Knot a Good Idea (Bittersweet Omegas #4)

Chapter 12

12

APRIL

The limo ride is quicker than I expected.

I sit in between Hunter and Liam while Donovan sits opposite of us, watching me carefully.

It’s like he’s gauging my reaction at all times.

I sip a glass of champagne as I watch the houses of Stone County pass us by, admiring the architecture and landscapes of the area.

I wish Skylar was here. She would be losing her mind.

“You’re going to do great,” Hunter says, snapping me out of my train of thought. “I can’t wait for all those rich assholes to meet you. You’re smart as hell.”

I frown. “Uh, aren’t you just as rich as them?”

Hunter shifts and crosses his leg over the other. “A lot of these people are old money,” he shrugs. “And they don’t give a shit about what this gala is about.”

“They don’t care about art?”

Liam turns to me. “They like looking good. They like saying they donated to it. But they’ve never actually worked at any of the events that the gala funds. They just attend the parties, then call it a day.”

I look at Donovan. “So, you work at the art events?”

He nods. “Sometimes.” His lips stay in a thin line.

I’m not going to break , I want to tell him.

The museum is barely a twenty-minute drive, but when Donovan helps me out of the limo, it seems as if I’ve been transported to another world.

I’ve never been knowledgeable about the art scene—and I knew nothing about what is apparently one of the most well-known art museums in the country.

The building is a modern steel design with massive windows that illuminate the inside. Liam, Hunter, and Donovan surround me as I walk with them up the stairs to the entrance, their scents swirling around me and helping calm my nerves.

Wealthy people mingle, all in designer outfits and chatting excitedly with each other. I catch bits and pieces of conversations as we walk into the building.

“You would think they would have picked a better caterer ? —”

“My tailor is out of the country, so I had to settle on my other suit ? —”

“Funny to see Axton here. Donovan never bothers to show his face ? —”

At the mention of Donovan, I catch a group of older men watching me. I plaster a polite, soft smile on my face as Liam takes my hand.

I don’t even think about it. I lace my fingers with his, and he looks down at me and grins, my insecurities from before forgotten.

I can do this.

“You belong here,” he tells me softly. “You’re better than most of them, anyway.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “I think you’re putting me on a pedestal.”

He leads me to our table, pulling the chair out for me. “I guarantee you none of them here would even know what to do with a twenty-sided die.”

I burst out laughing just as Hunter joins us. He slides into the chair on my right side.

“Stop hogging her, Liam. She’s my date, too.”

Liam sits to my left. “And mine,” he says. “It’s not my fault you didn’t get to the table first.”

But Hunter doesn’t look annoyed, just entertained as his gold eyes fall to mine. “So, what do you think? Pretty stunning, huh?”

It is. The Northwest Fine Arts Institute has its own banquet hall with crystal chandeliers that hang above us. The tables have beautiful cream rose centerpieces, and white French doors lead back to the entrance of the museum.

“Absolutely,” I agree.

A Beta man takes his seat across from us at the table, dressed in a dark maroon suit and sporting thick dark-rimmed glasses. A young blonde floral-smelling Omega joins him and she greets me with a smile, which reminds me of Devyn.

I recognize both of them immediately—Tom and Sophie, the couple that is good friends with the pack.

“I love your dress!” Sophie says excitedly, even though she’s stunning herself in an emerald green ballgown.

And just like that, the conversation flows.

I’m the April from a year ago. The April that can carry conversations, listen carefully, and share certain aspects of myself.

And, just like when I first met Donovan, Tom and Sophie have no idea who I am.

It’s freeing.

Donovan joins us eventually, taking his seat across from Liam as Tom claps him on the shoulder.

“Your girl is amazing, ” Tom says. “Good job, man.”

Donovan raises an eyebrow, looking at me. “She’s almost too good to be true,” he says lowly.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat while Sophie beams at me.

“Right! These guys haven’t dated anyone . And Donovan, actually opening his heart to someone?” she gasps in mock horror. “Who would have thought?”

Donovan scowls while Hunter laughs, but Sophie continues.

“No, I’m serious, April.” She leans forward in her seat, her diamond necklace sparkling. “These three? They don’t date. Ever. And Donovan almost smiled.” She looks at him, and Donovan frowns deeper.

“I smile,” he grumbles, and Liam chuckles next to me.

I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to play the part of dutiful girlfriend, but Liam and Hunter make it easy.

Even if I catch Hunter looking at me a little too much and winking when no one else notices.

It makes me feel normal, which is a reminder that he wouldn’t be that way if he knew who I really was.

Neither would Liam, who has inched closer to me since we’ve been at the table.

Only Donovan knows the truth about me, and he’s been closed off since I’ve signed the contract.

“Anyway, April,” Tom interrupts. “You’re in good company with them. I’m glad they’ve finally found someone.”

I keep the smile on my face. “I appreciate it,” I murmur.

