Page 4 of Talk About… Trouble
“Wren. I have a meeting set up,” I explained.
Recognition flashed in her eyes and she shot Grace a stern look.
“This isn’t usually how we greet omegas but my sister can get ahead of herself. We have a few options for you, if you want to follow me. Grace, I’ll be back.”
Grace pouted but sat in a chair, making herself cozy in the plush, red seat as her sister led me through the back hallway to a conference room.
“I really am sorry about her,” Hailey repeated. “If you need time to recover I understand.”
“Well, I guess that means you know my history,” I countered, hating that I had to come with a warning label now. “No, she was fine. It helped me get inside, actually.”
“She’s got a way of bulldozing past everything until you’re caught up in her excitement, doesn’t she?” Hailey said. Her smile was sweeter now. It was nice to see family that cared about each other. Much better than mine who thought I was ‘too much trouble and bad for their reputation’ thanks to my past.
It wasn’t like I asked to be used, abused, drugged, and lied to on repeat.
Pasting a smile on my face, I gestured to the waiting information.
“I take it you found something for me?”
“Actually, yes,” she grinned. “The town population has been steadily picking up so we’ve been recently looking into new ways to welcome incoming omegas. You’re not the first, or probably last, omega looking for a fresh start. We have solo housing options, or we have shared apartments. They’re a bit bigger, more amenities, and tend to be a better fit for those needing help acclimating to a new town.”
Honestly, being solo sounded like hell. I knew it would be no different than my apartment back home where I sat, afraid of my own damn shadow and let my thoughts drag me deeper and deeper into depression.
“A shared space sounds nice,” I said, trying to sound confident. “What happens if we aren’t compatible roommates, though?”
“Then you come back and let us know what’s going on and we try something new. We want to help, not force you to endure something you don’t want,” she said easily. Hailey was the opposite of her sister. She had a calm kindness about her that had the words flowing easily. “Plus, shared spaces mean split costs and friendship. We want you to have it all, not struggle more.”
“Have you already paired me with roommates?”
She winced. “Actually yes, if you want to go that route I was planning on having you join Grace and Devon. Grace is moving in today, Devon, a male omega, is already moved in. It’s a three-bedroom apartment, the biggest we have available, actually. Great location, just down the block from a bookstore, coffee shop, and all the other cute little businesses Rockwood Valley has to offer.”
She looked like she was waiting for me to tell her no, and back out now. The truth was that Grace reminded me of myself before everything happened. I used to be bubbly and outgoing.
After my best friend’s pack ruined me and forced my omega to go dormant, I changed. I missed the easy smiles and fun I used to have. Trust was given a lot easier and I had friends to spend time with.
Maybe Grace could bring that out in me again.
“I’m still interested,” I promised. “What do I need to know?”
She sat up straighter, looking relieved, and sorted through the folder in front of her. When she found what she was looking for, she slid the paper my way.
“This is the cost breakdown. You just pay rent through the local portal. I’ll help you sign up before you leave. It’s going to be where your appointments will show up, prescriptions and refills, reminders, info, help menu, the works,” she explained, pulling out a tablet and showing me how to navigate the site.
The clinic back in the city was too outdated for this. It was a relief to know that I wouldn’t have to beg to have my questions answered or calls returned. Hailey seemed on top of it.
“Do you have an issue sharing an apartment with a male omega?” she asked, pausing on another sheet.
“It doesn’t bother me,” I said quickly. Maybe a male omega would be a nice middle ground between me and Grace who were on opposite sides of the spectrum of personalities at the moment.
“Perfect. Here is Devon’s roommate profile. The same one you sent in to us. He’s got you and Grace just in case, I’ll be handing all of this to Grace when we finish up as well, so you’re all starting on even footing. Does the cost and everything seem agreeable?”
“Oh yeah, the cost is fine,” I said quickly, a blush heating up my cheeks. The money sitting in my bank account was a blessing and a curse. I hated that I had it, but I also wasn’t going to turn it away. This money was giving me the chance to heal and find my place and I was going to take advantage of that.
Giving myself grace, as my therapist called it.
I was doing that in more ways than one now with my future roommate.
“Perfect,” Hailey grinned. “I’m actually really excited about this. The apartment building is a new build and fairly small. There is an all-beta security staff in place and guests are required to show ID and check in properly for everyone’s safety. The apartments are so cozy and perfect.” The way she gushed told me she put a lot of heart into this project.
