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Ishould have known that Sienna would turn into a trash talker the moment our hands were filled with game tokens.
“You going to lose to an omega, soldier?” she called out as she hit the air hockey puck back to me, landing another goal. I’d like to say I was letting her win, but Sienna was determined and not holding back in the least.
“Who is this, Nash?” Roland’s voice had me dropping everything to turn around and give him a hug. “It’s been too long. I’m an old man, you know.”
I laughed. “You’ve been an old man since I was ten. How’s Nona?”
“As ornery as ever.” Roland chuckled. “The usual pizza? If you’re going to stay a bit, I’ll call her down here.”
“Sienna, what kind of pizza do you like?” I asked, realizing I didn’t even know her favorite food.
Of course, she just shrugged. “It’s pizza. You can’t really go wrong unless you throw fruit on it,” she said.
The old man smiled at that. “I like her. You better snag that omega or I will,” he said without bothering to lower his voice. Sienna blushed and laughed it off, which earned me Roland’s favorite smirk before he walked away.
“Sorry about him,” I muttered, but she’d only managed to open her mouth before Nona came barreling into the room. For an eighty-something-year-old woman who was barely five feet tall, she wasfast. She slammed into me and squeezed hard before snatching my ear and pulling me down to her height.
“You haven’t been here inmonths!” she chastised. “How do I know you’re eating if you don’t come see me? You look thin, Nash! My boy is too good for his nona now?” The thick Italian accent hit me with nostalgia, and I laughed despite the pain in my poor ear.
“I’m sorry, Nona. I’ve been busy with work and finding an omega.” I had no qualms about throwing Sienna under the bus if it got this crazy old bat to let go. Nona gasped and did just that, stepping back before rushing toward a wide-eyed Sienna.
“Oh, you’re perfect! I can tell you don’t let this alpha walk all over you,” she said approvingly. “You eat pizza?”
“I eat pretty much anything. Food is amazing,” Sienna said quickly. Nona clicked her tongue and nodded in approval.
“Yes, but you’ve never had Nona’s cooking. I’m going to the kitchen so you can put some meat on your bones too. You’re petite like me, but we can eat heaps of food and still not be full enough.” She chuckled to herself as she patted Sienna on the cheek and rushed out.
“Watch, she’ll send us off with two of her famous lasagnas, spaghetti and meatballs, fresh bread,andRoland’s pizzas,” I warned.
“She’s intense,” Sienna said, “but I like her. Her energy is everything.”
“Nona has always been like that. They’d have adopted me if not for Grandma stepping in,” I admitted. “They’re like family.”
“They aren’tlikefamily. Theyareyour family. Just like Hazel, Eliza, and Teagan are mine,” she said evenly. “Now, are you going to cop out of losing the next game, or are you going to try?” The taunt had me moving back in position.
“Alright, omega, I’ll kick your ass this round,” I promised. She grinned back before starting the game again.
After I lost two more rounds, we switched to the other games, earning more tickets than I’d ever had. I loved that Sienna wasn’t holding back, but that wasn’t the only thing kicking my instincts into gear. Being alone in the arcade, surrounded by her orange, pear, and patchouli scent was driving me mad. Even worse, in so many delicious ways, she was no longer curling in on herself. Every chance she got, she’d rub against me or touch me, though I wasn’t sure whether she realized it. She was seeking me out, consciously or subconsciously, and that was a positive sign about the connection growing between us.
“What do we do with these?” Sienna asked, her fists full of tickets. I led her to the prize counter and called out for Roland.
“This is more tickets than Nash here has ever won,” he teased. “What can I get you?”
Sienna studied the wall of prizes, her green eyes full of excitement.
“Oh, I’ll take the tiara. The green one!” she said with a grin. Roland pulled it down and handed it over before giving us a bag of candy for the remaining tickets.
“Are they done?” Nona’s raspy voice yelled from the kitchen, and Roland chuckled to himself.
“We are!” I called right back.
“Good, good,” she said. A moment later, she appeared, carrying a staggering stack of to-go containers and a pizza box. “I’ve got you covered.”
“Nona!” I protested. “This is too much!”
“No, when she tastes my cooking, she won’t be able to stop,” Nona said stubbornly, setting it on the counter.
“What do I owe you?” I asked. I knew it was probably a useless question, but I had to try.
