“I don’t mind coming with you, Davis,” Kiara says quietly.
I turn around to find her alone in the backseat, Crew and Alexander already having climbed out and waiting for her.
“There’s no reason for that, little K.”
Part of me is disappointed when she allows Crew to help her out. It really isn’t necessary, but it would’ve been nice to get to spend a few minutes alone with her.
Another car pulls up behind me, but I refuse to move until I have eyes on all four of them on the sidewalk.
Color me surprised when the passenger door swings open, and Kiara climbs inside. “What are you doing?”
“I told you I’d come with you. Now, hurry before whoever is behind you gets impatient.” She pulls her seat belt on before waving to the others.
I want to gape at her, but she’s right. I don’t want to hold anyone up, so I pull away and continue down the street until I find an empty spot.
Kiara and I climb out of the car, and I offer her my arm when I join her on the sidewalk. “It really wasn’t necessary for you to come with me—especially with those shoes.”
The heels she wears make her legs look amazing, but I know heels aren’t exactly comfortable.
“Don’t you worry about me, Davis. I don’t buy heels that aren’t comfortable.” She smiles as she slips her arm in mine. “Although you’re going to have to walk slowly. My legs are much shorter than yours.”
“I never have a problem slowing down for you, Kiki.” I return her smile as we start down the sidewalk. “So, how are you really doing?”
She’s quiet for a moment. “I’m okay, I think. I know I made a big deal out of the three of you being Crew’s scent matches, and that wasn’t fair to anyone. I always hoped I’d be an omega—even knowing how unlikely it was since both my parents were betas and there aren’t a lot of omegas in either family—and that I’d be your scent match.”
My head jerks down, eyes wide as I realize what she just admitted. She refuses to look at me, her eyes locked forward, but I can see the flush coloring her skin.
“I didn’t know where that would leave me and Crew since he’d already revealed as an omega, but I knew we’d figure it out. Finding out I was a beta and a scent match to none of you—including Crew—was a blow to my self-confidence. I didn’t really talk about it with anyone, but I was so afraid that Crew would end up leaving me behind. Finding out that he’s your scentmatch, when that’s what I wanted for myself, was more than I could stand.
“I just hope none of you will hold it against me. I know I overreacted. Crew and I are good, but I know we kind of just pretended it didn’t happen. I should’ve talked about it with the three of you more, but I was embarrassed—I still am.” She pauses. “The three of you were interested in me before?”
I clear my throat, nodding like an idiot. “I don’t know how you didn’t know. Alexander and I didn’t really make it a secret. Mason has always held things closer to the vest, and with the whole step siblings thing, it’s understandable that you didn’t know about him. But how did you not know about me and Alexander?”
She glances up at me for a moment, a small smile on her lips before she turns forward again. “I thought you were just flirting to flirt. How was I supposed to know that my stepbrother’s hot best friends were actually serious?”
“You could’ve asked anyone—they could’ve told you. Hell, Ruby could’ve told you.” I laugh. We thought we were really obvious in our interest back then. Mason tried to ban us from his house more than once because we were always seeking her out. I can’t believe she was oblivious to it the entire time.
“She did,” she admits. “I just didn’t believe her. Honestly, it was probably a good thing it didn’t happen back then. Everything happens for a reason, right?”
“Yeah, something like that.” I turn my wrist to glance at my watch when it buzzes, skimming the text from Mason. “They have a table. Mason is going to wait for us at the door, for some reason.”
“That’s kind of sweet.”
Yeah, sure…sweet. We’ll go with that.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kiara
“That was delicious,” Crew says, patting his flat stomach as we step out of Sapphire’s. “I can see why that’s your favorite restaurant.”
I hum as he slips his hand into mine, Davis spinning around to face us as Mason and Alexander stop on either side of us.
“What now?” the beta asks, eyes flickering across the four of us.
He seems nervous, and it’s not the first time I’ve noticed it tonight. Davis has always been carefree. I’ve probably only seen him nervous a handful of times in the years I’ve known him, so I don’t understand what’s going on with him tonight.
“Crew? Kiara?” Alexander turns his attention to us, but even Crew’s eyes are on me.