Page 20 of Rebellious Harmony
“Because he’s an Alpha, and you’re not in the Sanctuary.”He looks at his phone.
“Is he a danger to me?”Why does it matter that I’m not in the Sanctuary?
“No, nothing like that.He’s a good guy, and he won’t harm you...It’s just that you’re unclaimed, and he might want to court you.”
“Oh.”Nolan seems irritated at the thought of his friend courting me, and I can’t help but feel my heart pick up its rhythm.
A shadow crosses the table, and Nolan pulls his shoulders back and growls softly.I startle and turn to look at the woman beside us.She has green eyes and long blonde hair styled like a porcelain doll, a short ruffly cream-colored dress, and pink heels.I look back at Nolan and take a bite of my donut to settle the unease I feel with this woman present.Donuts can get you through anything.
“Hi, Nolan.Miss me, baby?”
Nolan tenses and clears his throat, and his entire demeanor changes.He looks at the woman and glares, “No, Larissa.You know I don’t.What are you doing here?”
“I want to see you guys play in Vegas.I was really looking forward to the final show.”Her smile vanishes when she notices our hands touching, and her gaze pivots to me.
She must be the ex.My stomach sours.I’m her replacement.
“I thought I made it clear that I don’t want you around.The shows are sold out.”
The woman glares at me and then looks back at Nolan.Something that I can’t quite decipher crosses her face, but she wipes her expression quickly.“Well, isn’t this interesting?You and your new social media manager do look rather cozy.”
I freeze.She knows who I am.
“Larissa, don’t.Leave her alone.”He squeezes my hand in what I assume is an apology.
She catches the movement and glares again at our joined hands, making me even more uncomfortable.I’m not sure how Nolan can stand it.
“I had no idea that you were seeing anyone already.You haven’t said anything to the media.It must be quite the secret.”She smirks, and Nolan tenses.
He carefully releases my hand and grabs his mocha.I can’t help but feel the sting of his rejection, even though I know he’s trying to defuse the situation.He sips his drink, and Larissa smiles at him.My stomach tightens.Am I just one of many girls in his life?
She looks at me with pity.“You know he does this regularly, right?”I don’t respond, and she laughs.“He makes you feel like you’re special, but you’re really just the next girl he’s stringing along.Soon, you’ll learn you mean nothing to him, like all the rest of us before you.He has no intention of committing to one woman.”
“Oh, I know.He’s been upfront with me from the start.I don’t have the same unrealistic expectations that you apparently did.”He did say he doesn’t want a relationship.Why would he want a lifetime commitment with this type of drama?
I briefly catch a flicker of hurt cross his eyes.Nolan turns from me and looks at her with such hostility that it makes me cringe.He seems ready to rip her throat out.“We gotta go.”He stands up, grabs the box of donuts, and waits for me at the door.
I guess our time here has ended.I glare at her as I devour the last bite of my donut.“Lovely meeting you.Always a pleasure meeting the ex.”Only then do I follow him to the car.I can’t help but feel like I’ve been slapped in the face.The switch in Nolan’s mood was instant, and I miss his sweet touches and closeness.Whatever is going through his mind that shut him down hurts.
7
Nolan
Ava and I step off the elevator and onto the gambling floor.Large glass chandeliers sparkle like rain, hanging in a cascade of glittering crystals.Nocturnal’s opulence is on another level, surpassing all the other hotels and casinos on the Strip in Vegas.The walls are dressed in silver and lavender wallpaper, and dim lighting gives the gambling floor a dreamy nighttime feel.
The large open space is divided into separate areas with the table games to the room’s right, the high-stakes slot machines to the left, and the lower stakes games downstairs.The noise isn’t too bad on my hearing; I’m grateful for that.Humans tend to fill any space with loud chatter that can grate on my senses.
I want to grab Ava’s hand, but after our night at the donut shop, I’ve been repeating a mantra,Keep your distance.Pull away.It’s for the best.I need to stop blurring the lines between us.She didn’t deserve to be hunted and intimidated by my ex.Larissa showing up was a worst-case scenario, and now our fragile relationship feels strained.Ava’s too sweet to be mistreated by Larissa, who wants to tear us down.
Do I want Ava?More than anything.Is she the perfect Omega—or even worse, the perfect Omega for me?Again, yes.But I could never ask her to join my world, my life on the road, my life of fame; she deserves a normal drama-free life.
The press caught word of the drama in the donut shop and the nasty comments on our feed, and now questions are swirling around about Ava, as though she’s the other woman who pushed “poor Larissa” aside.All nonsense.
I can see her shoulders slump every time she checks her phone.
Larissa rudely interrupting us last night is a perfect example of why I can’t keep an Omega private.A relationship with me would thrust Ava into the spotlight, and the intense scrutiny that comes with my fame wouldn’t be fair to her or any other potential mate.No one deserves that kind of attention unless they signed up for it like I and the rest of the guys in the band did.We knew what we were getting ourselves into.Ava doesn’t, and it’s unfair for me to expect her to put up with the results.
Does this realization hurt?Absolutely.
