Page 31 of Knot My Band: Part Two

Next is a fancy vanilla coffee syrup that she gets so damn excited over when Riley adds it to her coffee. I had to ask Riley about that one, but she only smirked when she told me.

The last item in the mix is the most vulnerable. She has clothes from Jack, Aiden, and Chase but not me, so I included a T-shirt that will be huge on her. Since she loves the one from Aiden, I hope she won’t mind. It’s covered in my scent.

“I noticed you might like these.” I watch her face, searching for any sign that I’ve stepped over a line or hit the mark.

“Wow, Dax.” The words are soft, a melody all their own. “You noticed.”

“Hard to forget anything about you,” I admit.

She picks up the shirt and sniffs it before humming softly. “It’s yours.”

I grip the back of my neck, feeling awkward. “If you don’t want it, I can take it back, but I just thought-”

“Thank you.” She reaches out, not for the gifts, but for my hand. “This means a lot.”

I notice Chase, Jack, and Aiden are watching us out of the corner of my eye, but when I look at them, they all look away and pretend they’re still playing their game.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” Oli’s voice is a warm and sincere melody that wraps around me. Her green eyes are soft pools of gratitude, and I swear they’re brighter than any stage lights I’ve ever played under.

“Of course I did,” I say, then at the last second add, “I wanted to.”

Her laughter is a sound I’d chase to the end of the world, and it punches straight through the armor I’ve spent years forging. She’s got me feeling like some lovesick pup, but hell if I care when she’s looking at me like that.

The words tumble out before I can cage them, rough-edged with vulnerability. “I was thinking, maybe I could hang around a bit more? With you, I mean.”

The way her eyes soften sends a thrill skittering up my spine.

“Sure,” she says simply.

I stand up, thinking she means sometime in the future, but she grabs my hand and pulls me back down.

“Stay.”

“I don’t want to interrupt your reading. Maybe I could read with you?” I ask, gesturing to the novel clutched in her hand, hoping my eagerness doesn’t show too much.

“Only if you can handle that it’s a romance,” she teases, her eyes gleaming with challenge and promise.

“Sounds good to me,” I grin, settling beside her. “Maybe I’ll pick something up from it.”

Oli’s head settles on my shoulder, and her sweet strawberry scent surrounds me. The pages of her book rustle softly as she turns them.

I catch a line about some brooding dude making a mess of things.

“Wow, this guy’s a real piece of work,” I mutter, unable to keep the smirk from my voice.

She looks at me and chuckles, a sound that vibrates against my arm. “Don’t worry, he’s got an epic grovel coming up. It’s legendary.”

I realize that’s me, and I don’t like my role in our love story.

“Groveling, huh?” I say. “Kinda feels like what I’m doing right now. Trying to, anyway.”

Oli shifts to look at me, her bright green eyes holding traces of amusement. “You don’t need to grovel, Dax. It’s fine you didn’t want an omega around.”

My brows knit together because I am not letting her think that was ever true. “Oli, listen to me. You deserve better than that. And, for the record, I did want you. I… have baggage.”

The words hang between us, heavy and sincere. Slowly, I slide my arm around her, pulling her closer until I can feel her warmth seeping into my skin. Our sides are pressed together in a cozy fit.

“Thank you for telling me, Dax,” she whispers, her breath fanning my neck, giving me goosebumps.