Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

Iwatched for Cal before he showed up to pick me up. When he did, he paced in front of the university library door a few times before he snorted a laugh.

"Something funny?" I asked.

Spinning around, Cal stared at me. His eyes traveled from the top of my head, all the way down.

I wasn't sure if I looked perfect or anything. Rita went over my outfit with more precision than I ever would've, but I wasn't going to question her work.

Especially not when Cal started to fan himself with a bouquet of what looked to be wildflowers.

"Only how nervous I am," Cal admitted. He had to be kidding. "I've been looking forward to seeing you."

He extended the flowers. "These are for you. Our goal is for them to hopefully make it home with you not dead by the end of the night. They're from our backyard though, so don't be upset if they don"t. I can always get you some more."

Tension broke as I looked down at the yellow and pink petals. "Sounds like a good goal. Thank you."

No one ever got me flowers before. I never even got myself flowers.

"They're really pretty," I said. "You grew these?"

"One of the guys I live with, Marko, planted them a year or so back. He's always doing something all the time. One of those things is gardening… or cooking. God, I'm about to describe him as a very large bear in a frilly apron."

I laughed, trying to picture this oversized beta he must've been talking about.

"Even if he did complain like a little bitch for weeks after he tore his hands up weeding once. He gets a little wired if he doesn't have something to do with his hands," Cal went on. "Anyway, I'm rambling."

"Ah," I said, only slightly following now.

He and Marko must've been good friends for a while. I still couldn't believe that this calm, cool, and collected Cal from the other day was so nervous. Here I thought I was going to be the nutcase.

"The flowers make good gifts too," he said.

"So, you give a lot of girls flowers then?"

"Woah." Cal put up his hands with a short laugh. "Definitely not. You're a special case."

I couldn't help but smile as we started to walk towards the parking lot.

"You like them though?" Cal asked.

I nodded quickly. My entire body warmed when I looked back down at my flowers again. They were a gift. For me.

Only me.

"I"ve never gotten flowers before. I love them," I said. "Thank you."

"You look really nice."

"Is it okay?" My breath kicked up a notch. "You said the dress code was jeans, but I didn't know. Do I look okay for what you have planned?"

"You look beautiful."

I blushed. "You know, if you keep calling me that, it will start to not have the same effect."

"Why not? It's the truth," Cal said.

"Well, you look very handsome yourself."

"Thank you." Cal smiled. "See, now that is how you take a genuine compliment, beautiful."

"Sorry," I said. "My friend Rita says the same thing."

"She sounds like she knows what she's talking about."

"She does." I sighed. "She's so smart. I'm surprised that she stayed at Prestford after getting her other degrees. She teaches and is getting her PhD in the science department."

"Woah. That sounds intense."

"It is. She studies biology or chemistry..." I shook my head, never able to remember. "I'm not sure exactly right now which probably makes me the worst friend on the planet. Either way, whatever she does is super complicated and she's super good at it. She always has been."

"You've known your friend for a while?"

"Since I got to the city about six years ago. I just sort of found my safe place after coming to Prestford. I didn't want to leave- not if I didn't have to. I always thought Rita would run away the moment she had a chance to, though, so I feel a little guilty."

"Why?"

"I feel like she's stayed here for me, honestly." I shrugged at the truth. "Ever since she needed a roommate and we found each other; Rita has had my back. I'm not the most outgoing person ever and she's my best friend. She's proven more than a few times she'd do just about anything for me."

"That's nice you have that, Ella. Not everyone does."

"I guess you"re right."

"From what I can tell already, anyone would be stupid not to want to spend as much time around you as they could." I shrugged again and Cal seemed to take that as a sense to change tactics. "I'm sure that's only part of the reason she stuck around here, though, no matter how fantastic you may be."

I chuckled.

"That's a nice sound."

I didn't realize just how much I didn't laugh until Jane brought it up the other day. The sound of my joy felt out of use when I managed it, but now, that wasn't what I was focused on as we made it to what was apparently Cal's car. My eyes stuck to the sleek black town car.

"You have a car?"

Cal held the door open. "Of course."

"Of course." Who didn't have a super nice car in a city when there were plenty of public transportation options readily available?

Someone with money.

I shook my head to yank myself back out of my overthinking and wanting to look at Cal again. Because though he seemed perfectly put together and had a nice job, I wasn't expecting, well, this. "I'm just used to all the public transport. This is a nice car too."

