Al glares at me for my trouble, and I put my hands up. “Sorry, dude, but you’re looking a little ill. If you’re gonna be sick, I just want to escape while I can.” He looks from me to Sarah, probably wondering if I would drag her along with me if I skedaddle, but no dice. She’s on her own in the case of vomit. I love her, but I’m not gonna fight her to make my escape. She’d most likely kick my ass for the trouble.
Al shakes his head at me and takes a deep breath, releasing it on a sigh. “No, Greg. I’m just…concerned. Spencer is important to us, and he seems quite enamored already. He’s not the most experienced person, and…I don’t want him to get hurt.” I start to reply that Sarah wouldn’t hurt him, but Al cuts me off. “No, I know she wouldn’t do anything on purpose, but…how can I say this? Spencer falls in love,veryquickly andveryeasily. And it wouldn’t even take her trying. But in a week you’ll be gone, and Paul and I will be left to pick up the pieces. Even if she doesn’t tryto hurt him. I’m afraid he might already be gone for the young lady. I’m just worried for my friend.”
There’s more he’s not telling me, and I don’t want to push, but I’m not sure he’s right either. The way Sarah is with this guy is more engaged than she’s ever been with John, and he’s her scent match. He’s also a total piece of shit, but I’m following her lead on that one. I’ll support her no matter what her choice. Al is right that it’s no fun to pick up the pieces of a broken heart, and if I’m being honest, I’d rather see her with somebody who looks at her the way the big guy does than the disregard she gets back home.
I remind myself that it’snotmy job to play matchmaker for my mate, but it’s hard right now. Especially with such a bright smile on her face.
Chapter 42
Am I staring?
Oh god, I’m staring!
She’s gonna think I’m a freak.
I mean, I am, but not for that staring thing.
That’s just for her.
Use your words, Spence.
You got this.
I don’t fucking got this!
Paint colors! Yes, thank you, Greg! Pulling out the different colors I chose for the nest, I spread them out, watching Sarah’s face for any indication of her thoughts. It’s not her nest, but I want it to be—after I finish it, of course. I’d like it to be perfect before she sees it, though. Paul doesn’t date, and Al only dates betas, but maybe that’s ’cause omegas aren’t exactly free-range. That sounds bad, even in my head. They always have a lot ofsecurity, either family or pack. You just don’t see them in the wild often.
Fuck, that sounds worse.
Am I breathing heavy?
I am!
Shit, it sounds like I’ve been running a marathon.
She’s gonna leave, and it’s ’cause I can’t get my shit together.
*internal screaming*
A small, warm hand comes down on my arm, jarring me out of my panic. Sarah smiles up at me and drags my attention back to the paint colors. She’s pointing at two of them, her eyes bright. It’s the dark blue I want to use for the top of the room, and the not quite aqua I’m going to be using for the base. Basically, the two colors I got a full gallon of so that I can blend going up the wall. That’s good; I hope she likes it. I hope she’s around long enough to see it. Maybe we can invite her to dinner later this week. I’ll need to hurry and get it done while she’s still here, but that’s not a problem if I stay up late for the next couple of nights. I’ll have to give it time to dry between layers. Shit…
Paul will need to cook if we invite her and Greg over. I don’t think I could impress her that much with just rice. Also, I haven’t figured out all the settings on the darn thing. The forums made it look so easy. Dammit. But Paul can cook better than anyone imagined. Their whole family can; it was one of his dad’s rules that once they got old enough, they each had to take a night of the week to make dinner. Josh offered to teach me when I got older, but I set the stove on fire and their dad said maybe I should ask my parents for help learning.
Oh, he makes great stuffed peppers. They’re a pain in the butt, but maybe if I help, he would agree! Plus, those need rice, so it’s win-win.
She’s still smiling up at me, but I have no idea what to say.
“So…um, you’re an omega. How’s that going?”
Oh my god, kill me now!
Sarah’s laugh is loud and contagious. There’s even an adorable snort in there at the end before it tapers off. Her hand comes up, patting me on the arm; she’s too short to reach my shoulder. “Oh, shit, Moose. You really do look a lot like him...Being an omega’s ok most days. Some are, obviously, worse than others. But I’m pretty sure that’s normal for every designation. How’s being an alpha treating you?” There’s still laughter in her eyes as she stares up at me, and I can feel an idiotic grin spread across my face.
“Oh, you know…hard. Um, wait, no, I don’t mean. Shit. Uh…fuck. Not hard like that.” Her laughter is back, and she’s wheezing as she leans against my stomach. “My family are all betas, so it’s all kind of a big learning curve.” Why did I tell her that? She was just being polite, she doesn’t need my life story. Her laughter dies off as she stares up at me.
“Oh…that’s…well. It’s not sad; it just sounds kind of confusing. Is it just you and your parents then? Any brothers or sisters?” She stares up at me hopefully, and my grin stretches to near maniacal levels.
“Four sisters, all younger. They’re great and all super smart. They help me out with stuff sometimes. Like Tiffany, she’s only a couple years younger, but she always knows what to do. She’s my go-to for advice. Then there’s Kay, she’s studying to be a vet tech right now, so she’s really smart too. She’s really into self-care and keeps me in the loop for when new skincare stuff comes up. She helped me set up my regular routine, ’cause moisturizers are confusing. Penny just started college in the fall. I can’t remember what her major is, but I think it has something to do with bones…or dead things. She had to move out of state, ’cause there isn’t a program for it close by, but she’s visiting this week for spring break. And last is Claire. She’s sixteen now and always worries about me. She says I don’t keep my chakras cleared wellenough, and it’s causing me undue stress. I keep meaning to look into what that means, ’cause she always looks really somber when she says it. But there’s a lot going on with the house and stuff.”
