Page 36 of Crash Course Omega
I tend not to get on his bad side due to good pit times and my general disinterest in his personal life. And I like his own brand of honesty, even though he can be harsh at times. He isn’t good at controlling his emotions, but he never takes that out on the team, just on the things around us. But that sets most people on edge.
And we share a mutual love of cars. Everyone on the team does, but the way Harmony had asked me about the newest car parts reminded me a lot of how Maddock and I can spend hours talking about cars, races, and the championship.
It’s a friendship with no expectations, and I never have to worry about trying to make conversation, because he always lets me know when he wants to talk or not.
Like now, when, after five minutes of glaring, he suddenly turns to me.
“Hey, can I ask your advice about something?”
I arch a brow, not sure what he’s going to come out with. Vegas went amazingly, I haven’t made any major changes to the car, and the window for any adjustments is closed, so I can’t think what I could help with. But I nod anyway.
He presses his hand against his mouth as he sighs.
“So, my friend ran into his ex the other day, but they broke up really badly, so he was asking me what he should do about it.”
I pause, turning to look at him, blinking slowly. His expression is hard, and it doesn’t feel right to call him out, because I might be mistaken.
“Does your friend have to do anything? Why doesn’t he just ignore her?” I ask.
“Because he has to work with her for the next few months.”
Awkwardness balloons in my chest, but I try not to act on it. I’m really not qualified for this kind of conversation.
I have to be delicate about this. I assume Maddock wants me to pretend I don’t know who he’s talking about. Or he thinks I won’t realize despite the fact he’s kept his eyes glued to Harmony since he arrived.
“How bad was the break up? Can’t they try to be friends?” I ask, trying not to groan in embarrassment. I don’t want to be stuck in another one of these situations, but they always seem to find me.
“It doesn’t quite work like that. They were scent matches,” Maddock says, his voice growing hoarser as his muscles tense under his shirt.
My eyes widen as the realization hits me, and suddenly guilt winds its way from my heart down to my stomach.
“They…” I clear my throat. “Theywerescent matches? Did they reject each other?”
Maddock shakes his head. “No, the match is still there. They just broke up. But he hasn’t been able to get over it since she left. That’s why he doesn’t know what to do.”
I haven’t heard of scent matches living apart like that. Normally when a couple breaks up, they will reject each other and break the match between them so that the addiction caused by their scents doesn’t affect them. And that’s only possible if they haven’t shared a bite.
The only reason I think Harmony and I haven’t suffered that fate is because she hadn't scented me in the past.
“Does… Does he want to get back together with her?” I ask, preferring not to hear the answer.
If she already scent matched with Maddock years ago, then what I think I might have with her is nothing. Sometimes packs will start out as a couple, and new alphas will match with the omega, until twenty years later it becomes an eight-person pack.
Just because her favorite hobby seems to be stealing my jackets, that doesn’t mean she actually wants me.
“Well, that’s also why he’s confused. Because she perfumed for him the first time they spoke, and now he doesn’t know what to think.”
I suddenly feel like I’m stepping on his toes. I’m the one who threw myself at Harmony and tried to rip her bra off, and I’m making assumptions about how she feels about me. What if it’s one of those situations where I have to choose between them? If I want Harmony as my omega, will that mean I’m taking her from Maddock? What if Maddock says he wants to be in a relationship with her again and I was never an option in the first place? If I say something to her, maybe Maddock will get angry at me for going behind his back.
I might have walked into a situation I really don’t want to be part of. No matter how delicious Harmony smells and how amazing it is to spend time with her, what if my actions affect Maddock’s driving and performance?
I try so hard to make sure the cars are perfect for our drivers, but what if I mess it up, anyway?
“Everest? Are you listening to me?” he asks.
I blink at him again, tension winding through me.
We're so close to the end of the championship. Just three more weekends, and we’re in with a chance for a top-three spot this year. But that could all vanish if Harmony distracts Maddock.
