Chapter 1 #2
“Yeah, of course.” She’d gushed about it for weeks on end.
“Well, he’s great, and he’s helped to make some positive changes,” she admitted. “And he thinks that I could do more than they’ve let me so far, so he found this program. It’s a conference, really, a way to further my career.”
“Well, that’s fantastic.”
She’d been working as a paralegal for years, but had always wanted to become an actual lawyer.
“The best part is they give away scholarships. I might be able to go back to school, Rox.”
“You could have gone back to school anyway,” I argued. This woman’s stubborn nature should be fucking studied.
“I’m not taking money from my daughter,” she said with a huff.
“When do you leave?” I asked.
“Next week.”
“Alright. Let’s make time for dinner before then. I’m so happy for you, Mom. This is great.”
“I’m happy for both of us,” she countered. “But it feels like the end of an era.”
My chest ached at the thought. We’d been each other’s rock most of our lives but she was right. This changed everything.
“Or just the start of a new one for both of us,” I countered. “We’re going to be fine.”
“More than fine,” she agreed. “Dinner next week sounds great.”
“Love you, Mom. I have to go find an apartment, I’ll call you back later.”
“Love you, too, Rox. Good luck!”
When I hung up, I felt a lot better. If there was one thing my mother was amazing at, it was grounding me.
I tucked my phone back into my pocket and pushed open the doors of the coffee shop. I was met with the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and sugar, my eyes spotting the pastry shelf in the front.
“What can I make for you?” the barista asked.
“I’d love one of your chocolate croissants, and let’s go with a salted caramel latte, two extra shots.”
She didn’t seem fazed by my need for extra coffee in my coffee. She just wrote it down and rang me up. I moved to the side to wait for my drink.
She was quick, handing over a cup and bag with my pastry after barely a wait.
Now that I had a warm coffee in hand, I made my way toward a table right in front of the window. The sun was shining and it gave me a chance to study North Crossing’s main street.
I’d only been to North Crossing a few times, mainly for shopping. They had far better shops than Westgrave did.
I could almost see myself settling here. It would be a nice change of pace. Most of my business was done online. My team that ran The Gathering Place was from all over. We didn’t have a home office because we didn’t really need one. Everything was digital.
Speaking of my team, at some point, I’d have to admit to them that I’d taken on a special job. It would take me away from helping out but they were more than capable of handling everything in my absence.
I slid my laptop out of my bag and popped it open, starting to search through the local forums for a room or apartment for rent. Thankfully, there were a lot of omega-only spaces available. I scanned through them, looking for the typical red flags.
The first few were far too strict. One sounded like they were a bit moody and territorial, which would not work. Omegas living together was a precarious situation as it was.
Then my eyes landed on one that piqued my interest.
Busy omega looking for a roommate—prime location.
That was enough to have me clicking the ad. The more I read, the more it sounded too good to be true. The person seemed downright reasonable. They wanted the basics: keeping it clean, sharing chores, someone who was down to earth.
The best way to see if they were genuine was messaging, then meeting up to see if they were everything they said they were. I could easily walk away if not. I had a month to find a place.
I was never the type to tiptoe around, so I pulled up their profile and sent a direct message.
Roxie
Hello! I just saw your ad, and I’m kind of in a tight spot. I need to find a place for my job within a month, and I’m new to town.
Rylan
A month is honestly perfect. I keep getting people asking to move in tomorrow, and I am not here to rush things. What do you do for work?
It looked like he was sizing me up as I was him. Good, that was another point for his character.
Roxie
What are the chances you’re available for a quick meet and greet today? I just finished filling out paperwork at the job, and I’m having a cup of coffee.
Rylan
Actually, I just stepped out on my lunch break. Are you at The Crossing Cafe?
Roxie
I am. I’m right in front of the window, the girl with a laptop and impeccable taste in fashion.
He didn’t respond to that, but I had a feeling he was already heading my way, which was fine by me.
It didn’t take long before the door opened. The first one to walk in was an older couple. The second was an adorable omega. He had curly, black hair that hung to his shoulders. It was glossy, and I could tell that he took care of it.
He had a piercing under the middle of his lip, making his plump lips stand out. He had a decorated septum piercing, the shining metal standing out against his bronze skin. His wide, hazel eyes scanned the crowd before landing on me, a small grin tipping up the corner of his lips.