Page 29 of Begin Again

Theo wipes his hands on the towel and extends his hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”

Orion grips his hand, and I can already see the gears turning in his head, his protective instincts kicking in. He doesn’t say anything for a beat too long, then finally nods.

I smack his arm. “Stop using your Jedi mind tricks.”

Orion chuckles and releases his grip. “Just making sure he’s real. You tend to romanticize things.”

Theo smirks. “Good to know.”

I groan and decide I need caffeine immediately before this conversation devolves any further. I place my order with Theo and after Orion places his I drag him away before he can try to embarrass me further.

The moment we step out of the cafe, I spin on my heel and point a finger at Orion. “I amnotgetting back in that rental with you until my heart rate returns to normal.”

Orion rolls his eyes and scoffs. “It wasn’t that bad.”

Crossing my arms I level him with a glare. “Orion. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Twice.” I raise two fingers to emphasize my point.

He smirks like this is the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. “So dramatic.”

I shake my head. “No. Dramatic is when Vin Diesel launches a car off a collapsing bridge and lands it perfectly on the other side. What you did back there was vehicular manslaughter waiting to happen.”

Orion snorts. “Alright, fine, Miss Fragile Nervous System. What’s the plan? Are we just going to stand here until you no longer feel the need to write your will?”

I ignore him and start walking. Valkyrie happily trots beside me, sniffing at everything like she owns the place. Orion, still amused at my refusal to get back in his death machine, shoves his hand in his jacket pockets and falls into step beside me.

The town square is bustling in that slow, small-town way—people moving at a pace that suggests nobody’s ever really in a hurry. The air smells like fresh bread from the bakery down the street, and wind chimes clink softly as a breeze rolls through.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for people to notice Orion.

I swear, small-town folks have a sixth sense for when there’s a newcomer, especially one as impossible to miss as my brother.

Mrs. Josie, the owner of the flower shop, is the first to approach, her warm eyes squinting up at Orion like she’s trying to figure out if he’s friend or foe. Wiping her hands on her apron she asks, “Selene, Dear, who’s this?”

“This is my brother, Orion,” I say, watching as her eyes widen slightly.

“Brother, huh?” She looks back at me. “You never mentioned you had one of those.”

“That’s because I don’t routinely give out my entire family history at the register.”

She hums as a shadow of a smile appears on her face. “Big guy.”

Orion flashes his most charming smile. “I get that a lot.”

Mrs. Josie eyes him for a moment longer, then nods approvingly. “You look like you could lift a refrigerator on your own.”

Grinning at her he confirms, “I can.”

She gives him another once-over before turning back to me. “Are you coming by for your usual this week?”

“Of course,” I say. “I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

She nods, seemingly satisfied, and bustles off.

As we continue walking, a few more locals glance Orion’s way, and I canfeelthe curiosity radiating from them. I swear, if someone had a notepad, they’d already be taking notes.

“Are people always this nosy?” Orion mutters.

I smirk. “You are kind of a spectacle.”

---