Page 7 of Talk About… Dramay

“Acarnival,” I mused as I looked around at the bright lights, rides jutting into the sky, the crowds, and breathed in the scent of fried food and sweets in the air.

Already, a huge smile was forming across my face; this felt like home.

Rockwood Valley always held the Artisan fair, and it was one of my favorite things to do in high school. My entire family would go together. My dad would make a big deal out of it, and we’d spend all day there. I’d see my friends on and off, spend some time with my family, and we’d buy way more than we ever needed.

Nostalgia was so bittersweet. It made me long for the home I left behind, but I couldn’t be sad when Roman was beside me.

I told him everything that was holding me back, and he took it, even holding me through it. The moment he pulled me intohis lap to reassure me that everything would be fine, I knew this was going to work.

Everything just felt a bit too perfect, though. My baggage had dominated the entire breakfast conversation, and when we finished, we headed here.

I was almost afraid to hope, but I had promised him today, and I refused to let my brain ruin it.

How could I truly give him a shot if I held my insecurities against him?

“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

“I’m still stuffed,” I admitted, “but I could use a drink. I wonder if they have those amazing fresh lemonades around here, the ones where they shake it in the cup.”

“Those are my favorite, too,” he said. Roman didn’t hesitate to curl his fingers around mine and pull me with him through the crowd. Every so often, he would glance back, making sure I was still with him and unbothered.

His protective instincts were strong, and I was finding that I really liked it. It had been a long time since I felt like anyone cared enough to protect me, and here this man was, a stranger less than twenty-four hours ago, protecting me better than anyone ever had.

I couldn’t hold it against Cameron for not being super protective. We were in high school back then. Both still so young, barely into our designations.

Sometimes I wondered what it would be like if he was still around. As soon as I had the thought, I dismissed it. I never allowed myself to dive deeper into what-ifs, they’d only make me feel worse.

“Have you thought about the fact that you might have more alpha scent matches out there?” Roman asked, voice careful but curious.

I shrugged, unsure how to answer. “Maybe at one time, but then it was too dangerous to let myself think about it. Right now, you’re making it feel like it could be a possibility…. maybe it would make heats a little more tolerable.”

“How are you managing heats?” he questioned. There was that adorable concern again. His eyebrows wrinkled just the slightest as he looked down at me, his eyes meeting mine and not bothering to look away.

Once again, I had his full attention. I liked it more than I should. I’d been invisible for too long.

“Suppressors. I actually have an appointment in a few weeks with my doctor to talk about them. I was having trouble, and they weren’t working as well as they should. My heats have been semi-horrible because they were failing. Hopefully, he’s found something else. He did enough labs to make me dizzy from all the blood they took.”

“Do you want me to go to the appointment with you?” Roman asked. Again his voice was cautious, as if he was trying to not overstep. “I know we just met, but as I said, you’re my omega. If it’s stressful, I would love to be there to support you.”

“I think I’ll be fine at the appointment, but if you want to meet me at my apartment after,” I trailed off, barely stopping myself from begging him to be there.

“Of course, anything you need, Ori.” Simple as that. Warmth bloomed in my chest and my omega almost purred in satisfaction.

We started walking again, but this time he tucked me into his side, his arm around my shoulders. Being this close to him, I could smell his soothing tea and honey scent. I didn’t even bother to hide the fact that I was breathing him in, committing it to memory.

“So, you found out all my dirty little secrets. I don’t have anything left. What about you, Roman? What are you hiding behind that smile?”

“I’m a bit of a black sheep in my family. They love me, don’t get me wrong, but I’m the only son who doesn’t have some fancy degree or business to show off. They’ve never outright said that they’re disappointed, but I can see it when we talk about my future or my plans, what I do with my time.”

“What do you do for work?” I asked as I held him just as tightly, showing my support this time.

I couldn’t quite understand how I’d let him in so fast, but I knew better than anyone, scent matches were wild. All bets were off.

Looking up at him, I couldn’t imagine anybody thinking poorly of the beta standing before me. He was well-rounded, kind, caring, and that was just on the surface.

“I’m an art teacher,” he admitted. “I actually go to a nursing home about twice a month to do a class for the seniors. Some of my kids show up, and they love it. It’s this huge community-wide thing, and I absolutely adore it.”

“That’s amazing. How could they not be proud of that?” My voice rose with indignation on his behalf and he gave me a sad smile.