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

probably mad because I told him, “I don’t date nice guys, and then I went here with Mark. He must have been so confused,

met before, says in a rather bitchy tone. “I would like for us

in surprise, seemingly confused by the other woman’s attitude, before she finds words. “Uh, of course?”

I shrug at her-I don’t know why Kelly dislikes me. Unless Jake

energy and jealousy and focus on my friends. I’m here to have

***

hotel anymore, but getting drunk at a bar. The hockey guys I don’t know well aren’t with us. It’s Nathan,

mind. She is finally not pregnant and got a babysitter, so she is cuddling with Nathan. He has called a cab already, and her legs

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

can’t hear her. Jake is currently busy ignoring her. He called a cab for

Mark said Jake and Kelly weren’t exclusive or serious, and I will take his word for it. So I wait. I order shots with Rebel

have fun, and once Jake is alone, Rebel

and now even Logan

“Okay,

bar. Jake is talking to some girl, and my heart pounds faster and faster. Can

when he is 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 flip, and by some miracle, I steer

front of him. The

who are

eyebrow at her, but Jake beats me to it by saying, “Winnie,

There you are!”

ground while the girl stares at us. I’m shocked. The girl is shocked. And once I place my

but laugh. “What did you do that for,

to you, so I made sure to put her 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

It’s as if my 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