Page 23 of Talk About… History

We were both going to be nervous and stumbling, but this was the perfect opportunity to truly get to know him without the focus being on us.

From his shyness and my hang-ups, it might be the only way we managed this awkward meeting. I couldn’t imagine going on a first date in our current state. The awkward silences would stretch on and I’d be fumbling for words.

I was quickly realizing that I needed to be friends first now, to know their character before I could trust them.

That would be the only way I could find a pack now.

With that unpleasant thought, I slung my backpack over my shoulder. I’d barely made it to the front door when I heard a throat clear behind me.

I winced and turned around slowly to face my three brothers, staring me down with arms crossed.

“Care to tell us where you’re going? Mama said you were smiling at your phone,” Cameron accused. “If you’re going back to those assholes I’m going to lose my shit, Avery.”

“I’m not,” I said, shocked at the venom in his voice. My chest ached and my eyes burned at the way they were staring at me. “Is this how you see me now? A stupid omega who can’t possibly take care of herself? Who would knowingly go back to men who used her?”

“What? Av, no,” Nash protested, his eyes shining with their collective guilt.

“I was lied to, coerced. Why would I ever go back to that?” I shook my head, letting my disappointment be known. “I got a lead on an interview for Mayor Adams. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a job to find and maybe a fucking apartment.”

My voice broke as I finished speaking and I stormed out the door, letting it slam closed behind me.

Is this how everyone would see me now? The pathetic omega who let herself get used and tossed aside?

Fuck that. I’d show them all just how strong I was. Travis and Brad didn’t break me, and this wouldn’t either.

Avery

Cohen shifted in his seat and blinked against the bright light. His dark azure eyes squinted before he looked at me helplessly.

“God, this is painful,” I groaned. “I’m not proving myself here.”

The sigh of defeat was enough for him to stand up and put a hand on my arm.

“You’re not. This is just a bit awkward. What if we just had a conversation instead? If we need to do a formal one later, we can,” he suggested gently.

“Sorry,” I said for the fifteenth time since we started. “Yeah, hang on.”

I adjusted the camera and turned the light from bright to warm. It cast the shop in a softer glow that made the deep greens and vibrant plants come alive.

He was still standing so I arranged the camera to the side and put a stool behind the counter, and mine on the opposite side so it was like we were at a table together. Less formal, even if it meant I couldn’t hide behind the camera.

Thank god I had worn something decent today.

“I may need to get some more angles next time, I’ll grab better equipment for that, but for now let’s try this.”

He nodded and took his seat, folding his arms on the counter so he was slightly leaning in. It made this moment even more intimate.

“I’ll make an intro later, so we’ll just dive in. I’ll edit out any awkward bits and make it look good. It will be small videos broken up into PackVlog sized clips, then the longer interviews will be available on the town page. I wouldn’t mind coming back once I get a new camera to take some shots of the shop if you don’t mind?”

“That sounds great, actually,” he agreed, his smile coming a bit easier now.

“You seem to have settled well into Rockwood Valley. What drew you to this location?”

He took a moment to think over the answer, his eyes never leaving my face. I noticed how they darkened in the warmer light, the dark sapphire ring on the outside of his iris contrasting the deep blue of the rest. They were beautiful.

“Shops like mine aren’t meant for the big city. My parents were always big on travel and luxury. They loved everything about the city but I never quite fit in there. I actually happened upon Rockwood Valley by accident one day last year. It was just a drive to clear my head and I guess fate led me here.”

His smile tipped up at the corners a bit as his eyes were faraway, like he was imagining that first drive into town. I tried to picture it from his perspective. Being nestled in the valley, when you crested the hill to take in the quaint town below and the mountain backdrop, it was gorgeous. Between the trees and lake sparkling among the buildings, it was beautiful.

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