The Alpha’s Fight for His Omega by Jess K

Chapter 54

Winnie

“Hello, Winnie! Nice to see you!” Rebel holds up her glass for me with a big cheer. She has switched places with Logan to sit on my left side when I walk up to the table.

Alice, however, isn’t sitting down. She stands up from her seat and gets this sparkly look on her face before coming to hug me. “Winnie!”

“Hi!” I hug her back. “How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you?”

Before I can answer, Nathan speaks. “Here she comes, my biggest rival in love: Winnie. I swear there is a romance going on here…” he sighs but hides a smile.

“Happy to see you too, big guy,” I tell him and pat his shoulder. “Have you gotten thinner?”

He snorts. “Shut up! I’m working out harder than ever!”

I grin. “It shows—I’m just teasing!”

People around the table snicker, including Logan. I feel welcomed sitting by the large table the Plaza Hotel has assembled for us.

“Oh, and since you wondered, I’m feeling pretty okay,” I inform Alice and beam at her. “Mark won’t be joining us, though. He needed to take care of something urgent.”

“We saw,” Alice sits down beside me, grimacing. “But you’re fine, right? We kind of assumed it was a friendly date anyway.”

“Oh, it was,” my eyes flicker to Jake, whose cold expression turns less icy after hearing me confirm I’m not into Mark. Interesting…

“I

nice guys, and then

here, so can we move on with the celebrations?” Kelly, who I’ve never met before,

by the other woman’s attitude, before she finds words.

and Alice looks at me questioningly. I shrug at her-I don’t know why Kelly dislikes me. Unless Jake told her

jealousy and focus on my friends. I’m here

***

hours later, we aren’t at the hotel anymore, but getting drunk at a bar. The hockey guys I don’t know well aren’t with us. It’s Nathan, Alice, Logan, Rebel, Kelly, Jake, and me—the single

pregnant and got a babysitter, so she is cuddling with Nathan. He has called a cab already, and her legs

for Rebel and Logan, they are doing shots. by the bar. And Kelly? She is drunk, clinging to Jake’s

currently busy ignoring her. He called a cab for

Kelly weren’t exclusive or

and once Jake is alone, Rebel smirks at me.

now even Logan is cheering me on. “Tell him how you feel. It’s not wrong-the guy needs to know he

swallow thickly. “Okay, here

for the corner of the bar. Jake is talking to some girl, and my heart pounds faster and faster. Can I

in the same room or paying me attention. I’m already dizzy, and when he looks up and tilts his head, smiling, I almost bail. My stomach does this unwelcome

awkward standing in front of him. The girl scowls at me

who are you?”

her, but Jake beats me to it by saying, “Winnie, my best

There you are!”

lifted up from the ground while the girl stares at us. I’m shocked. The girl is shocked. And once I place my hands on Jake’s shoulders and wrap my legs

but laugh. “What did you do that

rude to you, so I made sure to put her in

thudding in my chest speeds up. I’m speechless. I didn’t expect Jake to do that for me, and he makes a smug face as I stare at him. Eyebrows lifted, and a huge grin. “Your heart is beating

brain just now realizes that we are practically hugging. My hands are on Jake’s broad shoulders, eyes locked onto his face. I don’t know what to say or where to go, and his amusement