Page 3 of Knot Happening

"...Possibly."

Adam laughs, the sound echoing through the quiet library, bouncing off the high ceilings and settling into my bones like a warm hug. For a moment everything feels normal again. Like we're just Belle and Adam, best friends who finish each other's sentences and share everything from book recommendations to baked goods. Like there aren't secrets sitting between us, heavy and impossible to navigate.

But then he picks up the invitation again, smoothing it carefully against the desk, and reality crashes back down around me.

"I should probably give them an answer soon," he says thoughtfully. "And I should probably tell my mother. She's been asking about my 'romantic prospects' again."

"Your romantic prospects?" I can't help but smile at the phrase, even though my heart feels like it's trying to claw its way out of my chest. “It doesn’t take a genius to know that she’s the one behind the invitation.”

We both chuckle, because once Adam caught his mother giving out credential cards as if she was handing out resumes while job hunting, but it wasn't about her looking for work, it was her looking for a mate for her beta son.

“Is that what she's calling it now?"

"Last week she cornered me by the historical fiction section and gave me a twenty-minute lecture about the importance of 'settling down before thirty.' Apparently, I'm running out of time to find my 'life partner.'" He makes air quotes around the phrases, rolling his eyes. "She's got this whole theory about howBetas need extra time to find the right match, so we should start looking early."

The twisting in my chest intensifies. Mrs. Fletcher isn't wrong, Adam is twenty-eight, and in a small town like Willowbrook, that's practically ancient in terms of remaining unmated. Most people find their packs or partners in their early twenties. The fact that both Adam and I have made it this long without any romantic entanglements is starting to draw attention.

Unwanted attention that could lead to uncomfortable questions I'm not prepared to answer.

"She means well," I say carefully, though my voice sounds strained even to my own ears. "Even if her methods are a bit... invasive."

"A bit invasive? Belle, she tried to set me up with Mrs. Henderson's niece last month. Ambushed me in the grocery store and everything." Adam shakes his head, but he's smiling. "The poor girl looked excited, but I felt mortified." It's no secret that Mrs. Henderson is desperate for a mate for her omega niece. The thing is that there's only room for male alphas in any relationship, and her niece acts like an alpha, because she's too demanding and aggressive, so she wouldn't suit someone like Adam with his laid-back personality.

"What did you do?"

"Hid in the cereal aisle until they left."

I snort with laughter, the sound bubbling up before I can stop it. The image of Adam crouched behind boxes of cornflakes like some kind of romance refugee is exactly the kind of thing that makes me love him so much it hurts. "You're terrible."

"I'm practical," he corrects, and then his expression grows more serious. "But maybe that's the problem. I’ve been too practical, too comfortable in my little bubble. Maybe it's time to take a risk."

My stomach drops. "You mean the ball."

"I mean the ball." He looks at me, those familiar brown eyes uncertain but determined. "I think I'm going to do it, Belle. I need to move on from here, the thing is the more I’ve been reading lately the more I’ve been thinking about life outside of this town.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. I knew this moment was coming, because I could see it building in his expression, in the way he kept smoothing that invitation. Yet, hearing him say it out loud makes it real in a way that steals the breath from my lungs.

"That's... that's wonderful," I manage, and I even sound like I mean it. Years of practice at hiding my feelings serve me well. "You're going to be amazing, Adam. Whoever you meet is going to be so lucky."

The words feel like glass in my throat, but they're true. Adam is amazing, and perfect in ways that most people never bother to see. He deserves someone who will appreciate him.

"Thanks, Belle." His fingers brush mine as he reaches for another brownie. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

The irony is devastating. He doesn't know what he'd do without me, but he's about to find out. Because if he goes to that ball and finds his person, everything between us will change. It has to. That's how these things work.

And I'll be left here with my books and my brownies, whilst pretending I'm perfectly fine with just being alone.

"You'll never have to find out," I lie, pulling my hand back and reaching for another brownie. The chocolate tastes like nothing now, just empty calories to fill the hollow ache in my chest. "After all, who else is going to keep you supplied with chocolate therapy?"

"True," he agrees, completely missing the way my smile doesn't quite reach my eyes. "I'd probably waste away without your baking."

"Probably," I echo, taking a large bite to avoid saying anything else that might give me away.

Because the truth is, I'm the one who might waste away. I'm the one who's going to have to figure out how to be happy for him when he finds his fairy tale ending.

This place has been my refuge for so long, the one constant in a life that changed completely in the span of a single evening.

But underneath the familiar comfort, something has shifted. Something has changed.

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