Could I handle that? Would I be able to stand by as her friend as her life moves on without me?
I hand him my credit card and collect the bag, knowing the truth without even having to think.
Whatever capacity Clara wants me in, I’ll be there.
Sylvia,the older Beta woman who owns the local coffee shop, waves at me as I walk in. She’s lived here for about a year now, and we love having her around. CHC did theremodel on the shop, and it seems like it’s always busy in here now.
Luckily, it’s a quiet time of the day, right at dinner time, and I know Clara is off today. I don’t think I could talk to her while holding her gift in my hand.
“Come for a restock?” Sylvia asks, leaning on the counter.
I buy a bag of blonde roast every few weeks like clockwork. I’m a creature of habit, and though I drink the pod coffee at the office, a cup of French press is the only way to start my day.
“Please!” I say, pulling out my wallet. “Have you been busy?”
She snags a bag from the shelf and carries it to the register. “Quite. I like it when it’s like this. It makes the day go by fast.” Her gaze lingers on the bag in my hand. “Got a gift for someone special?”
The blush that colors my cheeks must give me away, because she laughs. I hand her my credit card, avoiding eye contact the best I can. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“I had an Omega,” she says out of nowhere. “It feels like it’s been years since I lost him.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss.” I can’t imagine what it must have been like to lose a bonded. I’ve heard it’s the most painful thing in the world.
“We were scent matches. People don’t talk about Beta and Omega scent matches enough, you know? It’s not exactly something they write romance novels about. They exist, but they rarely seek each other out. There is so much focus on Alpha and Omega matches that Betas don’t bother putting themselves out there. I know this woman, Alex, who worked for me for a little. She had a bonded Beta scent match. He was also scent matched to an Alpha. Do you know that if a Beta matches with an Omega, they will match the same Alpha?”
I try to take my credit card and the bag of coffee beansfrom her, but she doesn’t let go. “The best gift my Omega ever gave me was himself. I felt drawn to him when we met, but he was taking suppressants. Through everything, we always found our way back to one another, like magnets. Suppressants may prevent you from detecting pheromones, but your body still knows. Alex experienced the same thing. She was drawn to her Beta and Alphas from the moment she met them, even though she was on the strongest suppressants I’ve ever heard of.”
“Okay…” I try to yank my card from her hand, but she holds tight.
“I’m sure that whatever is in that bag is wonderful. I imagine it’s an incredibly thoughtful, beautiful gift. But sometimes, the best gift you can give someone is yourself. Just remember that.”
NINE
SEVEN DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
My friend Hazelhas expensive tastes. Usually, I wouldn’t complain, but living on a barista’s salary is tight, even without Christmas complicating it. The dress she helped me pick out for the holiday party was more than I had planned to spend, but I fell in love with it. Now we’re at River Faire, which is the nicest restaurant in Copper Hill.
It’s easy to be the nicest restaurant in a small town with limited options, but this one deserves the title. We’re an hour outside of Syracuse and attract a lot of its weekend crowd, who are looking for that small-town feel but don’t want to sacrifice luxury, and River Faire fills that need.
Hazel has ordered a spread of appetizers and a bottle of champagne for mimosas. I’m mentally calculating my portion of the meal when she throws her napkin at me.
“I’m paying for lunch. Get out of your head.”
My parents have told me my whole life that my face is louder than my mouth, and they must be right because Hazel always clocks me perfectly.
“You don’t have to,” I say half-heartedly. She narrows hereyes at me, and I sigh. “Okay, fine. Thank you. I’m looking for other jobs, but the coffee shop is all I have right now.”
Hazel tilts her head to the side, long blonde hair with perfect beach waves falling to the side like a waterfall. She’s tall, with a trim and fit physique that is a common characteristic of Alphas, yet she’s not overly muscular in the way male Alphas can be.
We make an odd pair, I’m sure. Sometimes, I feel like her direct contrast. I’m short, with a boyish build and cropped, pin-straight black hair. When I told her I was going shopping today, she insisted on coming. At first, I was dreading it, because it’s almost impossible not to compare myself to her, but I shook that off almost immediately.
She has excellent taste and chose outfits that looked great on me.
“I’m not worried about it,” she tells me dismissively. “Besides, it’s only right. I picked the place and ordered all the food.” She leans forward on her elbows, eyes sparkling. “So, a date with Felix. When are you going to spill your feelings?”
I shake my head vehemently. “Nothing to spill. We’re just friends, Hazel, you know that.”
She snorts and grabs a stuffed grape leaf, popping it into her mouth and speaking around it. “Bullshit. You love him.”
