Lib Novel Page 37
I let out a defeated sigh. “There’s no problem. No problem at all.”
Maybe I should slip laxatives into their next cups, I muse to myself. We’ve only got one bathroom. The idea of six grown men clambering to get to the bathroom makes me cackle. Alex will get a double dose of laxatives.
My revenge will be sweet and smelly.
I sense movement at Alex’s table, and when I look up, he’s coming toward me. My heart rate kicks up, and I hate the heat that crawls within me at the sight of him. But I can’t exactly control my body’s response, now, can I?
When he reaches me, I ask, “Can I help you?”
“I didn’t realize you had such long shifts,” Alex says. “You’ve been here since morning, haven’t you?”
I just tilt my head and watch him, refusing to answer his question.
“I never even saw you go grab lunch,” he continues.
Why is he even talking to me? Does he expect me to have a heart-to-heart with him after what he said to me?
“Can I help you?” I repeat, refusing to hold any other conversation with him.
I see the slight irritation in his eyes, and that gives me no end of satisfaction. “I’m just trying to be friendly.”
I smile at him. “I would prefer it if you stay away from me. But since you don’t want to do that, then I would prefer it if you tell me what you want and then leave me alone. I don’t have time to waste on you.”
My words are harsh, but the wounds he delivered on my heart were harsher.
“You left the other day without finishing our conversation,” Alex says quietly.
My brows arch. “You mean the one where you told me that despite us being fated mates, I’m not your cup of tea? That conversation? I’m sorry. Did you want me to stick around so you could list everything you find undesirable about me? Either you have a very high opinion of yourself or an extremely low one of me. In any case,” I rap my knuckles on the wooden bar, giving him an expectant look, “I’m going to ask you one more time. Do you want to place another order? Or are you just here to harass me?”
Alex’s jaw tightens. “Giving me the cold shoulder isn’t going to fix anything.”
I smile sweetly at him. “If it gets you out of my face, it solves ninety-nine percent of my problems.”
“I know you’re upset by what I said—”
“Upset?” I gape at him. “Didn’t you hear me? I’m not interested in anything you have to say. I wasn’t the other day, and I sure as hell am not now. You seem to think I care about you. Just because you’re my fated mate doesn’t mean you’re important to me. The Goddess may have decided that we’re meant to be together, but you’re not my type. I’m not interested in you. You’re the one who keeps approaching me, trying to ‘talk.’ I don’t want to talk. I want you nowhere near me. How’s that for upset?”
Alex is stunned into silence. It does nothing to negate my anger, but there’s a petty, vindictive satisfaction in seeing the shock on his face when he realizes that I don’t find him particularly desirable, either. It may be a lie, but it makes me feel better. I’m sure he thought he had the upper hand since he was the one to reject me.
“Sophia?” Elsa walks out of the kitchen and looks between the two of us. “Is everything alright here?”
Alex holds my gaze for a few seconds before murmuring, “Just fine.”
He stalks back to his group, and a beatific smile blooms on my face.
“What was that about?” Elsa studies me curiously, but I just shrug.
“I don’t know. Maybe he didn’t like the coffee?”
She gives me a disbelieving look, and her voice is sharp as she turns to leave. “You’d better not drive away the customers, Sophia.”
“No, ma’am.” I grin at her back as I watch her retreat into her office.
However, just minutes later, the smile falls from my face when the front door opens and I see someone I recognize.
My upper lip curls in a snarl. What are Freddy and his crew doing here?
There are four gash marks on Freddy’s left cheek, and it reminds me of what the cops were talking about. The attack on Freddy in the woods. The injury has healed to some extent, but the scarring is obvious. It must have been a very deep wound to have left a permanent mark like this. Even wolf shifters are not immune to scars. And that is a nasty-looking one.