The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 406

We said our goodbyes, and I ended the call and stood there in the hallway for a moment with my phone in my hand.

I thought about Liora.

Specifically, I thought about her face when she walked into the room tonight and saw the candles. The way she’d blinked a few times at the ceiling, trying to keep herself together, thinking I hadn’t noticed. The sound she made over the chili cheese fry. The way she’d looked at me across the blanket in the low light with none of the guardedness she usually carried around with her like armor.

I didn’t think I’d ever felt the way I felt tonight. Not once, not with anyone.

I tucked my phone into my pocket and went back.

When I pushed the door open, Liora was sitting up on the blanket with her legs crossed, wearing my hoodie. It swamped her, the hem nearly falling to her knees, and she had one of the leftover food boxes open in her lap and was working her way through the remaining chili cheese fries.

She looked up when she heard the door. Her face broke into a wide smile, and she held out a fry.

My chest loosened. I crossed the room and dropped down onto the blanket beside her, taking the fry. She watched me eat it with obvious satisfaction, then went back to the box.

“Good call?” she asked.

“Surprisingly.” I leaned back on one hand, looking at her. “My parents want to have us for dinner. This weekend.”

Liora looked up.

“You don’t have to go,” I said. “It’s not an obligation. I just—”

“I’d like to,” she said.

“Are you sure? My parents are… not easy to get along with. I mean, you know that. You remember how my mother acted the last time you were at our house.”

Her eyes guttered a little at the reminder, but she tucked her feet under her and shrugged. “It’s okay. We’re a unit now. We should go together.”

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