Page 22 of Talk About… History

Avery: Wait, really? That would be great. Your shop is exactly the kind we want to showcase.

Avery: It’s no fee, I’m trying to impress the town council and land a job, so you’ll just have to deal with me annoyingly hanging around and asking you a million questions on camera.

Cohen: Sounds perfect. I’m free every day, come down whenever.

Avery: See you later today, then!

“Okay, you better tell me what that smile is about.” I was so lost in my conversation with Cohen that I forgot where I was and who was with me.

When I glanced up her gaze was zeroed in me like a lion finding his prey.

Shit.

“Uh,” I started. “Just landed an interview prospect for the council.”

“That’s amazing,” she said, going from suspicious to happy in seconds. She turned to flip her pancakes and I took that as my chance to escape unscathed. I made it to the stairs before her voice was drifting after me.

“If you think I didn’t notice that evasive maneuver, then you’ve lost your mind. I expect details later!”

“Fine!” I yelled back, shaking my head at her ridiculous behavior. God, I missed her.

For once, I refused to let the guilt creep back up. I was back now and that was all that mattered. She wasn’t holding it against me and they were all just glad I’d escaped the hell my exes were setting me up for.

My room was a sea of boxes still. Part of me didn’t want to unpack. I needed to find a place of my own, somewhere I could be independent and make decisions, one where I didn’t feel like the dumb, sheltered omega, or the little sister and baby of the family who needed to be protected.

I’d let people take care of me for far too long. I loved that they wanted me to be safe and watch over me, but I needed to convince myself that I could also stand on my own two feet.

I shuffled through several boxes before managing to find a decent, but casual outfit. The last thing I wanted was to show up to Cohen’s shop completely under or over dressed.

Just the thought of the beta had heat flooding my face. He was right about the giddiness that hit me every time I thought of him.

Did I have anything like this with Brad and Travis?

They had seemed so charming at first. That mixed with the scent that hit me was enough to convince me to go on a first date. Our relationship escalated quickly, resulting in years of lies.

My stomach churned as I realized the gravity of it all. They’d used my own biology against me.

How could I trust my own instincts again?

Yet, the idea of going to spend the day with Cohen didn’t have me ready to run away. A part of me trusted him. Maybe it was because we met randomly in his shop, not a set up at an after-work happy hour.

It could be the fact he was a beta. Would I be more hesitant with an alpha? I hoped not, I didn’t want to struggle even more with trust than I already was. It felt like that would be another thing my exes stole from me.

Maybe a visit to the clinic would help. The reassurance of up to date birth control that I chose, not them, and suppressants to avoid heat might make me feel better.

I got notification that my prescription was canceled, meaning my exes made sure I would have to suffer without them or find an alternative.

Assholes.

I couldn’t imagine Cohen doing the same thing to me. He was sweet and caring, not overbearing.

My family never approved of Travis or Brad. Would they feel differently about Cohen?

At some point I knew he’d have to pass the brother acceptance check, and fuck I was nervous for that.

I had to force my thoughts away before I sent myself into a panic, focusing instead on setting up an online appointment with the Omega Network Clinic and packing up my work bag.

I didn’t have the fancy lights that I did at my old job, but I did have a tripod and ring light that would work in a pinch. This was the trial run and editing went a long way in making videos look better.

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