Page 16 of Ours Later

Dad’s eyes are on the car I’m pointing at, brow furrowed. Quietly closing the door, I start moving toward it with my dad approaching the other side. There are window coverings over each window and the windshield so I can’t see inside.

“Who covers their windows like this?” Dad mutters, staring at the car.

“Could someone be inside?” I ask softly. The snow has stopped falling, but it’s still too cold to be sleeping in a car. It’s something that I’ve been wondering about because this area is a mix of older people and students who live together.

Most of them wouldn’t have people over, or they would park in the correct parking spot instead of right in front of our house.

I’m beyond angry now and simply concerned someone might be in dire enough straits to have to resort to this.

Instead of responding, Dad swallows hard and nods. Lifting his fist, he cuts straight to the chase and knocks hard on the window.

“Hey, open up!” he calls out forcefully. “Is anyone in there?”

I hear a strangled scream from inside and know I was right. Fuck.

“Open the door!” I yell.

My heart is pounding now as I start to realize that there’s a girl inside. Rustling sounds occur before a window covering is pulled off and I can see the outline of a girl.

“We’re concerned it’s so cold. You can’t stay here,” Dad says.

There’s silence before the girl nods. She’s so bundled up in a coat that I can’t see anything else except the dark fabric. “Okay, I’ll go,” she says softly, moving to crawl into the front seat. Ican’t see her anymore, and I’m moving to knock obnoxiously on the driver side window.

Something tells me she’ll move the car to a possibly less safe place.

“No, open the door,” I bark as she pulls off the coverings so she can drive.

“I’m going, get away from the car,” she says. There is a note of terror in her voice, making me close my eyes in frustration. Fuck, we’re scaring her.

“Come on, sweetheart, we just want to talk. I’m a professor at the university?—”

“Cooper?” she asks softly and the locks open. Dad looks defeated and sad as he stares at the door for a second.

“Why…” he seems to have lost his words as he pulls the door open. I can see blonde and pink hair and my stomach clenches.At least she has a winter coat now.

I put my hand on the car as I feel dizzy for a moment, only to find ice on the windows. She's been here a few hours at least.

“Can we get her inside?” I ask Dad. I still don’t know who this girl is, and I don’t know why she knows who my father is. Something tugs at my memories, but I don’t think I’m ready for whatever that is right now.

“Please come inside, Nina. It’s too damn cold. Are you seriously living inside of your car?” Dad asks rapid fire questions as I shake my head. This entire time that I’ve been obsessing about this girl, she’s really my step-sister? Ex-step-sister?

Fuck me. The world feels fuzzy and uncomfortable, and I’m not really sure how I should be feeling, but Dad is right. We need to get this girl inside because it’s too damn cold. It’s all I can smell, the crisp, clean scent of the world.

While in the comfort of a warm home, I can enjoy the beauty, but to this girl, it’s a death trap.

As I gaze at her, I can see from how slight she is that she’s an omega. Why do I feel so protective over her?

“Mom cut me loose over the summer and left me,” Nina says,her teeth starting to chatter. “I have a scholarship, but housing isn’t included, and this is my only chance to get an education. I’m not your responsibility, Cooper. I’m fine. Let me just get the car de-icer and I’ll move to somewhere else.”

“Nina,” I say, her name feeling foreign in my mouth. Her eyes finally glance over at me and I see shame in her eyes, her cheeks rising with color. “I did tell you I’d give you my name the next time we met.”

“Ethan?” she whispers. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.”

“You guys met? Listen, it really is cold. Please, come inside? Even if you decide not to stay, at least you can get warm,” Dad insists.

Biting her lip, she nods, turning to reach into the back seat. “I got a battery operated heated blanket so I’m warm enough,” she explains as she turns it off.

“Grab your bag,” I tell her. I don’t care if she sleeps on the couch, she’s not sleeping in this damn car tonight. Fuck, it’s just unsafe. Too much could happen to her, and the rumors of people kidnapping omegas from the streets are rampant. I can’t imagine her ending up at an auction block.