41. Olive
41
OLIVE
I tilted my head as a weird scratching sounded at the door. I was alone for the first time in days. My guys had reluctantly returned to work this Monday morning. There was some complicated thing that needed to happen at this stage in the restoration that required all of them to tackle it.
I begrudgingly got off the couch—still cocooned in my large blanket—and shuffled to the door to see what was making the noise. I was unsurprised when I opened it to find Felix, who meowed loudly and head-butted the door so it opened wider.
“Sure, make yourself at home,” I said, trying to sound annoyed but secretly pleased to see my buddy again. I crouched down to scratch his head. “Where have you been lately?”
I didn’t get an answer, but I did lose my balance, falling back on my butt as Felix tried to get on my lap.
“Thanks for that.” I scratched him under his chin as I leaned my head back on the doorframe. We should move inside instead of sitting here with the door open, letting all the cold air in, but my energy was zapped.
Felix fussed when I stopped petting him, but I was distracted by the two figures heading down the path towards me. As they grew closer, I realized it was Lucy and Summer. I froze before glaring down at Felix. “You knew they were coming, didn’t you?”
Felix just rubbed himself against me.
Great. Just great. At least my hair still looked okay after sleeping on my French braids, but I was dressed in an assortment of the guys’ clothes and was swaddled in a blanket.
Lucy gave me a wave when she spotted me. She was wearing a green peacoat with gorgeous floral embroidery on the lapels, and I wondered if she had done it herself. Summer looked great in a mustard yellow jacket and a pink striped scarf. Both omegas had big reusable grocery bags on their arms.
“Hey, Oli,” Lucy said, stopping a good six feet away from me. “We were just coming to drop off some lunch and goodies for you. Lars mentioned you were feeling a little down.”
“We’re not here to intrude or anything,” Summer said, pushing her hair out of her face as the wind whipped around us. “But those boys are terrible cooks, and we didn’t want you to starve.”
I swallowed hard. I couldn’t believe they were here. The first time they’d come with the welcome basket, I’d been so rude. And here they were, trying again.
Felix head-butted my chin, and I got the hint.
“That’s really nice of you,” I said, my voice coming out too quiet. I cleared my throat and asked more loudly, “Would you like to come inside?”
Lucy smiled. “Oh, are you sure?”
No, not really. I still wasn’t feeling quite myself, and was afraid I’d say something to drive my new friends away. But after all the care from my guys, and the passage of time, the most brutal part of my storm seemed to pass. Figuratively and literally—it was still overcast today, but the rain had stopped this morning.
Felix hopped off my lap and strutted inside the house like he owned it, and I clumsily got to my feet.
“Yeah, of course. Please come in.” I gestured for them to go ahead of me.
“Oh, it looks so good in here, Oli!” Lucy said. “Oh my gosh, I love this new sectional.” She ran her hand along the back of the sofa. “Green velvet? So fancy.”
I furrowed my brow. New sectional?
“I love this armchair and the new dining table,” Summer said. “It’s a great mix of the vintage furniture and these new pieces. You’ve got a real eye for interior design.”
“No, I don’t,” I blurted out. The two of them looked at me, confused. I pursed my lips and looked down the hall at the lighthouse door. I couldn’t believe my alphas. “I was told the cottage would be furnished, but when I got here, it was empty,” I explained. “The guys were upset when they found out. Apparently, they’d put Finn’s grandparents’ things in storage before I moved in, so yesterday, they moved the furniture back. I told them not to buy me anything new, and they insisted none of this was new. Besides the table, which Easton made.” I puffed up a little at that, feeling so ridiculously proud to have such a talented alpha.
Summer snorted out a laugh and put her bag down on the kitchen counter. “What liars. Those alphas are obsessed with you. Let them spoil you. That’s what they’re good for.”
I stared at the couch—the soft, cozy couch that was exactly what I would have picked out. I didn’t know if I wanted to tell off my alphas for lying to me or kiss them for finding a way to sneak me new furniture without me feeling guilty.
“Nope,” Lucy said, nudging my side. “I know that expression. You have that omega look in your eyes that says you’re about to run after your alphas. This is a girls-only lunch.” Then her eyes softened. “Unless you need them?”
The realization that neither of them would judge me if I did need my alphas hit me right in the chest. They were really just here because they cared .
I shook my head. “They can wait.” I blinked quickly to stop from crying. I was always extra tearful during my dark days, but I was tired of it.
“I brought roasted pork banh mi,” Summer said, cutting through the emotional tension as she pulled out a large stack of the Vietnamese sandwiches wrapped in brown paper. “I’m trying to perfect my recipe, so I expect honest critique and abundant praise. I’ve also brought brownies for dessert. With sprinkles because… why not?” She set a ziplock bag of slightly smooshed brownies beside the sandwiches.
