Talk About… Rivalry (Rockwood Valley Omegaverse #2)

9. Sidney

Sidney

E very single day that passed since Taylor and I started texting, had been a mess. I was always happy to see the messages rolling in, then reality hit and I couldn’t even let myself enjoy it.

Fuck, how could one omega be such a mess?

Thankfully, today was Sunday, meal prep day. I’d be spending the afternoon at Mama Whitaker’s kitchen. It was one of the only spaces I felt truly at peace.

As soon as I made it through this damn grocery store, at least.

Rockwood Valley wasn’t bad unless you wanted to be alone. Then it seemed you ran into everyone you knew.

I’d already had to endure small talk with four different people and I was ready to scream. I didn’t give a fuck about the weather today or what town gossip they wanted to tell me about.

Reaching the frozen section, I started loading up the vegetables I needed for Dad’s food. I continued working down my list, dropping bag after bag in my cart until heavy footsteps were coming right towards me. I turned around, expecting to have to talk to someone else, when I realized it was Maverick.

He looked like an angry raincloud was hanging over his head. The alpha didn’t spot me yet. His hazel eyes were cast down and he was muttering to himself. Everything about the big alpha was radiating frustration, his muscles were tight, his eyes were darker than usual, and his hands were fisting the grocery cart so hard that I was shocked it hadn’t broken yet.

Something was wrong and I couldn’t help but speak up, my chest aching at the thought of him being upset.

Fuck, I was such a masochist. This was just begging for heartache but I couldn’t stand back and do nothing. Not if he needed me.

“Are you alright, Maverick?” I asked, keeping my tone light.

His lips curled up in a half snarl. “I’m fine.”

Then he did a double take as if he realized who he was talking to. He didn’t get the chance to apologize before I was snapping back.

“Don’t you dare bite my head off, Maverick Whitaker. I’ll tell your Mama on you.” My hands went to my hips, eyes severe in warning, but there was still a smile twisting my lips. I knew how to handle his grumpy exterior, this wasn’t my first rodeo.

Maybe that was why I was always the one to get through to the stubborn horses my uncle stuck me with.

He snorted, his eyes slightly softening at the sight of me.

“Sorry, Sidney. It’s been… a day,” he offered in explanation.

Hey, at least I got an apology. I knew from experience that Maverick didn’t hand those out lightly.

“What’s got you all worked up, alpha?”

His eyes darkened a little at the title, but then annoyance was right back again drowning it out.

“Some dick is opening a bar in town.”

My jaw dropped.

“What the fuc?,” I gasped, fury on his behalf filling me. “Did he not realize we already have one? Rockwood Valley isn’t exactly big.”

“As I said the first time we had this conversation,” a voice chimed in. One that was vaguely familiar. “It’s not just a bar. We do not have the same patrons, my friend.”

Not only did “friend” sound like an attack, but when I turned around and saw who it was, I froze.

Fury, embarrassment, and indignation were so intense that my stomach churned. This was a face that I hadn’t expected to encounter again.

“Leo,” I said, my stomach dropping at the familiar face. He had those same sharp green eyes and brown hair, though it was much more tame than it was in our middle school days.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Maverick accused. If he sounded pissed before, it was nothing on his fury-laced tone now.

“Sidney,” Leo said, his smile widening as his gaze slowly tracked over me. “All grown up, aren’t you?”

“We’re literally the same age,” I deadpanned.

“Technically, I’m two months older than you, am I not?” Yet another thing he’d always held over my head.

Leo and I had been rivals in school from the moment that we started fifth grade, until he left in our last year of middle school. At first it was friendly and playful, then middle school hit, my life fell apart, and he turned it from friendly to borderline bullying.

Every time we got grades, we compared them. Every time there was a competition, I pushed myself to my limits to try to beat him.

He did the same. He was the one beta who never held back on an omega. Part of me respected that, but I also equally hated him.

“Wait, this is the guy that used to make you cry all the time in middle school?” Maverick asked, the anger in his tone even more harsh as he turned to the beta.

Leo’s green eyes widened in surprise. “How the hell did I make you cry?”

“I didn’t cry,” I shot back, crossing my arms. “I’m not a crier.”

Not exactly true, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

Maverick’s lips formed a thin line as he glared at Leo like this was just one extra mark against him. Even if I wanted to lie, it was true, I’d cried so much back then. Maybe that was why I hated doing it now.

I doubted anyone liked crying, though.

Once my mom left me, I lost control of my life. School was the only thing I could keep control over, burying myself in doing better, besting Leo.

At home, I was just another farmhand. Dad offered no reassurance, simply gave me a fresh list of chores.

I thought maybe if I did one thing right, that I would prove to myself that I was worthy, I couldn't be forgotten.

