20. Olive
20
OLIVE
The guys were working inside the lighthouse, and I was hiding away in my nest.
I’d peeked out my window this morning to see the three of them arrive. They were so unfairly hot in their work clothes. My mind wandered to how strong and calloused Lars and Easton’s hands had felt against my skin.
I fidgeted with my sweater—Easton’s sweater—feeling self-conscious. What did they really see in me? They could have any omega they wanted.
And then there was Finn.
He was back today—wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and low-slung work pants that made me feel the same squirmy, needy feeling I’d had in the movie theater. I wished I could forget the way his thick fingers felt inside me, the sound he’d made when he came. I cupped my burning cheeks with my hands. The two of us needed to talk. Lars and Easton were convinced Finn wanted to court me, but I had my doubts and refused to come between them.
Neither Easton nor Lars had knocked on my door this morning. I tried and failed not to overanalyze it. Was it because Finn was with them? Or had they changed their minds about me ?
I took a fortifying breath and did one last check in the mirror. Today was my lunch with Lucy, Summer, and Ivy. It was a brisk day, the cold seeping into my old house, but my anxiety meant I was already sweating. My omega wanted— I wanted—to run to the lighthouse and get reassurance from my alphas. I wanted them to wrap me in their arms and tell me I could totally do this—be normal and make friends—but I didn’t want to come off as too needy. So I quietly slipped out my front door and headed around the side of the house to get my bike.
And came to a sudden stop.
Where the old, rusted bike usually sat, there was a gorgeous, brand new dark red bicycle. It was beautiful and shiny and had the cutest basket attached to the front. A basket Felix was currently sitting in.
My heart pounded, and I looked over my shoulder to see if the gift-giver was there, but there was no one.
Meow.
Well, no one besides Felix.
I reached out to scratch him on the chin. “Did you get this for me?”
Felix cocked his head as if saying I am, in fact, a cat .
I grinned. Easton or Lars must have gotten it for me, and that made me want to break out in a dance because this had to be a courting gift. Right? It had to be.
I ran my fingers down the beautiful, glossy paint and then got on, wiggling my butt when I realized the seat was the perfect height for me. Felix meowed sternly, batting his paw at the brand-new helmet hanging from one of the handles.
I frowned. “Felix, that will absolutely ruin my hair.” But he wouldn’t budge. I put the helmet on with a huff, buckling the strap under my chin. “Happy now?”
He curled up in the basket, the satisfied look on his face remaining our entire trip into town.
I parked outside Rosie’s Cafe, and Felix stretched before jumping out of the basket. “You’re welcome for the ride,” I called out after him as he strutted away .
I turned to face the restaurant and then screamed when Stanley appeared in front of me.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Harvest,” he exclaimed. He was wearing a knitted gray vest, and his white hair was combed back and gelled.
I clutched at my chest, heart pounding. “Umm, hi.”
“I’m so glad I ran into you. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about your role in the upcoming Harvest Festival.”
My anxiety was making it hard to track what he was saying. “My… role?”
“Yes, indeed. We pride ourselves on our festivals here in Starlight Grove, and our Harvest Festival is one of our top ten most important festivals of the year! Town member participation is essential.”
“Oh, I don’t think?—”
“And I think with a name like yours, this is destiny. Can I put you down to run a craft booth? You do know a craft, right? And, of course, there’s the crowning of the Harvest Queen. It’s the most important part of the festival, and again, with a name like yours?—”
“Ahh, Stanley! You’re not cornering our sweet Olive, are you?” I jolted as Summer appeared at my side. Our only in-person interaction had been when I rudely shut my door on her, but it didn’t seem like she held it against me when she looped her arm with mine.
Stanley looked perturbed at the interruption to his monologue. “We were just talking about the Harvest?—”
“Harvest Festival,” Summer said, cutting him off. “Yes, yes, very important.” She cleared her throat. “Must get all omegas to make feminine crafts.” Summer spoke the words in a robotic tone that made me laugh. “But we really must be going.” She pulled me away from a protesting Stanley and didn’t release me until we were safely inside the diner.