Felix had been curled up on the basket bed I made for him, but at Summer’s words, he ran over and rubbed himself against her legs. Summer rolled her eyes but lowered the almost empty bag to the floor. “We had a banh mi casualty. One of them got unwrapped, so I guess you can have that.” He scampered back to his basket, dragging his prize behind him.
What a little freeloader.
My stomach rumbled, and I covered it with my hand. I hadn’t had much of an appetite the past few days, but suddenly I was starving. “That sounds amazing.”
“And I brought you a blanket,” Lucy said. She pulled a white fluffy blanket out of her bag. “Freshly laundered, too, so it shouldn’t have other scents on it.”
This was too much. I didn’t have anything to give them in return. I should’ve refused their gifts, told them it wasn’t necessary, but my omega urged me forward until the blanket was in my arms.
“I love it,” I breathed. “Thank you.” I looked down at the blanket. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything to give you.”
Summer made a dismissive noise. “That’s not how friendship works.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. Maybe that was true. I didn’t have much experience with friends, and I still wasn’t quite sure why these omegas wanted to spend time with me .
“Where’s Ivy?” I asked.
“At work,” Lucy said, taking a plate from Summer and handing it to me.
“Oh, right.” My cheeks heated. “I forgot it was a school day.” Without the rhythm of my dull nine-to-five data entry job, it was hard to keep track.
“Time is a construct.” Summer shrugged. “I should be at work, too, but Harry didn’t have enough for me to do this week. ”
I cocked my head. I hadn’t heard Summer talk about a job, just about the bakery she wanted to open.
“I help Harry, Stanley’s husband, with accounting work. But it’s hourly, and there aren’t quite enough hours. I also help in my parents’ restaurant. I just need to save enough for a commercial bakery space.”
“You’ll sell out of everything the moment you open,” I said. Everything Summer had made me so far had been incredible.
She smiled at me. “Should we be monsters and eat on the fancy couch or civilized and sit at the table? You choose, Oli. It’s your home.”
I bit my lip. I didn’t want to mess up the sectional, but I was itching to curl up under my new blanket. “Couch.”
“Monsters it is,” Summer said.
Lucy grabbed some paper towels, and we all settled down with our food. Lucy and I were on the couch, and Summer was in the armchair. I spread my new blanket over me and balanced my plate on my lap before taking a bite of the banh mi. The pork had a sticky sweet sauce with it, and the veggies were fresh and crunchy. “Oh my god. Summer, this is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.”
“Yeah, this is definitely the best one yet. This one has more of a kick than the ones last week,” Lucy said.
“Not too spicy, though,” I said.
Summer beamed. “Excellent. I’m playing with the amount of chili peppers, so I’ll mark this as a success.”
“Definitely,” I said around a mouth full of food.
Lucy and Summer started talking about potential locations for the bakery, and I was content to just listen. I curled up further under my blanket as I ate, a wave of fatigue washing over me. This was the thing about my dark days—I was left exhausted even once the fog lifted.
The thudding of steps in the back of the cottage let me know the guys were on their way down. Finn was the first through the door and headed straight to me, leaning down over the back of the couch to give me a kiss. “Hey, pretty girl. How’re you doing?”
“Good. Summer brought lunch. ”
“For Olive,” Summer said. “Not for the boys.”
“You wouldn’t deprive us like that, would you, Summer?” Easton asked as he squeezed in next to me. His hand moved towards my plate and I frowned, pulling it close to me. I only had a few bites of sandwich left and they were mine .
“Ohh, that was cold,” he said, but his smile told me he wasn’t actually upset.
“You can’t steal food from your omega,” Lucy said, outraged.
Lars joined Finn at the back of the sofa, leaning down to kiss my cheek. “That’s right, Easton. We can’t have our omega going hungry.”
Easton reached back to smack Lars on the side of the face.
Summer rolled her eyes. “I brought plenty for everyone. Not that you deserve it.”
“You’re an angel,” Easton said. He pulled me in for a kiss and then bounced to the kitchen.
Finn took the spot beside me, and I snuggled into his side. “I missed you,” he murmured. “Do you need anything? Are you warm enough?” He eyed my blanket. “I can get a fire going.”
I eyed the wood stove with longing. A fire sounded so cozy, but I was scared of messing something up and burning down the cottage. “If it’s not too much work?” I whispered.
Finn fixed me with a stern expression that said he was holding back from scolding me. He tucked my hair behind my ear and brushed his cheek against mine before getting up to start the fire.
I’d grown up with a wood-burning stove, but my dad had always been the one to keep it going. And now, watching Finn gather wood from the stack by the fireplace, I was struck by how happy he would be that I was taken care of.
