I smoothed my shirt, clearing my throat. “Oh, um yes. Sorry. I just got…distracted.”
“Mmm hmm,” she said, giving me a knowing look. “What happened after you escaped the poachers?”
I finished the story, explaining how we found the beautiful grotto and were rescued not long after.
“They found the two of you naked in a tent?” Rosamund blurted.
I felt the heat of my face flushing as I fidgeted with the navy throw in my lap. “Yes…”
“Gods above, CeCe I amimpressed!” she said. “I never knew you had it in you.”
“Had what in me?”
“Well, Liam, apparently.” Emberly murmured.
I gasped. “Emberly!”
“Well…how was it?” Rosamund asked. “Not that I want to hear about sex with a”—she grimaced—“man…but for you, I will.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll just say…better than I have ever had.”
Rosamund grinned.
“But your mother was with them when they found you?” Emberly’s eyes were wide.
“Yes. It wasmortifying. I can’t get the look of disgust on her face out of my head.”
Rosamund scowled. “Your mother always looks like that. It’s like she permanently smells something foul all the time. You did nothing wrong.”
“Yeah…I know…so, anyway…whydidmy mother show up?”
Emberly crossed her legs, leaning into her wife. “I’m so sorry, CeCe but when we went to the authorities, they immediately contacted both of your families. I knew she was the last person you wanted to see, but she showed up when they gathered the rescue party. They didn’t want to let her come, but she strong-armed her way into the group, insisting that each of you deserved to have a family member present.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t insist on coming because she felt like they would search improperly and she’d have to supervise their attempts.”
Emberly snorted. “Oh, she said that too.”
We spent another hour catching up, discussing Rosamund’s job—she owned a local coffee shop not far from my house—and sipping tea. But we never spoke about Liam again, my friends obviously aware I wasn’t sure how I felt about the situation.
The hour now late, I bid Emberly and Rosamund goodnight and shut the front door. It was well past my usual bedtime, but since returning home, I found it difficult to resume my previous routine. I just didn’t care to.
Liam and I hadn’t spoken since we said our awkward goodbyes after the rescue. We’d reached a set of carriages after our long horse ride and dismounted, joining our respective families. Liam had subtly clutched my hand before I walked away and whispered, “I’ll be waiting for your letter,” in my ear.
Then I’d come back to my life and he had gone back to his.
And now, I was home. Back to my old routine with little to show for the expedition I had hoped would turn my career around. I hadn’t made some newfound discovery that would guarantee I’d move up. I wasn’t receiving an award at the gala asI’d so painfully longed for. And my mother was even more dissatisfied and disappointed than usual.
I hated the unknown and loathed not being in control. I had to get things back in order. I would feel better if I had some semblance of a plan. And I knew what I had to do to get my life back on track.
So I sat at the little wooden desk in the corner, pulled out a pen and a piece of paper, and began to write.
Chapter 27
Absolutely Fucking Not
Liam
Ipaced back and forth at the front of the classroom, my hands waving as I explained the behaviors of the garuda bird and told my students all about the one I’d seen in the field. I pushed up my glasses as I explained their mating rituals, the songs they used to call to each other, and the unique dance the males performed, only to end up getting rejected seventy-five percent of the time.