Page 38 of Follow the Rhythm
Ursula smiled smugly and settled deeper into her pillows. “I knew it. You’re too easy. Now, let an old lady sleep.”
Chapter 13 - Jess
Icalled Charlie when I left the hospital and told him the news, half-hoping he’d say I wasn’t allowed to take Ursula’s place. Surely bringing an Omega along would be against some kind of policy. He disappointed me immediately.
I also didn’t know he was standing right next to Grace when I told him.
“Ah! Holy shit, yes! We can be bus buddies!” she screeched into the phone. “She can ride with me on the fancy bus, right?”
“Sure,” Charlie said after a moment. “Unless you’d rather ride on one of the crew buses with me?”
I hesitated. Being on the “fancy bus” meant riding with Kieran and Ellis and their stupid, sexy pheromones. But Grace would be an amazing buffer. Being with Charlie on the crew bus seemed like asking for trouble. He had to know that was a terrible idea.
“I’ll ride with Grace if Kieran and Ellis are okay with it, too.” I paused. “Are you sure me coming along is alright? It’s not going to piss anyone off, having an Omega around?”
There was a shuffling noise and then Charlie’s voice came back a little clearer; he’d taken me off speakerphone. “Of courseit’s okay. I trust everyone on the team to make you feel welcome. And you’ll be safe, I promise.”
The panic in my stomach subsided just a bit. “Okay. I guess I have some packing to do.”
Austin agreed to drive me to the bulk store across the river so I could buy a suitcase and an industrial-sized bottle of descenter spray. It was only late afternoon when they picked me up from the hospital, even though it felt like it’d been a week since Ursula had fallen at the venue.
“I’m pissed at you,” they said as soon as I got into the truck. “All the stories you made me listen to about your fancy Catholic arts school, and neveroncedid you mention you knew Ellis Fox? Why would you do that to me?”
“It didn’t seem important,” I said.
“Bullshit. Try again.”
“Fine, I was embarrassed. It felt pathetic, being so obsessed with him,” I snapped.
“Again, bullshit. You’ve told me multiple times about getting your period during chapel and one of those nuns telling you about the evils of tampon usage. I know a lot of your embarrassing things,” Austin pressed.
I sighed loudly. “Right, but those are funny-embarrassing. Ellis is different. You’re supposed to get over your high school crush, but I didn’t. That’s not funny; that’s psycho behavior.”
“You’re not a psycho. I’d say more ‘mildly disturbed.’ So, is it weird being around him again?”
“Obviously, yes. And now I’m going to be stuck with him for this whole tour. How am I going to do this? I haven’t been away from Fairview since I was a kid. And there’s a reason Omegas don’t usually tour with bands.”
Austin considered that for a moment. “You’ll be fine. Aren’t you the one always talking about how messed up it is that Omegas are discriminated against?”
“Well, yeah.” It was more difficult for Omegas to get hired for almost any job.
“And your Omega instincts or feelings or whatever - you said those are pretty much under control, right?” they asked.
“For the most part.” As long as I didn’t try to have casual sex with anyone.
“Plus, you’ll be home before your next heat, right? And from what Grace tells me, you’ve got a willing helper in case it comes early,” they said, waggling their eyebrows.
“How does she know about Charlie?” I wailed.
“Charlie? She said Kieran is into you. Who the hell is Charlie?”
“Oh god,” I moaned, my head in my hands.
I ended up telling them the whole sordid story on the long drive. They only bragged a little about being right about Charlie and me not being able to keep things casual.
“Just keep it in your pants for two months. You can do that, right?” they asked.
“Yeah. Of course,” I said with confidence I didn’t feel.