The auction starts, and I do my best to keep a straight face as the numbers grow higher and higher.

But once the bidding reaches into the millions, I can’t help but shift uncomfortably.

I don’t belong here.

Everyone knows I’m a fraud.

Even as I clap politely for the winner of a thousand-year-old sculpture, I’m anything but calm.

It’s too crowded in the room.

The pack’s scents are around me, clouding my brain. They smell delicious, but that doesn’t stop my need to abandon the table and get some air.

But I don’t. I sit through the dinner, unable to enjoy the courses as panic surges through me.

I make note of every door and their handles.

The doors are unlocked. I can leave at any time.

“Are you okay?” Liam’s voice breaks me out of my thoughts, his brow furrowed in concern.

“Of course,” I say. “I just need to run to the restroom.”

“Oh!” Sophie says, placing her linen napkin down. “Would you like me to go with you?”

“No, I’m fine.” I smile, grabbing my clutch. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

I catch Donovan’s eye, who is looking at me curiously. But I leave before he can say anything, heading through the open double doors and deeper into the museum.

I don’t know where the restroom is, but I’ll find it.

My heels clack against the marble floor as I suck in a breath, turning a corner to find a long empty corridor, the restrooms at the far end.

The walk there feels like it goes on forever as my thoughts race.

Not here, not now…

I haven’t had a full-blown panic attack in months. I’ve had the beginnings of ones but have been able to work myself through them before they escalate.

But this time, it’s not working.

I burst through the bathroom door and lean over the vanity counter, exhaling a shaky breath.

Breathe in for four. Exhale for four.

Eventually, the painful tingles subside, and I’m able to stand up straight again.

I don’t know how long it’s been, but judging by the slight chatter carrying down the hallway, the auction is officially over and it’s time to socialize.

I take one last glance in the mirror, making sure I don’t look like I was just on the verge of a breakdown.

The waves in my hair haven’t fallen yet, and my makeup is still in place.

Nothing looks out of the ordinary, so I step out of the bathroom and start to head down the corridor.

But the opposite way, further from the main area of the museum, is the garden. The French double doors match the ones in the banquet hall, and I’m able to see the sprawling floral landscape illuminated by subtle lighting.

I should go back to the others, but I step out the doors just to observe the tranquility of the garden for a moment.

The doors open to a deck with a view of the flowerbeds. Stone steps lead down to a sprawling path of plants, and the tranquil sound of a fountain sounds somewhere in the distance.

“April?”

Liam’s low voice sounds from the deck, and I turn to my right to see him shrouded in the shadows near a flowerbed.

“Hey,” I say, moving closer to him. “What are you doing out here?”

He shrugs, avoiding my gaze. “I needed some air. I don’t do well in crowded spaces all the time,” he murmurs.

He almost sounds embarrassed, and it makes my heart hurt.

“That makes two of us, then,” I admit. “Sometimes I get panicky and have to step away for a moment.”

Liam turns to me and smiles slightly. “Has it always been like that for you?”

His subtle eucalyptus scents mixes with the garden perfectly. It makes me brave.

“Not until recently,” I say. “What about you?”

“Always,” he says. “It’s…frustrating.”

“It is.”

I find myself taking a step closer to him before I can stop myself. He towers over me with his kind, green eyes.

There’s a gentle strength behind Liam. A sweetness that’s so hard to find in people.

“I really want to kiss you,” he whispers. “But I shouldn’t.”

He really shouldn’t. He doesn’t know the real me.

“We have a contract,” I breathe, even as I part my lips.

He swallows. “I know. It doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

His eyes fall to my mouth.

The sounds of conversation carry down the corridor and out into the garden.

People will be coming out soon.

But my inner Omega is desperate to come out, desperate to believe that someone could truly see her and want her after everything she’s been through.

Liam doesn’t look at me like I’m broken.

He looks at me like I’m everything.

It’s only for a second. I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to Liam’s, knowing full well the consequences of my actions.

I thought I surprised him, but he was expecting it. His lips are soft and full against mine as he deepens the kiss, cupping my face in his hands.

When he pulls away slightly, I pant against his mouth.

“That wasn’t a good idea,” I breathe, and he smiles.

“No, it wasn’t,” he agrees. “We should do it again.”

I grin and wrap my arms around his neck as our lips meet.

His scent is everywhere as he groans into my mouth, the minty taste of his tongue swarming my senses. My cunt flutters as he licks into my mouth.

“You’re so beautiful,” he rasps when he brings his mouth to my neck. “So fucking beautiful, and smart, and lovely?—”

I gasp as his tongue licks against the sensitive skin of my mating gland, the sensation shooting a spark to my clit.

I clamp my hand over my mouth to stiffen a moan.

It’s been so long since I’ve been touched.

My body is on fire as the doors to the garden open.

Liam pulls away from me quickly and I jump back, pushing my hair to cover my mating gland again.

But it’s too late.

Donovan stands in the doorway, looking murderous.

Shit .