Page 29 of Petals and Strings
“Nice,” Ledger said as he led the group inside. They all talked around me as we settled at the table with our trays loaded in pasta, breadsticks, and salad.
I dug in, shoveling in the savory, cheesy bites and groaning at the taste. It was fairly good.
“The cooks are pretty good here,” Audrey agreed. “I expected tasteless cafeteria food.”
“Nah, we pay too much to be here for that to be the case,” Ledger snorted.
“What?” Audrey asked, her face paling.
He froze, mid bite. “Yeah, this is a state facility, but it’s privately run which means only partial funding since we’re long-term care. My dad was forced to pay and does only to keep power over me. The only good thing the old man did for me I guess. It got me away from their fucking games.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant and he didn’t seem ready to elaborate.
“They have ways of working out payment,” I said, realizing I did know something from the last few years. “For me, treatment here was part of the court fees they had to pay.”
She glanced at me, curious, but didn’t ask for more. I think she was far too lost in her own freakout. Her pale face was absolutely stricken.
“I thought I was ordered here. I never realized my family was paying. That’s… unexpected.”
“You don’t get along?” I found myself asking. She’d held back but, apparently, I didn’t have the same control.
She sighed. “I was taken by a breeding ring, held for ten years. When I was found and discharged from the hospital they were there… but it was off. They acted like I was a problem they wanted to hide, as if afraid to get to close or touch me. I’m traumatized, not contagious. It was like I was their secret shame.”
“That’s bullshit,” Ledger growled. “Fuck them.”
“Maybe it’s just another way to keep me far away,” she sighed. “I’m not sure that’s a bad thing, then.”
“They have dessert,” Kane cheered in a way that said he missed every bit of that conversation, though I caught a sharpness in his eyes. Maybe he was also more aware than he pretended to be. “Who wants to scout it out before it’s all gone?”
I rose, along with Audrey and Ledger. Ansel eyed it, but didn’t move. Rydell seemed resigned to stay put, glaring at his tray. “You a chocolate or vanilla person?”
Ansel started but just shrugged, and that was enough for me.
“Rydell?”
“Chocolate. Thanks.” His harsh, grunted words were followed by a nod of gratitude. It was very apparent our little group was a mess and needed a bit more care. If ARC didn’t provide it, maybe it was time to do that for ourselves.
Hell, Ledger and Theo had gotten my tray for me enough times. I could certainly step up for dessert.
When we got to the line it was already crowded, but Ledger let out one grunt and cleared the way. Audrey’s quiet laughter had us all turning her way. It was a raspy, soulful sound that fit the mix of soft curves and jagged edges that defined her. I had to stop comparing her to Tatum, but where my omega was sunshine, Audrey was a storm. Just as beautiful, but in a very different way.
“I’m not even going to say anything bad, that was kind of nice. Scary alpha privileges. If only they knew you weren't scary at all,” she hummed, grabbing a large piece of chocolate cake and hurrying back to the table.
“Did she just say I wasn’t scary?” Ledger scoffed, but his grin only proved her point.
I snagged three plates and balanced them on my arm. “She did. Guess you better step it up.”
He snorted. “You got Ansel and Ry?”
“Yeah.”
“Nice to have you around, Caspian,” he said as he grabbed a piece for himself and followed me back to the table.
Honestly, I was starting to agree. This place was familiar, yet like I was seeing things for the first time.
Ansel looked shocked when I held out the two options. He eyed me, then each of them, before grabbing the vanilla with a shaking hand.
I slid Rydell’s chocolate over before taking the other and digging in.