To be fair Leo knew none of this. I didn’t exactly advertise that my mom left me behind. The only one who really knew was Avery, because she and the Whitakers helped piece me back together.

“As fun as this conversation is, I’m over it,” I said, starting to push my cart away from them. Leo reached out to stop me, his hand brushing my arm, but it was yanked away as a feral warning growl ripped out of Maverick.

“Don’t fucking touch her.”

“Hey, now,” Leo said, raising his hands as if placating the angry alpha. “I was just trying to apologize for whatever I caused back then.”

Something about it didn’t sound sincere and apparently, it didn’t to Maverick, either.

“It seems you have a lot of issues that you aren’t aware of, like opening a bar in a place that there already is one. Or torturing omegas to the point of tears. Maybe you need to do a little self-reflection, friend .”

I’d never heard ‘friend’ used so many times as a curse.

While they were distracted with their posturing, I rolled my eyes and pushed the cart straight to the checkout. Thankfully, this was the last section I needed.

Shockingly, nobody followed me as the cashier scanned my items. It was loaded in my car and I was driving past the front doors when they finally hurried out as if they were looking for me.

I didn’t even bother to give them a second glance as I drove off.

This was the last thing I needed today.

I couldn’t believe Leo fucking Valor was back in Rockwood Valley.

It was ridiculous.

For him, it was, apparently, a fun competition, a way to prove that he was as great as he thought he was.

For me, it was him rubbing my shortcomings in my face when I was already broken hearted and vulnerable that made it so much worse. I was just good at hiding it because my dad couldn’t be bothered to deal with my breakdowns or emotions.

Anytime I’d start to cry he would just blink at me and walk away, making it clear that I needed to pick my own self up off the ground every time.

Avery and Mama Whitaker were the only ones who ever hugged me after that. If it wasn’t for them, I’d be one of those hot mess, touch starved omegas who didn’t know how to react to physical contact.

Who was I kidding? I was one of those omegas. I had abandonment and trust issues, something my therapist and I had talked about extensively when I used to see her.

Mental note, start scheduling appointments again. I fucking need them.

Over the years, I contemplated looking my mother up and handling that part of my past, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I was afraid it would make everything worse. Terrified that she would take one look at me and tell me that she regretted nothing when she left me behind.

Fuck, I had to get myself together before I walked into the Whitakers’ house. Mama Whitaker would take one look at me and see right through the shaky mask I had on right now.

Just like I knew she would, the moment I gathered up my groceries and carried them into the kitchen, Mama Whitaker was there with two cups of coffee. Her smile fell the moment she took in my face.

She didn’t hesitate to help me put the groceries down before pulling me into a hug and holding me tight. There were no questions asked, at least not yet as she rocked me back and forth.

Sometimes it felt like her hugs put me back together again, but also gutted me at the same time. This was one of those times.

Ugh, why was I so emotional right now?!

“You know I love you, right?” she asked gently, giving me an extra squeeze before letting go.

“I love you, too, Mama,” I said, letting out a breath. “It’s just been a crazy few days.”

“Well, it looks like we’ve got plenty of time ahead of us, don’t we?”

Even if I always told her I didn’t need help, she couldn’t help herself, she’d always pitched in.

“Sunday prep day,” Charlie sang out as he came in. “Oh shit, am I interrupting something?” His wince was almost comical.

“No, just me being a hot mess as per usual,” I mumbled, giving him a half-smile.

“Need me to handle the grilling?” he asked.

“That would be amazing,” Mama Whitaker answered for me. She gave him a smile that lit up her whole face. It was nice to see her happy.

Not wanting to ruin their moment with my own problems, I busied myself emptying all the bags, popping the cold ingredients in the fridge and laying out the stuff all over the countertops.

Before getting started I hurried back outside to my car where I kept the containers I’d cleaned out and dried from the week before.

I wasn’t even sure why I still did this. It wasn’t like my dad wasn’t a grown-ass alpha. He could take care of himself, but at this point it was a habit, and it just felt like my duty.

That and maybe I just really enjoyed my Sundays here.

When she found Charlie, I offered to take a step back, but Mama Whitaker refused. She promised me that having him part of her life, changed nothing about her taking care of her kids. And I was one of those kids.

Just as I closed the front door behind me, tires churned on the gravel driveway. I groaned, knowing damn well who was about to storm out of that truck.

“Kill me now,” I muttered, quickly looking around for a place to escape as I dropped the containers on the counter.

Charlie and Mama Whitaker froze, looking between me and the door as Maverick stormed in.

“Sidney, why the hell did you leave like that?” he demanded. The way he barked the words at me had me freezing.

But not his mama.

She grabbed a wooden spoon off the counter and glared with every ounce of fury in her little omega body.

