Free STAIN (My Soul To Wake Book 1) by Tara Oakes Page A

paper shopping bag with the lavender scented candle that I’d bought for my mom in one hand and the warm cup of tea Will had ordered for me at the bookstore in the other.
    The temperature has dropped about five degrees from our frozen yogurt break, and the tea helps to keep the chill away.
    “Getting cold?” he asks, with some sort of coffee concoction of his own being brought to his lips.
    I shrug. “Not really. But I’ll probably change before I take that tour later.”
    He sips long and hard on his Styrofoam cup. Very carefully his free arm swings itself to rest on my shoulders, bringing me in closer to his warmth. My heart pounds against my chest as our bodies touch.
    “Better?” He asks.
    I grin. “Much.”
    We finish our caffeinated drinks in silence, walking the old cobblestones streets. Those who pass us smile. I have yet to come across an unfriendly person in this quaint little town.
    The moment is perfect. The deep purple and orange swirls in the low setting sky, the tiniest of chill in the air to bring us together. Even the sound of our steps along the natural road below. I’ve never had a moment like this before… where I wasn’t worrying about what the next would bring.
    Will’s cell phone shatters the slice of perfection. He tosses his emptied cup into a nearby public metal wastebasket and checks the screen. I see him hesitating while staring at it. I can’t help but dart my eyes over to quickly read the letters.
    Liza.
    The same heart that was nervously pounding moments before at his touch is now sinking fast at the very feminine name on his phone. My shoulders stiffen.
    “Hey, Liza,” he calls into the air around the receiver as his phone is placed in that nook by his ear.
    I can hear a muffled vibration, but no words are clear. I find my mind wandering, assigning imaginary meaning behind them. A girlfriend perhaps? Had I completely misjudged him? Is he the kind of guy to be in a relationship and then hang out with a girl on the side?
    We hadn’t done anything that could technically be considered cheating, but I know I’d be damn pissed if I had a boyfriend who was getting chummy with another woman.
    I can feel Will holding back on his end of the conversation with the woman. This only reinforces my unease.
    “We’ll talk about this later, Liza. I’m on a date.” He breaks his silence.
    I’m thrown for a complete 180. He’s on a date . Unless he’s a fool, no way would he tell a girlfriend that he’s on a date. It would be like signing your own death warrant. I feel foolish now for jumping to assumptions. It’s 2015. Of course he can have a female friend that isn’t a girlfriend. Hell, I have male friends that aren’t boyfriends, so I guess that’s the same sort of thing.
    Given the fact that I’ve never had a boyfriend at all is irrelevant, I convince myself. I still have male friends. And they aren’t boyfriends… so it fits the bill.
    My shoulders relax once again, and his arm tightens to bring me back into the hollow of his side.
    “I don’t know. I’ll ask her.” I can feel him eyeing me as he speaks that last bit to Liza . I finish my tea while eavesdropping on is end of the conversation. “Maybe. No promises, okay? How’s Moose?”
    He nods his head silently at the woman’s reply. A few more words on her end are spoken. “Thanks again, Liza. Just leave him with a bone before you leave. I’ll be home in a while anyway so he’ll be fine.”
    He tucks his phone in to his pocket and we play an awkward game of silence. I don’t want to be the first to ask about this mysterious woman Liza, showing stereotypical female jealousy, just as I’m sure he doesn’t know how to bring the topic up.
    I take the last of the tea in one sip, the lemon residue that settled on the bottom adds a tartness to my mouth.
    “Moose?” I ask, totally sidestepping the Liza topic.
    I hear Will exhale relief at the direction of the conversation, as well as feel his chest loosen. I hadn’t