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But the café is what I have left of April. It’s where I can put all my nervous, erratic energy and channel it into something good.
I walk around the couch and head into the kitchen, wringing my hands.
“It’s not that simple,” Landon says as I open my cupboard. I pull out the glass containers and run my fingers over the labels.
Almond flour. Sugar.
There’s a hand on my shoulder, and I jump.
“Hey,” River says, and I shrug away his touch. “This is serious.”
I whirl around to face him. “I cannot stay here,” I snap. “I can’t just stop what I do. I have to keep telling people about April—”
“You have to stay safe,” he snaps, his eyes narrowing. “You’re not listening. Two Omegas went missing, just twenty minutes from you!”
“River—” Landon says, standing up from the couch.
“Every time you step outside, you put yourself at risk,” River hisses. “And I can’t lose you.”
His scent is overpowering, now more peppery now that it’s mixed with his anger.
“And I can’t lose April,” I whisper.
Landon sighs. “Skylar…” his voice trails off as he shakes his head.
River reaches for me again, but I shake his hand away. “You think she’s dead,” I realize with horror. My eyes lock with Landon’s, and his expression is somber.
“If there’s a pattern of missing Omegas, that’s something that we need to consider,” Landon says solemnly.
I look back at River. “No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “No. That’s not possible.”
“Nothing’s for certain,” he says. “Not yet. But I’ll be damned if you go missing, too.”
“NO!” I yell, and both of the Alphas flinch. “You promised,” I half snarl, half sob as I point at Landon accusingly. “You promised me you’d find her!”
“You did what?” River snaps, turning to him. “You never promise something like that, you idiot!”
Landon’s brown eyes widen as I storm over to him. “You remember that?” he murmurs.
“Yes,” I choke out. “In bed. During my Heat. You promised.”
Suddenly, Landon and River are screaming at each other.
The walls are closing in.
This is too much.
I put my hands to my face and take slow, deep breaths.
A sob threatens to form, but I force myself to keep it down.
“You’re asking me to give up the one thing I have left of her,” I say. “And I can’t. I won’t.”
River growls and slams his hand on the counter. “Damn it, Skylar, you need to listen! This isn’t about making cookies and selling coffee. This is about keeping you safe!”
“You think this is all about running the café?” I gasp. “It’s mine and April’s place! It’s the last bit I have of her!”
“And I don’t want it to be the last bit we have of you!” River yells.