Now it was Lars’s turn to squeeze in on the sectional beside me, a plate of food in his hand.
“Did you get enough to eat, sweetheart?”
I nodded, but the whole time, I was eyeing the brownie on his plate. I’d already finished mine and it was so good. Lars chuckled and moved his brownie onto my plate, brushing his lips against my cheek. His beard tickled my skin, and I leaned further into his side .
“You sure? You don’t have to.” I said, but the brownie was already in my hands. Lars’s chest shook with laughter.
I shouldn’t get used to being spoiled like this. I was a self-sufficient, independent omega who had made it these five long years alone. But… maybe I didn’t want that anymore. I wanted to be spoiled. Craved it.
Easton sat on the floor in front of me, his head brushing against my legs. I stuffed the rest of the brownie in my mouth so I could run my fingers through his curls. The room was filled with bright conversation, the girls and guys teasing each other like only people who grew up together could do. No one pressured me to join in or asked why I was quiet. Their easy acceptance of me challenged how I’d seen myself these past years. In my own mind, I’d been cold and prickly and annoying and too much. But maybe that had been wrong all along.
I was halfway asleep when Finn sat down on my other side. I blinked sleepily and realized Lucy was helping Summer pick things up in the kitchen.
“Is my girl tired?” he asked.
“Just a little.”
Finn hesitated before speaking. “One of the panes of glass around the lantern needs to be replaced, and our supplier just let us know that it’s ready. The issue is, they’re going to be closed the rest of the week because he’s going out of town, so we have to pick it up today.”
I frowned. Finn’s shoulders were all bunched, and he was speaking carefully. “Okay?” I looked over at Lars. “Why is that a big deal?”
Lars played with the ends of my hair. “It means we have to drive an hour away to pick it up, and because it’s so large, the three of us need to go.”
“You can come with us,” Easton said, turning around on his spot on the floor to face me. “I’ll even let you choose the car playlist.”
Hmm. I didn’t like the idea of being separated from my guys for hours… but I also didn’t want to leave my spot on the couch and the cozy fi re.
“I think I’ll be okay here,” I finally said.
The guys’ scents turned slightly bitter, and prickly defensiveness rose in me, ruffling my imaginary feathers. “I’ve lived alone for years.”
All my guys squeezed in closer until I could barely breathe. “It’s not that we don’t think you can take care of yourself,” Finn soothed. “But you’ve had a hard few days and we want to take care of you.”
“I can just stay here,” Easton said. “I won’t be helpful in carrying the glass. I’m not very strong.” His eyes widened when he realized what he’d just said. “I mean, no, I am strong. So strong. The strongest. Just not when it comes to lifting panes of glass.”
Lars snorted before gripping my chin and turning me to face him. “If you want to stay here, that’s okay. You’ll need to check in with us regularly.” When I opened my mouth to argue, he slipped his thumb in. I scowled but didn’t pull away. “Do this for us, kitten. We’re big, overbearing alphas who need to take care of our precious omega.”
“He’s got that right,” Lucy shouted.
Oh god, I’d forgotten they were here. My cheeks burned as I pulled away, Lars’s finger slipping from my mouth. He didn’t look one bit embarrassed with that little smirk on his lips.
“Yes, fine, okay. I’ll check in,” I huffed.
Lars pressed his lips to my forehead and then kissed his way down the slope of my nose to my lips. “Good girl.”
Well, that just made my cheeks heat more. I squirmed in my seat.
“We can always stay if you need company, Oli,” Lucy said as she plopped down on the armchair. “I don’t have any tailoring appointments for the rest of the day.”
“We could even try to convince Ivy to join us if she doesn’t stay super late at school again,” Summer said.
Were they just saying that out of obligation? Or did they actually want to stay? Why couldn’t social situations come with a manual? I cursed myself for being an anxious overthinker.
“You good with that, baby?” Easton asked. I nodded. “Glad we got that settled. We can bring back pizza for dinner.”
“Yes, please,” Summer said.
The guys very slowly packed up their stuff and lingered by the door. I couldn’t even make fun of their slow departure because I was right there with them, snuggling up to their sides.
“You know I’m strong, right?” Easton said for the third time, flexing his arms as he ran his fingers through his hair. “See, I can pick you up.” His hands cupped my butt and lifted me against his chest. Then his face transformed again. “Not that it takes a lot of strength to lift you! Not at all.” He bounced me in his arms, anxiety pouring from him.
“It’s like watching a train crash,” Summer said from her spot on the couch.
I grinned and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You’re very strong, alpha.”
Lars crossed his arms. “I’m strong, too.”
“Oh my god, don’t you have places to be? Go!” Lucy shouted from the couch.
