Page 51 of Talk About… Rivalry

The more I set aside my former rage, the more I could see why Taylor was so invested. Even without a scent, Sidney was captivating.

She also had no clue. In her head, she was a broken omega.

“You mean sabotage his date? You’d help me do that?”

His eyes widened like he hadn’t really put together his involvement in it, but he wasn’t about to deny her.

“We could definitely talk about it.”

The wheels in my head were already turning. Something in me was shifting, a realization that punishing her was punishing Taylor, and I didn’t want that. I wasn’t ready to forgive and forget, but maybe he was right, I needed to get to know Sidney as she was now.

Not to mention, it seemed there were factors I didn’t quite understand affecting her back then. Maybe I needed to really open my eyes and see her this time.

And I knew just how to manage that.

“You could seat us both at the table next to his. Make sure his attention is never on that date,” I offered before staring right at her, ignoring the shock and confusion on her face. “Go on a date with me tonight.”

Sidney’s laugh was startled and loud as she glared at me. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No,” I said. My single word answer was simple and strong. She blinked at me, unsure what to do next. The poor girl was clearly a mix of emotions. I was at fault for that… at least in part.

My first step should have been to apologize, even if it was just for the words I said to her. Yet I found myself still trying to convince her.

Sidney wasn’t going to give in easily. As she shot fresh anger at me, I felt my cock twitch, reminding me just how much I liked when that fire was turned my way.

“There’s no way in hell I’d go on a date with you.”

“Even if it pisses off Maverick and ruins his date?” I challenged.

“Taylor can just spill wine on her dress or something. Make her food spicy so her makeup runs. I don’t need to go on a date with you to accomplish this.”

I wasn’t about to let this go. I had to figure out what it was about her that drew Taylor in and I had to know if she was the same person that I always thought she was.

It was my job to give her the chance Taylor had begged me to this morning and I had ignored.

Taylor reached across the table to take her hand. His fingers wrapped around hers, the movement catching my attention as jealousy flared.

What the hell was I thinking getting between them?

Honestly, I wasn’t. I just wanted to make sure Taylor and I were packed up, thinking I could fix this by exposing her.

And it backfired.

“He’s got a point. Maverick would lose his mind if he thought you were on a date with someone else,” Taylor urged.

“Hurting his feelings isn’t going to fix this,” Sidney said, still not buying it.

Taylor wasn’t so easily dissuaded.

“He’d be hurting his own feelings. He never asked you directly, did he? From what you described, he looked at you, trying to force you to step in. He’s putting all of it on you, which isn’t fair. He needs to put on his alpha pants and ask you out himself. Maybe this will finally spur him into action.”

Sidney was quiet as she picked up another fry, popping it into her mouth and chewing with more purpose than needed.

Taylor and I locked eyes over her head. We’ve been friends long enough that I didn’t have to decipher the meaning. His hardened gaze was warning me that if I fucked this up for him, he would never forgive me.

I nodded once letting him know that I understood.

Breaking them apart wasn’t my intention now. Plus, I was never one to turn down chaos and this seemed like exactly the kind of night that would end with pure fucking chaos.

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