him like he was his own.”

She says it so easily, so genuinely,that for a split second, I almost forget.

Almost.

But I see it. A flicker in her eyes. Sadness? Nostalgia? Or something else entirely?

She doesn’t let it linger. Her mask snaps back into place like elastic, her smile warm and perfectly rehearsed.

“Speaking of Gabriel,” she continues, “did you know tomorrow would’ve been our wedding anniversary? It’ll be my first one without him”

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