Chapter 88

Ollie’s POV

Sylvia grins at me like she knows she’s just ruined all my plans. She cannot possibly know I planned to go on a vacation with the quadruplets, but she still seems pleased with herself.

My heart sinks low, and Scarlet mournfully howls inside of me. I should have known a full vacation away from Sylvia would have been too much to ask for, especially when it meant I could have my mates all on my own for a few days.

I’d only had the idea for a few short hours and now it is already gone. Is this what it means to be an omega? To constantly live with the disappointment, always putting aside your own needs to be at some else’s beck and call.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asks Ella, who I didn’t realize is also here, until she steps off the stairwell.

Sylvia jumps at the sound of her voice, but relaxes again when she sees its just Ella. Was she worried it might be the brothers? She probably hasn’t told them about this request of me yet then…

“What do you know about anything?” Sylvia snaps to Ella.

“This is a mother-daughter bonding trip, isn’t it?” Ella says. “Well, Diana used to see Ollie as a daughter too. Are you sure, if on this trip, she might not start seeing Ollie as her daughter again?”

Sylvia pales at the thought.

In my wildest dreams, I can’t imagine that happening. Diana has placed up a barrier between her and me. Though she remains cordial, I feel more like a friendly acquaintance than a family member anymore. That wouldn’t likely change, even on a trip like this.

Yet, even the prospect that it might happen is enough to trigger Sylvia’s jealous. Gods, I have no idea why she hates me so much, but she does. Even the thought of my mild acceptance by any of the family has her near raging.

Looking at me, she throws her finger forward into my face.

“You’ll never steal my family from me,” she snaps. “You will stay here, I don’t care how much you cry about it.”

With that, she shifts on her heels and rushes upstairs, shoving past Ella as she does so. Ella shifts to the side, annoyed by the push, but after Sylvia’s gone, Ella smirks. Her plan to annoy Sylvia into not allowing me to go with her clearly worked.

“Thank you,” I tell Ella, once I’ve heard one of the upper doors to the stairwell open and slam shut, telling us Sylvia is long gone.

“My pleasure,” Ella says. “Anything to see that look on her face.” She laughs.

I laugh a little too, feeling lighter now that my hope is restored. She has no idea how much she has saved me with this.

“I have to tell you what’s happened,” I say. “And I have a big favor to ask.”

“Whatever it is, you know I’ll help.”

“Did I tell you how happy I am to have you back?” I ask her with a smile.

She laughs again in response.

I tell Ella about my trip with the brothers. She’s so happy for me, that she agrees to help cover for me during the absence.

I’m pleased to have her on my side, because it would be lonely otherwise. Especially over the next couple of days, Sylvia seems to personally take her missing the brothers out on me, asking me for request after request during dinner. I’ve delivered half the silverware drawer to her, I swear, but she still seems unsatisfied.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Sylvia says, her eyes on her brothers. “How can you be acting so excited? Why aren’t you grieving like me? It’s like you won’t miss me at all!”

“We will,” Wes insists. He’s out of his chair at once. He moves by me like he doesn’t see me at all. At Sylvia’s side he throws his arms around her to hug her.

“Then why do you seem so happy?” she sniffles into his shoulder.

“We are excited for you and for mother,” Hugh says. “We know you will enjoy your trip.”

It’s a convincing lie, one I might have believed if I didn’t know a different truth. The brothers have their own trip they are looking forward to.

Sylvia doesn’t seem to notice though, far too happy and pleased with herself to have their full attention on her once more.

“We will miss you,” Conrad tells her. “Terribly.”

It’s more than I can stand. Fortunately, no one seems to notice as I gather some of the extra silverware from Sylvia’s part of the table and disappear back through the kitchen door to put it away again.

After, as I lie in my bed staring at the ceiling, I wonder if I should buy new clothes for the trip. I’ll need more plain clothes, most likely, so their mate doesn’t wear the same outfits as Ollie.

But I’m not sure which climate we are even going to, let alone what I should be packing to wear there.

Curiosity takes over me soon enough, and I reach for the burner phone in my drawer. Opening it, I search for my text thread with Hugh and write a text.

Where are we going? How should I pack?

Surprisingly, the phone rings in response. It must be one of those rare nights where Hugh has decided to stay in. At least for now.

I answer the phone.

“Where do you want to go?” he asks me by way of a hello.

“I thought you guys would have figured that out,” I say.

“There’s a few different options, sure, and we’ve been debating it. But I’d rather know what you think. Is there anywhere you’ve been before that you’d like to see again?”

“I’ve never been anywhere.”

He hums. “If you could go anywhere, then, with money being no object, where would you choose?”

As I consider it, I look to the side where, over my desk, the postcard Ella sent me from the beach is affixed to my cork board.

Instinctively I reach up and touch the shell necklace around my neck.

Ella said that if I listen closely to the shells, I could hear the beach. I thought she was being foolish then, but listening now… I swear I can almost hear it.

“I’d love to see the beach,” I say.

“You say you’ve never been anywhere, but surely to the beach…?” he asks, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

“No,” I say.

I’ve always wanted to see the ocean, with the waters so big and deep. I’ve heard its humbling to sit on the sandy shore and looking out over the ocean. How could it be so big? How could we be so small?

I want to see it for myself. Especially before I transfer to a college in the frozen north. With the memories of the beach, I might be able to stay warm on those frigid nights on the tundra.

“I’d live it up to, wearing bikinis and drinking those fruity drinks with all the umbrellas, and curly straws n them,” I tell him. “Maybe I’ll get a big hat, too.”

Hugh laughs as he says, “Well, love, you better pack that bikini and get that hat ready. We’re going to the beach.”