Talk About… Rivalry (Rockwood Valley Omegaverse #2)

16. Leo

Leo

M y best friend punched me over a girl.

That thought continued to swirl through my mind over and over as I watched the two omegas together. The sight of them so close was driving me absolutely crazy.

My eye throbbed painfully as I glared, making me wince.

No, he didn’t punch me over a girl, he punched me because I was an asshole to his girl.

I’d probably do the same. I had pushed Sidney on purpose, poking and prodding at her as I clocked each wince and downturn of her mouth. She was obviously already in a bad headspace and I made it worse.

I kind of hated myself, too.

Maybe Taylor was right and we weren’t all meant to be a pack.

I’d heard what she said, blurting it out like she expected him to run.

She didn’t have a scent and couldn’t scent him.

Was that why she had held herself back? If that was the explanation, then I truly was an asshole.

My stomach was uneasy and it wasn’t just because my best friend was mad at me. It was because I hurt her on purpose. When she ran past I caught a glimpse of her face. Those mossy green eyes were full of tears and for a second the pain in those gorgeous eyes was so intense it stole my breath.

Yes, gorgeous. I couldn’t even deny that. Sidney was always a beauty. Before everything went down with her mom I thought that she was cute, and then I realized what kind of person she was and it all went away.

She’d only grown more beautiful over the years. She always had a little bit of a hard edge to her and now I recognized it as a shield against the world.

I wasn’t sure why I cared so much, but here I was being pathetic, listening to every word that they said to each other.

Part of me wished that I was right there with them.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Not to mention, I knew damn well that she had chemistry with Maverick as well. Was she going to be with Maverick Whitaker and my best friend? It wouldn’t be unheard of. Packs formed how they formed. Sometimes packs were old friends. Other times they were strangers, an omega bringing them together.

“So,” Taylor said, catching my attention with the way he drew out the word. “I heard that Maverick is going on a date with someone and that you were not happy about it.”

Sidney shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She didn’t shy away from him even as her voice wavered. I could respect that, even if begrudgingly so.

“I’ve liked Maverick for a long time. He looked right at me when that omega asked him out and I just… I couldn’t tell him to stop.”

“Because of the scent thing?” Taylor asked. There was so much kindness in his voice. It would be stupid to try and convince her that we didn’t understand why it was a big deal. Scents were how packs formed. It was how people connected. Every date, every marriage, every long lasting connection involved scent.

Her not having one was a major complication.

Just not to my best friend it seemed. I wasn’t sure how to process that.

“Yes,” she admitted. “I like both of you too much to risk it. I can’t be your scent match and that means...” she trailed off, unable to say more, but everyone understood loud and clear.

They’d leave her when they found their match. She’d be rejected and heartbroken.

A pang of pity and regret hit me. I didn’t know why I cared so much. I knew what kind of person she was and honestly, wouldn’t it just be Karma?

Then there was that fucking inner voice in me. The beta that was reasonable and trying to make excuses for this fucking omega, reminding me that she was just a kid. That was a lot to put on a child.

When we talked about it, Taylor said there was probably more to that story than I realized, and I honestly didn’t even want to consider it.

Mainly, because if I did, and I found out that her mother’s accusations weren’t actually the truth, then I wasn’t sure what to think about myself.

I’d always thought I was level headed. The kind of beta that wouldn’t just be some calming force to placate others, but a solid force they couldn’t ignore.

Did it harden me? Was I an insufferable, unreasonable dick in my quest for not submitting to the ‘stronger’ designation?

If I kept going down that hole I’d never get out. Instead, I focused back on my best friend.

“You agreed to go out with me,” Taylor reasoned. “Does that mean you’d be willing to date Maverick as well?”

“Are you and Maverick a scent match,” she asked. She couldn’t even see how he was trying to fix things for her, just to make her happy.

“No,” he chuckled. “We are definitely not. He’s not exactly my type.”

Sidney let out a breath. “It’s too late now anyway. He’s already agreed to the date.”

