“Beckham?” Alaric’s voice has me nearly sobbing. “Baby, where are you? I’m at your office building but you're not there.”
“Staff meeting,” I murmur, thunder crashing above me.
“Are you outside?” he asks, growling.
“Yeah.”
“It’s fucking raining, Beckham. Where are you?”
I look around, blinking the rain off my eyelashes, droplets dripping down my glasses. “D building.”
“Shit. We’re on our way. Don’t leave. But get out of the fucking rain.” He hangs up and I shove my phone in my pocket, dipping my hand into my other pocket to grab the pack of smokes I shouldn’t have, but do.
I take shelter under a nearby tree and lean against the trunk. Lighting up a smoke, I inhale it deeply, letting out a broken groan.
Closing my eyes, I let the buzz of the nicotine hit my bloodstream. I wish it was something stronger, much stronger.
Maybe I should take what the students did, I deserve the same fate for not stopping it when I could have.
“Beckham.” The sound of my name being called has me opening my eyes.
Three big bodies head towards me.
“Are you fucking smoking?” Alaric growls, snatching the cigarette from my hand.
I don’t say anything, don’t fight him on it.
“Shit.” Jamie grips my face, forcing me to look at him. “Baby, what's wrong? What happened?” He growls.
“They died,” I mumble. “They all died because of me.”
They look at one another confused.
“What do you mean?” Alaric asks.
“Who died?” Jamie asks.
“Beckham. Talk to us.” Tatum growls.
I don’t, I just blink the water that keeps running into my eyes away and stare at them.
“Fuck. He’s in shock.” Alaric growls, shoving off his jacket. He wraps it around my shoulder and pulls me away from the tree. “Come on, baby. Let’s get out of here.”
“I have class.”
“Fuck class.” Jamie growls. “You’re in no shape to be teaching anything.”
I don’t have it in me to fight, don’t want to really. So I let them bring me to their car and take me to their house.
They get me in and work together to strip me out of my wet clothes. If I wasn’t in such a shocked state, I'd be crying for a whole new reason. I’ve never been cared for like this. And fuck if I don’t need that right now.
You don’t deserve it. You don’t deserve them. You’re nothing, just like Ralph said you were. Just a weak omega who can’t do anything but run and hide.
Isn't that what I’ve been doing most of my life? After what happened with Ralph, I ran when I could instead of going to my father for help. I stayed away because I was afraid. And when I got back, I still ran from the real issues. The reasons I came home in the first place.
Jamie helps me into a pair of his boxers, then Tatum puts a pair of his sweats on me. Jamie gets me to sit down while Alaric puts his hoodie over my head and Tatum puts socks on me.
It’s all too much. I roll over onto my side and curl up into a ball on their bed.
