Free Rivals by Felicia Jedlicka

will take forever to cook.” He stepped outside and leaned against the cliff wall. The sun was starting to set, leaving the sky with all manner of colors to enjoy. He breathed in the watercolor serenity.
    Cori propped herself on the opposite side of the entrance. She kicked her foot back to rest on a grassy outcrop. She pushed a stray hair out of her face, but discovered it was actually a piece of grass from the outcrop above her. She broke the grass off so it wouldn’t interfere with her peaceful observation.
    He watched her settle in to enjoy the view, but soon her eyes drifted down until she was staring at the ground rather than the sunset.
    He wanted to broach the subject of her mood, but he wasn’t sure how to say, “ What the hell is wrong with you? ” nicely. Again he went back over the conversation earlier to see what he had said or done to offend her. He couldn’t find anything.
    She looked over at him, and saw him watching her. He didn’t look away. She locked eyes on him until her melancholy dragged her gaze back down to the ground again.
    A riotous debate took place in his mind as he argued his options: say something, say nothing, go to her, don’t go to her, or fall on your knees and profess your unwavering love and desire to her. The last one wasn’t so much on the table as an option, but for some reason his brain kept throwing it out there just in case it became viable.
    “I owe you an apology, too,” she said. Ethan silently rejoiced to hear her break the silence. “Maybe a few.”
    “For what?” he asked.
    She took in a deep breath as if she was about to sink under water. “Firstly, for being me.”
    He wrinkled his brow and gave her a half-cocked smile. “How’s that?”
    “I’ve been selfish. I think its second nature to me. My world was in upheaval and then it was completely out my control, and even after I was no longer in danger I just kept fighting. As if getting out from under Danato was going to magically bring back my mother and put my life on track again. I’m sure you were going through the same thing, but I didn’t even acknowledge it.” She frowned at him. “I shouldn’t have left you there alone.”
    He looked away, taking the apology as well as a gut punch. He hadn’t expected any apology for that, let alone such a strict one. He started to shake his head to dismiss her gesture, but she continued.
    “I should have placed more importance on our friendship. We came into this mess together, the least I could have done is give you a proper goodbye.”
    He looked back at her, still seeing the resolute determination in her confession. He couldn’t keep her gaze. Her honesty was melting a deep cold bitterness he had never managed to let go.
    “I need you to know something though. I loved Vince.”
    He cleared his throat of any emotional lumps that might crack his voice. “Why would you think I needed that clarified?”
    “Because you had me pegged right. The day I left, you accused me of not loving him.”
    He groaned and threw his head back against the wall behind him. That was a memory he wished he could lobotomize from his brain. “I was so bitter; I can’t tell you how much I’ve regretted that argument.”
    “I know. I understand. My point is, you were right. I was basically whoring myself out to escape.”
    “You are not a whore!” He spat the word out, rejecting the assessment with his fervor alone.
    “No, but...” Cori’s voice softened, soothing his anger. “I needed something from Vince. Something I knew I could get if I persuaded him. Vince saw right through my plan. He denied himself to me for weeks.” She smiled and stared at the sunset, dazed by the fondness of the memory. She jolted and shook her head. “Shut up,” she whispered to no one in particular.
    “Sorrow demon?” he asked when she came back to reality.
    She nodded. “He doesn’t like my good memories.”
    “The good memories will always win. I promise.”
    She gave him a subdued