Taylor’s smile morphed into something mischievous. “So? The date doesn’t have to go well. He’s on the books for tonight.”

He didn’t have to spell it out for her, Sidney had always been smart. She lets out a small gasp that hit me square in the chest.

The more I set aside my former rage, the more I could see why Taylor was so invested. Even without a scent, Sidney was captivating.

She also had no clue. In her head, she was a broken omega.

“You mean sabotage his date? You’d help me do that?”

His eyes widened like he hadn’t really put together his involvement in it, but he wasn’t about to deny her.

“We could definitely talk about it.”

The wheels in my head were already turning. Something in me was shifting, a realization that punishing her was punishing Taylor, and I didn’t want that. I wasn’t ready to forgive and forget, but maybe he was right, I needed to get to know Sidney as she was now.

Not to mention, it seemed there were factors I didn’t quite understand affecting her back then. Maybe I needed to really open my eyes and see her this time.

And I knew just how to manage that.

“You could seat us both at the table next to his. Make sure his attention is never on that date,” I offered before staring right at her, ignoring the shock and confusion on her face. “Go on a date with me tonight.”

Sidney’s laugh was startled and loud as she glared at me. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No,” I said. My single word answer was simple and strong. She blinked at me, unsure what to do next. The poor girl was clearly a mix of emotions. I was at fault for that… at least in part.

My first step should have been to apologize, even if it was just for the words I said to her. Yet I found myself still trying to convince her.

Sidney wasn’t going to give in easily. As she shot fresh anger at me, I felt my cock twitch, reminding me just how much I liked when that fire was turned my way.

“There’s no way in hell I’d go on a date with you.”

“Even if it pisses off Maverick and ruins his date?” I challenged.

“Taylor can just spill wine on her dress or something. Make her food spicy so her makeup runs. I don’t need to go on a date with you to accomplish this.”

I wasn’t about to let this go. I had to figure out what it was about her that drew Taylor in and I had to know if she was the same person that I always thought she was.

It was my job to give her the chance Taylor had begged me to this morning and I had ignored.

Taylor reached across the table to take her hand. His fingers wrapped around hers, the movement catching my attention as jealousy flared.

What the hell was I thinking getting between them?

Honestly, I wasn’t. I just wanted to make sure Taylor and I were packed up, thinking I could fix this by exposing her.

And it backfired.

“He’s got a point. Maverick would lose his mind if he thought you were on a date with someone else,” Taylor urged.

“Hurting his feelings isn’t going to fix this,” Sidney said, still not buying it.

Taylor wasn’t so easily dissuaded.

“He’d be hurting his own feelings. He never asked you directly, did he? From what you described, he looked at you, trying to force you to step in. He’s putting all of it on you, which isn’t fair. He needs to put on his alpha pants and ask you out himself. Maybe this will finally spur him into action.”

Sidney was quiet as she picked up another fry, popping it into her mouth and chewing with more purpose than needed.

Taylor and I locked eyes over her head. We’ve been friends long enough that I didn’t have to decipher the meaning. His hardened gaze was warning me that if I fucked this up for him, he would never forgive me.

I nodded once letting him know that I understood.

Breaking them apart wasn’t my intention now. Plus, I was never one to turn down chaos and this seemed like exactly the kind of night that would end with pure fucking chaos.

“The date’s at seven,” Sidney said. “I’ll be waiting out front at six-thirty so I can get here a little earlier than they do. I want to make sure his seats are reserved next to our table.”

His smile was bright again and he nodded once.

“In the meantime, I’ll be planning our actual date,” he said, making her cheeks glow. A pang in my chest had me rubbing at it absently.

She blew out a breath at his promise. “I’ll try not to freak out on both counts.”

She stood suddenly to grab a to-go box from the stand, packing up her food before walking off to her car.

He didn’t stop her this time and she’d already put her money down for a meal.

