Page 103 of Begin Again

I force a smile, my stomach twisting. “It sounds like a thoughtful way to spend the day.”

Her smile widens, pleased. “Wonderful. I’ll take care of everything, of course. You just let Teddy know, and I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

And just like that, the plan is set.

It’s almost laughable—how she thinks she’s controlling the situation when, really, she’s just given us exactly what we needed.

If we showed up at the cemetery unannounced, she would’ve been on high alert. Suspicious. But now? Now she’s expecting us. Now we have a chance to plan, to set things in motionbeforewe get there.

It’s perfect.

“Looks like tomorrow’s going to be… interesting,” I murmur, reaching for my phone under the table.

Aubrey is still talking, but I’m already typing out a message to the group chat.

Me:Change of plans. We’re going to the cemetery.

Valkyrie nudges my leg, her tail wagging softly, and I scratch behind her ears, grounding myself.

Across from me, Aubrey sighs dramatically. “You know, Selene, love like that doesn’t come around often. Gabriel was one of a kind. Sometimes I wonder how I’ll ever move on.”

Her voice is light, but her words are heavy. A test, maybe. A way to see if I’ll bite.

I don’t.

She leans in conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a mock whisper. “And between you and me, did you hear about what happened to poor Harriet last week?”

I blink, caught off guard. “No, what happened?”

Aubrey covers her mouth with a perfectly manicured hand, feigning shock. “Poor thing was walking down Main Street with toilet paper stuck to her shoe! Can you imagine? And it wasn’t just a little piece—it was trailing behind her like a leash!” She snickers behind her hand. “The whole town’s been talking about it. Bless her heart, she didn’t even notice until she got to the bakery.”

I manage a small laugh, and she beams, clearly pleased with herself.

It’s jarring, how effortlessly she flips from grieving widow to gossiping queen bee. Like a switch being flipped.

“I swear this town. It’s never dull,” she says, taking another sip of her latte. “Well, I won’t keep you. I know you’ve got things to do. But I’m so glad we ran into each other. And don’t forget—tomorrow, Gabriel’s grave. Bring Teddy and my Morgan. It’ll mean so much to me.”

I nod, and she reaches out to squeeze my hand before standing. “Take care, Selene. Kiss that sweet dog for me!”

With that, she flits off to the back of the cafe, leaving me sitting there with my too-bitter coffee and a million thoughts swirling in my head.

As soon as Aubrey disappears into the back of the cafe, I let out a slow breath, tension bleeding from my shoulders. The air still feels charged, like she left some invisible thread wrapped around me, pulling tight. I take another sip of my coffee, but it’s gone cold, the bitterness settling deep in my stomach.

I glance down at my phone, still open to the group chat. No new messages yet, but I know that’ll change as soon as everyone sees my text.

Valkyrie rests her chin on my knee, and I stroke her fur absently.

Aubrey thinks she’s in control. She thinks she’s the one pulling the strings.

But tomorrow?

Tomorrow, we get the upper hand.

This is good. This isbetter. Instead of showing up unannounced and scrambling, we have an advantage. We have time. We can plan.

My phone buzzes in my hand.

Orion:We need to talk. Everyone at Selene’s. Now.

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