13. Saylor
Saylor
“Achoo!”
Startled, I glance up at Trent next. He’s wiping Snowball’s white fur from the dark material of his shirt, and I pull a face. “Ooh, that’s going to be a pain to wipe away.”
White fur and dark clothes do not match.
Yet Trent just grins at me, and then he sneezes again, rubbing his reddened nose now. My face crinkles in confusion.
“Hold on? Are you allergic to cats?”
Trent smiles tightly. “It’s fine, Saylor. So long as he brought another smile to your face.”
I blink up at the Alpha in confusion.
He brought the cat over to me just so I could have a reason to smile? Even though he’s clearly allergic?
I mean, he’s not wrong. Snowball is adorable, and he truly has made my day even better.
Back at Silver Grove High, I used to watch Trent from afar, imagining what sort of Alpha he really was beneath all the popularity and confidence. I'd built countless versions of him inside my head while I sat alone in the library or buried myself in another novel.
Yet none of those imaginary Alphas had ever crossed a room while clearly suffering through an allergy just to cheer me up.
Trent is really suffering. His eyes turn red and puffy next, and my smile falters.
I glance at Zale worriedly then, but the Alpha is too busy holding back a snort of laughter with his hand. He barely seems to care about his brother’s plight.
Meanwhile, Daisy and Rowan hold back their own laughter, and I narrow my eyes at the pair. Even Noelle and Robin can’t stop chuckling.
What is going on?
Did I miss the joke?
That’s when Daisy stops, catching my gaze, and she smiles reassuringly at me next, offering me a little wave.
I wave back.
I think I finally understand.
By the looks of things, it was Daisy who sent Trent over here, the cat merely serving as his olive branch of sorts. It doesn’t look as if she were the only one in on it, either; Noelle watches me with the same hope and enthusiasm in her big brown eyes.
My heart thuds.
I get that they’re trying to help, but this was not supposed to be a holiday romance. This was just a trip and a celebration of me.
I finally got published! And I am now in the States, staying at a writing retreat with several of my favorite authors.
I wasn't about to let old heartbreak steal that from me.
So, I must nip this in the bud very quickly.
Besides, even if anything were to come of this… it couldn’t last. I would have to return to the UK. Long-distance scent matches were cruel enough without adding oceans into the equation.
Trent sniffs yet again, and when I look back up at him, something changes within me. My Omega purrs just like the white cat in my arms.
It still doesn’t feel real. Trent brought Snowball over to my table just to bring a smile to my face, even though he’s allergic to cats.
So, in the end, I get up from my seat, handing the cat over to Zale. It purrs in his arms now, and it really is a friendly cat.
It pretty much gravitates to anyone.
“Here, let me help.”
Now I start wiping away Snowball’s fur from Trent’s shirt, and it really is stubborn. It just refuses to budge.
Our fingers brush for a second, and my pulse stumbles.
That’s when Trent’s brown eyes look my way, but I don’t meet his eyes now. I just pretend to be focused on Snowball’s hair as it still sticks to his shirt.
“Maybe you should find a lint roller,” Zale remarks, petting the precious kitty in his arms.
Trent chuckles, grabbing a tissue from the table next as he blows his nose.
Zale is still chuckling to himself, and now he reaches across, placing a kiss onto the cat’s head.
I try to offer him a pointed look, but when I find him kissing and cuddling that cat, my heart stops.
And then I find myself very jealous of a feline of all things. Snowball is purring away, and no one could blame him.
His gray eyes find mine. A smile takes over his face. “I always loved cats. But we could never have one because of this bozo here.”
Trent scowls at his brother as he blows his nose once more. “I don’t know what you’re complaining about. We still had pets.”
“Yeah, goldfish. A lot of fun they are…” Zale responds, returning to rubbing beneath the cat’s chin.
I can’t help it now. A laugh escapes me, and both Alphas look up at me, surprised. Zale grins. Trent smiles too, despite his stuffy nose.
“I’m learning so much about you two.”
And I thought I knew most things about them already. I often overheard a lot of what they said at school, but it was just snippets of conversation here and there.
Apparently, I'd only known the versions they let the rest of the school see.
I bet Emma knew of Trent’s allergies. I bet she laughed about them, too.
My mood sours when I remember the deceased girl, and then I drop back into my seat.
What am I doing? Trying to take her place…
This is wrong of me. I... I should cut this lunch short. I can always write back in my lake house.
Because Emma will always be waiting in the corner of every happy moment.
Now I grab my tablet, placing it into my bag as I rise from the chair. “Thank you for coming over and cheering me up, Trent. I appreciate it.”
The Alpha places his tissue into his pocket, and then he glances at me, confused. “It was no problem, Saylor. Are… are you leaving?”
Zale has the same question in his eyes, too.
I cast my gaze around. Everyone is well into their WIPs. I could always join them at their tables, but it's best I leave.
I can just say I am tired.
“Y-yeah. I’m going back to the lake house.”
A terrible lie. I will be writing by the lake. It is such a beautiful day, and I wouldn’t mind a little day at the beach.
“Well, we could walk you back,” Trent suggests.
I meet his brown eyes. Then I glance at Zale’s bright gray.
Now I bite my lip. I suppose there’s no harm in it. That’s when I blurt it out before I can stop myself.
“Actually, I was going to do some writing by the lake. You... you could both join me if you’d like?”
There, all out in the open. Just like ripping off a plaster. Or Band-Aid, since I’m in the States.
If they reject me, so be it. But we are not in high school anymore, and River isn’t around.
Still, my every instinct screams that this is a mistake.
This trip was supposed to be a celebration of my publishing deal.
Romance was never meant to be a part of the itinerary. Neither were scent matches that I’d spent ten years convincing myself that I would never see again.
Yet despite all that, the thought of walking back to the lake alone suddenly feels... lonely.
What changed?
I guess somewhere between Trent bringing me Snowball and Zale quietly watching over me while I wrote, I’d loosened up slightly.
Trent peers at his brother. “I wouldn’t mind a day at the beach. Besides, she could do with some company.”
Zale rolls his eyes, sipping his water. “She already had company before you came along.”
Trent smirks. “Yeah, but I meant intelligent company.”
Zale narrows his eyes at his brother, and the two Alphas hold a staring contest of sorts now.
A snort escapes my mouth, and both Alphas peer my way, startled. Zale grins. “What are you laughing about, S?”
There he goes with the nicknames again. The moniker almost makes me feel as if I belong somewhere.
As if I could find my own place in this world. That I could be a part of their pack.
I shake the unwanted thoughts away before they can completely take over. “N-nothing,” I reply. “You both just took me back to high school. You used to banter like this even back then.”
Both Alphas regard me with a mixture of confusion and surprise, and I widen my eyes.
Damn, did I just incriminate myself? Now they will know that I used to eavesdrop on their conversations.
Trent plasters a wide grin over his face. “Oh, you will see plenty of banter in this pack, Saylor. You can count on that.”
Smiling, I peer away before my face burns bright red.
Trent looks toward the door now. “Well, let’s go, England. We can find a sweet spot by the lake for you before the crowds arrive. You need to get some writing done after all.”
Good point. It is still only eleven thirty, but still… he called me England…
I guess that will be my other new nickname.
Yet I doubt I could get much writing done now, anyway. They’re the worst kind of distractions.
Now the three of us leave the café. On my way out of the door, I find Daisy’s encouraging smile.
I give her a playful roll of my eyes.
It looks like someone is trying to set me up with her brothers.
But one day at a time.
I still have a heart to preserve after all.
As well as my dignity.