Talk About… Rivalry (Rockwood Valley Omegaverse #2)

38. Sidney

Sidney

T he cute, little diner that Bennett found for us was amazing. Who could have a bad day with a stack of fluffy pancakes and crispy bacon.

The coffee didn’t hurt, either.

It had already been an amazing day. Maverick and Leo took it upon themselves to sneak onto Vance Stables property and capture my cat. From the scratches on their arms, it was a brutal fight, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it and smiling.

He’d explored the backyard for a bit before settling on his brand new cat tower in the corner, judging us all as we moved about the house like he was a king overlooking his subjects.

“Okay, so I’ve thought this over,” Leo said, putting his empty plate at the end of the table and leaning back to rub his belly.

We’d definitely ate our weight in pancakes and would be feeling it.

“And?” I prompted as I added my plate to the stack. He had all of our attention now.

“So, I think this whole dopamine decor thing could be amazing as a surprise. We get to the store, split up, and everyone gets a minimum of ten things, all items that genuinely make you happy. No second guessing. Then when we get home, we can share what we got and put it up, a decor party if you will.”

“You’re sending two omegas into a department store… alone?” Bennett questioned.

“Don’t underestimate them or they’ll brat against you,” Leo warned. Bennett held his hands up in defeat as Maverick let out a sigh.

“I’m not really the decor shopping type,” Maverick started but I threw a piece of bacon at him to shut him up.

“What the hell, Sidney?” he laughed, snatching the bacon and popping it into his mouth.

“There’s no telling me no today. You’re going to challenge yourself and deliver, Maverick Whitaker,” I growled.

He raised an eyebrow at me, staring for several beats before finally letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Fine.”

“Good boy,” I teased, earning an annoyed growl but he never lost that playful glint in his eyes.

“Are we timed?” Taylor asked, knowing Leo well enough to know there was more.

“Sure, one hour,” he offered, a grin on his face.

I couldn’t figure out the smug look on his face until we pulled up in front of the store.

Home and Nest Warehouse was… fucking enormous.

The building felt like it was half the size of Rockwood Valley. As we entered the lobby I realized just how little time an hour would be for this.

Aside from the cafe and checkout, the rest was a sea of displays and aisles packed to the brim with anything we might need.

“So, no theme, just whatever makes us happy?” I confirmed again, eyes wide as I turned back to the others.

Maverick looked downright terrified, Bennett amused, Leo excited, and Taylor and I were already overwhelmed.

“I’ll text a thirty minute and fifteen minute warning. Then one last group text for time’s up,” Leo said as he set a timer on his watch. “Time’s ticking.”

“Gah!” I yelled, snatching a cart and practically running forward, Taylor next to me until we hit the aisles and parted ways.

This was about as ridiculous as our Nerf war, but I loved it. The packhouse needed this.

My phone dinged and I narrowed my eyes, unsure if I wanted a distraction but checking anyway.

Maverick: Who wants to bet the omegas get more than ten items?

Taylor: Maverick… watch your tone

I laughed and tucked my phone away. Honestly, it sounded like he was telling me to get more.

So I did. I shopped with complete and utter abandon. My cart was filling quickly, but I did keep ten particularly special items in the front as my contribution to our challenge.

The rest was simply a fun little bonus.

I had to admit, this idea was brilliant. As I picked out each item I could already picture where I’d put it in the packhouse.

Nothing matched. There was no theme or aesthetic. I found a cute cactus, a vintage style ghost reading a book canvas, and an array of other things that made zero sense.

Yet, I loved them all.

“Five minutes, pack!” I heard Leo’s voice bellow unashamedly through the store. He had to have screamed for it to reach me and I cackled when I heard Taylor yelling back.

“No, I’m not ready!”

The sheer panic in his voice was hilarious, but I also understood. I’d barely made it halfway through the store, even though I skipped the kitchen aisles because I saw Leo there twenty minutes ago.

