“Baby, that had everything to do with what the nurse was saying earlier and not to do with you drinking these,” he said softly. “There’s no alcohol in these drinks. They’re just soda pop and flavored syrup with cherries to make them pretty.”
“There’s no alcohol in them?” I repeated unbelievingly. “Everything I did that day was…” I hesitated, swallowing hard as horror crept in through the corners of my mind. “That was all me?”
“It sure was,” Roger agreed with a wink, lifting his own beer glass to take a swallow.
Oh, dear Heavens! If he was right -and, honestly, I hadn’t known him to be wrong yet- the fizzy drinks had been completely innocuous, and my horrifyingly wanton behavior hadn’t been influenced by anything other than my own lack of morals and control.
My stomach dropped and when Marge placed the loaded burger and fries in front of me, I no longer had an appetite. Roger was already halfway through his enormous burger when he noticed I wasn’t eating.
“Ari? Is there something wrong with it? Do you want something else?”
Not sure I could speak without the tears I was holding back falling, I shook my head and picked the burger up, managing to take a couple of small bites and choke them down before my stomach revolted and I ran for the bathroom.
As I hunched over the toilet, the stall door behind me opened. I must have forgotten to lock it in my rush to reach the commode before losing the little bit of lunch I’d eaten.
“Hey.” Roger’s hand came to rest on the back of my neck, his soothing touch sending shivers down my spine as my stomach settled. “I’ve got you, baby.”
I hung my head, feeling completely drained. Roger’s hand lifted and I heard him walk away, then the sound of paper tearing and a faucet trickling before a damp paper towel was pressed to my forehead. I rested there for a few minutes, soaking in the comfort before trying to rise. Roger caught me under my arms and lifted me, waiting until my feet were semi-solidly beneath me to move them to my hip.
“Are you feeling better? Do you think we should go back to the medical office?”
I shook my head, wincing when the movement brought a wave of dizziness. “No, I’m okay,” I managed to rasp out. “I think if I can rest for a bit, I’ll be fine.”
Roger muttered something under his breath, but I missed it and I was too wiped out to ask him to repeat it. Instead, I followed meekly as he led me from the restaurant and out to the truck and again when he took my hand and helped me down and into the house, through the hall to the bed. I stripped obediently and crawled between the sheets. I closed my eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come.
ChapterFifteen
Roger
Ari was wasting away before my eyes and damned if I could get him to talk to anyone about it, much less come clean to me about what was bothering him. That was how I found myself sitting in Jeremy’s office in the administration office at ODI one week later, the already small space packed with Kade and I each occupying a chair opposite Jeremy’s desk.
I hated asking for help in front of Kade, but he promised to keep his mouth shut if I let him stay and he kept his word, sitting quietly as I told Jeremy what was bothering me. Jeremy’s expression was thoughtful and concerned as he listened, occasionally scratching notes on the brightly colored pad on the desk in front of him. When I finished talking, silence settled in around us.
“Do you think Connery would talk to me about what’s bothering him?” Jeremy asked, a slight frown on his lips.
I shrugged. “I’ve suggested it a few times and he just insists everything is fine. Maybe if you approached him instead of me suggesting it?”
“I can do that,” Jeremy agreed. “I have to admit that I’m surprised by theequidistant diagnosis.” He gave a small huff of annoyance. “I guess it’s the whole Occam’s Razor thing.” I raised a brow and he waved a hand dismissively. “Simplest answer. We heard hoofbeats and assumed horses. We didn’t check to see if he was a zebra.”
Ari was definitely not a zebra.
When my second eyebrow joined the first, Kade jumped in. “He means the nurse never confirmed Connery was an Omega through testing. He was a pregnant male, so we just assumed he was an Omega.”
“Got it, thanks.” I looked back at Jeremy. “Would that have changed how his case was approached?”
“Not that I know of.” Jeremy looked a little uncertain. “I need to double check with Mr. Keir, but this is a non-profit and even when we thought he was a full human, there was assistance in place for him.”
“What about from a mental health approach?”
Jeremy shrugged. “Even if I knew the answer, Connery would have to give me permission to discuss his medical history with you.”
“I thought he signed the release forms?” I pushed.
Jeremy shook his head. “No. The only release form on record allowed us to make contact with the baby’s sire and notify him of his obligation.”
“It’s a child, not an obligation,” I growled, irrationally annoyed by his words.
Kade snickered and I glared at him. “Something funny?”
