“I said I didn’t want you to get your hopes up.”
“Goodnight, Forrest. Love you,” he says simply, ignoring my warnings. Instead, he puts his face mask back on, and turns in the other direction.
“Love you too,” I reply, staring at the ceiling, wondering if maybe I’ve gotten my hopes up too.
“Maybe she’ll be by the pool,” Wells suggests as he eats his omelet at the buffet.
There are noticeably very few Omegas eating here and I wonder if this social experiment is going to work or maybe they just need more time to get comfortable in the public spaces. I mean, hell, even I’m not comfortable being on this ship, and I’m not an Omega.
Yet, the promise of seeing Claire again did have me willing and eager to leave our cabin this morning. I told Wells not to get his hopes up, but it seems like I should have given myself the same memo.
“Maybe,” I reply easily and Wells sighs. “She might not be feeling well.”
“Or maybe she’ll be out and about searching for the hot, hulking Alpha who made her feel better.” I huff, and Wells gives me a wide grin. “Even if she isn’t the one, can you at least admit that this was a good idea for us?”
“Maybe.”
Wells glances over my shoulder and grimaces. I go to turn around and he gives me a look like I’m completely blowing his cover.
“Don’t be so obvious about it. She was a Beta at the mixer and her Alpha ditched her the first day to go prowling for Omegas,doesn’t seem like she totally wants to be here. Her Alpha looks like a total douche too. He’s wearing Pit Vipers.”
“What are those?”
“He has multiple chains on, mixing gold and silver.” My Beta shakes his head and I furrow my brow.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Everything. Everything is wrong with it. The man screams giant prick. There’s no way he’ll find an Omega on board and this poor girl is just trapped here. I told her she should get off the boat when we dock in Miami.”
“You’re not going to be putting your nose in everyone’s business while we’re here, are you?” I say, and he arches a brow at me. “Nevermind, forget I asked.”
“Nothing has been this exciting since the Olympic Village. It’s like a dating show combined with a soap opera, honestly I’m going to be living my best life.”
“You done?” I ask him, pointing to his breakfast, and he nods. I grab the last few pieces of bacon and grapefruit on his plate.
We leave the buffet, and as soon as the glass doors slide open, we’re hit with a humid breeze as we make our way to the main pool. There’s a section for Omegas only at the bow, but the middle of the ship is an outdoor space open to everyone. There’s a large pool at the center, four hot tubs around the corner, and two bars at each end.
Most of the lounge chairs are taken, a lot of them just covered with towels that no one is using, which pisses me off more than it should.
We have to just put our stuff on the deck before applying sunscreen and getting in the water. I scope out the whole area, hoping to get a glimpse of raven hair and a hint of her warm, sweet scent.
We both have our arms crossed over the edge of the pool. Wells is being far too friendly to other strangers, none of them are the Omega I want to see, so they’re irrelevant.
Like my thoughts brought her to life, I see her walking toward the pool deck.
Last night she had a simple pajama set on blue shorts and a button up silk top.
But today?
Holy fucking shit.
I think every single head turns collectively to watch her approach the lounge chairs. She has on a sleek one-piece black bathing suit, with a sheer section in the middle with some sort of kimono thing hanging over her shoulders and black wide-legged pants that swish when she walks. She carries a massive bag thing on her arm and has wide black sunglasses covering her face.
Claire’s beautiful, long black hair trails behind her as she looks around for a place to sit.
Some asshole next to me exits the pool like a slick fucking seal, soaking wet as he grabs a towel off of a chair.
“You can sit here if you’d like,” he says.