Page 3 of Talk About… Trouble

Taylor was back again, dropping off our dishes and extra plates before he was off again. We both dug in, filling our plates before conversation shifted to something a little easier.

“So, I might have stalked you on PackVlog. It looks like you brought this town back to life,” I said before dipping the pita bread in the hummus and popping it in my mouth. The flavors were incredible and a groan of appreciation escaped me at the same time Avery did. Only hers was around a mouthful of pasta.

“It was honestly incredible. I started out putting it to use with Whitaker Brews, with minimal protests from my brothers,” she joked, laughing at their expense.

I’d seen the lives and their videos. Her brothers were gorgeous, especially Nash with his mischievous grin and sexy thirst traps. I could see why they brought in extra views.

“Then I convinced the town to give me a shot and the rest is history. It feels like it was the turning point for Rockwood. First the social pages, then the Artisan Fair is back on, now it’s a steady influx of people moving in, new businesses, and tourists. This is what it used to be like.”

“I’m excited to get to know Rockwood Valley, too,” I admitted, letting her love for the town hype me up a bit so I didn’t chicken out.

“What about work, have you called the vet offices here yet?”

My cheeks warmed a bit. “No. I want to settle in a bit first unless something amazing comes up. Thanks to the big lawsuitand the settlements their families paid on their behalf, I have a chunk of change to get me by. Some of the girls donated theirs, but I kept mine. I went through the trauma and I’m still suffering. If that makes my life a bit easier while I heal and find out how to move on, then I’m going to do it.”

“Good for you, Wren,” Avery said, pride in her voice. “I knew you were strong, but you’re incredible. I’m so fucking proud of you.”

If only she knew the amount of therapy and meds I had to go through to get here. Not to mention, the dark thoughts that often took over.

My life had spiraled out of control the day she left and they kicked me out, half drugged and stumbling down the street. If the wrong person found me, my outcome would have been even worse.

The kind woman who found me got me to the hospital and with the screenings they got in as soon as I was brought in, it started the ball rolling on this entire thing.

The detectives that worked my case were also incredible. They found out more than I ever knew had happened, and the closure I got in return helped me fight my way here.

Maybe if I found a way to be kind to myself then I could really heal and find a way to live with my past.

My omega had been dormant for over a year now. No heats, no hormones… I felt like a shell of my former self.

But at least I made it through it all alive.

Now, if I could find a way to truly live, to find happiness and peace again, then maybe I would find her, too.

Wren

“You can do this, Wren. You already talked to them on the phone and filled everything out. The rest is easy,” I reminded myself as I stared at the building in front of me, hands gripping my purse hard enough my fingers ached.

Maybe I should be worried about how often I talked to myself these days, but my therapist always told me to not bring more negativity into my life.

So, we were just going to roll with it.

“Are you okay? Can I help at all?” a soft voice asked. I glanced over to take in the omega next to me and more pink than I’d ever seen any one person wear. From her cute sweatshirt and comfy pants, to her shoes, to her mini backpack, to the phone in her hand.

She smiled at me, a flash of white teeth and excitement dancing in her pale blue eyes.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to convince myself and her at the same time. “I’m meeting someone about a place to stay.”

“Oh, I have a meeting today, too, I wonder if we’re roommates,” she gasped, linking her arm in mine. My initial reaction was to tense up and put space between us, but I was being dragged toward the front door before my mind could catch up and I gave into the petite, but intense omega.

“Uh, m-maybe,” I managed to choke out, eyes darting around like anyone would be around to save me.

The sterile air of the clinic hit me as we burst through the door. I met the eyes of a horrified omega, eyes wide and mouth gaping as she stood from behind a desk.

“Grace!” the woman gasped, rushing over and pulling the dark haired omega away from me. At least I had a name to go with the excitable woman.

“She’s okay,” I defended. Somehow she’d blown past my defenses and pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. Her bubbly personality canceled out all my anxiety.

“Sorry about my sister,” she said with an exasperated sigh. “I’m Hailey, welcome to The Omega Network. Can I help you?”

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