“She doesn’t seem put off by it, but you do,” I pointed out.
“I’ve noticed,” he said, shaking his head. “She doesn’t care much for what society thinks about things, which I can respect. But at the same time, I feel ancient compared to all of you.”
I gave the coach a dry look.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, Coach, but I’m barely making it here.”
“One more season, Greer. Are you ready for the end?”
“No,” I admitted, the familiar sadness creeping in when I thought about it. “I’m not really sure what I am other than this.”
“You’re a delta who has two lucky-as-hell omegas.”
“I wasn’t ready the last time I had him. This time, I think I am, Coach. Maybe that’s the truth of it. Neither one of us is too old for them because they want us as we are. We just have to be as ready for them as they are for us.”
He seemed to think over my words as I let them sink into my own bones.
Maybe I just had to see the great Coach Hayes doubt himself to figure it out for myself, too.
“She didn’t eat or drink anything all day yesterday. I found her still in her office typing until her hands were aching,” he said, exasperated but still smiling. “I took her to dinner and it was actually really nice. It felt normal. So, maybe you’re right. If we’re open to them, then becoming a pack will happen as it’s meant to.”
“The adjustment after the resort was harder than I thought it would be,” I admitted. “They were there with us the whole time, and now we’re just supposed to go back to our respective places?”
“We’ll figure it out. They’ve been patient so far but I think it’s up to us to get this ball rolling. Speaking of omegas, I saw Rylan stick around until about twenty minutes ago. Probably waiting for you.”
Excitement bloomed in my chest. “That might mean he’s outside.”
He nodded, biting back his laughter. “That’s a possibility.”
I stood faster than should be possible, already gathering my things, eager to see the omega I’d missed today.
“We’re having lunch tomorrow before the game, I’m catering it in and want everyone there. Don’t miss it,” he warned. “After we know where everyone is at, we can find a pack house. My place isn’t big enough. It’s a one-bedroom.”
“Chorizo and I have a house I’ve been fixing up. But… when I say fixer-upper, I mean it. It’s in no way ready for any sort of decent omega. Our omegas might not be high maintenance, but I guarantee they at least expect to be able to use the bathroom without a fight.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose that would be a pretty standard need for an omega.”
“It’s our job to provide for them, and neither one of us has a place that can compete.”
Once again he shook his head, not accepting defeat. “We’ll figure it out. What other choice do we have?”
Coach clapped me on the shoulder before heading back to his office.
I took that as my cue to leave. There wasn’t a whole lot else I could do but face everything tomorrow, anyway.
A smile spread across my face when I realized Rylan was still waiting for me. His dark curls were shining under the parking lot lights, his face open and eager to see me.
“I never thought you were coming out of there.”
“If I wasn’t so happy to see you, I’d say something about you waiting out here alone.” I tried to give him a stern look, but failed.
“You know, I’ve taken care of myself for years,” he said with a laugh. It was just Rylan teasing and I tried really hard not to let that get to me.
I didn’t like the idea of him having to do things alone for years because I was nowhere to be seen.
I was still licking my wounds. That’s what I’d been doing for years on end. Some days, it felt like getting up and existing was a chore.
Now, standing here with Rylan, all of that felt like another life altogether. Breathing in his sweet, intoxicating scent, looking down into those eyes that were open and eager, it was hard to believe that I’d spent years alone trying to figure out how to be a person.
