Chapter 85

Ollie’s POV

Dinner that night is sure to be awkward, but as I’ve become one of the regular servers on staff, I can’t just avoid it.

Fortunately, as I serve, the brothers seem thoroughly distracted, looking off into space or staring down at their food. This annoys Sylvia, who keeps giving them curious and annoyed looks.

Diana doesn’t notice, instead speaking with Ella and her parents who have returned to the table now that the mother and daughter pair are back from their trip, with Ella and her mother both sporting tans.

Diana is insisting on hearing everything about their trip, and seems utterly charmed by how close Ella and her mother seem to be now.

It is nice to see, even as someone who doesn’t really have a mother. Ella and her mom have always been close, but this trip seems to have connected them even further.

“I’m just so proud of the woman my daughter has grown into,” Ella’s mom says. “She took charge of so many situations, she made so many good decisions. She truly is going to be a phenomenal Beta for the pack.”

“Mom,” Ella says, smiling. “It’s only because you and Dad raised me this way.”

“Accept your mother’s compliment,” her dad says lightly. “Let us both be proud of the woman you’ve become.”

It warms me to see my best friend have such strong bonds with her family, even if it also creates a few small pangs of sadness within me, knowing I will never experience that kind of relationship with anyone. Even so, the happiness for my friend wins out over my own pain, and for a bit, I too am smiling along with the family.

As is Diana, especially as her gaze shifts to Sylvia sitting farther down the table.

“You know, perhaps there is something to this…” Diana muses. Louder, she says, “Sylvia.”

Sylvia jolts at the sound of her name. She clearly wasn’t paying attention to Ella and her family at all, too busy staring at the brothers, and likely scheming somehow.

“Uh, yes?” she says, dragging her attention to Diana, who is looking at her expectantly.

“There’s a few weeks left until the fall semester begins,” Diana says. “Perhaps you and I should follow the example of the Beta’s family…”

Sylvia’s gaze fills with confusion. She really wasn’t paying attention at all, was she? I could only wonder what she was actually thinking about.

“Uh…”

“On a trip, dear,” Diana says, still smiling. “Just you and me.”

At this Sylvia’s eyes go wide. “But what about my brothers? We have to invite them.”

Diana’s smile softens, turning somewhat sad. “No, Sylvia. Like Ella and her mother, I believe a trip with just the two of us could strengthen our bond before you start college and become too busy for me.”

Annoyingly, Sylvia’s nose scrunches somewhat in distaste. “But if the brothers are there, wouldn’t it be even more fun? We could all strengthen our bonds with each other. None of the family should be excluded.”

Except for me, she means, though I suppose I was never truly part of the family.

At this the quadruplets seem to come out of their funk enough to refocus on the conversation at hand. They look from their mother to Sylvia and seem to fit the pieces together.

“You should go,” Wes says first. “You and Mom would have fun together.”

“I’d have more fun if you came too,” Sylvia says, and pouts her bottom lip.

Wes smiles somewhat fondly, but Diana’s smile falls even farther.

My own anger spikes in reply. Does Sylvia not see how good she has it? To have a mother that wants to spend time with her and bond with her?

What I would have given to have Diana ask me to the same kind of trip, to want to show me the same level of compassion and caring. For so long, I had thought of her as my mother. To have it and lose it, and now watch someone else turn it away is a whole new level of infuriating.

If only I could have taken Sylvia’s place in Diana’s eyes, instead of the other way around…

“You should go,” Hugh says next. “I’m certain you would have fun. I bet mother would even take you to the lake house. You like it up there.”

“It’s too quiet, especially without you,” Sylvia says.

“The city, then,” Declan suggests. “You two could go to the theater.”

“I don’t like all the singing,” Sylvia says, though she’s never complained about the theater before. More likely, she just doesn’t want to go at all and will find any excuse to cling onto.

“How about the amusement park, then?” Conrad says. “You’ve always enjoyed that.”

“Only when you are there to win me a prize,” Sylvia says.

“Perhaps this isn’t such a good idea…” Diana says, a bit sadly.

Sylvia notices this, as do the brothers who all look at her once more.

“You should go,” Conrad says, more firmly.

Sylvia sighs, like she is being hard-pressed. Like going on an all-expenses paid vacation with her own caring mother is the worst thing that could happen to her.

“Fine,” she says, but sounds put out by it.

“Good,” Declan says.

“You’ll have fun,” Hugh says.

Wes just smiles at her.

Inside my stomach twists. Not only does her reluctance annoy me, but I also feel a swell of ugly jealousy rising in my gut.

I would have loved to be able to go on a trip like this, to grow closer with Diana while seeing the world.

Sylvia is so selfish that it hurts me to be in the same room as her. And it makes it exceedingly difficult to continue to serve her, even though I have no choice.

She looks at me like she can hear me thinking mean thoughts about her.

“More water, Ollie,” she says, even though she already has a full glass. When I glance at it pointedly, she insists, “This isn’t cold enough. Not that I need a reason for what I want. Aren’t you supposed to obey all my orders?”

“Get her more water, Ollie,” Conrad barks.

I wish I could dump it on her head.

But I don’t. Instead, I take her full water glass and head out of the room to retrieve some ice.

After dinner, while I’m cleaning up in the kitchen, I hear some chatter in the dining room from the brothers. Ella and her family, Diana, and Sylvia must have all left for them to speak so freely.

“What do we do if she doesn’t show up tonight?” Hugh asks.

“We should give her more time,” Wes says. “We keep scaring her and pushing her away.”

“She’s our mate,” Declan says firmly. “She’s not afraid of us.”

“Having four mates, all of whom are not just Alphas but Alpha Kings would be a lot for anyone to handle,” Hugh says. “And I don’t have to remind any of you that she was a virgin until recently.”

“If she’s been seeing you three, she should have no problem adding me,” Conrad says.

“I just think we should give her more time if she needs it,” Wes says.

“I’m already tired of waiting,” Conrad replies. “If she doesn’t show tonight, then all of us should just forget about her.”