The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 207

Friends. That was all we were, right? All we could be.

I cleared my throat and looked away, suddenly feeling bashful. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling like this. It was just a laugh and a single smile. Literally the bare minimum for a properly functioning person.

But… Dammit, if it didn’t make something form in my chest that I had been desperately shoving down for weeks now.

“What’s all this?”

Bianca stood in the doorway in her pink tracksuit, surveying the messy kitchen. “You didn’t invite me to cook?”

“I figured you were busy.” Callum stepped aside as she sauntered over to me, peering into the pot of mashed potatoes.

“Give me that.” She snatched the wooden spoon away, splattering potatoes onto the stovetop. “I’m never too busy to cook. Watch a pro in action!” she declared, then reached into the spice cabinet without even looking.

“Wait, Bianca, that’s—” Too late. She was already dumping it into the mashed potatoes, so much of it that a plume of brown powder went flying into the air. “...Cinnamon.”

The room went silent. The scent of cinnamon filled the air, making me cough and wave my hand in front of my face. Callum’s face dropped. Mia looked like she was about to cry, and Zane just stared with his mouth open.

“Wait, I can… I can fix this,” Bianca said, yanking the bowl of shredded chicken and beans out of Mia’s hands. Mia gasped, and I lunged, but it was too late. Bianca dumped everything into the pot, then promptly grabbed the cardamom from the spice cabinet and overturned it.

The lid fell off, and the entire shakerfull went directly into the pot.

Mia’s lower lip began to quiver. “My… my taco bowl… It was gonna be so tasty…”

“We can scoop the cardamom out,” I said. “Bianca, just let me—”

“No!” Bianca held the pot out of my reach, then began stirring it wildly. “I know what I’m doing. It’ll blend right in, trust me!”

Behind Bianca’s back, I looked imploringly at Callum, spreading my hands wide. He gave me an apologetic look, then gently took the spoon from Bianca’s hands.

“Let me just taste it,” he said. He scooped up a spoonful of the abominable mixture and took a tentative bite. The look on his face spoke volumes.

Mia turned and fled without a word. Zane shot Bianca and Callum an angry look before he went after her. I was frozen to my spot, too stunned to speak or move.

I didn’t give my mother a chance to finish before I hung up. Throwing my phone on the bed, I stormed over to the door and flung it open. Freckles was standing in the hallway.

“Here.” I pulled out all the cash I had in my wallet and shoved it against her chest. “Take this and go get some pizzas.”

“Pizza…? But I thought the King would send food…”

“He’s busy.” I folded my arms. “Pizza will have to do. Now make it quick. I don’t want to have to repeat myself.”

“But we’re not supposed to go anywhere—”

“Do I look like I give a shit? Go. Now.”

Freckles didn’t need to be told again. Nodding, she turned on her heel and fled down the hall.

I didn’t care if she got in trouble or worse. I had an equinox to save.