Page 13 of It Was Always You

CORA: Will do

Text Chat

OWEN: Have you seen Cora recently?

ABIGAIL: Why hello to you too, and not since she moved with her dad. Why?

OWEN: She says she’s fine but I don’t know…it feels off…she hasn’t even attempted to leave the apartment since she moved in a week ago

ABIGAIL: Leave it with me, I’ll get our girl back to normal

Text Chat

ABBIE: Hey bestie, I’m officially ending your self-imposed imprisonment tomorrow and I won’t take no for an answer

:p

CORA: Abbie..I don’t know if that’s the best idea.

ABBIE: I already got the all clear from Jonathan. Plus some fresh air and new books will do you the world of good.

CORA: You’re pulling out the big guns, huh? What time and where should I tell the guys we’re going?

Text Chat

CORA: Hey strangers. I’ve to meet Abbie tomorrow. Fancy playing taxi driver/ bodyguard again?

COLE: About time!

Aidan: You know it, kid

LIAM: Jonathan already told us. We’ll meet you in the lobby at 9.

CORA: Better make it 10 lol

Chapter 10

Settling into a new normal with Jonathan was surprisingly easy. He’s made a point of having breakfast and dinner together, using the time to talk about our days and getting to know each other. From swapping simple things like our favourite coffee order—a plain black coffee for him, an iced caramel latte for me—to sharing how he never moved on from Mum, which explained why he remained a bachelor at forty-five, despite the pressure to provide the Four Points with a future leader.

Following the smell of freshly brewed coffee, I enter the kitchen and find Jonathan seated at the breakfast bar, coffee cup and newspaper in hand. I steel myself to ask the question that has been tormenting me, the one I’ve been too afraid to voice.

“Morning, sweetheart, there’s coffee in the pot,” he says, turning to face me with a welcoming smile. But it slowly fades as he notices my hesitation, standing frozen in the doorway like a guest, even though I’ve been living here for a week. The revelation that he remains so deeply in love with Mum after their whirlwind romance, never even considering another relationship, speaks volumes not just about his love for her but for his character as well. But I still can’t understand how he could watch from the sidelines as Abbie and Owen helped me bury her without stepping forward to help.

“Why now? Why not step up when she died? And if you really were keeping watch over us, how could you let her die?” The words are like a grenade between us but I can’t help but ask. I need the answers more than I need my next breath.

“Cora, if I could have put myself between her and the truck that took her out, I would have. What happened that day made me double down on my desire to protect you to the best of my ability, I thought I was doing the right thing. I can see now I fucked up.” He approaches me and takes hold of my hands, continuing, “Unfortunately at the last Table meeting—”

“Table meeting?”

“Essentially, it’s a meeting where all the leaders of the different factions gather in one place to discuss issues in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of war. These meetings happen quarterly, and we rotate the hosting duties to keep things fair. This last time, it was Angus’s turn to host. Once we were all disarmed and seated, he unexpectedly opened fire. It could have turned into a bloodbath if it weren’t for his son, Logan, who managed to sneak up and choke him out before he could do any real damage. After that incident, I had the Finlay brothers watch over you full-time and well…” He trails off, leaving me to absorb the shock of just how unstable this crazy motherfucker is—definitely not someone I want to encounter in a dark alley.

“Here we are, with me as your houseguest and you going behind my back to arrange getting me out of here for a few hours.” Seeing a man with as much power as him scramble for an excuse will never not be funny.

“Staying cooped up here isn’t healthy, Cora. You haven’t so much as explored the building, and your friends are worried. Hell, I’m worried. Go, enjoy, and save me a few grey hairs, yeah? I’m too young to pull off the silver fox look,” he says, handing me a credit card.

* * *

Pulling into the underground parking lot of the shopping centre Abbie had picked out, I spot her baby blue Fiat 500 easily amongst the sea of black, red and white cars. Pointing it out to Liam results in a constant stream of grumbles about how reckless her car choice and lack of security are as he parks his SUV.

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