Page 24 of Her Former Bear Mate

"Yes.It's so fascinating how he brings up his own old cases.Much better than those enthusiasts who just speculate and theorise about what happened without actually having all the facts."

"Well, you can still go," Aditi said with a chuckle."You're clearly looking forward to it."

"Yeah, but it's not the same on my own.The theorising afterwards is part of the fun."Lena scratched the back of her head, fondly remembering all of the cute dates they had after going to a murder talk."And if I go on my own, that's kind of suspect, isn't it?Like, what kind of person goes to a murder show on their own?A murderer, maybe."

"Maybe you should take a friend with you then," Aditi said in a strange voice.

Lena hummed while she thought it over."Okay."

The surprise on Aditi's face came with hurt flitting through her eyes, as if she couldn't believe Lena said yes to her suggestion.

"Want to go to a murder show with me?"Lena asked, smiling as she ignored the slight sting."Since we're friends now."

"Oh."A smile of relief bloomed on Aditi's face."Yeah, sure.I do love a good murder talk."

"You don't say," Lena quipped.They both knew it was Aditi who dragged them to the very first murder talk.It was her fault that they hadn't missed a single macabre talkshow in their city.

And now they were going to another one.As friends.

FOURTEEN

Aditi

Aditi nervously smoothedout her dress as she waited in front of the theatre for Lena.This felt like a date.A first date even.

It wasn't but that didn't stop her from being so nervous.What if Lena had changed her mind and stood her up?It would be understandable, who hung out casually with their ex?

Then again, Lena wasn't flakey.She liked commitment and held her promises.Some would call her rigid but Aditi thought of it more as reliable.Lena was someone she could rely on, someone rockfast and steady.The kind of person one could build a life with.

Aditi's hand went up to her stomach where she could feel her shifter mark through the fabric of her clothes.She shouldn't have put so much stock in it.She didn't even realise when she started caring about traditions and fate because she sure as hell didn't when she was a teenager.Her mother had been so, so, so upset when she came back with a tattoo through her bear mark.It was a proper slap in the face to fate, a refusal to comply.

When did she lose that rebellious streak inside of her?

She pushed the thoughts away when a taxi arrived and Lena clambered out of it which always looked a little funny and endearing since she was so tall.Like a baby deer who wasn't quite used to its legs yet.

Aditi raised her hand and waved, ecstatic when Lena sort of waved back.She was wearing nice trousers and a shirt with buttons that she only put on for special occasions like weddings, funerals, ...or dates.

Hope rushed through Aditi like a gust of hot air.If Lena was dressing up nicely, did that mean this was more than just a friendly-date?Or was she reading too much into the situation?Maybe Lena was simply not comfortable enough to wear her usual graphic shirts anymore.

If that were the reason for the button shirt, it was the opposite of a good sign.

Before she could overthink it, Lena was right in front of her with her hair sticking up slightly."Have you been waiting long?"

"No, maybe five minutes or so.You're actually here earlier than expected, it's still twenty minutes until it starts."

"I knew you'd already be here," Lena said as she checked her watch."I should've set off even sooner."

For someone who was perpetually late and disorganised, Aditi was touched and charmed and she felt so very special.There were very few things that Lena really genuinely cared about but she'd always been one of them.

“You look nice,” Aditi said against her better judgement.

Lena ran her hand through her short hair, messing it up which made her look even hotter.“Thanks.So do you.But you always look good.”

Heat rushed up to Aditi’s cheeks and she felt that tingle in her stomach, the one that she only ever got with Lena.She ignored it and turned her attention back to the theatre.

"Shall we grab a drink first?"Aditi suggested, doing everything she could to stay neutral and casual and friendly.A drink before a show was normal, lots of people would be doing it.Maybe not people who had come on a non-date with their ex but that was because most people weren’t gluttons for punishment.

They headed inside and Lena presented their tickets, the ones she printed out and folded into meticulous perfect squares.Aditi always found it so adorable how Lena could be such a scatterbrain in one part of her life and so neat in others.

---