“What do you think of her?” he asks casually. Almost too casually.
Fuck. He likes her. I know him well enough to know that he’s downplaying it. Which doesn’t surprise me. How could he not? There’s nothing to dislike about her. She seems sweet, smart, and she has Sabs’s seal of approval. Sabs is an excellent judge of characters; she wouldn’t let just anyone into their tight group.
I smelled the Stella balm on Faye’s wrists. It’s something the girls always wear when they go out together. As well as being a sign of sisterhood, it’s also a means of protection, allowing them to scent each other out in a crowd. It gives me some comfort to know that Faye has the Stellas looking out for her, since I can’t.
“She seems nice,” I reply, hiking up a shoulder.
“Food,” Damon grumbles. “Need to eat.”
“How about burgers?” Laz suggests as we saunter by an amazing smelling food truck. “Their animal fries are insane!”
“I’ll eat anything,” I pipe in, hoping that Laz will drop the subject of Faye.
No such luck.
“Faye seems to have fit into Stella House well,” Laz says. “Did she seem a little jumpy to you?”
Yep, he is definitely interested in Faye. He rarely pays any real attention to omegas, preferring to hang out with the guys, his family, or to spend his time drawing. He’s a massive flirt, of course, but to many girls’ dismay, he doesn’t take it seriously.
Dating when you’re in a pack is complicated. We all learned that the last time. My heart sinks just thinking about it. Why would Faye be interested in someone like me if she’s able to attract the interest of a charismatic alpha like Laz?
I’m not an alpha in the traditional sense. I’d rather read than play ball or lift weights. I’ve pretty much made peace with the fact that no omega is ever going to want me. I’m the weak link of our pack, and despite what the others say, I know I’m holding them back from finding their match.
Faye probably only agreed to meet me at the library because Sabs guilt-tripped her into it. Or worse, because she wants to find out more about Laz or Damon. Maybe I imagined it, but I swear, I smelled a hint of her perfume when Damon joined us.
“Who cares about Faye? She’s just another Omega,” Damon growls, ending the conversation as we reach the front of the line and he fishes out his wallet. “What do you want?”
Only Faye doesn’t feel like just another omega. The pull I feel towards her is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. And I already know I’ll struggle to sleep from my excitement to see her tomorrow.
Maybe, for now, just hanging out with her will be enough to satiate my curiosity. I’d like to learn more about her—who she is, where she grew up, what makes her tick, what sauce she likes with her French fries, what she thinks about behind those beautiful, doe-like eyes. Hopefully then, I’ll be able to get her out of my head, because right now, she’s all I can think about.
ELEVEN
Faye
I smooth down my dress. It’s periwinkle blue with white polka dots in a milkmaid style. The fabric is super soft and a favorite of mine, despite it being faded from hours spent in the sun gathering flowers in Clover Hollow’s meadows.
Outside, the sun is beaming, so I grab my new straw hat—courtesy of Threads, the on-campus clothing store—then stash my laptop in my backpack.
I quickly check the mirror. I hope I look okay.
I head down the stairs into the heat of the kitchen. Delilah’s dark curls are swept into a messy bun and flour covers her cheeks. Three loaves are cooling on the counter, and she’s busy kneading the dough for a fourth, deep in concentration.
“I’m trying out some new recipes, but they're not quite right.” She rolls up the sleeves of her rainbow crochet cardigan to really put her arms into it before she sprinkles more flour over the counter. “I’ll get it soon!”
Sabs already left for an early morning Pilates class, claiming that the best way to get over a hangover is to sweat it out. Kady’s still in bed, planning on catching up on reading.
I draw in a deep inhale. “Well, it smells delicious.”
“You’re meeting Ren, right?”
“Yes.” I smooth down my dress. “At the library.”
She pauses from her work to wrap up a loaf. “You can give him this chocolate, orange brioche loaf. He can share it with the Silverwoods.”
“Thanks.”
She checks out my outfit then arches one eyebrow with an almost knowing look. “You look too nice to be studying.”
