Decision taken, I do my best to return to my routine. But the guys are always on my mind.
Get to know them. Easier said than done. I thought I knew Atticus. I spent many evenings with him and he told me bits and pieces about his life. Of the three, I’d say I know him best in the way you can only know a person in whose apartment you’ve been. I’ve been in his life.
Ryder is the one I know the least. Apart from mapping his tattoos and piercings, I know practically nothing about him.
Yet it’s Zach I decide to call first. I’ve known Zach for years in passing, though I don’t think I really know him because of it. But he doesn’t have a tragic story to deal with and I want to start with a shot of sunshine—and a knot.
Heh. I’m serious. I’m… interested. Fascinated. I think we should explore his problem together.
Call me horny. I’ve lusted over Zach for a while now. And he’s the only one of the three I haven’t been with apart from that one scorching kiss.
Time to remedy that.
Now that I’ve made my decision, I find myself excited. Sure, there’s some lingering resentment, but the truth is, I’m starting to believe the validity of their reasons for doing what they did. It doesn’t excuse it, because hello, that’s the behavior of three-year-olds? But it does redeem them enough in my book to get a second chance.
One second, last chance, because the need to protect myself is strong. Protect my heart. I need to go in this time ready to bolt out again. Ready to cut ties, no matter how it hurts. If they treat me badly again, that’s it for this girl.
Zach’s response to my text asking him over for dinner is enthusiastic, at least. I grin as I read his, ‘Hell, yeah! I’ll bring the wine’ with a row of exclamation marks and laughing cat emojis. ‘Anything else? Desert?’
I text back that wine is fine.
After work, I pass by the grocery store for my dinner shopping. I won’t deny I haven’t stopped looking over my shoulder all the time, and that grocery shopping has become an exhausting experience, but I refuse to let it get to me.
As I cross the street, I think I catch a glimpse of Ryder, but when I look again, he’s gone.
They aren’t playing bodyguard to me again, are they? I make a mental note to ask Zach about it tonight. They wouldn’t dare.
Yet I find myself smiling as I head on home. Letting myself inside, locking the door behind me, I get to cooking. I love cooking and baking. I’m in my element in the kitchen. A cliché for an omega? So what? You can be a living, walking cliché as long as you have fun, right?
I’m checking on my lasagna and adding the dressing to my salad when my phone starts ringing, scaring the living shit out of me. It’s Zach.
“Hi, Coco,” his warm voice says over the line.
“Not coming after all?” I ask, half-teasing and half-fearing the answer.
“What? No, I’m right outside. I wanted to let you know it’s really me this time.”
“Thoughtful.” I grin even as a shiver runs down my back at the memory of the almost kidnapping. “Then let me get the door.”
This time, when I unbolt and unlock the door, peeking over the chain, there he is, holding a bunch of flowers and a wine bottle, looking adorable and sexy in his button-down white shirt and dark jeans.
“You dressed up,” I breathe as I remove the chain and open the door. I look down at the blouse and shorts I threw on the moment I entered the apartment. “I haven’t.”
“You look fantastic,” he says breathlessly, tipping his head back and giving me a sexy look. “Love the shorts.”
“Thanks… They have teddy bears and strawberries on them. So sexy.”
“I love them,” he repeats, grinning widely.
“Come on in.” I wave him inside, cursing inwardly for not changing into a sexy outfit, then remembering that this is still a test, where I am testing him and not the other way round. It’s not going to be a sexy night. That’s not why I invited him over, not really.
Damn. Let’s see how long I manage to hold out…
The flowers—pink roses and lilies—go into a vase and the wine gets opened. I check the oven and he jumps to my side.
“Let me do this.”
“It’s okay, I?—”
