“Yes.”
I can tell he’s uncomfortable.
“It’s okay, we can talk about it some other time.” I wrap an arm around him, and he takes the deepest sigh of relief.
It doesn’t take me long to fall asleep, and when I wake up in the morning, I’m not just snuggled up with Ethan, but between both him and Bram.
I feel nearly whole.
I feel like poor Max has taken a back burner with helping his image out. Though his press has been good lately, I still have alerts on my phone when any of my guys are mentioned. Even if Serenity Jade wants to write speculative articles, there’s been nothing more on me and Max. If anything, most of what I’ve seen out there is people hoping he stays on the team.
Maybe I’ve been avoiding him, which makes me feel even more guilty. Especially because I can’t help but to miss him.
He and Bram don’t get along, and I’m with Bram, so being around Max almost feels like a betrayal in a way.
It’s silly, but it’s also not because when I’m around Max, I have an amazing time. He’s easy to talk to, handsome, funny, and there’s a connection there I can’t deny.
But there’s only so much I can ask of Bram, and this would be taking it too far. I know I can be selfish sometimes; it’s part of the territory of being a single child and an Omega. But doing this feels hurtful, which I just can’t swallow.
Yet I have to do my job.
So here I am, waiting for Max to meet me in my cubicle so we can talk about the fundraiser for Phillip, Liz’s husband.
There’s a tap against my cubicle wall before he takes a seat in the vacant chair next to me.
“Hey there, stranger,” he says, and I give him a watery smile.
“Hey. Been busy. How about you?”
“Actually, getting along with the team. Well, most of the team minus Nilsen, fucking dick.”
“He’s not so bad,” I say, wanting to defend him in earnest, but we aren’t public knowledge yet.
“He hates me, and I don’t even know what I fucking did. But that’s besides the point. Everything is going pretty well, if my brother would let off my ass a little bit. My PR lady seems super happy with all the footage lately. Thanks for that,” he says with a smile.
“You’re welcome.”
“Sloane, are you okay?”
I rub the back of my neck and nod. It’s just the end of the day, and everything is wearing off. I need to go home and relax, maybe take a nice bath or do some of the things on my checklist.
“Yeah, sorry. Just tired,” I reply, and he furrows his brows and nods.
“We can work on this later. You should go home and take care of yourself.”
“I promise I’m fine. I have everything planned anyway. It’s pretty straightforward. We have the home game against Vancouver. And right after, we’ll hold the fundraiser in person and online for Phillip with you handling the social media aspect.”
“Perfect, I can do that. Are you sure that you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just a lot of balls in the air right now. I know we have a few weeks, but I’ll get everything organized. You’re doing a great job with your image all on your own,” I tell him, hating the last sentence.
I feel like such a horrible friend.
He seems dejected but just nods his head. Dammit, I know I’m being so weird; I want to talk to him like I used to, but I pull myself back.
“Alright, well, I’ll see you around.”
I give him a soft smile, hating that I know I’m making him feel awkward.