“Maverick Whitaker, I did not raise you to talk to omegas like that. Don’t ever think you’re too old or big for your mama to beat your ass with this wooden spoon.”

I was almost positive that she had never once truly raised that spoon at her kids. It was just an empty threat that she clung to, making her seem more fierce than she was.

Maverick leaned against the kitchen island, his hands still in fists, muscles tight as he closed his eyes and took a breath.

“Sorry, Mama,” he mumbled before looking at me. His eyes were shadowed enough that I couldn’t read what was really happening in his head right now.

“What did you want me to do, Maverick? Stay behind while you argued with the beta about me and his existence in town?”

“A beta you apparently know,” he shot back in accusation.

“What does it matter if I knew him from school? That has nothing to do with the beef that you have with him,” I argued, throwing up my hands.

“Wait, who do you have beef with?” Mama Whitaker asked, the wooden spoon clattering as she dropped it and crossed her arms. “Somebody better fill me in, especially if you’re going to yell back and forth across my kitchen island like this.”

“Some asshole beta is opening up a bar in town,” Maverick said.

“Apparently, it’s a lounge and not the same target audience,” I supplied, which only made Maverick glare harder.

I don’t think I’d ever seen him angry with me and honestly, I both loved and hated it. The growl in his voice and darkened eyes were sexy as hell. It also gave me something to focus on.

“Apparently, she knows this asshole,” Maverick tacked on, waving his hand at me.

With an eye roll I turned back to Mama Whitaker, catching her up and not letting him paint the picture worse than it was.

“Remember the guy in middle school that was always trying to one up me? We fought like cats and dogs over everything from grades to any petty thing we could use against the other.”

“Oh lord. Yes,” Mama Whitaker said, shaking her head “I always just assumed he had a huge crush on you.”

“Look, guys are weird when they’re young,” Charlie added in with a chuckle.

“I highly doubt that,” I said before rushing on. “Apparently, he’s the one opening the bar, no, I’m sorry, Lounge.”

Sarcasm dripped from my voice. Maverick let out a low growl but didn’t say anything else.

“Then tell me why you’re mad at Sidney because she happens to know this beta that you’re really angry at.”

“I’m not mad at Sidney. I was trying to see why she left the way she did,” he defended on a sigh. He ran a hand through his long, black hair, making it fall out of the tie and into his eyes. I rarely saw him with it down and it made my cheeks burn.

“You guys were arguing and having a pissing contest that I wanted no part of. I had plans and cold food, so here I am, and clearly, you knew where to find me.”

Maverick studied me for a second before he seemed to deflate, pouring his body into the chair and slumping over. His hands gripped his hair again as his face rested on the cool granite.

“Maverick, baby, I know you’re just worried about Whitaker Brews, but if what Sidney says is true and he’s opening a lounge, then he could be right. This could be a good thing. It’ll bring more people to town. Some of our patrons might check it out, simply because new things rarely open here, but our loyal customers will always be around. The people of Rockwood Valley are loyal to you, not him.”

Maverick groaned and looked up at her. He looked so damn defeated; I longed to reach out and reassure him.

“I know. Avery just worked so fucking hard to get us to this point that I can’t just watch it crumble. Especially, while my focus has been elsewhere.”

“Working on the Artisan Fair is not a waste of time.”

“Wait,” I perked up. “You’re working on the Artisan Fair?”

His eyebrows creased. “Yeah I thought you knew about that. I figured you and Avery talked about everything.”

“That was before she had a pack and got pregnant.” I admitted. “Not that we’re not close anymore, she’s just a little preoccupied. Understandably, so.”

He deflated a little further. “Yeah, I’ve been networking and trying to set up and see who’d be interested in coming back if and when I can manage it.”

“Well, you happen to have an omega right here who’s in dire need of a distraction. So, if you ever need to talk anything out or you need help planning, I’m your girl.”

Something shifted in his eyes too quick to catch before it was masked again. A signature Maverick Whitaker move.

He nodded before standing up to leave. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

With that he was off, leaving the three of us in a stunned sort of silence

“Sidney,” Mama Whitaker said, her voice careful. “Is there something going on between you and my son?”

It felt like somebody poured ice water over my head and I shook it violently.

“No there’s not, and there never will be.” She frowned at how point blank my words were, but didn’t argue. She and Charlie shared a look but I ignored them both as I busied myself with food prep.

They didn’t push me any further as they helped out, Charlie taking over the grilling while Mama Whitaker and I handled everything else.

Eventually, we turned on music and the strange moment was forgotten. I was back into losing myself in the familiar buzz of a routine.

Yet, the moment I drove away from Whitaker Ranch towards my dad’s place, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed. Something big… and the pieces didn’t quite fit together.