Page 30 of Talk About… Rivalry

This was going to be a disaster. The more Maverick was near me, the more nervous I became. It was hard to be around him.

Then there was Taylor who absolutely knew I was avoiding him. He wasn’t going to give up but he didn’t know the truth. That I could never be with him.

Maybe it would just be easier to move away from Rockwood Valley.

Even as I had the thought, I knew I never would. My best friend was about to have babies. I couldn't just abandon my entire life.

That and the Whitakers meant the world to me.

Even when Maverick was being a dick.

Avery groaned, and panic hit me. It sounded full of pain and panic.

“Oh god, is it baby time?” I gasped, all thoughts of going out tonight falling away because I sure as hell would be in that waiting room supporting my best friend in any way she needed.

“No. Unfortunately the doctor said they were Braxton Hicks when I went in this afternoon. They only happen every once in a while but god they're painful. I am so not looking forward to the real deal.”

“You're going to do great,” I promised. “Your mom is going to be by your side, your pack will be there, and I'll be waiting in the waiting room ready to bring you whatever you need.”

“I'm so lucky to have you, Sid. Thanks for not giving up on me when I moved away,” she said, her voice thick with emotion now. “I'm sorry. I'm not trying to cry. These emotions are a mess.”

I bit back a laugh. “I'm glad you're back, Avery. I'd never give up on you.”

“You know I’m always here for you, too, right?” she countered, something in her voice was a bit too pointed.

“You talked to your mom, didn't you?” I groaned.

“Maybe,” she admitted. “She just said things were weird between you and Maverick and she couldn't figure out why. Then something about that asshole from middle school.”

“Yeah, Leo Valor is the one opening up the new bar in town and Maverick was freaking out. Somehow I got stuck in the middle of that fight. It was crazy.”

She groaned again. “My back is killing me. I want to hear all about this, but if I don't lay down I'm going to cry for real.”

I laughed. “Go get rest. We can talk later. I'll stop by tomorrow and let you know how tonight went.”

“Good, because we all know that I hate having to step back right now. At least the comments looked promising.”

“It'll be great,” I reassured her before we said goodbye.

I'd been going back and forth all day on whether to show up to Whitaker Brews tonight or not. They’d been advertising in town and online. It was going to be insanely busy and Avery didn’t know how to truly rest. If she needed me, then I had no choice.

Event nights always meant that the triplets worked. I couldn't slip past Maverick unnoticed. He always noticed me the moment I walked up to the bar.

With a sigh, I kicked off my dusty boots. After another round of trying to entice Uncle Dale's stubborn horse to play nice, and field work, I was ready for a long shower.

After I was clean and had a towel wrapped around me, I stared at everything in my closet, unsure what to put on. Omega Night definitely meant that most omegas would be dressing up. It would also bring out all the thirsty alphas and betas trying to snatch up an omega of their own.

Sexy and enticing were two things I didn’t feel at the moment.

Finally, I settled on a pair of dark jeans, my nice boots, and a fitted tank top. My makeup was simple, with an attempt at a smokey eye. Flashy makeup wasn’t my strong suit and Avery wasn’t here to do it for me.

Plus, if I asked Grace, I'd end up with pastels instead of dark colors. Our styles were not the same.

Speaking of Grace, I pulled up her contact and started a video call. She answered with her usual bright smile, face right up against the screen.

“What are you getting ready for? Oh no! I forgot tonight was omega night!” she gasped, barely taking a breath with each statement.

“It is,” I confirmed as I scrunched gel through my damp hair. It was naturally wavy and outside of taming frizz, didn’t require any real maintenance before heading out. Plus, anything I did would be counteracted by the heat in the bar.

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