Lev whispers, “You’re the only girl for us, Dulcie.” Behind him, Redd murmurs his agreement, reaching over the beta to set a hand on my stomach.
My head spins. Is this how it is for other omegas? Do they feel so at peace this quickly? Maybe I had the wrong idea all along, or maybe I just got really, really lucky. Either way, I’m so glad I decided to give these guys a second chance.
For the first time ever, the future for this orphaned omega is looking bright.
Chapter Fourteen – Dulcie
We fall into a routine after that. While the guys go to work during the week, I try to keep myself busy at the apartment. The first day Monroe comes home with a phone for me, and I immediately call Casey and tell her everything.
I mean, maybe noteverything, but mostly everything.
I keep the apartment clean, try to learn how to cook some meals, but in all honesty, I spend a lot of time watching TV. I’m not going to lie, I’m addicted to those silly reality TV shows. You know most of the time they’re not going to end well, but that doesn’t stop you from needing to see what happens next. They’re addicting in the strangest of ways.
Plus, as an omega myself, it’s kind of nice to daydream about other omegas finding their happiness in atypical ways.
Friday the guys text me and tell me they’re going to be late. Traffic is bad. I debate on whether or not I should try to have dinner ready for them by the time they get home, but ultimately decide I’m not quite there yet when it comes to cooking. I still have a tendency of either overcooking or undercooking things, neither of which are good.
When I hear the door to the apartment unlock, I’m sitting on the couch. I pause the show I’m watching as I turn around and see Lev slip inside—and the way he comes in is odd. It’s like he’s a snake, slithering in without opening the door all the way. Instantly I know something’s going on.
“Lev,” I say as the beta heads straight for me, “what is it?”
He grabs me by the hand and pulls me to my feet, giving me a quick peck on the lips before he leads me through the living room, to the hallway, and then to my bedroom. “We might’ve fibbed a bit about the traffic. We have a surprise for you, but we need some time to get everything ready.” He gives me a dimpledsmile as he gently pushes me into my room. “Stay in here, and don’t come out until I come get you, okay?”
A surprise? What in the world…
“Okay,” I say, and then Lev ducks out of my room, closes the door, and apparently goes to get the others so they can get things ready, whatever that entails. My feet shuffle toward the bed, where I plop down and try to imagine just what kind of surprise they could have in store for me.
I mean, it hasn’t been that long yet. We don’t have any anniversaries or anything come up yet, so I’m frankly clueless as to what this could be.
Time drags on so slowly as I wait. I try to listen, but the guys must be quiet while they’re doing whatever it is they’re doing. I’ve never been surprised by anyone before, never given any gifts or anything, so I have nothing to compare this to. I’m just… confused and curious and, beyond all that, happy.
Yes, I’m happy these guys came up with a plan to surprise me with whatever it is. I don’t expect anything like this, and I definitely don’t demand it, but it is a nice gesture, something I’m not used to.
Those guys out there, they’re my family now. They’re everything to me. It truly hasn’t been long at all, but the more days that pass the more I wonder if I love them.
Love is such a strong word, and I know some would say it’s too much, too fast, but how else can I explain the butterflies in my stomach when I see them? How complete I feel when I’m with them? Fate brought us together, tied us together forever. Am I really so crazy to believe I’m in love?
No, I don’t think I am. I think I want to tell them tonight, actually. There’s no point in waiting. We’ve already started the next chapter of our lives together, so beating around the bush and waiting for what others might deem an acceptable amount of time is stupid.
I don’t know how much time passes before I hear Lev knock on my door and poke his head in. “We’re ready for you,” he says with a dimpled smile, and as I hop off my bed, he pushes the door open completely and holds his hand out for me, which I immediately take.
It didn’t seem like too long, so I don’t think they cooked for me. Hmm. What could they have done?
I find out shortly. When Lev brings me out of the hall, I find candles are everywhere, lit and burning. Dusk has fallen outside, and yet the blinds are closed over the windows on the far side of the living space. The only light stems from the candles, and they are expansive enough to light up the entirety of the dining area, kitchen, and living room in a dull yellow hue.
Redd and Monroe stand near the kitchen island, which Lev leads me to. As handsome as my alphas are, something else draws my attention away from their expectant faces: the items carefully arranged on said island.
Bowls of candy—including one huge heart-shaped bowl with those heart-shaped candies in it. They must have found them somewhere that was still selling them even though it’s way after Valentine’s Day. Cupcakes arranged in a heart, with flower petals in the center, and not just any regular cupcakes. No, the cupcakes in question are the fancy ones with frosting that doubles the size of the cupcakes themselves. Decadent, all pinks and reds, with sprinkles carefully arranged on their mountain of frosting.
“What’s all this?” I ask. My eyes aren’t sure where to look. There’s so much going on, so many sweets to look at, it’s an overload in my brain in the best way. My mouth waters just looking at the contents of the island.
“Well, you left your bowl of candy at the mixer and…” Redd pauses as he glances at Monroe and then Lev. “We figured youhave a sweet tooth. We wanted to surprise you with a little something.”
“A do-over,” Lev adds.
It’s Monroe who says, “We couldn’t get the Omega Garden, so we did our best with what we could find.”
A do-over. My breath catches, and right then Lev pulls out his phone and hits something on the screen. He sets that phone down on the island and, a few seconds later, music begins to play from it. Music you can slow dance to.