Now that she was gone, I walked over to join Taylor. I caught myself breathing in as if I were trying to scent her, but only the familiar scent of food and Taylor remained.

“You sure about her, man?” I asked one final time. If I was going to give it my all, I needed to know he was well and truly invested.

“More than anything,” he said instantly, not a hint of hesitation in him.

I nodded once. “Then I’m sorry for pissing off your omega.”

“What is it about her that you hate so much? I just can’t understand. So what she got better grades and you had a mutual rivalry.”

“It’s complicated and I’m working on it, I promise,” I rushed out, not wanting to give him the full detailed breakdown. Instead, I flashed a grin. “I have a date to go get ready for.”

His eyes narrowed and flashed with warning. I had no doubt that when it came to Sidney, he’d kick my ass.

“If you make her cry at this dinner, I promise I will cut your dick off with a blunt kitchen knife.”

“You say such nice things to me,” I shot back. “Don’t worry, your omega will be safe with me.”

“I might have believed that this morning,” he said pointedly. I winced, knowing damn well he had every reason not to trust me now.

“Trust me,” was all I could offer before heading to the parking lot. Sidney’s car was already gone but I swept my eyes around just in case.

When I climbed into my own car, my phone was already in my hand as I called my mom.

She answered on the second ring, fairly breathless.

“Hey, Leo, how’s it going? Did you get it?”

I realized that I hadn’t called my mom since everything was said and done with the sales.

“I did. Both the house and the shop are mine. We’ve already started some of the renovations.”

“Oh, honey, I’m so happy for you,” she said in that warm way my mom always spoke.

“Thanks. Actually, I have kind of a random question for you.

“Shoot,” she said. I could hear her clanking around. Even though I had her attention, my mom was never the type to be still. She was pure ADHD personified, always doing five things at once.

“You remember that girl I went to school with? Sidney? You were friends with her mom at the time.”

“Oh.” Her voice was a little harder than usual. “You mean Megan? Gosh that was a time.” The laugh that followed was hollow and more than a little judgmental. Coming from a woman like my mom I was stunned. Now I needed answers more than ever.

“What happened, exactly? I remember her calling you and crying all the time.”

“We were such good friends before everything. She hid her pain well I guess, I always thought she was happy.”

That reminded me of Sidney today. She tried to hide it the best she could.

“She needed a friend and I couldn’t let her suffer alone, but I still to this day cannot fathom how she left her child behind. Her husband? Sure. But if he was as cold as she insisted he was, then how could she leave her child there?”

“Wasn’t Megan saying that Sidney was on his side?” I prodded, trying to goad her into more information without outright asking.

“I don’t know. She mentioned how Sidney preferred him over her and I don’t know if that was true or not. I never really saw their dynamic. I always had questions about that, too,” she admitted. Mom fell silent for a few beats. Even the background noise had come to a stop. “Leo, why are you asking me about this?”

“I ran into Sidney and was just curious. It reminded me of those calls and curiosity got the best of me.”

“Lord, I was so glad when those calls stopped,” she said. “Megan just wanted to use me like an emotional crutch and I just didn’t have the capacity to give her everything she needed. Honestly, therapy was what she needed.”

“Was the guy abusive?” I asked, a pit forming in my stomach. Had I been a dick to her and she was abused at home the whole time?

“No. Her complaint was that he was emotionless. He provided and that was about it. You know how omegas are. We need that nurturing and caring and he just didn’t have that in him. Which is just another reason why I’m shocked that she would leave a child with him. I couldn’t imagine growing up with him as a father. Poor kid. She just wanted to be loved and her mom left and her dad was cold. I really should have reached out and offered them more support.”

The regret in her tone was almost as sharp as the regret that was filling my chest right now. Maybe there was more to her rejecting these dates than simply not having a scent.

Maybe it was about abandonment. She knew that would be the outcome all over again. The moment Taylor and Maverick would find a scent match, she’d be left behind, abandoned all over again.

Fuck. I’d definitely misread her.