Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jayce
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I slap my hands together to dust off my gloves before tugging them off. I had to call the crew in on a Sunday to get this job finished on time, and none of us are happy about it.
Pretty Siobhan: Is this from you?
A photo of a bouquet of flowers pops up along with a typed card that says, ‘For you, pretty omega’.
Me: Yep.
Siobhan: Thank you, they’re gorgeous.
Three dots pop up and then disappear, and I frown.
Was the flower bouquet a bad idea? I had it custom made; I picked each flower based on its meaning.
Or at least, based on what this ‘Language of Flowers’ book said the meanings were.
I’m typing a ‘you’re welcome’ reply when another message comes in.
Siobhan: Not to read too much into it, but as it’s quite a unique bouquet… Did you pick these flowers out?
Butterflies light in my stomach. She noticed.
Me: I did. I got a book about their meanings, thought you might like it.
Siobhan: Jayce [happy tears emoji] that’s seriously so sweet. I love them. Can I borrow that book?
Me: Sure, no problem.
Siobhan: I know you’re working, so I’ll let you get back to it. Just want you to know this is the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received.
The butterflies have fluttered up to my heart making it skip a beat, and I grin down at my phone.
“Hey boss, you gonna help us out here or keep staring at your phone like a lovesick douchebag?”
I glare at the younger alpha, but he simply laughs. “Just wait,” I say, tugging my gloves back on and stomping over. “You’ll be eating your words one day.”
When we’re finally done, I’ve driven home, and I’m clean from the shower, I walk into the kitchen to see Hayden tapping away on their phone.
“Hey,” I say, sliding into the seat next to them.
They set their phone down and look up at me. “How was work? Get it all finished?”
“Yeah,” I sigh. I roll my neck, trying to release some of the tension lingering in my sore muscles. Hayden reaches around me with one hand to knead at them and I tip my head forward. “Hard to concentrate, though. Can’t stop thinking about her,” I grumble. “About both of them.”
Hayden huffs a soft laugh and I groan when their fingers dig into the tendons at the base of my skull.
“I need to see her again, Hayden.” I swallow hard, almost regretting the vulnerability of the words, but my instincts are riding me hard. Hayden’s eyes are knowing when they tip my chin back up, and I’m grateful to see a matching need in their dark gaze.
“You’re in luck,” Hayden says, picking up their phone and flashing the screen at me. “Tomorrow.”
I can’t believe I agreed to this. I’m in my truck outside the community center, wiping my face down with a washcloth I brought from home specifically for this purpose and dampened with the last of my water.
I also pulled over on the way here and clambered into the backseat, managing to change into a fresh set of workout clothes without flashing my ass at anyone.
Now I’m sitting here trying to hype myself up to get out of the truck and join the tai chi class Aury invited us to. I’ve never done anything like it before, and I’m sure I’ll be terrible, but he said both him and Siobhan want Hayden and I to join them so… What choice do I have?
I already can’t say no to either of them.
I set the washcloth aside and pull the small, wrapped box with her next gift from under my seat. I wish I had something for Aury too, but he did say time was a gift to him, so I suppose my being here is a gift? What a strange concept.
Tap tap tap.
I leap out of my skin at the sound of someone knocking on my window. My eyes leap up from the box in my hands as I fumble it and my heart skyrockets, careening straight out of my chest.
“Hey,” the man says, his voice faint. He gestures for me to lower the window, but now I’m searching for my keys, jumping at a telling jingle when I accidentally kick them. I hold up a finger, then duck down and feel around by the pedals.
I glance at the man and give an awkward smile-nod, and finally I jam the key in and roll down the window. It takes me a couple tries to clear my throat before I can speak.
“Hey, Aury,” I say.
He smiles at me and leans one shoulder against the side of my truck. We’re at about eye level like this, and with me sitting, I feel off balance. I grip the box in one hand, and prop the other arm on the console, then move it to rest on top of the steering wheel. That doesn’t feel right either.
Why don’t I know what to do with my arms? What are arms even for anyways?
“Hey Jayce. I was taking a quick break for some fresh air. Been stuck inside all day. You coming in?”
“Oh, yeah. Mhm. Yep.” Apparently I don’t know what to do with my mouth either. I roll my lips between my teeth, then attempt to smile at him as though I’m not making a terrible first one-on-one impression.
Aury chuckles and pulls the door open. “You’re cute when you’re flustered,” he says, and my ears feel so hot I’m sure they’re scarlet. “You ever done any martial arts before?”
Aury steps back, still holding the truck door open, and I take the hint.
I clear my throat for what feels like the thousandth time in two minutes, and step down.
Suddenly, we’re no longer eye level. Although he’s tall for a beta, I’m still taller, and we’re standing so close he has his face tilted up to look at me.
“No,” I say. “Never.”
“We’ll start easy. Come on.” He slams the truck door closed, then takes my hand in his. His fingers are slender, his palm warm and soft against my callouses, but his grip is firm. I wrap my hand around his and let him guide me inside.
When we enter, Hayden is already there, chatting with Siobhan. A couple other omegas and a few older betas are milling around as well.
“That’s Sage and Wren, two of Siobhan’s closest friends,” Aury says.
I’m thankful he mentions it, as I don’t want to make a bad impression on anyone important to her. I give them a polite smile and nod, and they both giggle, then duck their heads together. That doesn’t help my flaming ear situation, and I can feel the flush creeping down my neck.
“You made it,” Siobhan says. Then her nostrils flare and the smile falls from her face.
Shit.
