AllFreeNovel
Share Us
BECKHAM
I simultaneously cursed Ellis and Tallon the entire time we watched the first two episodes—Ellis for bringing her here and her being so damn sweet. And Tallon for being such a fucking dick. He was always a bit rough around the edges, but the way he’d attacked her was personal, and I hoped he was kicking himself in the ass for it now. Even if his ex was an awful person, that didn’t mean that every new woman who came into his life would be.
There was just something about the tropical-scented omega next to me that I couldn’t stay away from. It wasn’t about my constant need to help people, either. It was her magnetism. Her bright green eyes drew me to her, their expressive depths letting me see her true feelings and intentions. I liked when what you saw was what you got; I’d been deceived by enough people to appreciate that quality.
She wasn’t my usual type. Hell, she was an omega and a woman. I was bisexual, but my preference had always leaned much more strongly toward men. But Briar intrigued me, and I wanted to get to know her better, see if there was more than just the initial attraction I was feeling.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. It wasn’t until she started shifting uncomfortably in her seat that I realized I’d been staring.
I winced, cheeks flaring with heat. “Sorry. You smell really good… like guava and coconut.”
“Really?” she asked. Curiosity sparkled in her emerald eyes, and she laughed, the small sound even more appealing than her scent. “I was thinking the same thing about your room. I don’t usually notice scents much. I worked in an office building surrounded by too many people to make sense of them, really. Got more used to just blocking it out so I could focus. Yours is nice though, sweet and earthy. And your room is so cozy. I feel safe here.”
I felt my cheeks heat, so I went for the easy subject to focus on—her job. “What’d you do at the office?” I wanted to know everything about her. Tallon would scowl if he saw me, telling me I was being too eager and pushy, but she didn’t appear put off by my enthusiasm.
“I was just an intern at the mayor’s office. My degree is in marketing, and I double minored in community outreach and graphic design. It’s an odd combo, I know,” she said, and I started to get the faintest hint of a change in her scent. Embarrassed? Why would she be embarrassed about that?
“No, I could see how it’d all come in handy, especially in an office like that,” I countered. She looked surprised but pleased, which in turn pleased me. Jesus, I was really getting attached super quickly.
When I found Graham and Ellis, it was just as quickly, and that was driving me crazy. They were the only two who’d gotten under my skin like that. Making the adjustment of sharing them with another omega hadn’t been easy, but Miles and I had come a long way from those first encounters that were timid and shaky at best. We’d found out fairly easily that we were very different types of omegas, and we were making ourselves miserable for no reason.
“It was supposed to be my ticket to prove myself, to earn a living without relying on anyone else,” she said vehemently before softening with a sigh. Her hands fell to her stomach as that fire seeped out of her. “To show my mom an omega’s purpose isn’t just to pop out kids and obey. I guess I failed at least part of that.” She patted her stomach.
“That’s not a fail,” I said, and I truly believed it. Of course, I was a little bit biased, but I thought that omegas, regardless of gender, could do whatever they set their minds to. It was a shame that she’d had the opposite example in her life, but if I could encourage her at all now, change even the slightest nuance in how she saw her situation, I would.
“I’m starting to see that,” she sighed.
“Have you talked to Graham about a job?” I asked, not wanting her to dwell on her worries.
“No,” she admitted. “If I’m not staying, then I figured it wouldn’t be worth his time.”
“Where do you plan to go?” I asked. Surely not that omega shelter. Ellis and Miles had got us all up to speed after she went to bed, and I wanted this sweet omega nowhere that would leave her jaded and even more broken.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. First step, a job that won’t fire me. Second step, housing. Third step, figure out how to be a fucking parent.”
“There are books for that,” I said with a small laugh. “And I bet every one of them won’t help a damn bit. I’ve heard parenting tends to throw all your preconceived notions out of the window.”
“You’ve had kids?” she asked. The surprise in her tone had me chuckling.
“Nope,” I said, “but I have four nieces, and let me tell you, that house is pure chaos.”
She laughed and gave me a side-eyed glance that was much more adorable than it had any right to be. “Don’t you wish that kind of crazy on me, Beckham.”
“Beck,” I corrected. “And don’t worry, that’s probably all my sister’s doing. She’s the definition of hot mess, but she’s a great mom.”
“I hear sleep deprivation can do that to a girl,” she countered with a smirk. “Trust me, you guys want me out of your hair before this baby comes. Late-night crying fits won’t help anyone. I can see Wells and Tallon now, forming an alliance at the very first hint of a cry.”
“You’d be surprised,” I said, knowing not a single one of us would care when it came down to it. Especially once they got over themselves. Tallon needed to deal with his past. She wasn’t his ex, and at this rate she never would be anything to him. Wells was just looking out for us, so he didn’t really hold any anger toward her.
Ellis was keeping his distance, which wasn’t too surprising. He wouldn’t want to overstep her faith in him. His job was to keep her safe, not to hit on her, and he’d take that charge from his friend very seriously. Miles was doing better than I anticipated, giving her a chance to adjust and being friendly. Graham… Well, he was Graham. He was fulfilling his usual protective/provider role and feeling her out. He wouldn’t show anything to the rest of us until he was ready.
However, that wasn’t what we needed to be thinking about. For now, I wanted to be friends and enjoy a lazy afternoon with my new roommate. “Let’s order some lunch.”
Briar nodded enthusiastically, her stomach growling as I opened up my app to get started on that. I definitely didn’t breathe in her scent… and I definitely didn’t notice my heart rate spiking at her close proximity.
She was just a roommate, after all…