"I used to have a truck up until last year, but I figured it was time to finally trade it in for something more city-appropriate. It also stopped Liam from teasing me about having a country boy truck, often adding that all I needed were some boots and a ten-gallon hat. He'd be the one embarrassed though if I ever rose to the challenge. I could totally pull that look off."

"Is Liam another roommate?"

"You got it."

I guess that made sense on how he could afford the car if he wasn't paying as much in rent. It evened out.

I admired the sleek black paint. "This must be amazing at getting groceries."

"And hauling bodies– just kidding."

I chuckled genuinely once more.

Opening the passenger door, Cal gestured for me to get inside. I watched as he rounded the front. As he did, I took another whiff of the flowers, so fresh.

"Honestly, that isn't the only reason I make sure I have a nice car," Cal said, getting in and buckling up before he started the car. "And I was actually hoping that you could help me out with that in a way."

"Oh?" A crease formed between my brows.

"I'm basically a glorified errand boy some days." At that explanation, my shoulders eased. Cal pulled out on the road. "I'm the right-hand man to a stupidly wealthy man who handles the business and front-facing side of things. I handle all the practical junk and the computer stuff."

"Like what exactly?" I asked.

"Well lately… I figure Prestford has a lot of information in its databases about nonprofits, right?"

Thinking for a moment as I mentally looked through the entire catalog, I nodded. "They have a digital directory and also alumni pages. Parts of that are actually what I've been working on the past few days to get done before alumni weekend."

"Wow."

"Yeah, compiling every single slightly significant thing alumni from Prestford has done in the past few decades so they can fawn all over each other over homecoming isn't exactly what I previously considered a good time."

"Here I thought you liked your job."

"I do," I said quickly. "I do. It's just– I'm good at my job."

"Ah." Cal dipped his chin. "Being good at your job and loving what you do are two very different things, beautiful."

I shrugged. "I like books and reading. I wanted to be around them. The whole process isn't exactly as fairytale-esque as the ones you read... But like I said. I'm good at what I do."

"Here I thought I needed to boost your confidence." Cal smiled when he teased me. "What would you rather do?"

"If I could do anything?"

"If you could do anything," he confirmed.

"I never really gave it much thought," I admitted, picking at the edge of a flower petal. I couldn't let myself think too much about it. If I did, some days, I wasn't sure I'd ever stop. So I stayed safe. "I guess I've always wanted to travel, I think. I don't need to go anywhere crazy, but I've always wanted to see the ocean."

"You've never seen the ocean?" Cal gaped. "Everyone has seen the ocean at some point."

I shook my head. "Nope."

"We'll need to fix that."

"One day, maybe." I paused to clear her throat. "Anyway, you said you wanted a list of non-profits related to the area and Prestford?"

"Sort of. My boss needs some information on the previous non-profits in the area over the past few years."

"Okay." I was already thinking about what aisle he might need for information. "Any non-profit type in particular?"

"Omega funds."

I blinked a few times.

Omega funds were directed into a variety of areas to help omegas do things that otherwise could be easier if they were betas or even alphas. The funds helped them find housing and jobs that suited them after they came out of private schooling or the academy. It was one of the things also that helped packs find their omega.

Take them.

Why in the world did Cal want to know about omega funds?

"The big boss is trying to start a whole new sector in omega non-profits to benefit Omega Havens. The good ones. There aren't enough of them to go around, and many of them turn down omegas for not fitting certain status, especially omegas who have been through things like violence or domestic abuse," explained Cal as if he could see the wheels turning in my head. "We want to make sure they're safe, not just shipped back to the people they are claimed by if that is the case."

"Wow," I whispered. I see myself walking into a haven like I did one time and only one time. I thought I was safe but I wasn't. I was never safe until now when I was alone and taking care of myself and that was it. "That's…"

"If we manage it, it would be game-changing to a lot of people," said Cal. "Does that help narrow it down?"

He watched me fidget as he turned at the next light.

He seemed sincere. More than that, he didn't realize who exactly he was talking to.

Just one of those omegas that hadn't been able to trust the system.

I cleared my throat. "I can find that sort of information, I think."

"Awesome."

"Maybe now you'll tell me where we're going?" I looked around the area as we pulled into a parking lot. The only thing that I saw was a small diner and more gray buildings surrounding us.

Cal unbuckled his seatbelt. "Don't trust me?"

After a second, I shook my head. "Not yet."

"Don't worry," he smiled with a nod, not perturbed in the least. "I'll earn it."