Page 19 of The Omega Archives: Part One

She chuckled. It was a great sound. “It’s like below a librarian. I help though in the archives department for a few years.”

“You should ask for a promotion.”

Again, she shook her head. “No. I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“You kind of need a degree.”

I blinked, looking at this girl.

“I don’t even have a diploma,” she said quietly.

She had to be kidding. For some reason, she practically oozed kindness and intelligence. I didn’t judge. For the longest time, I never thought even I would make it out of high school let alone college. The only reason I did was because my pack insisted even though I was making just as good money without a silly piece of paper.

“Do you want to go back to school?”

Ella paused, reaching up to twist a piece of blond hair behind her ear. “You’re the second person who asked me that today.”

“And what was the answer.”

She met my eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Something to think about,” I said quietly. “You’ve been in the city for a while though?”

“Six years.”

“Wow.” That was about as long as our pack was together. It felt like we had been all bonded together for longer. For forever. Not in a bad way. I don’t know what I’d do without those assholes.

I was about to tell her that when she looked down at her phone. “You need to go?”

“Checking the time. I should probably get home though soon. I have a project I should be focused on for work and I picked up a few books I wanted to read.”

I smiled. “Well, I can’t distract you from whatever the next great American novel is you have in your bag.”

Her cheeks blushed a delightful pink. “They’re… romances.”

“I love a good love story,” I said.

I watched her eyes light up as she told me about the few she picked up as if she couldn’t help herself.

She did love books. It was shocking that she managed to find the perfect line of work for herself, diploma or not.

I smiled as she gushed about authors and old books all the same, nodding when appropriate and trying not to stare at the gentle pick flush that lifted from her neck to her cheeks as she rambled, getting comfortable.

I made jokes and she laughed easily until both of our bagels were gone. When I set down my coffee cup next to hers, we each heard the hollow clunk of the container.

Ella looked from the cup, back to her chai. It was also empty. “Thank you again, for everything.”

“Hey, Ella?” Cal said. “Do you want me to walk you home?”

“Oh.” She bit her bottom lip. “I shouldn’t.”

“I’d be happy to.”

She paused as she studied me. “I just met you. I don’t…”

Usually, do this kind of thing?I had heard that one before, but for some reason when she started to say it, I truly believed that.

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