“I know he’s not mine. And I don’t want him to be.” She shudders and her lip curls up at the thought, settling one worry I had. “But still… It still hurts when he comes home smelling like…”
She doesn’t finish the thought, but I don’t need her to. The non-violent side of me is quickly losing ground, but I maintain my outward calm with a steadying breath of her lavender scent.
“He shouldn’t treat you that way, it’s not right.” The words feel like needles in my throat, but I push them out. She needs to know that she deserves better.
“I don’t want him, though. And,” she pauses, doe eyes meeting mine for another second. “I don’t want to be his.”
I squeeze her hand in mine.
“You aren’t his, Petal. You are your own, and if you’ll have me, I’d like to be yours too. I’d also be thrilled for you to be mine, but I don’t know if that’s what you need or want right now. Most important, you are yours, not his.”
She stares through the windshield, hardly blinking as the words sink in. Then she ducks her head, staring down at her lap where her free hand fidgets with the pleats of her blue dress. Her throat bobs with a hard swallow, then she speaks so softly I have to lean closer to hear.
“I’d really like that. For you to be mine… And maybe…”
I’m pulled up to a stop sign with no one around, so I turn toward her, keeping my foot planted on the brake.
“Come here, Petal,” I say, tugging her toward me.
She leans in, and I place a gentle kiss on her temple.
“That’s how it is, then. If that’s what you want. I’m yours, from this moment forward, whether you decide to be mine ornot. And if you want to be mine, I’ll treasure you every single second of every single day.”
Her scent sweetens, but she pulls away and turns to her window. I can only hope she heard and believes my words.
It breaks my heart to have to let her go back into that house, especially seeing how dejected and tense she is as we pull onto their street. I don’t think we have much of a choice, though. Her scent sours, turning acrid and soapy when the house comes into view. It’s on the tip of my tongue to offer to whisk her away from here, but I get the sense that would be too much, too fast. She was hesitant to agree to this date, and it was only a couple of hours.
Leaving forever? No, I can’t jump ahead that quickly.
Not yet.
Chapter Fourteen
Sage
I’m crying on the inside, though no tears come out as I shower and soap off the comforting scents of Riley and Brooks. I think there was another slight alpha scent that Riley carried too, and even though I don’t know who it belongs to, I’m sad to have that one gone as well. It’s safer this way, but it still feels like I’m breaking my own heart.
Before showering, I checked that the phone was still safely hidden, even though no one was here to have disturbed it in the few hours I was gone. It’s well past dark outside by the time I step out of the shower, and I didn’t realize how long I must have zoned out under the warm water.
I do a quick sweep of the house to ensure I haven’t left anything out of place. I check the fridge for leftovers, hoping in vain for something to appear, but knowing there won’t be anything in there for me. Then I shuffle back upstairs and curl up in my bedroom, exactly where they instructed me to be.
Steve and Josh get home shortly after, and I’m glad Brooks thought to keep our date short just in case they didn’t stay outlate this time. I tense, hugging my lamb plushie to my chest as I listen to them stomp and stumble around downstairs.
Then something slams, and I jump, clutching the stuffie tight in my grip.
“Omega! Get down here,” Josh yells, and my legs tremble as I stand. “Now!”
I run to the door and open it, then rush down the stairs. Josh is standing outside the door to his and Steve’s office, a glower on his drink-reddened face. Did they find out I snuck in here the other day? Do they somehow know I left earlier? I try to slow my shallow breathing, but it doesn’t work.
Steve points inside the door. “Do you see what I see?”
I tense, having to shuffle close enough to inhale the scent of another omega wafting off him and feel his body heat next to me in order to see what he’s pointing at. My heart clenches with pain, but I do my best to ignore it.
A dirty mug on his desk.
My stomach drops, a yawning pit caving open in my chest. I don’t know how I missed that.
“Fucking worthless,” Steve mutters from behind me as he stalks by down the hall.
