"Wow, a musician’s room…" he says.
He walks toward the bed with his backpack and hesitates as if he wants to say more, but all he manages is, "How are you feeling?"
"A little better," I tell him, more for his sake than because it is strictly true, since he looks like he has been carrying around some kind of guilt.
"That was horrible," he whispers. "Seeing them beat you… I hate them. Hate them!" He lets out a breath. "I have trouble sleeping; the moment I close my eyes, I see you suffering, and I can’t… just can’t stand it."
I look away, because I refuse to let myself feel anything sweet or warm just because Alex genuinely cares about me. I cannot allow that to deepen.
"I hope you’re safe?" I ask, keeping my tone almost light.
"Yes. Rob and Vin pretend I don’t exist, people in class gossip nonstop, but they avoid me like the plague."
A moment of silence stretches, and Alex bites his lip.
"Also, I talked to Dereck. He’ll come over to help you catch up on your electives since he has similar ones. I’ll help you with the rest," he says, sounding like he’s trying to force a steady, businesslike tone, almost exactly like his dad’s.
I can see him wrestling with himself to add something more, but he seems afraid to say it, which is probably for the best. I point to the chair and he pulls it closer. I grab my tablet and we get to work.
Alex spends nearly two hours with me, going over everything I missed in class.
As all this is happening, I notice Alex staring at the pile of small pillows on the armchair by the window. Every now and then, his gaze drifts back there, stubbornly, like he cannot help it. Finally, he snaps, breaks off his studying, and carries an armful of pillows over to the bed. Without saying a word, with a slight frown on his face, he starts arranging them around me in a circle.
At first, I want to protest, but then it suddenly hits my slightly foggy brain. Alex is building something that looks like a makeshift nest! He does not seem to fully understand what he is doing himself; his expression is strange, almost startled, as if he is surprising even himself, and yet his hands keep moving on their own.
Alex isn’t a fully mature omega, so even though nesting starts showing up in the teen years, in a preliminary way, it’s pretty clear he has no idea what’s going on.
Before long, I am surrounded by a ring of pillows. The purpose is not entirely clear to me. There is only one thought that comes to mind: Alex wants me to feel wrapped up, safe? So, I do not dare to comment.
When we finish, my dad and Jordan walk in, ready to drive him home, and we say our goodbyes.
Then I notice my dad’s gaze traveling over the circle of pillows, and he raises an eyebrow. Alex immediately turns red and takes his backpack, lowering his head shyly.
When Jordan steps out with Alex, my dad mutters to me, "Did Alex build that?"
"Yes," I answer, unsure whether I should explain anything more. I’m well aware that nesting is a sensitive subject for omegas.
"Hmm. I did something similar once for your father when he was feeling unwell. It seems like Alex truly cares about you. That is an instinctive omega response. Omegas want to protect who matters most to them."
I stare at him for a moment, but the words get stuck in my throat. What could I even say? I have no real understanding of nesting at all. I badly want him to leave because my head is throbbing.
Dad sighs, and suddenly sits at the edge of my bed.
I feel irritated, I do not want to talk, I am exhausted, and I do not understand what this is all about, but I have a bad premonition.
"Bay, is there something I should know?"
Gosh, I hate how worried he sounds.
But, yeah. He kinda should. He should shoot them before they…
I shut my eyes tight.Breathe, Bay.
"What are you talking about?" I mutter, tense and defensive.
"You’ve changed. Something happened. Please tell me if this has anything to do with… what happened with the people from my past."
His question hits me like boiling water being splashed in my face. Why can’t he let it go? Is this his intuition, or what? I squeeze my eyes even tighter and try not to let anything show, fighting to control myself.
