An Omegas Curse [BOOK FOUR]

08.

**Quin**

My eyes fell to the sky that was getting darker from the clouds taking over.
I swam in front of the pier with my legs kicking as I held on while Asher continued to sit there, his eyes would fall on me then outward towards the lake.
It made me bite my gum from not knowing what the other could possibly be thinking about.
Frowning to myself, I let go of the pier which he was quick to notice as I began to swim backwards.
Taking in the coolness of the lakes water.

"You're going to exhaust yourself if you don't take a break." I heard him comment, my eyes were locked on the cloudy sky now.
"I wasn't aware you cared so much." I teased.
Asher rolled his eyes in response.
"If you want to drown that's totally your call, I don't care, but I would like to return to this lake house without the idea of a ghost haunting it." He responded.
I arched a brow at the other.

"Bold of you to assume I'd haunt the lake and not latch onto one of you instead." I joked but the other didn't laugh.
Asher just watched before he let out a frustrated sigh.
"If you don't get out, you're going to leave me with no choice but to come in there and get you out myself." He told me.
I just grinned.
"Sorry but I'm going to have to call your bluff, you just said you don't care if I drown, but suddenly you want to get me out of the water yourself?" I teased swimming further away from the pier as Asher frowned getting to his feet watching me.

"You don't think I won't?" He asked me.
I grinned swimming in place.
"I know you won't, you're too much of a selfish jerk to care about a street rat, remember?" I tilted my head as I watched his jaw tick in response

He ran a hand through his hair, turning his back to me as I just smiled shaking my head but my eyes grew wide when he turned back around and ran, jumping off the pier and right into the water.

He was quick to come up as I stared stunned.
"So you were serious." I tried to swim away from him but he was fast by grabbing my forearm but stopped himself as our eyes locked.
My face was flushed and his eyes were stuck on me.

I wanted to move closer to him, it was like that's what my body was telling me to do.
Was to touch him, to make him want me the way I wanted him.
Was this what being an omega really felt like?
It made me nervous feeling his hand holding my arm.

"I told you that you'd exhaust yourself, why do you have to be so stubborn?" He asked swimming us back to the shore instead of the pier.
"Because being stubborn is the only thing I know how to be." I responded as he paused walking in the sand, his back to me before he turned with his brows furrowed.

"That's a disappointing answer-"
"Well I tend to disappoint." I shrugged.
Asher glared now.
"You know if you were like the other omegas, you may actually have a chance-"
"Oh you mean be easy?" I arched a brow at him with my hand placing itself on my hip.
Asher stared.
"No, you don't have to be easy Quin, I just mean.. If you weren't so rebellious where you acted like you weren't like all the rest of the omegas in our school, you act like you're the only outcast, that you have the most tragic backstory when there's kids out there with parents who actually tried killing them." He said and I hated myself.
Because I flinched looking away from him, as if I was giving away my biggest secret right then and there.

Asher was hesitant.
"Is that why your parents were killed? Because they tried to kill you first?" He asked me.
My brows knitted as I tried to walk past the other but he grabbed my wrist.
"Quin-"
"Don't." I glared ripping away from the other whose eyes grew wide seeing the hurt in my eyes even though it also revealed the truth as the tears burned brightly in them.

"You don't get to share this lake house with us, play nice because Mateo told you to, then show pretend sympathy towards me when all I've ever been to you is a street rat Asher, you're not going to confuse my feelings by pretending you actually give a shit about my past when we both know it's not true. You just want something to use against me, and I won't let you do that." I stepped back from him as the thunder roared above us, the tears slipped and I turned away running from the other, not daring to look back until I was back at the lake house.
-------
I walked inside of the house and was trying not to feel shocked seeing Beau in Mateo's lap, the two sitting on the couch with their eyes on the t.v.

"Oh there you are, how was the--wait." Beau ripped himself out of the others hold and was in my face in seconds, his brows furrowed.
"You were crying, what happened?"
"Nothing-"
"Don't bullshit me with saying nothing happened, something clearly happened and as your best friend I demand to know what that something was, so I can kick its ass." Beau told me.

I knew he was trying to cheer me up as he looked at me.
I just forced a smile.
"Seriously Beau, it's nothing-"

"Quin."
I froze looking over my shoulder at Asher who stood in front of the door, his eyes locked right on me as my brows knitted looking at him.
"We need to talk." He walked right up to me taking my wrist as Beau glared.

"Whoa, what?"

"I'll make some popcorn." Mateo chimed in getting off the couch as Beau glared at the other who grinned in response.

"Asher, there is nothing for us to talk about-"
"There is plenty for us to talk about if you'll give me a chance." He responded.
I was afraid.
This terrified me.
Him playing nice.
It wasn't good for my health, because I wanted this to be a reality.
For him to actually care about me.

"Beau, babe, let's go make popcorn." Mateo motioned the other to follow him but Beau was hesitant with his eyes on me.