“Sorry,” I say, accepting a shoulder-clap from Hayden in greeting. “I had to come straight from work. Tried to wash quick and changed my clothes, but,” I wince, “not much else I can do about the smell. I can go—”
“No!” Siobhan’s fist snatches the front of my t-shirt and curls in, holding tight.
“I mean,” she pauses, clearing her throat as she stares with wide eyes at her own hand crumpling the front of my shirt.
“Um.” She tugs, and I take a tiny step forward.
Her eyes flare again and leap to mine. “I, um.” She stares up at me and I get lost in the clear blue of her eyes. “…like it,” she breathes.
“Ohhhh boy,” Aury says, his voice low enough I’m not sure any of us were meant to hear it. “Let’s get started, eh?”
I nod, and Hayden pats me on the back. Neither Siobhan or I move though. We’re locked in each other’s gazes, and she keeps sucking in deep breaths, slowly leaning towards me. Does she like how I smell right now? I certainly like how she smells…
“Siobhan?” Aury says. “Can you uh, maybe let go of his shirt?”
“Hmm?” She blinks, breaking her hold on me, and we both turn to look at Aury.
He gestures to her hand fisted in my shirt, and her mouth pops open in surprise.
“Oh!” She releases my shirt like it was about to burn her, then she glances up at me.
“Oops, sorry.” She pats the material, then strokes her hand down my stomach in an attempt to flatten the wrinkles, and heat shoots through me.
Her nostrils flare again, and then her perfume swirls into the air around us.
“Good grief,” Aury says with a disbelieving laugh.
Hayden chuckles, the enticing sound right next to my ear. Then their arm is around my neck and Aury’s arm is around Siobhan’s waist, and they’re pulling us apart and standing us next to each other instead. I turn to face her, but Aury stops me as he walks by.
“Face the mirror,” he says, then leans closer and lowers his voice. “You can see her just fine that way too, trust me.”
He’s right. I have no idea what I’m doing, but my eyes are glued to the way Siobhan’s body moves in the mirror. Every so often, I’m distracted by how lithe and graceful Aury is, and my gaze will ping between them. The couple times I’ve deigned to notice Hayden, they’re as enamored as I am.
Siobhan seems to be dividing her attention equally between all three of us, which doesn’t rile my instincts as I would have thought it might.
Seeing her watch Hayden, checking out their arms and legs, admiring how much glowing bronze skin is on display has me appreciating them both.
Same with her clear appreciation of the way Aury moves.
His toned muscles ripple beneath his skin, and his voice is smooth and confident as he guides us through the movements.
I don’t even notice any of the others in the class.
I’ve completely forgotten about them, so I’m surprised at the end when Siobhan’s friends walk up to her and hug her goodbye.
“Do you have a few minutes?” I ask her, pulling her to the side.
“For you?” she says, her blue eyes twinkling at me. “Of course.”
I don’t know if my skin will ever go back to my normal tanned-white, but so long as she doesn’t mind having a pink alpha, I suppose I’ll learn to live with my constant flushed state around both her and Aury.
“I have something for you.” I pull the wrapped box out from under the flannel I had draped over it on the bench.
“Another gift?” She immediately perks up with excitement. “I loved the flowers. Oh! Did you happen to bring that book with you?”
“Shoot,” I say, mentally kicking myself. “I completely forgot to take it with me this morning. I’m so sorry.”
“That’s okay, next time,” she says. Her smile is soft and kind, no hint of disappointment, so I don’t hesitate to hand her the small box. She tears the paper off and then carefully opens it and pulls out the bracelet. “Oooh,” she breathes. “How pretty.”
“I um,” I rub the back of my neck, feeling stupid now. “The beta at the shop told me about how crystals have different meanings, so I—” I gesture to the different crystals adorning the bracelet, and she beams at me, then inspects them more closely.
“Moonstone on the ends, yes?” She continues with a smile when I nod in confirmation.
“New beginnings, a good start. Then we have labradorite, which generally signals transformation or moving forward.” She glances at me with a mock-stern look, then winks.
My heart skips a beat and if I’d been walking I think I would have stumbled. That wink did things to me.
“Is this citrine, it looks like?” she says, but I don’t get a chance to answer.
I’m not sure if I could have anyways, I’m still reeling from the last few moments.
“I’m guessing you chose that for either abundance or opportunity, maybe both.
Black tourmaline for protection.” Her nimble fingers move along each bead as she names them, moving from the outside towards the center.
“Amethyst, of course, is a staple for intuition and calm clarity, protection too.”
At this, she pauses and glances up at me with another pretend scowl. “Why do you think I need so much protection, hm? You know I’ve been taking care of myself just fine since before I was old enough to stay home alone.”
I certainly don’t like the sounds of that.
What does she mean since before she was old enough to?
What about her parents, family? I open my mouth to question it, but she keeps going, moving her finger to the last, center bead.
It’s a pretty pale pink and cylinder shaped rather than round, so it’s longer than the others.
“Rose quartz?” She touches it lightly with one finger tip and then pierces me with those knowing blue eyes. They see too much, those eyes. Just like Hayden, always seeing what I’m not ready for them to yet. “Rose quartz is for love.”
I swallow hard, then nod once.
Her eyes flick between mine, and I’m tempted to look away. Too much, too vulnerable, but she deserves to see all of me. She deserves more than I have to offer, so I give her as much as I can.
She rewards me with the most tender smile I’ve ever seen, then she closes her fist around the bracelet, drops the box, and launches herself into my arms.