“Could I show you the apartment in the meantime? Jude is welcome to join us.”
Madison swiveled her head to look at him with pleading eyes that he immediately caved to.
“Sure. Let me tell the staff I’ll be gone the rest of the day and we can head out.”
Madison nodded and waited for him to complete that task, turning to me in the meantime. “Thank you for your help. I know you don’t owe a complete stranger anything, but I appreciate you looking out for me.”
My cheeks warmed. “Anything for an omega in need.”
She was too overwhelmed right now to know she wasmyomega in need. Her scent might be out, but mine wasn’t, and I had no idea how she would react to the news. I suppose only time would tell, and hopefully by the time she found out, I’d have been able to earn at least a modicum of her trust.
My phone pinged.
Beau:
We’re at the hospital. Charlotte was having contractions and they’re keeping her for observation to see if it’s full or false labor. She says she’s fine, we’re just all panicking.
I started typing a response, including to let Charlotte know Madison wanted to talk to her when she was recovered, but Madison peeked over my shoulder. “Oh my god! She’s in the hospital? No, no, you can’t bother her with me right now. Delete that part.”
I typed out a modified version.
Alve:
Please keep me updated. I hope everything goes well, and either you get to go home soon or welcome your new family members.
I let Madison approve it before sending it.
Jude rejoined us. “Okay, let’s go.”
This was a terrible idea. I was bringing her to my home, going to be showing her the nest I’d prepared for my hypothetical future omega. What if she hated it? What if she hatedme? I was not emotionally prepared for this.
“Yeah,” I agreed, already fighting against the nerves twisting in my gut. “Let’s go.”
Ihad to figure this out on my own. Charlotte was close to having her babies and I couldn’t put my stress on her. Once I had a few things sorted out, then I would be able to update her.
“I’ll drive you,” said Jude. “We can follow Alve.”
I nodded, lacing my fingers together as an emotional anchor. My whole life had collapsed. Maybe Tyler expected me to come home crawling and begging, but even though I had put up witha lot, he’d put me in so much danger doing what he had. Not only that, it was the first time he had made his views on our relationship crystal clear.
It didn’t matter to him that the reason I didn’t financially contribute was because he wouldn’t let me. Everything I owned belonged to him in his head, down to my phone and clothes. No amount of wishful thinking could change that.
Tyler didn’t love me.
He didn’t respect me either.
Maybe I could have deluded myself into sticking it out in a loveless relationship—I had no choice but to acknowledge that’s what I’d been doing this whole time—but I couldn’t live in the same house as someone who openly thought that little of me. Tyler couldn’t walk back from what he had shown me, and more than that, I couldn’t let myself pretend it wasn’t that bad. He might not have hit me, but he still risked my life.
Jude opened the passenger door for me and waited until I was safely buckled in before he closed it and rounded the vehicle. “You’re still welcome to stay at my place.”
He was too sweet to me, always had been. Since the beginning of my design journey, Jude had been a welcome respite. One of the reasons I had started taking on more and more clients was to have an excuse to come to Best of Nests, where I knew he would spend hours by my side helping me find exactly what I needed. My gratitude toward Jude for his ready smile and thoughtfulness had never been enough to overwhelm the guilt and gratitude I felt toward Tyler for extracting me from my old life. In my head, I had quietly added Jude to the extremely short list of people I would approach if Tyler ever changed his mind on packing up. But now I didn’t need his permission…
I didn’t even know if Jude was interested in me in that capacity, and if he was, he deserved a whole and healed partner.No matter how sweet he was, it wouldn’t be healthy for me to immediately attach myself to someone new. Living with him would be too much of a temptation.
“It doesn’t hurt to check out the apartment,” I said quietly. “It’s not that I don’t want to stay with you, but I know roommate situations aren’t always as simple as we think they’re going to be. The first time we’ve ever hung out outside of the store was me having a full-blown crisis, and I’m sure it won’t be the first time I break down in the next while. It’s not fair for me to put that all on you.”
“Maddie.” He said my name so gently I wanted to cry. “Friends are there for each other even when it gets awkward or uncomfortable. Whatever you need, you just let me know.”
Tears slipped down my cheeks. “See,” I hiccuped, “already crying again.”
