Page 28 of Bullied Forced Omega
Because I am the worst introvert on the planet, Kelsey made me a deal. She made me promise that one Friday out of every month, I will go out dancing with her. At the time, it seemed like a fair deal. What’s one night a month? I can do one night.
But now it’s the last Friday of the month, and I have zero option but to go.
“It’s your own fault for making so many excuses these last few weeks,” she teases.
“Fine, whatever, message me with the details and I’ll be there,” I laugh, shaking my head. Even though I’m not the best people person, I adore her, and my life would be empty without her.
Of course, Jace insists on coming with me. It turns out that the place Kelsey has chosen is a popular bar in neutral territory, and Jace knows a lot of people who go there.
It takes me ages to decide what to wear because I’ve never been out in a social type of event as a Luna before. Not that it matters. Who cares? Not me.
But still, I can’t push away the nerves.
I chose a pair of jeans that curve and lift my ass, and a pink crop top that shows a sliver of my waist, only just a glimpse.
I wear my brown leather ankle boots and choose a matching leather purse.
Jace gets changed after me. He has been respectful in that way. Even though there is only one bedroom in my cottage, and he has insisted on staying here with me, he always gives me privacy when I’m changing, and I do the same for him.
He comes out of the room in black jeans and a tight white t-shirt that hugs his toned muscles in ways that make my legs go weak. How the hell am I supposed to get through the night with him showing off his abs like that?
“Ready?” he asks.
I nod, “ready.”
The bar is packed and noisy. If there’s one thing about shifters, especially the Betas, it’s that they like to drink. And it’s shocking how much a shifter can drink. I think our metabolism is so fast that the alcohol is burned off before we’re picked up our next beer.
Well, when I was growing up, I wasn’t exactly invited to a lot of parties, so I don’t have much experience with alcohol personally.
I’ve only watched from a distance.
Kelsey hands me a shot of tequila as soon as I walk over to say hi to her. Jace found Miles and is talking to him, so I have a moment to breathe and gather my thoughts.
“Jeepers, you’re on a mission,” I laugh, shaking my head as she lifts the shot glass.
“Whatever, weirdo, just take a shot with me,” she laughs.
My nerves are so wrecked with Jace here that I’m more than happy to try anything it takes to calm them down.
I throw the sharp-tasting liquid down my throat and wince at how strong it is.
“Nowthatis a tequila face,” Kelsey teases, even though she’s pulling a face just as bad as mine. “Where’s your man?” She asks.
I tilt my head to the side, “Over there with my brother,” I say.
“Alright, so he’s occupied. Let’s go dance,” she grabs my arm and starts pulling me toward the dance floor.
“I don’t know, Kels, I’ve got two left feet when it comes to dancing,” I grumble.
“Whatever, keep your feet still and just sway your hips then,” she demands.
At first, I’m tense. I’m very aware of how Jace watches me, even when he appears not to. His eyes are constantly drifting in my direction. He’s probably worried I’m going to try to escape again. Make a run for it while he’s busy.
The truth is, I haven’t thought about escaping for a while now. The teaching program has me preoccupied…and I’m really enjoying it, to my surprise. And after attending his militarytraining session this afternoon, I’m becoming increasingly intrigued by this new version of him.
It’s difficult, though, to forget about the past. Some of the nasty things he said to me, even before the rejection, when he was at the height of his bullying career—some of those things still loop in my thoughts when I’m alone and have nothing to distract myself with.
After a while, his consistent gaze on me becomes somewhat of a dare. A dare to not care about it. I watch Kelsey, how she lets her hair down and doesn’t give a shit about what other people think. When I first met her, she wasn’t quite this confident. But over the years, she has grown and become stronger and more beautiful with each choice she makes to be herself, no matter what.