“Stanley and his festivals,” Summer said, rolling her eyes and guiding me to a large table. “Char! We’re grabbing the window table.”
“Like I care!” a woman shouted back.
I raised my eyebrows, but Summer looked completely unbothered as she sat down.
“Now, the trick is to always check your surroundings before you come to a stop anywhere in town because Stanley is always waiting to pounce. And then, if he does track you down, you just need to run away as fast as you can.”
My lips parted, and I was at a loss for what to say. This town was so much stranger than anything I’d imagined. Summer seemed to read my thoughts in my expression because she just smiled and patted my hand. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Get used to what?” A tall, blonde woman approached our table with glasses of water, and I realized she was an alpha. I’d only met a few female alphas. My parents’ best friends had been a lobstering family consisting of a male and female alpha—Gunnar and Anna—and their omega, Sarah.
“She’ll get used to Stanley and this crazy town,” Summer said.
“Not sure that’s possible.” Char turned her gaze on me, her expression kind but assessing. “You’re our new lighthouse keeper?”
I nodded.
“Good. We need more omegas in this town.” She arched her eyebrow at my sweater. “Those boys work fast.” She turned on her heel and headed back to her counter, leaving me with burning cheeks.
The door opened, and Lucy and Ivy entered. Lucy was wearing another pretty floral dress with an embroidered headband, and I anxiously fiddled with my too-long sleeves. Maybe I should have worn something cuter, but my omega had been very upset with the idea of taking off Easton’s sweater.
“Oli!” Lucy exclaimed, once again using the nickname she’d bestowed upon me. She pulled me into a hug before she sat down beside me. “I would ask you how things are going, but I feel like that sweater says it all.” I shifted in my seat, embarrassed, but Lucy’s smile was teasing, not cruel.
“It’s nice to see you,” Ivy said. Her short hair was sticking up a bit on the side, but it looked really cute. “Do you prefer Olive or Oli?”
“Lucy’s decided I’m an Oli,” I said, secretly pleased. Nicknames were a thing friends gave to each other. “Either is good with me. ”
“I was so excited when I heard the new lighthouse keeper was an omega. I’ve never heard of an omega doing a job like that,” Ivy said.
I smiled and took a sip of water, doing my best to ignore the uncomfortable feeling curling in my stomach as my thoughts flitted to the lie I’d put on my job application. Everything would be fine. I had a plan to manage everything.
Char came by to take our orders. I hardly ever ate out because of my finances, but I’d made sure I could squeeze this into my budget and was looking forward to it.
I was handing Char my menu when Lucy gasped, making all of us jump in our seats.
“It’s Ella and Lincoln!” She excitedly pointed out the window.
“Shit, Luce, give us a warning next time,” Summer said.
Two teenagers were crossing the street, and I realized the girl—Ella—was the barista I met in Beans ‘n Bliss with Lucy the other day. The guy next to her was broad, dark-haired, and absolutely fixated on Ella. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her as she chatted brightly away.
“When will they realize they’re in love?” Lucy asked with a sigh as the couple turned the corner and slipped out of sight. “They’re so cute together.”
“I don’t know, but this should cheer you up,” Summer said. “Some eye candy is walking in right now.”
The bell above the door rang as a dark-haired, brown-skinned, handsome alpha entered and headed to the counter to order.
“Okay, he is a cutie,” Lucy said, fanning herself.
Ivy pursed her lips, but when she caught me looking at her, she blinked and transformed her expression into a smile.
We all looked on as Char got the alpha two coffees and two donuts to go. He was very attractive, but I could hear my omega go meh, he’s not as good as our alphas . As he turned to leave, he caught Ivy’s eye, and his face lit up. For a second, it looked like he was going to come over, but then he saw all of us sitting there, staring, and changed his mind. He gave her a sort of awkward half-wave with his full hands. Ivy’s cheeks turned bright red and she waved back, letting out a little sigh when he left .
