Page 54 of Knot Your Romeo
Before she can answer, I interject smoothly, “A styling mishap. Can you fix it?”
Understanding crosses Vivian’s face—she’s been in this town long enough to know when not to ask questions. “Of course I can. Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you to a chair.”
As Vivian leads Jolie to the washing station, I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Jude Benson.
Incident at school today involving Jolie. She was assaulted by Cerise Hamilton. Please ensure security footage isn’t wiped. Will need it later.
His response is immediate.
Jude: On it. Is she okay?
She will be.I reply, then put my phone away to focus on what matters.
For the next hour, I watch as Vivian works her magic, transforming Jolie’s butchered locks into a stylish, chin-length bob that frames her face perfectly. The cut is sophisticated—it makes her look less like a girl trying to hide and more like a woman who knows her worth.
With each snip of the scissors, Jolie’s posture straightens a little more. And when the blow dryer finishes, her confidence visibly returns. But it’s when Vivian finally spins the chair around to show Jolie the result. The smile that breaks across her face makes something in my chest tighten.
“It’s perfect,” Jolie breathes, turning her head to see all angles in the mirror. “I love it.”
“You look beautiful,” I say before I can stop myself. Our eyes meet in the mirror, and for a moment, everything else fades away—the salon, Vivian bustling around us, the lingering anger about what happened to Jolie. All I see is Emmie, the enigmatic Omega, with sunshine in her scent and steel in her spine.
“Thank you,” she whispers, and I know she’s thanking me for more than just the haircut.
20
Emmie
The small bookstore tuckedbetween the coffee shop and the antique dealer has become my refuge over the past three days.
After the incident with Cerise, I've been avoiding the estate grounds—Romeo specifically—as much as possible, only returning to sleep and reassuring Mom that I'm fine.
Luckily, the bookstore owner, Mrs. Vincent, is a sweet Beta woman who doesn't ask questions about why a college student spends her afternoons reading in her store instead of attending classes.
"You're here early today," she observes as I settle into my usual corner chair. "Is everything all right, dear?"
"I just needed some quiet time," I reply, which isn't entirely a lie.
The cottage feels suffocating lately. Since Mom found out that Beck took me to the hairdressers after my run-in with Cerise,she's watching my every move. And on top of that, I'm constantly aware that the Silver men are just mere steps away.
Here, surrounded by books and the gentle hum of the afternoon customers, I can almost pretend I'm just a normal girl with normal problems.
My new haircut catches my reflection in the window, and I'm still adjusting to the bob Vivian created from Cerise's destruction. It makes me look older, more confident—which is ironic since I've never felt more uncertain about anything in my life.
The bell above the door chimes, and I glance up automatically.
My heart stops seeing Eli standing in the doorway, his green eyes scanning the store until they land on me. He's wearing a simple Henley and jeans, dirt under his fingernails suggesting he came straight from the gardens. His expression shifts from surprise to something that looks almost like relief when he sees me.
I duck my head back to my book, hoping he'll buy whatever he came for and leave. But when his footsteps approach, and I can smell that familiar scent of pine, roses, and earth that makes my Omega purr despite everything.
"Jolie." His voice is soft, careful. "I thought that was you I saw earlier."
I don't look up from the page I'm not actually reading. "Hello, Elias."
"May I?" He gestures to the empty chair across from me.
Every instinct tells me to say no, to maintain the distance I've worked so hard to establish. But Mrs. Vincent is watching from behind the counter with curious eyes, and making a scene would only draw more attention.
"It's a free country," I say, still not meeting his gaze.
