“Oh,” he said, his voice hitching. He poked his head out of the covers. His cheeks and eyes were red, and tears trailed down his face. “Hi.”
“What happened?” I asked. I sat next to him and put my hand on his back, rubbing it in soothing circles.
“I woke up and you weren’t here,” Benji murmured. He wouldn’t meet my eye, staring at his lap instead. I handed him a tissue from the bedside table and he blew his nose.
He can’t already be pregnant enough to be this hormonal,I thought.Something else must be bothering him.
“I was only downstairs,” I told him gently.
“Oh.” Benji sniffed, then let out a half-hearted laugh. “Now I feel even more stupid.”
“You’re not stupid. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Benji wiped some leftover tears on his arm. “Nothing. It’s really not a big deal, I just made it seem like one in my head.” He finally cast me a glance, looking sheepish and miserable. “I thought you left me.”
“Left you?” I echoed in shock. “Benji, I would never do that.”
He tried to smile but his lips trembled. He still wasn’t fully back to his normal self. The experience, and his bad thoughts, must have truly shaken him.
“I’ve had someone say that before,” Benji mumbled, looking away again. “It didn’t stop him from actually doing it.”
I grasped Benji’s hand firmly, but kept my voice gentle since he was obviously not feeling well. “You know I’m a man of my word, Benji. I told you I would transfer the money for Caleb and I did that, didn’t I?”
“Hah. I don’t even know. I hadn’t called him since we talked a few days ago…” He wiped his face again. “I’m a shitty brother.”
“Cut that out,” I snapped. “It’s fine to feel down, but don’t deprecate yourself. No mate of mine is going to speak badly of himself.”
Surprise flashed across Benji’s face. A spark of his former attitude returned. “Okay. I guess I won’t do it again.”
“That’s right, you won’t,” I growled. “Now call Caleb. I want you to know I kept my word.”
Benji seemed surprised at my insistence. When I handed him his phone, he called his brother. I stood off to the side to give him a bit of privacy while still being in the room.
“Caleb? Hey. How’re you doing?” Benji began. He paused as his brother replied. “Really? Dude, that’s awesome!”
Benji flashed me a bright grin. I couldn’t help but smile back. Talking to his brother had instantly improved his mood, just as I suspected it would.
“I’m really glad to hear that,” Benji continued. Relief melted across his face. “Thank god. Well, I won’t keep you too long, then. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye, Cale.”
“Well?” I prompted with a smile.
“He’s already doing better. Knowing that the money came in and he’s able to have the surgery really boosted his mood. He hasn’t had the surgery yet, but he’s getting prepared for it now.”
“That’s excellent news,” I said, rejoining Benji in bed. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Benji let out a deep sigh of relief. “Yeah. Me too.” His eyes flickered down. “Thanks, again. For everything.”
“No need to thank me. I’m merely upholding my end of the bargain.”
His smile faltered slightly. “About that…”
I touched his knee again, hoping to comfort him. “Tell me, Benji. You can tell me anything that’s on your mind.”
He swallowed hard. “So… I’ve been in relationships before. I mean, I guess you already knew that.”
It was common for omegas not to be virgins, and that wasn’t one of Margaret’s stipulations when choosing a mate, so I hadn’t even taken it into consideration. In any case, it didn’t bother me - except from a slight pang of jealousy - that Benji had been with others in the past.
“I assumed so, yes,” I said.
