Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
“I can’t believe how often you visit campus considering you don’t go here anymore.”
Stacia smiles and gives a small shrug. “I guess a part of me must miss it. Subconsciously, of course. And I like getting dinner with you.”
I hook our arms together as we come upon the parking lot. Uriah is in his car not too far away and I’m dreading the rehearsal I have to go to after Stacia leaves.
Mainly because my professor is the devil and Nicole is one of his minions. But then I think about Jett and—funnily enough—the dread doesn’t feel as awful. Maybe because knowing that I have at least one person in my corner at rehearsal is enough to muster up enough confidence to get through it.
As if I summoned him by my thoughts, Jett comes around the corner of the building, likely heading to rehearsal as well. I expect to feel anxiety when I see him, but instead my omega urges me to run after him. I’m surprised by my own willingness to listen.
“I can feel you practically salivating to go over to him,” Stacia murmurs and I jump because I had no idea she was still here.
“Oh shut up.” I swat at her, only feeling a tiny bit embarrassed. I did my fair share of teasing when she was being courted so I don’t have room to talk.
“I’m guessing you’re finally ready to reciprocate their intentions?” She asks with seriousness.
When I look over at her, she gives me an understanding expression, which allows me to feel comfortable enough to say, “Yeah, I think I’m ready.”
My best friend smiles sincerely and it brings back memories of when we met in high school. Both of our worlds were crumbling, but we found lifelines in each other. It’s bittersweet now, for us each to have other people we can now go to in a pinch.
But no matter what, I’ll still always go to her first. Without any question or doubt, because she’s my person.
“Well, then go to him,” she encourages, pushing me in a way that makes me stumble a step. I laugh but I don’t need any more of a push as I take off to catch up to my scent match.
Honestly, he didn’t make it far. When I jog up beside him, he greets me with an expected smile. “Took you long enough.”
I scoff at him. “What? Were you waiting on me?”
He gives me a nonchalant shrug. “Just started going less than one mile an hour and still waited an eternity, twilight.”
My face scrunches, but not in disgust. The nickname doesn’t irritate me like it used to. It actually feels nice, like he’s always tried to show me that he sees me without having to tell me.
I make a fake gagging sound and he burst out into laughter.
“Alright, let’s get this freaking thing over with,” I say as we round to the drama building .
“It’ll mostly be Romeo and Tybalt scenes today. Hopefully it’ll be a break for you.”
I go to nod just as I see two figures at the front of the building. Their bulky frames look so out of place and it makes me suppress a smile.
“What are your two knucklehead pack mates doing here?” I ask, going for casual.
“They must be here to see me,” he says but his famous smirk is back.
Dax and I lock eyes and it transports me back to that bathroom at Alpha Xi. The possession in his eyes, the soft way he touched me, the way his mouth…
Yeah, I need to stop thinking about that. My omega is a ticking time bomb. I squeeze my thighs together at the memory and then try to let it go.
We haven’t seen each other since. After we left the bathroom at the party, we both got lost in the crowd.
And after, Opal found me and needed to go home.
Her omega was whining up a storm and she was struggling to get it under control.
I knew I’d have a chance to talk to them again, and taking care of my friend was more important.
But now it’s been four days and the time we had together is still so prominent in my thoughts. It’s replayed over and over the past few days, and I may or may not have fantasized what it would be like to have all of them in that way.
The first threesome I had with Dax and Everett quickly flashes through my head and, once again, I shut it all the way down.
They both give me happy glances, their eyes piercing and steady as Jett and I walk to them. “Funny running into you two,” I say.
“We have practice tonight, but we wanted to see our pack mate first,” Everett replies, but there’s a gleam in his eye.
“It’s a good thing we ran into you, actually,” Dax interjects as he pulls something out of his jacket pocket. The familiar shape of a soda bottle appears and I only let my jaw drop a little bit.
He hands me the Cherry Coke and I narrow my eyes at their smug faces. “Is this a setup?”
The way that Dax feigns innocence over the situation would make you think he was the actor of the pack. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We just wanted to see our pack mate.”
I look over at said pack mate and see that he has a huge grin on his face, not trying to hide his amusement at all.
“Hm… and you just happen to have my favorite drink on hand? How convenient.” A shiver falls over me at the way the cold bottle feels in my hand alongside the November air. He must have just bought this from the tiny refrigerator in the dining hall for it to still be this cold.
“Maybe it’s my favorite drink, too.”
I scoff at him but before I can reply, Dax gets a heated look in his eye. “I’m being serious, it’s quickly becoming my favorite.”
My cheeks flush quicker than I’d like at his obvious euphemism. I accept the coke just so the not-argument between us can end. “Well, we’re going to be late,” I say quickly while going around them.
“Have a good rehearsal,” I hear and assume Everett is saying it to Jett, but when I turn to look at them, he is watching me. I give him a small smile, feeling conflicted by the attention I am getting from all of them.
Maybe I’m not ready for all three of them in the bedroom. I am a blubbering, shivering mess right now.
“I’ll see you guys later,” Jett says to them and then escorts me inside with a hand on the small of my back. I try my best not to look back, but the yearning of it wins out and I sneak a glance. They’re both watching and my face heats up all over again.
Jett was right that I wouldn’t be doing a lot today. Besides going through the beginning party scene once or twice, Professor Chapman mainly focused on perfecting the scenes with Tybalt and Mercutio.