"Q, you good?" He asked.
I finally blinked as if frozen before I managed a smile.
"I'm fine Beau, go make popcorn." I told him.
He frowned but stepped away from me as I followed after Asher into the room he'd be sleeping in.

His back was to me for the longest time as I stood in front of the door, debating on walking back out.

"This was my idea." Asher began, his arms crossed as my brows furrowed.
"What was your idea?"
"To come here, I found out you were going camping here and I wanted to take advantage of that and come here as well-"
"Why, to torment me?"
"To try to understand you." Asher turned back around and his eyes were on me.
I frowned at him.
"Why? I'm just a street-"

"Stop calling yourself that." He was right in front of me now, his eyes darkening as he looked down at me.
I frowned looking up at him.
"Why? You do it." I pointed out.
"I get to do it because that's the nickname I gave you, when you do it, it's like a slap to the face." He told me.

I looked away.
"You don't think that's how it feels when you call me it?" I questioned.
"Does it feel that way?" He looked at me as my brows furrowed.
"Of course it feels that way Asher Woods, I came to Crossroads High and because these towns know nothing but to gossip. My adoption hit the school and the only thing that came to your mind when you saw me, was street rat. I didn't always live on the street." I glared now.

I frowned softly.
"I had a family, if you wanted to call those monsters that." My arms crossed as this hurt expression clouded over.
"What did they do to you, Quin?" He questioned.
My heart was racing as I looked up at him and for once, my guard was lowered and I felt numb as the tears burned.

"I think the question you're meaning to ask is, what didn't they do to me?" My face burned.
Asher frowned standing there as my hands balled into fists.
"From the moment after I turned eight, both of my parents became disgustingly attracted to me because I was as beautiful as a god, whatever that is, and my dad was the main one who came to my room every fucking night." I stood there as the tears fell.
"It went from touching to literally fucking and my mom never said a word because she was just was disgusting as he was." I could feel myself trembling as I stood there.

"And when I turned fourteen I ran into these guys who I thought could help me, I told them my sob story, even told them they could have whatever seemed valuable in that house if it meant I would be free of those monsters." Tears slid past my eyes as I cradled myself.

"I was fucking stupid to think for even a second, they were actually good guys, yeah they came to my house that same night, and yes I hid in my room while I listened to them SLAUGHTERING my parents. I was so happy." I laughed wiping the tears away but I didn't dare myself to look at the other.
"When they told me I was free of them, I came out of that bedroom to only be slammed into the floor, I was free of those monsters sure, but it didn't mean I was free of those who did the job for me." My face burned like fire.

"For a year, I lived in and out of shelter homes and late at night I was told to meet up with my heroes just for them to rape me over and over, and because I'm an omega. I was told I had to enjoy it." I stood there feeling disgusted with myself as the words tasted bitter in my mouth.

"And the night I thought I was going to starve to death, I stole some bread to hopefully get me by until the next day, just for the famous Magna Grimes to catch me and change my whole life." Tears fell as I dropped to my knees.
"I've been broken for the last six years and I don't even know where to begin or how to act like a decent omega." I knelt there crying.

"First things first."
I frowned as Asher knelt in front of me.
"You're going to stop crying because just like swimming, you're going to exhaust yourself from emotional stress." He told me.
I went to glare but flinched when he reached and caressed my cheek looking at me.

"Secondly, that is a pretty tragic ass backstory, I was not expecting it to keep escalating but you surprised me-"
"Are you mocking me right now?" I glared as he looked at me.
"Hardly but just a little, it honestly makes me feel like the schools biggest jerk right now from how I've treated you-"
"You should feel that way because you are." I told him.
Asher blinked before arching a brow.
"Oh I am? What an honor." He smirked softly.

I wanted to smile but looked away to only have him gently pull my face back with the hand that held it.
"I want to start over with you Quin Grimes-"
"Don't do that-"
"Do what?"
"Be this gross fake caring alpha-"
"I'm not being fake Quin-"
"You are!" I cried getting to my feet as I pulled away from him.

"You wanted my past and you got it, when Tuesday rolls around I'm sure you'll waste no time to tell everyone how I'm this huge who-"

My eyes were wide at how fast he pulled me into him, Asher's hand placing itself on my lower back, holding me before his lips were on mine, deepening the kiss.
I forgot how to breathe standing there.
I just wanted to take in how soft his lips were, how his heart pounded against mine.
How hot he felt as the kiss broke just for him to kiss me a second time, licking my bottom lip before he finally took a step back with dark eyes and I stepped back with a flushed face.

"How was that for being fake?" He questioned looking at me.

"DAMN."
We both turned to the bedroom door that was open.
Beau's eyes were wide and Mateo was shoving his mouth with popcorn staring at both of us.

"Good thing I made some popcorn, but after seeing this, I'm suddenly feeling thirsty." Mateo fanned himself stepping away from us.
"Anyone else need a drink?" He teased grinning at us.

Screw the drink.

I needed therapy.