Page 6 of Best Friends
“I was shocked too.” He smirks.
“Maybe all those girls were here for a chastity belt convention.”
He laughs.
I sigh. “I mean, it’s a hotel bar, for goodness sake. Who the hell looks for true love in a crummy hotel bar?”
He laughs again, but then his smile fades and he looks thoughtful. “I think it’s our age.”
“Our age?” I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Well, we’re almost twenty-six. A lot of omegas and alphas in their mid-twenties are looking for relationships. They want to start a family while they’re still young.” He shrugs. “I don’t get it, but, to each their own.”
“Hmmm. I guess that might be true. I don’t want that anytime soon, but you’re right. A lot of omegas do.” I’m notjustcommitment shy. I have issues with being close to people. My patrol partner, Cheyenne, and Malcolm are really the only two people I trust in this world.
“Ever since Lucy and I split I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he murmurs.
“That’s a nice change.” I smirk.
He gently punches my arm. “Shut up.”
I laugh. “Sorry.”
“As I was saying, I’ve been wondering why I can’t seem to find a female omega I want to be with other than for sex. Ya know?” He gnaws on his lower lip, actually looking worried. “Is something wrong with me?”
“No. Playing the field is fun.”
“Yeah, I know. But it seems like I should at least be thinking about being serious with a girl.”
I understand what he’s saying because once you hit a certain age, people do expect you to settle down. It’s weirder that he can’t find anyone. He has so much to offer someone, whereas I really don’t. I’m prickly and highly strung. I don’t care for people a whole lot. Only the special ones that I handpick are allowed into my inner circle.
“You’ll find her,” I say, hoping to reassure him.
He glances up, his expression hopeful. “You think so?”
“Sure. You’re a chick magnet.”
He grins. “Yeah.” He doesn’t even bother to argue. He knows it’s true.
“I’ll probably die alone.” I don’t say that for pity. I’m serious. The odds of finding a female alpha who’ll be willing to put up with me, who I also find attractive, seems pretty slim. But that’s never bothered me because I’m not interested in settling down yet, if ever.
Malcolm’s mouth turns down. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s probably true though. I’ve never been in love with a woman. I think I might be missing the settling down omega chip.” I laugh.
“You just haven’t found the right one, just like me.”
“I guess.”
He meets my gaze, looking very serious. “And just forget about all that dying alone crap. You’ll always have me, C.”
Malcolm has always had the ability to speak about his feelings. I’m the complete opposite. I’m like a bank vault with my emotions. I’ve often wondered if we’d even have been friends if we hadn’t lived next door to each other. Malcolm was always popular in school. He had lots of friends and all the teachers loved him. Me, I’ve always been quiet and withdrawn. If some other guy had lived next door to him instead, would Malcolm have been his bestie rather than me?
He leans toward me and says softly, “I love ya, man. You know that, right?”
The normal thing to do is to tell him that I love him too. I should share what a great friend he is, and that I’d be lost without his friendship. But forcing those vulnerable words out feels impossible, so instead I say, “You’re an awfully needy son of a bitch. I’m not sure why I keep you around.”
His smile is immediate and not at all offended. “Bullshit. I know you love me. One of these days you’re going to say it to me too.”