The awkwardness from a few weeks ago seemed to disappear.
Jett and I worked seamlessly together once again, relishing in our chemistry to make the scene as romantic as it can be.
Without my logical side fighting me, I fully embodied Juliet’s excitement at the discovery of her scent match and—even though I hate to admit it—it did make a difference with the tone of the scene.
One that’s a lot more dreamy and relatable for the audience.
Even though I wasn’t getting singled out by our professor, Nicole seemed to have a general issue with my existence.
Her eyes practically made a hole in the side of my head from the laser focus she was giving me.
Anytime Jett made me laugh or sought me out to sit next to me in the audience, I caught a stray mean mug from her out of nowhere.
She was really starting to piss me off.
On our way out, Professor Chapman praised us both and told us how great we’re doing. It was good to hear after weeks of disappointing him. I was on such a high that even Nicole eyeing Jett’s hand on the small of my back as we left the theater didn’t bother me or my omega one bit.
My good mood carried all the way out of the parking lot. I order a cab and grin from ear to ear when I notice that Jett is still standing with me so I don’t have to wait alone .
“Is it too much to ask if I take the ride with you to make sure you get home safe?” he asks and I’m positive it’s rhetorical, especially when he nods as soon as he sees my head tilt at him. “I know, you’re right. But can you at least text me when you get back?”
Despite past reservations and my deep need to feel independent, agreeing to his request feels right.
“Yeah, I can text you,” I agree. “But that was one of those reverse psychology things, wasn’t it?
You ask if you can do something that I definitely won’t agree to so the real thing you wanted to ask doesn’t seem that big of a deal? ”
Jett’s eyes widen. “Please, you must know by now that I’m not that savvy.”
I give him a teasing smile. “I don’t know, you did keep a major secret from me for two years.”
His face falls, and I feel guilty. “You’re right, though. I honestly have no idea how I did that. I always felt like I was shitting myself when you were around.”
“Really?” My brows practically raise to my hairline. “Well, you’re a good actor. You know how sometimes you feel like you’re completely bombing and then you’re told everything you did was genius?”
Jett laughs. “That only happened in high school. My two friends and I were the only ones who knew what we were doing.”
“Understood.” I watch him, noticing how casual he’s trying to be, but I can see the worry lines appearing, and I don’t like it one bit. “You were convincing in that role you like to play. I had no idea. And I thought I had a good bullshit-detector.”
“Still… I’m sorry,” Jett says, not letting me help alleviate his guilt. “I should have told you.”
I shake my head, serious this time. “Jett… it wouldn’t have mattered,” I confess. “I needed time. Back then, it was still so so on after my dad and leaving my mom, I would have never let an alpha court me. This was for the best.”
Jett watches my expression, and I realize that purr of his is back, reaching out to me in order to offer any kind of comfort. I put my hand on his chest and let it rumble through me. “Please don’t feel guilty anymore. Let’s just move on from it, see where things go,” I whisper.
He places his own hand on mine, holding it steady. “If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you. Whatever makes you happy, it is yours.”
I hear the words hidden in his sentence. It’s mine, as long as I’m willing to take it.
Rory: I’m home, safe and sound.
He’s texting back almost immediately. My heart nearly jumps out of my chest as I race to exit out of the chat, but he beats me to it.
Jett: good, I won’t have to send out a search party then.
My fingers are flying before I can even stop them, the flirty side of me tumbling out on autopilot.
Rory: And who would be in said search party?
Jett: Everett, Dax, and I obviously. Ciro would probably make it fun. and then probably Sam and Atlas because let’s face it, without them we’d be lost.
Rory: Definitely. Then you’d also need a search party.
Jett: Everett is probably better with a compass than we think.
I can’t stop the smile that appears as I think about how right that sounds. Jett has only known Everett for a short time, but it seems like he completely recognizes his pack mate for who he is. Everett is a secret, quiet leader. He doesn’t fuss about anything.
Does that make him the prime? I wonder if they’ve even thought about that, but the answer seems obvious to me.
I shake my head at the thought. It’s weird to think about pack dynamics at all, especially when I’m thinking about adding myself to it.
Rory: He’s definitely a boy scout at heart. I’d be safe and back in your lives in no time.
Jett: I don’t think we’d last very long so thank god for Everett’s hypothetical survivalist skills.
Rory: We might need him for The Apocalypse.
Jett: Might? We would die without him. What are you and I going to do? Pretend to be zombies to trick them?
Jett:That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
Rory:They did that in The Walking Dead
Jett:Don’t make me think of that show, I still haven’t forgiven them.
Rory: Sorry, my bad .
Even though I’m laughing behind my hand like he might hear me.
Jett: I have a question
Something in my stomach immediately speeds up. That statement never gives anyone a relaxing reaction.
Rory: Oh?
Jett: Would you like to go out to dinner with my pack tomorrow?
Rory: Like a date?
Jett: Exactly like a date
I think back to earlier today when my omega preened under their attention. I crave more of that, and besides that, it’s normal for dates to happen during the courting stage. Accepting would officially give them permission to do so.
And I want to be courted, I decide. I want to be the one they give that attention to, even if the anxiety of them being alphas still sits at the back of my mind. I can’t let my mother ruin my chance at happiness.
So I have no regrets when I send the next message. Only bubbling excitement and nerves swirled.
Rory: I would love to.