“It’s hard for him, Lilah,” Willow says, joining in the teasing. “He was obviously raised by the boarding schools he was sent to as a child.”
He glares at her. “Ouch. A little too close to the truth.”
Willow shares a look with me, and we suppress our smiles until he can no longer pretend offense to her words. Then we dissolve into laughter.
It’s the easy sort of happiness that I lost somewhere along the way. But now that I have it back, I’m going to hang on with both hands. It’s funny how life can put you into situations that previously broke you, only to heal you the secondtime around. Sure, Jared meeting me at our bonding ceremony with Tabby on his arm isn’t quite the same as being on a show viewed by millions and competing with other omegas for a pack. Because I came into this show knowing I was competing, I had no idea Tabby was my competition back then. And maybe that’s the difference.
“Stay still,”Willow orders. I freeze immediately, staring at my reflection in the mirror as she hovers behind me. “Perfect.”
She breaks up the curl she just created in my hair and grins over my shoulder. Before she places the curling iron on the heat mat and comes around my side.
“You look like an angel,” she says. “I love that color green on you. A lighter green and blue shadow on your eyes will make them pop.” Glancing at the make-up still scattered across the counter, she picks up the eyeshadow.
I close my eyes, letting her do her thing. She said she wants us both to look amazing on her last night. We both know she’s right, and she’s going home tonight. If they don’t send her home, she said she won’t accept the trinket. The part of me that wants the guys all to myself with no real competition wants her to stay. I’d rather it be her than Hailey who's a pure omega bitch or Tyler, who has barely spoken to me the entire time.
She steps back, and I blink my eyes open as she brushes off my cheeks with a soft brush.
Chad strolls into the room. His hair is perfectly styled. He’s dressed in a perfectly pressed suit, with a red bowtie around his neck. He looks like a model.
“You’re still not ready?” he asks, although it comes out like an accusation that we’ve taken too long in his opinion.
“We all can’t be perfect like you,” I quip.
He grins. “True,” he agrees. “It doesn’t come naturally to everyone. But hurry up, they will be here any minute, and being on TV with one eye done and the other not…” he grimaces like it’s the worst crime imaginable.
“Both eyes are done,” I say, looking at myself to be sure.
“Just a touch of mascara and you’re done,” Willow agrees.
I pick up the tube of mascara and proceed to curl and plump my lashes as the two of them carry on a back and forth of friendly insults. When I cap the makeup and stand up, Chad smiles and Willow takes a steadying breath.
“I'm going to miss you guys,” she says. Tears start to form in her large green eyes, and she blinks them away.
I pull her into a hug. Chad wraps his arms around both of us, holding us together. “New York City might be a big place, but that just means we have more places we can meet up,” he says gruffly, the emotion clearly getting to him too.
She nods and wipes a single finger beneath each eye before checking her makeup in the mirror. Her eyes are brighter with her unshed tears, but she smiles at us.
“Let’s go be amazing,” she says.
We enter the makeshift ceremony room as the crew’s finished setting up. Willow crosses the space and openly chats with the cameraman she has shown interest in. His body language screams he’s into her, and I’d be willing to bet that if I were closer I could smell his beta scent getting stronger. But I stay where I am. She doesn’t need a tag along.
Hailey enters the room like she owns it. In a flourish of her choking perfume of some kind of flower like she’s put on something to enhance the scent. Chad coughs then holds his breath until he turns red.
“I guess killing the competition is one way to stay,” he says, shooting her a death glare.
She tilts her chin higher. “I can’t help it if my perfume isstronger than yours ever will be.Papaya, what a weak scent. You are closer to beta with that perfume than omega.”
“Honestly, you smell like you can’t control yourself,” he says, lowering his voice to a stage whisper as if he’s imparting some sort of secret.
I press my lips together. There’s no way I’m getting in the middle of this cat fight. Even if I agree with Chad’s blunt words.
“Do you have something to say?” Hailey demands, turning her glare on me.
I shake my head and bite the inside of my cheek. But I can’t hold the words in. “Nope. Chad already said it. But really, Hailey, if you were a little nicer, you might not have to enhance your perfume with a pheromone spray to get attention.”
Her mouth snaps shut, and she looks as if I slapped her. Chad laughs loudly next to me. I didn’t say it to be funny or to embarrass her. I said it because it’s true. It’s clear she’s desperate to stay, and she thinks that the spray will get their attention.
We are cut off from any more barbed words as Turner Clark enters the room like he owns it. His lively plum suit jacket and perfect hair catch the attention of everyone. A silence falls. He smiles benevolently at the five of us as we fall in line. And nerves ping pong around my stomach waiting for him to speak.
