The show he had picked wasn’t at all appealing. There was action, but the music was too loud.
Sighing, slightly bored, which was out of the norm, I carefully left the bed. Adrian didn’t stir as I used the bathroom before venturing out of the room.
I knew Vincent was in the house somewhere; he’d said he’d be near. Something about working while I spent time with my friend.
In the hallway, the table caught my attention.
The bunny was still there, so out of place with everything else. It was well-loved, and I wondered if it was Vincent’s from his childhood.
What I knew, his upbringing wasn’t any better than my own. He had parents, but they controlled everything. He at least got to know love, though. Got to feel how it wrapped around him, taking all the worries away for a bit.
I didn’t get that. Nor would I.
Love wasn’t something I would ever have. Give or take. It wasn’t possible. It didn't stop me from wondering what it’d be like, though, to feel such an emotion.
Maybe Adrian knew. He seemed happy with his Alpha. Content, even.
Was that love? Or was it just respect between two people who happened to live together?
“Hello.”
I flinched, instinct kicking in before I could stop it, and took a step back as Vincent climbed the stairs.
He slowed as he reached the top, hands tucked casually into his front pockets.
Gone was the sleepwear. In its place were black slacks, a dark red button-up with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. His glasses were perched neatly on his noseagain, framing his eyes in a way that made it hard to look away.
“Hi, Sir.” My voice worked, barely.
My chest was tight, my heart was thudding too fast. Partly because he’d appeared without warning. And partly because of how he looked. Put together. Calm. Like nothing could touch him. And I didn’t know whether that made me feel safer or more exposed.
“I wasn’t expecting you out here.” There wasn’t an order, just observations.
“I was….stretching. Adrian fell asleep.”
“I did tell Moore to keep the boy home today, but he’s a sucker for the Omega. What Adrian wants, he usually gets.”
The wordspoiledslipped into my mind.
“Did you need something?”
I shook my head, finally pulling my eyes away from him. For some reason, I wanted to keep looking at him, my gut pulling me towards him even though my brain told me to get as far away as possible.
My eyes landed back on the table.
“The bunny. Was it yours?”
Vincent picked it up, touching it like he remembered things that he didn’t exactly want to recall.
“It was Micha’s,” he said, voice low. “The morning he left, I took it. Hid it in my closet for years, knowing Father would throw it out with everything else that belonged to him.”
His fingers brushed mine as he passed it over.
“I just… needed to keep something. It was his favorite.”
I let the fabric settle into my palms. Once, it must’ve been soft, fur plush, stuffing even. Now it was worn thin, the seams tired, the filling clumped and stiff. But it had been held. Held tight by a boy who wouldn’t get the chance to hold it again.
“I hope to find him someday, but I know it’s unlikely to happen. There are other places other than Lockswell where Omegas are sent.”
