Page 46 of The Knotty Omega

“Oh? Did anyone else add things to the cart after I handed Mattie back his phone?” I can’t even pretend that I’m annoyed, this top is gorgeous. The sleeves are see-through and shimmery, while the bodice is a solid black with a sweetheart neckline. It’ll look great with my black jeans and the silvery boots that someone else apparently ordered for me.

“Mattie may have passed it around once he saw you only got like, thebare minimum.” Ollie rolls his eyes. “You’re so sensible.”

I let out a shocked laugh as I pull off my shirt. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Ollie’s eyes darken with hunger as he takes in my shirtless torso, only covered by a lace bra. “Not a bad thing, no…But you realize that Mattie is an actual billionaire, right? He can more than afford to buy you other items besides the essentials.”

I shrug as I pull on the shirt and check myself in the mirror. It fits perfectly. “Doesn’t matter if he can afford it, it’s not my money.”

“Tink, how do you not see that everything we are, everything we own, every thought out of our dull little brains already belongs to you?” Ollie grins wickedly. “That’s okay, once we bond, you’ll be able to tell just how much we’re all gone for you.” A shiver runs through me at the thought. I have actually thought about bonding, despite all my hesitations. Two days with Pack De Lucca and ten years of negative thoughts about bonding goes out the window.

What would it feel like to have Ollie’s infectious energy literally running through my veins? Or to be able to borrow Mattie’s calming presence when I needed to?

After I pull on my jeans and boots, I meet Simon downstairs in the foyer, Ollie trailing behind me. I'm kind of hoping I don't run into Titus after the awkwardness of earlier. I had thought after our movie day on Sunday that we had moved past whatever reservations he had, but I was clearly wrong if our interaction today was any indication.

I don't have to worry though, because it's just Simon in the foyer, looking seriously handsome in his dark gray button down and dark jeans. The top two buttons are undone, giving me a glimpse of his toned chest. His glasses sit perched on his nose, giving him a studious look while his wavy hair is pushed back, making him look just the slightest bit relaxed.

My own hair is curled to perfection, my makeup done flawlessly. “You look beautiful, sweetheart,” Simon murmurs, taking my hand and kissing me on the cheek.

“Thank you,” I blush, “you look very handsome yourself.”

Ollie clears his throat behind us, and we both turn to look at him with a questioning look. His brows are furrowed as he stands with his feet shoulder width apart, his tattooed arms crossed. “Now, you’ll have the young lady back by midnight, you hear? Not a moment later.” He’s trying so hard to look serious that I have to suppress a laugh.

Simon rolls his eyes, “Oliver—”

“That’s Mister Jacobs to you, son! If you don’t have her back in time, she’ll be grounded!”

I giggle and stage-whisper to Simon, “I don’t think he’ll let us go until you play along.”

Simon huffs, but a grin pulls at the corner of his lips. “Yes, sir.”

Ollie nods, a satisfied look on his face. “Good. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” With a wink, he cackles as he climbs up the stairs, leaving Simon and I alone.

“Before we go, I have something for you,” Simon says nervously, pulling something out of his pocket. A square, dark blue velvet box sits in hand.

My brow furrows in confusion. “What—”

“It’s a courting gift,” he says, his pale complexion flushing slightly. “I want to do things right. Scent match or not, we should still try to be deserving of you.”

Biting my lip, I take the box from him and open it, gasping when I see what’s inside.

“A…a book themed charm bracelet?”

“I got it from this specialty shop downtown…”

I take a closer look at the charm bracelet to see a little tiny book, a small dragon, a miniature castle, a little sword, and… “An octopus?”

“I believe it’s a kraken,” he blushes and I burst out laughing.

“Oh my god, Simon. This isamazing.I can’t believe they already had all this on one bracelet.”

Simon scratches the back of his neck. “I actually…picked out the charms myself.”

My heart warms at the gesture, and I throw my arms around him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “It’s perfect Sy. Thank you.”

He clears his throat, blushing at the praise. I love seeing how much of a reaction I can get from him. “Now, we should get going so we aren’t late for our reservation.”

It’s not until we’re walking past the cars and going around to the garage that I think to ask, “Wait, where are we going?”

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