Page 70 of The Omega Archives: Part Two

Her bubbly excitement about this guy almost felt out of charactershewas so excited.

"He’s unlike anyoneI'veever met,"Rita exclaimed, her voice tinged with wonder.“Is that weird?”

I shook my head.“Not the weirdest.”

Ididn’twant to seem rude, but I was pretty surethatI still held that prizeas of now.

“There was just this crazy, magnetic energy about him. It was like wewere drawnto each otherfrom the momentwe locked eyes.”

As she recounted their conversations and shared momentsfromover the past week, Icouldn'thelp but feel a pang of envy.Rita'seasy and romantic rapport with the stranger of all people contrasted sharply with my complicated feelings towards Demetri and the uncertainties of this situation I was in— even if I waspretty sure that it was mecausing those uncertainties.

I could just accept it.

I couldjusttake it easylikethey suggested. I could maybe even love one day and accept…being an omega.

The thought felt crazy.

But not the craziest anymore.

But despite my mixed emotions, Icouldn'tdeny the genuine happiness that radiated from Rita about where her own life was taking her when she finally achieved her PhD and maybe even fell in love the way she could whenever she wanted with a guy she met randomly with similar interests.

A glimmer of hope radiated in a waythat Ihad never heard from her before.Maybe she was doing better without me.

The thought both hurtas well asmade me feel a little better, a hint of guiltsomethingthat bothered me the past few days even if Ididn’tadmit it aloud.

It was also an odd sort of reminder. Even the person who saidshe’dnever fall in love could find a connection amid chaos and uncertainty. Ormaybe,that was just my own I was thinking about.

“I really like him.”

“That’s good,” I said. Especially with how much she’s already been gushing about him.

“No, it isn’t.”

“It isn’t?”

Rita'slaughter filled the room.“It would be a terrible idea.”

“Why?” I asked.

“We work together now.He’sat the university with me…”

“So?”

“Look at my friend, so quick to break the rules nowtoo,”she said as if I had any idea still what she was talking about. Onher end. From someone who once accidentally went out with a studentnowshe was worried about sleeping with a coworker? Not even a coworker?“My oh my.”

I rolled my eyes at her.“Do you have at least a photo of this mysterious guy?”

“Paul,” she reminded me.

“Right. Paul.”

She nodded immediately, fishing out her phone.

“Here he is.”She twisted the screen around to show me the picture. I squinted.“I know.It’sa little blurry. We were laughing, so I never got a good shot.”

“I’m glad you’re happy, Rita.”

She gave a soft smile as she looked down at the practically invisible photo she had. Yep. She was more than a little intohim.“You’llhave to meet him. Once everythingis clearedupofcourse.”

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