Page 43 of Knot All is Crystal
For me, there is no healing from this trauma without Gage Matthews.
And he doesn’t even know.
My voice is quiet as I place my hand on his bicep. “Any Omega worth their salt would stand up for you, Gage. You’re a great guy. Don’t limit yourself to one designation because you’re borrowing worry.” I sigh and lean against my car, crossing my arms over my chest. “But I guess I’m doing the same, right?”
He snickers and shrugs. “I wasn’t gonna say it, but yeah, you are. But hey, you’ve got an Alpha now, huh?” There’s a bit of thickness to his voice that I don’t recognize, which has me stuttering my response.
“Not- no- I mean, I guess?” I laugh uncomfortably. “It’s hard for me to accept, even if Emmanuel is a really nice guy.”
“Oh, I know an Emmanuel.” My eyebrows raise in curiosity. “He’s a good guy. Was friends with my older brother. Used to let me tag along all the time and then still looked out for me after my brother ditched.”
“Hard to imagine you as a little kid, honestly.”
He runs his hands through his auburn hair and smirks. The expression is so sexy that my stomach does a little flip. “Ah, but I’m all grown up now.” His hand pauses halfway through his hair. “That sounds way cooler in books than in real life, ew.”
I try hard to hold my laugh in, but it doesn’t work, and soon, he’s flushing red in embarrassment. “Anyways, now that I’ve put my foot in my mouth so many times that I’m going to cough up toenails-”
“Ew, Gage!” My laughter starts all over again. This time, he joins me.
SIXTEEN
I’m nervous.I shouldn’t be. This is just a casual dinner with an Alpha.
Well, my Alpha. My scent matched Alpha.
Technically, my soulmate, right? Like the person who completes me?
Oh fuck this does not feel casual.
Should I wear shoes when having a date at home? I don’t usually wear shoes at home, but I do on dates. Would my outfit look weird without shoes?
I should get shoes.
Are my feet weird? I’ve never looked at my feet like that before.
I think my feet may be weird.
The doorbell rings.
Damn, too late for shoes, then.
As I walk to the door, I smooth my hands down the front of my dark-wash jeans and pull the hem of my slinky green tee. When I open the door slowly, Emmanuel stands before me, holding a bouquet of pale pink, ivory, and black flowers.
It’s really stunning.
“Hi, Crystal.” His voice is breathy in a way I haven’t heard before in a man. It’s like a cool breeze. It feels comfortable and calming. “You look beautiful.”
Maybe I didn’t need the shoes.
I take a step back from the door so he can come in. He’s got on a pair of straight-legged blue jeans with a short-sleeved red button-up patterned with little black birds that are so small they almost look like polka dots. “You do, too. I mean, handsome. You look handsome.”
He steps forward and hands me the flowers. “I got these for you.”
“They’re gorgeous. I’ve never seen flowers like these before.” I gesture for him to follow me into the kitchen of my small town home and dig out a branded beer glass I got in a gift set, since I don’t have a vase. As I arrange them, I luxuriate in Emmanuel’s soft crème brûlée scent that surrounds me when I’m this close to him.
“You know, I don’t live too far from here,” he says, breaking the semi-awkward silence. “Only about a ten minute walk.”
“Oh, did you walk? I walk to my sister’s from here.”
