“I—well—I did plan to tell you about that,” I stuttered over the words, knowing I’d walked right into that trap. “He sleepwalks. It wasn’t just me thinking with my omega.”
“Oh sure, only partly,” she shot back. “And I see how it is. Two new people come into town and suddenly you don’t care about me.”
“Shut up, you know you’re my number one,” I said, rolling my eyes with a small laugh before cutting to the chase.
“Which is why you’re going to give me the details. Now.” And Leon called me a bossy omega. I had nothing on Briar.
“Well, they kind of crashed into my life. Lexi brought them in, and I figured it was just a standard thing, you know?”
“Except it wasn’t standard, was it?” she prompted. I could hear her amusement and promptly ignored it.
“No. Not at all,” I admitted. “I felt drawn to him from the start.”
“But you couldn’t get your head out of your ass, huh?” she continued. Leave it to Briar to roast me while being a good friend. “We’ve gotta let go of our past sometime, and it doesn’t mean giving up on any old flames we’re holding onto. It’s just allowing yourself to be happy in the meantime.”
“What if I don’t know how to be happy?” I said, admitting some of my vulnerability.
“Something tells me that you’ll figure it out,” she promised. There was no judgment in her tone this time. We’d all been through way too much for that.
“So, where are you going to take this fine young beta on a date?” she demanded.
“That’s why I called you. I have no idea.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” she teased, “but I’m also not an expert in dating.”
“Fuck it. I’m going to Club 21 first,” I said with a groan. Apparently, this was turning into a multi-friend matter.
“I’ll meet you there. I could use a drink,” she said. “Plus, I’ve gotta be there for this conversation. It’s going to be ahhhh-mazing.”
She cackled before hanging up the phone.
I didn’t even bother to head home first. I just ran straight to Club 21, hoping I’d find Lexi and Silva inside. Lark was still in New York, so she was out.
I burst through the door of Club 21, and both Silva and Lexi were chatting at the bar, laughing about something. They jumped up in seconds, eyes ready for a fight, then relaxed when they saw it was just me.
“What the hell’s got you bursting in here like your ass is on fire?” Silva demanded.
“SOS,” I said as I flopped into a seat at the bar. “I have a date and I don’t know what to do.”
Lexi’s eyes widened before she let out a soft laugh. “All of this over a date?”
I gave her a look. “Come on. It’smewe’re talking about.”
“Wait! Is that cute, little beta you created a new position at the gym for?” Silva cocked an eyebrow at me.
“Maybe,” I said, though my smile definitely gave me away.
Lexi’s smile softened. “Look, I get it.”
Seeing them both find their packs made me want to have one of my own. I just couldn’t get past the guilt. But between Cassie’s pep talk and Leon saying yes, I was finally ready.
Now I needed a fucking plan.
“Guys, I’m freaking the fuck out here. I don’t knowhowto date.”
“You’re going to go home, take a shower, then you’re going to get all cute. After that, you’ll go out. Simple as that,” Lexi said as if that solved everything. They had to be fucking with me now.
Silva nodded in agreement. “Go to dinner and make it a rule not to talk about anyone’s past.”