“Excuuuuuuse me. Who was that?” Summer asked, eyes wide.
Ivy took a slow sip of hot chocolate before primly putting down the mug. “He’s a new teacher. He moved here with his partner at the start of the school year.”
“An omega partner?” Summer asked.
Ivy picked at her napkin, cheeks flaming red. “Not that I know of.”
“We can work with that,” Summer said, grinning.
Ivy shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable at having the attention on her.
“You’re a teacher,” I blurted out. Now the eyes turned on me, and I sat back in my chair. Yes, excellent. Why ask an intelligent question when I could instead loudly declare Ivy’s profession?
A little smile twisted Ivy’s lips and she gave me a wink. “Yeah, I teach fifth grade.”
“She’s an amazing teacher,” Lucy gushed. “All her kids adore her. It makes it almost impossible to walk around town with her—it’s always Ms. Winter this , Ms. Winter that .”
“Lucy’s exaggerating,” Ivy said, but she was smiling fully now and it was obvious how much her friend’s words meant to her.
“I think that’s amazing,” I said. “I was homeschooled, which was my decision. I preferred to spend my days out on the boat with my parents.” At their confused expressions, I clarified. “My dad was a lobsterman. His family was for generations. And my mom and I helped him on the boat.”
“That’s so cool,” Summer said. Then she dropped her voice. “But don’t let Stanley know or he’ll recruit you for our annual Jumpin’ July Rockin’ Lobster Roll Competition. Which, if the name didn’t tip you off, is a three-part competition where you have to jump rope, play a rock song, and then present a lobster roll for judging.”
My jaw dropped. “Um, how many festivals do you have?”
“The limit doesn’t exist,” Lucy said. “Stanley invents new ones each year.”
Char and another woman came to drop off our food.
“I’m not sure you’re doing a good job convincing the girl we’re normal,” Char said. She put my burger and fries in front of me. It looked and smelled amazing .
“Well, that was always going to be an impossible task,” the woman beside her said. “I’m Rosie, this one’s omega.” She nodded her head at Char. “She named the cafe after me and now thinks she can put me to work whenever she wants.” She let out a little squeal when Char pinched her butt.
“Omegas,” the alpha said, rolling her eyes. Then she leaned down and kissed Rosie on the forehead. “Stay and chat if you want, darling. Gavin will be here soon.”
Rosie pulled up an extra chair. “You don’t mind me crashing the party?”
“Oh my gosh, you don’t have to ask. Sit down,” Lucy said. “We really need a name for our little posse.”
Ivy held up her hand. “If you suggest the Omega Overlords one more time…”
Lucy turned her bright eyes on me. “What do you think, Olive? Want to be part of the Omega Overlords?”
I covered my laugh with a cough, but the other omegas’ expressions told me I wasn’t very convincing. “I’m not sure I’m the overlord type.”
Lucy huffed and sat back in her seat. “Well, since you all turned down Omega Otters and the Official Omega Squad, I don’t know what you want from me.”
Summer held a hand up to her ear and looked around. “Oh, yep, that’s right. No one is demanding a group name except you .”
Rosie grinned. “Is this the relaxed lunch you were expecting, Olive?”
“I’m quite sure I did not promise a relaxing lunch,” Lucy sniffed. “Just a fun one.”
“Well, it’s definitely that,” I said, digging into my burger and curly fries. It was the best meal I’d had since the pho Summer included in the welcome basket. Although it wasn’t difficult to impress me, the person who subsisted on microwave meals and ramen.
“Pass me the ketchup?” Summer asked, grabbing it from Ivy. “ Oh, Stanley cornered Oli when she got here, talking about the Harvest Festival.”
“Oh god,” Rosie said while Lucy gave a loud, exasperated sigh, and Ivy lightly rubbed her forehead.
“Look,” Lucy said, waving her french fry in the air, “I enjoy all our festivals, but no one loves a festival like Stanley. And he always wants us to do some sort of girly craft.”
