Page 76 of Violet

Then Iris takes the bottle for herself. “Mother’s Milk. Gin, rose blossom, peach nectar, and seltzer.”

“Heath’s going to kill you.”

“Double kill me. I stole it from ‘The Dad Room.’”

“Iris.” I take the bottle as she hands it to me once more. “You stole booze?”

“Repurposed the mo-fo and then took it to the kitchen, decanted, mixed, and ta-da. I think I have a future inbartending.” But her grin fades. “Vi…have you and Stephan…?”

Horror grips me, and she forces me to drink more, making the panic peace out in the burn of the booze. “No. Of course not.”

“The kiss?”

I think about the other one when we ran, the good one, the real kiss where I kissed him back. All those others, he mainly kissed me, and they were like training. So that time, in the early hours under the tree, I could feel myself bloom and I did it, really kissed him back as if it was real.

And even though it’s Iris, she isn’t asking about a kiss; she’s asking about something more, something that might make me fall in love.

But love isn’t an option for me. I may feel something for Stephan, but he’s made it very clear he doesn’t want a mate—not really. So if he doesn’t find a way out of the Monarch’s requirement for him to claim me, then we may be stuck together after all.

And I don’t want that either.

“He… I… It was just a peck. It was nothing, really.”

“But you like him.”

“No, Iris?—”

“I know you, and it’s not that he’s famous or good-looking. You likehim. And maybe he likes you. He sure seems to. He gets…prowl-y when he sees you, like he’s making sure no one’s about to go all Alpha onhisOmega.”

“You’re seeing things.”

“Am I? He might not get it, but I do.”

“Iris Anne. You’re a closet romantic!”

She takes the bottle from me. “Am not.”

“I can’t like him,” I say, the words spilling free.

“Why not? Because of Dominic? He’s old?—”

“I think,” I say, fiddling with my hands, “he’s out of my league.”

“Bullshit.”

I hug her, and breathe her in, and close my eyes. “I’m not those other girls. They’re glamorous, beautiful, sophisticated, and I’m positive there’s something with the new girl, Alicia.”

“That cow? Rich never means class, Vi. She’s rich but no class. New money.”

“And you’re a closet snob.”

She hugs me tight. “Closet? No, I just call it as I see it.”

“Thing is I open my mouth and I’m boring. I’ve never done anything. And…” I squeeze her as I try not to cry. I don’t even know why I want to cry. “Why did she choose me? There are plenty of nice, beautiful Omegas out there, one who’ll be happy to be his mate, who wants to please. I?—”

“Violet.” She untangles herself from me. “You are not someone who should settle. And fuck pleasing a man, what about pleasing you?”

“The Season is about finding a mate.” I say the words I’ve already told myself so many times. “It’s not going to be Stephan. In the end, he’ll want someone more exciting.”

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