I panted softly, standing there in disbelief until the giggling started.
Obviously, I was starting to lose it. The lack of sleep and constant state of paranoia weighed on me more with every day that passed.
Fuck this, I need to call someone.
After very carefully cleaning up my second spill of the night, I got in bed and called Tara.
She picked up on the third ring. "Hey girl."
"Hey," I said. "Where are you?"
In the background, I could hear people talking and lots of shuffling.
"We're in Aruba," she said.
I blinked. "Aruba? I didn't know you were going on a trip."
"I didn't either. Charlie wanted to surprise Jesse for doing so well lately. So when we got home the other night, he gave us the tickets and said we were leaving in the morning."
"That sounds amazing," I said. And it did. Damn, Tara was really living in another universe sometimes.
"So, what’s up?" she asked.
"Uh, my car got broken into the other day."
"What?" she yelled in my ear, making me pull my phone away. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. My car… less so. But Cameo picked me up."
"Cameo?" she asked. The interest in her voice made me suddenly wish I never brought it up. "Like Charlie's business partner? Indi's packmate?"
"That's the only one I know," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Hold on," she said. I listened to her mumble as if she was holding the phone away, and then some shuffling. Probably telling Jesse and Charlie she was stepping out. The noise around her dampened when she moved. "Okay, tell me everything."
I sighed. I did need someone to talk to.
Though I meant to hold some of it back, as soon as I started talking about it, I couldn't stop. She listened silently as I told her about messaging the group chat, about Cameo picking me up, and about his baby-making offer.
"He wants you to have their baby?" Tara was basically screaming. Whoever was walking by probably got an earful of that.
"Stop that," I said, needing her to quiet down before my eardrums really did explode. "He brought it up and wanted to talk terms, and I don't know what to do."
"Just so I'm sure I understand, he offered you a blank check if you offer yourself up to get fucked by them whenever they want and have their baby?"
"I guess so, yeah." It sounded simpler when she put it like that.
"Are you going to do it?"
I sighed. "I don't know. It seems crazy."
"It does seem crazy. But, a couple of things. Cameo is good for the money. I know how much that rich dickbag has; I have his other half." I laughed at her describing her alpha like he was a doll she'd bought at the store. "Also, didn't you say sex with that pack was like, the best thing that's ever happened to you?"
"I don't think I put it like that," I mumbled.
"You did that night I came over for too much wine and pizza."
Had I said that? The only thing I recall from that night was the headache I woke up with the next morning, and Tara slumped over my couch with a piece of pizza still in her hand.
