I turned, leaving to hunt down Ara once again.
Chapter Seven
Ara
Iplopped down on a tall, wooden bar stool and rested my elbows on the smooth bar before peeking around the room.
He wasn’t here.
The one I was secretly hoping to see. If there was one person who could’ve given me some small form of liberation, it was him—even if just for the night—but of course, he wasn’t here.
Fate would never allow me to be so lucky.
Turning back to the bar, Livvy strolled over to me with a mug.
“If anything about my life was ever lucky, it would be making friends with you, the best barmaid in Auryna,” I said humorously, smiling over my mug as I brought it to my mouth.
“And don’t you forget it,” she winked and leaned forward on the bar, propping up on her elbows. “How’s your night going so far? Mine’s been full of sweaty men and crude comments, so surely it’s going better than that…” Her sentence drifted off as she studied me. “But considering you’re here with me, maybe not.”
I set the mug down, watching the liquid ripple.
“It’s going about as well as last night. You know, I thought Finn and I had always had an understanding. Ithoughthe understood that I had no intention of marrying him, or anyone for that matter. Not until I was ready, but it doesn’t seem that way. Or maybe he just doesn’t care. He workedwithmy father. They decided,together, it was time for me to marry,” I said, chuckling under my breath. “I feel like such a fool. I should’ve seen it coming,” I managed through a choked breath, my eyes burning.
She reached over, placing her hand over mine to give it a light squeeze.
“Oh hun, I am so sorry to hear that. I’ve spoken with Finley several times over the years and I never would’ve expected him to go behind your back like that either. Hear me when I say this, you cannot blame yourself for not seeing it sooner. You can only judge the actions and words they show you. You cannot expect yourself to know what goes on behind closed doors,” she whispered, squeezing my hand again.
I quickly wiped the tear escaping my eye, nodding.
“Alright, I think this calls for something a little stronger,” she declared as she reached under the bar, pulling out two tiny glasses and an embellished decanter. She popped the cork out, the scent of strong, expensive whiskey wafting into the air. I scrunched my face at the bitter smell as she set the glasses down with a clank, pouring two shots. As she downed one, I the other.
The burning liquid slid down my throat and I erupted in a coughing fit as she laughed hysterically. As I was caught halfway between a cough and a laugh, the chime above the door jingled, and I turned just in time to lock eyes with my stranger.
My cheeks heated and I abruptly stopped laughing, attempting to stifle the last cough. I jerked back to the bar, and Livvy eyed me curiously, arching one eyebrow.
“Don’t say it,” I warned, giving her my best glare.
She leaned over the bar to close the gap between us.
“Now, what are the odds that you would make steamy eye contact with that god of a man two nights in a row? Especially considering this is only the second time I’ve ever seen him here,” she teased, shifting her gaze towards him as he took his seat at a table across the room. “If you don’t leave with him tonight, I might.”
Unwarranted jealousy bit at me, catching me off guard. I blinked rapidly, shaking my head to shake the feeling as she pushed up from the bar, winked, and returned to pouring drinks.
An hour later, I still hadn’t gained the nerve to approach him. In my defense, he hadn’t either, so here we sat—together but apart, separated by a mere ten feet.
Livvy came by regularly, refilling my mug and nudging me in encouragement, but the longer I sat here, the more convinced I became that maybe I was just meant for a monotonous life of early nights and dull sex… with Finley.
I groaned, cringing. Sleeping with Finn hadn’t even crossed my mind before but now, fueled by mead, I couldn’t stop picturing it.
With that thought running rampant, I glanced over my shoulder for the thousandth time and he wasn’t there. The bell above the door jingled. My head jerked around as my breath left me in a whoosh, watching as it closed behind him. He left, slipped through my fingers. Again.
I tapped my fingers on the bar, staring at the door.
No, not again.
Reaching across, I grabbed the decanter and poured two more shots. I downed one right after the other, making eye contact with Livvy as I swallowed the second. She gave me a quick smile, nodding at the door.
I hopped off the stool and jogged to the door, pausing to take a breath before stepping out. Feeling the whiskey blur my senses, I looked left and right, seeing no one. Sneaking around the pub and glancing around the back, there was no sign of him.