I hurried down the next few aisles feeling like I was on some unhinged gameshow, eyeing everything as I rushed, then stopping long enough to snatch something and move on again.

When the final text came in, I was breathless, exhausted, and ridiculously happy.

Knowing they’d be ready to go I forced myself to weave my way toward the front, glad they had signs pointing the way.

I lost any and all composure when we all arrived, every single cart, including Maverick’s, full to bursting.

“No turning back now,” Maverick mumbled. “I don’t want to hear a word, Sidney.”

“Hey, I wasn’t the one throwing shade when we started,” I teased, purposefully not looking into their carts so I could genuinely be surprised later.

We all went to separate lines, checking out at the same time to speed up the process.

“I’m ordering dinner in, this show and tell is going to take all night,” Bennett said as he dropped the final bags in the back of the SUV. We had things stacked under seats, in the back, and between us.

As we started the drive back, I slumped against Leo. He pulled me closer and tangled his fingers with mine.

“Are you happy? Did this bring you joy?” he asked, voice serious.

“Actually, it did. I think this should be an annual thing now.”

Maverick turned to me and gave me a smug smile. “I like that you’re planning our future, sweetheart.”

“I feel like this needs a toast. To Pack…” Taylor cut off. “Shit, what pack are we?”

“Whitaker,” Bennett said. “Sidney already belongs to that family, and I’ve carried the Sinclair name for far too long.”

“To Pack Whitaker!” Taylor finished, his voice full to bursting with excitement. My golden retriever mate enjoyed this just as much as I did.

“You know,” Maverick mused. “I thought I was going to be miserable. But that was more fun than I expected.”

“See, this is why you listen to your omega.”

“My omega,” he mused. “Damn straight you are.”

We didn’t say much else as we drove, all content to sing along to the radio and anticipating the big reveal when we got home.

The only issue was that we’d stuck bags in so many places to fit it all, we had no idea whose bag was whose.

“Alright, mystery bag time,” I said, grabbing a bag and heading for the table, sitting down and waiting while the others did the same. Sully jumped up on the table next to me, giving a soft meow as he watched everything unfold.

Our food was ordered and I was too excited to wait any longer.

“Hold on!” Leo yelled, coming in from the garage with tools to hang pictures if we needed it.

“Sidney first,” Maverick said.

I reached into the bag to grab the first thing, holding it up for everyone to see before I started laughing.

The small figurine was an emo gnome.

“Oh my god, now I need to guess whose this is,” I said, eyeing each of them before stopping on Bennett. “It was you.”

“I had an emo phase,” he joked, almost defensive. That had our attention now, Taylor letting out a gasp.

“Oh my god, we need picture evidence,” he demanded.

“Later,” Bennett said. “Your turn.”

It was an obvious distraction technique, but it worked. Taylor reached into his bag and pulled out a picture of a dog in glasses, dissolving into a fit of giggles as he pulled out two more to match, a full set, different breeds.

We continued down the line, one after the other until every bag was empty and the table was full of wall art, table decor, a few random kitchen gadgets, and knickknacks.

The fact Maverick lost his mind over an egg timer shaped like a tiny t-rex was killing me.

Our challenge had done its job, the bond was brimming with genuine, unfiltered happiness.

Even when the food was delivered, we simply filled our plates and grazed as we found places to fit everything.

Two hours later, Bennett hung the final piece over the fireplace, the canvas of the ghost I’d found.

We all collapsed on the couch, looking around at our hard work. We’d mainly stuck to the common rooms, though I had every intention of going back without this challenge, and finding stuff to make my room just as cozy as this.

Maverick pulled me into his lap and kissed my temple before asking the question that I knew was coming.

“Does it feel like home?”

My eyes scanned the room before settling on them. It wasn’t just the house, the decor, but all of it combined with their presence. The house had little pieces of us all in it now. A mix of vintage, modern, and downright strange decor that felt so cozy I never wanted to leave.

“It’s home.”