“Lucy, you’re the craftiest person I know,” Rosie said with a grin.
Summer’s fist came down and hit the table. “It’s the principle of the thing. Just because we’re omegas doesn’t mean we like to do feminine crafts or spend time with children. Even though Lucy does tons of girly crafts and Ivy loves children.”
“It’s the principle,” Ivy said.
“The principle ,” Lucy repeated. “Which is why we always put together crafts that Stanley will hate. Last year, I led a cross stitch class.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“She taught everyone how to cross-stitch their favorite curse words onto pillows,” Ivy clarified, her lips twisting in a smile.
“And I made balloon animals for the children,” Summer said, an evil smile on her face. “It’s not my fault they were all snakes because I don’t know shit about balloon animals.”
“And then all the children used their balloons like swords and attacked Stanley with them,” Rosie said.
“Tell us, Olive, what horrible talents can you show off?” Lucy asked.
The iron fist of anxiety squeezed my chest at the thought of having to run a booth at a festival. “Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “I have no talents.”
“Excellent,” Lucy said. “That is exactly the energy we need.”
I choked on my drink.
“You don’t have to participate,” Ivy said warmly. “I’ve decided this year, I’m going to have the kids paint rocks. It will be fun.”
“Rocks?” Summer rubbed her hands together. “That sounds exceptionally dull. It’s perfect.”
“While this is a thrilling conversation, I want to know about Olive’s sweater,” Rosie said, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Because I can smell Easton on it from across the table.”
My cheeks burned so hot I was on the verge of bursting into flames, but my omega was a snarling, furious mess that another omega knew what my alpha smelled like.
The girls must have seen something in my expression because Summer leaned forwards and squeezed my arm. “We’ve all grown up with Easton, but it’s never been romantic.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Olive,” Rosie said, looking truly contrite. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
I shook my head. “It’s totally fine.”
“I remember those early days, especially before I bonded with Gavin and Char. I hated the idea of any omega being within a hundred feet of them… or maybe a thousand. It’s normal to feel possessive of what’s yours.”
I twisted my fingers in the sweater. “They’re not mine,” I mumbled.
Summer nudged me with her elbow. “I think they are.”
“And they better act right,” Lucy sniffed. “I’ve been wanting a sister ever since Lars pushed me at the playground when I was five.”
“He pushed you?” I asked.
“Well, maybe not on purpose,” she said, and Summer rolled her eyes. “But brothers are just so ughhh . Big and annoying and bossy. Sisters are way better, and I can’t wait for you all to make it official.”
I swirled my straw in my drink. Along with that anxious fist in my chest was a warm, syrupy feeling. At Lucy’s acceptance of me dating her brother. At the fact that all the omegas at the table thought the guys wanted me.
Rosie reached across the table and patted my hand. “My best advice is to make them work for it. Alphas need a challenge, so make it hard for them. You’re the prize here. And even once you’ve bonded, keep them on their toes.”
“Aren’t you—” I swallowed my words, fighting the voice in my head that told me to just nod and stay quiet. But this might be my only chance to talk to a bonded omega. I looked around, making sure Char was still at the cash register, and lowered my voice. “Aren’t you worried they’ll get tired of you? That they’ll think it’s all too much work?”
“Olive,” Rosie said, her eyes soft. “When you find the right alphas, they’ll never make you feel like you’re too much because you won’t be. You’ll be just enough for each other. If they think you’re too much work, they’re not the right alphas for you.”
I gave her a tight smile, trying to let her words sink in. The alpha from the incident years ago obviously wasn’t the right one for me, but there was no escaping the reality that I was an exhausting person, prone to pushing people away with my less-than-sparkling personality and multitude of issues.
The rest of lunch rushed by way too quickly, ending with Summer presenting us with cookies—a new recipe, she said. She wanted to start a bakery and was testing what should be on the menu. Char grumbled about outside food, but ate two of them.
The omegas sent me home with a package of cookies, lots of hugs, and promises to get together soon.
By the time I got home, my cheeks hurt from smiling.