All my guys grumbled, but Easton finally lowered me to the floor. After final hugs and kisses, my guys headed out the front door.
“Ivyyy, stop stressing,” Summer whined.
“Sorry, sorry,” Ivy said, hands fluttering as she adjusted a throw pillow. Felix had gone to fetch her thirty minutes ago after Summer threatened to show up at the school and drag her away. “I just keep remembering things I need to get done. I was going to cut out paper leaves so the students could write what they’re thankful for on them and use them to decorate the classroom.”
I recognized a bit of myself in Ivy—her deep care for her work mixed with her inability to ask for help.
“Do you have the paper with you?” I asked.
Ivy blinked, her expression a little confused and owlish. “Umm, yeah, in my bag.”
“We can help you, then, while we watch a movie.”
“Great idea,” Lucy said.
“Oh no, that’s not?—”
Lucy pulled the construction paper out of Ivy’s oversized bag. She passed out stacks of colorful paper to each of us and fished a pair of scissors out of her bag.
“I’ve got two pairs of scissors in the kitchen,” I said.
“This is really not necessary,” Ivy said, her cheeks heating as she took all three of us in with stacks of construction paper, leaf templates, and scissors.
Summer ignored her protests. “What movie should we watch?”
“Something chill.” Lucy’s eyes flitted to me, and I wondered how much Lars had told her about my mental health the past few days.
“ Pride and Prejudice ,” Summer and Ivy said at the same time.
“Precisely,” Lucy said, turning the TV on. “Are you a fan, Olive?”
“I’ve never seen it,” I confessed.
Their jaws all dropped.
“This is an emergency!” Lucy shouted as she logged into a streaming service and pulled up the movie. “Your life is about to change.”
“Isn’t this the movie you said Finn hates?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, he totally hates it,” Lucy said. “Maybe because I would always make the guys watch it when it was my turn to choose the movie for family movie night.”
“Not everyone understands the brilliance,” Summer sniffed.
I snuggled under my blanket, the soft sounds of a piano washing over me as the movie started, my hands staying busy cutting out colorful paper leaves.
“I don’t know why Finn doesn’t like this,” I said as I watched Elizabeth run away from Mr. Darcy in the rain. “He has a lot in common with Mr. Darcy.”
“That’s what I’m always saying,” Summer almost shouted. “He’s grumpy and a bit pretentious. It’s like that Spider-Man meme where they’re pointing at each other.”
I grinned as an idea started to form. “Do you guys know the owners of the Hollywood theater?”
“Missy and Herbert? Yeah, we know them pretty well. We grew up going to the theater, and I tailor Missy’s dresses,” Lucy said. “They’re such a sweet older couple. ”
“Well… do you think there’s any chance they might help me get some revenge on Finn?”
“Has he done something again?” Ivy asked, eyes wide.
“No, no, this is still from the first thing. I made him eat a pickle sandwich.”
“Oh, that’s excellent. But you think it’s not enough?” Summer asked.
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“You can love someone and still plot revenge against them,” Lucy said, nodding sagely. “And the movie theater was the original scene of the crime, right? I like it.” She tapped the end of her scissors against her lips in a way that made me concerned she would cut herself. “They’ve never shown a Hollywood movie… but I bet I could convince Missy to arrange some sort of secret showing for the sake of revenge.”
“Missy’s a girl’s girl,” Summer said. “We’ll get it set up, don’t you worry.”
The plan took hold in my mind, and a delightful sense of evil anticipation filled me.
I’d forgiven Finn for that night at the theater. I understood now why he’d behaved the way he did, and we had just been two strangers hooking up in a dark room. He hadn’t really owed me anything, and I was sure the reason I’d reacted so strongly to him leaving me was because my omega knew before I did that we belonged together.
My mom and dad had always called each other soulmates, even though they couldn’t be properly scent-matched since she was a beta. Designations didn’t matter to dad, and he didn’t act like your typical alpha, except for the protectiveness. He’d had that in spades.
So while I wasn’t angry with Finn anymore, just eating a pickle sandwich seemed to be getting off too easily.
I paused cutting out leaves as Mr. Darcy walked towards Elizabeth in a field. All four of us sighed.
“I hate the mornings, but I would stand in a field at dawn if a man like that was walking towards me,” Lucy said with a sigh.
My guys didn’t like mornings either, but they went out to the beach with me. I swallowed hard as my chest filled with that sensation again, the one that was suspiciously close to love.
The rest of the evening flew by—my guys returning with stacks of pizzas, Summer putting on Spider-Man, Finn tending to the fire so the cottage stayed warm and cozy, and Easton carrying me into my nest at the end of the night, all of us piling onto the brand new mattress.