But what if they don’t want the same thing?
“It’s different for me,” I whisper, voice tighter than I want it to be. “I play with them. That’s all it is. We agreed on casual from the start.”
Milo raises an eyebrow. “You already smell like them.All the time. And they look at you like you hung the damn moon. If youdon’t say something soon, you’re going to break. An Omega who feels discarded or rejected doesn’t fare well, Parker. Trust me on that.”
The words land like a fastball to the sternum. I’ve been pushing the fear down for weeks, the quiet terror that one day they’ll get tired of sharing me, or decide casual is better, or find someone who doesn’t come with all my baggage. The thought of them pulling away makes my stomach churn so hard I have to grip the edge of the desk.
“Maybe I should just break it off,” I mutter, the words tasting like ash. “Before it gets messy. Before they decide to end it first.”
“No!” All four of them say it at the exact same time, loud enough that Professor Lang actually pauses mid-sentence and glances back at us with a raised eyebrow.
Milo recovers first, flashing that bright, mischievous grin. “Absolutely not. Just tell them. The worst thing they can do is say it’s still just casual… but at least it happens because you brought it up and not the other way around.”
Avery nods, softer now, his voice full of understanding. “You deserve to know where you stand, Parker. You’re already in deep.”
I swallow hard, trying to keep my scent from spiking, but it’s so strong I’m surprised the whole lecture hall doesn’t smell like a peach orchard in full bloom. The bell rings a minute later, saving me from having to answer.
I shove my notebook into my bag and stand up fast. “I’ll… think about it.”
As I head out the door, Harlow calls after me, “You’ve got this, babe!”
My phone is already in my hand before I even reach the hallway. My fingers hover over the group chat with Arlo and Fox for what feels like forever. I’m terrified of losing what we have.But I’m even more terrified of waking up one day and realizing I never told them how I really feel.
I type the message before I can talk myself out of it.
Me: Hey. Can we talk tonight? After your late class?
I hit send and then stare at the screen as three little dots wave across the screen.
Arlo: Yeah, we get out at 7.
Fox: Everything okay?
Me: Yep. Yeah. See u then.
I shove my phone in my pocket and take a detour to the cafeteria. I need to distract myself and food always seems to work.
parker
Ifluffthesamepillow for the fourth time, then rip it out of the nest and shove it back in a different spot. My dorm room feels too small, too bright, and too quiet. The fairy lights I strung up last year cast soft golden glows across the piles of blankets and hoodies that smell like Arlo and Fox, but right now even that makes my stomach twist.
I’m terrified.
My phone sits on the desk, the group chat still open to their last message about their late class running long and now I’ve been pacing for forty-five minutes, convinced I’m about to ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
I yank off the oversized Knotlocke hoodie I stole from Arlo and pull on a soft cropped tank instead. Then I hate it and switch back to the hoodie. My hands are shaking. I keep catching whiffs of my own scent, peach and vanilla spiked with nervous citrus, and it’s so strong it makes me dizzy.
A sharp knock on the door makes me jump so hard I nearly knock over my lamp.
I freeze.
Another knock, softer this time.
I cross the room on shaky legs and open the door.
Arlo and Fox are standing there in the hallway, in a mixture of sweatpants and old jerseys, hair damp with sweat, looking like they ran here. Arlo’s eyes light up the second he sees me. He doesn’t even say hello. He just steps forward, cups my face with both hands, and kisses me like he’s been starving for it.
The taste of him hits me instantly and my knees go weak. I melt into the kiss, fingers curling in his shirt, a tiny whimper slipping out before I can stop it.
