Page 2 of Choosing Their Omega

“Oh my god,” Jerry mutters.

I want the floor to swallow me up whole. “Look, it was a bad work environment, but it’s not like I was doing open heart surgery. I’ll get another job in a few days and get you the money. You don’t have to worry about a thing, Jerry, I promise.”

Jerry doesn’t look all that convinced. “That’s what you say every time, and every time, you’re late on the rent.”

“But I get it to you!” I point out, trying to be cheerful, then I dash up the stairs before he can say anything more.

I get up the three flights of narrow, rundown stairs to my tiny apartment, unlock the door, and get inside, sagging against the wall.

What a day.

It’s tempting to just sit here, maybe even cry a little, but I force myself to get up. There’s no use crying. Everything is going to be fine. I take deep breaths and lug the box into the apartment properly so I can unpack, wincing as I take in my run-down, tiny apartment.

This really isn’t a place worth pestering your tenants about rent over. It’s the size of a shoebox, there’s a leaky faucet, no air conditioning or heating, the floor is technically hardwood but only because it’s worn-down to bits, there’s plaster flaking off everywhere, and there are stains in the bathroom and kitchen that no amount of scrubbing and bleach can fix.

It’s beat up to hell, which is about how I feel right now, honestly. But it’s not like I can afford anywhere better right now. Especially now that I’m unemployed.

My phone rings and I jolt, picking it up. It’s Shay. “Hey!” I answer, trying to sound more cheerful than I actually feel. “What’s up?”

“Just wanted to remind you about the game tonight!” Shay sounds pumped up already, and oh my god, that’s right—I agreed to join her at a hockey game. She had the extra ticket because she dumped the boyfriend she was originally going with. But I could really use a night out after how the day’s gone.

“Yup, I’ll be there!”

“We’ll be meeting Maddie and the others there too. Don’t forget to bring something warm!”

“I won’t. Meet you then!”

Crap, now I have to get ready.

I heat up some beans and rice that I had leftover in the fridge and eat it while reading the new romance novel I got last weekend. Romance novels are the one thing I let myself splurge on, and I try to be careful about how many I buy. If I had the money, I’d buy every romance novel I could get my hands on, but unfortunately, I’m not that rich.

In the meantime, I eat my beans and rice and immerse myself in the fictional world between the pages. I love cooking and I try to get creative with my food when I can so that I don’t get bored, but I end up eating the same things pretty much every day because they’re cheap.

Someday, I tell myself. Someday I’ll be able to actually do what I want. I’ll be able to go to college, and experiment with food and cook delicious meals, and I’ll have a proper library for all my romance novels so they’re not in piles on the floor.

My alarm goes off, and I throw the dishes into the sink and run around getting ready.

Where is a damn hair clip?

I find a couple and put them in to hold my dark red hair back. I don’t know how I keep losing them, and yet I somehow manage to do it all the time.

I get ready just in time and hop into my car to drive to the hockey rink to meet everyone. I’m sure everybody else went out beforehand to eat, or will want to get drinks afterward, but I just can’t afford it. My Corolla splutters to life, and I wince as I pull her out of the parking space and head downtown.

“Just hold on a little longer, baby,” I tell her, patting her dashboard. The last thing I need is my car breaking down on me.

We putter and cough our way to the arena, where I park farther away so I can use free street parking rather than paying through the nose for the arena lots.

I’ve never been to a hockey game before. When I reach Shay, Maddie, and the others, some of them are wearing jerseys. Shay’s bouncing up and down on her heels with a huge grin on her face. “You’re just in time! Come on!”

Maddie buys a bunch of snacks that she ends up sharing with everyone, which is nice because I don’t have to be the one person who claims she doesn’t want anything to cover up the fact that I can’t afford to splurge. The ice rink arena is cold, but actually not quite as cold as I expected. Maybe it’s because there are so many people here, all that body heat warms the place up.

We take our seats, and the skaters come out to blaring music and spotlights. It’s a whole production, and I grin as the crowd gets pumped up on both sides. It’s a home game, so it’s mostly people in support of our home team, the Titans. I watch the players as they skate, trying to match the athletic figures with the faces they’re showing on the jumbotron screens.

Wow. Some of these guys are really handsome.

The first one out is the captain, Cruz Ashford. He’s got chocolate brown hair and blazing blue eyes, and he sweeps his gaze over the crowd and then the ice as he skates across the smooth surface with steady, even strokes of his legs. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a confident looking man in my life.

A few others come out, and another player catches my eye, apparently named Lawson Hunt. The player’s name flashes on the screen whenever that player emerges onto the ice. Lawson has dark blond hair and these mischievous brown eyes that complement each other, and a square jawline that gives a rugged edge to his handsomeness.

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