Page 57 of The Omega Switch: Part 2

“Oh?”

“The pack would like to do something nice for you. A dinner, or spa day, whatever you want. You’ve been through a lot.” I offered. Ronan had been bringing her takeout, but we wanted to do something more for her.

I heard her breath hitch. “All three of you?” she asked.

“If you’re comfortable with that. We know you’ve had a difficult few weeks, and we thought it might be nice to take one evening off your hands. No legal files, no discussions about Nestwell unless you bring them up, and no expectations.”

Her voice turned suspiciously light. “Is this a date?”

“No,” I said too quickly. “I mean, we only wanted to make sure you weren’t stressed and do something nice for you. It can be entirely casual. We can drop you off at a spa if you want, we don’t even have to be around-”

“Elias.” She cut me off, a laugh in her voice. “You’re rambling.”

“I guess I am,” I admitted. She let out another laugh, and I pressed my fingers against my eyes, overwhelmed by how much I loved hearing it.

“So it isn’t a date?” she asked.

Damn. I had to be careful with my next words. “It can be whatever you want it to be.”

She went quiet. My heart raced - had I just pushed for too much and ruined all our progress?

“Maybe it could be.” Her words were soft and vulnerable. I went completely still. Ivy continued before I could respond. “I’ve never actually been courted before.”

I nearly dropped the notes in front of me.

“What?”

She laughed nervously. “I know. It sounds ridiculous.”

“My family never really let me do much. There was always too much work, or they said I wasn’t ready, or they worried it would complicate Arabella’s prospects. Then you three came along, but that wasn’t exactly…” She trailed off. “Well, you know what happened.”

“Yeah,” I admitted quietly. “The greatest regret of my life.”

We both paused, and then she spoke.

“I don’t want to make this into something bigger than it is,” she said. “I’m not saying I’ve moved past everything, and agreeing to one date doesn’t mean I’m promising a relationship or anything permanent.”

My heart raced. “Alright. You want us to court you?” I asked, barely able to speak.

“Yeah, if you’re up for it.” She said, and I struggled to hold the phone. “But I mean it, Elias. I want it to be fun, and if I don’t like it, I want you to stop and leave me be.”

“Of course,” I replied, unable to believe she was suggesting it.

“I just...” She said, her voice faint. “I want to experience it. Properly.”

I closed my eyes. She was giving us a chance. It was more than I could ever hope for.

“We would be honored,” I said quietly. She gave a soft laugh.

“So you’re saying yes?”

“Ivy, I’d agree if you asked us while I was being wheeled into surgery.” She laughed again, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. Then her tone grew serious.

“I need you to understand that I want it slow.” She said seriously.

“As slow as you need,” I said, already imagining what we could come up with for her.

“And if I change my mind - ”