Page 49 of His Gentle Omega
I wanted to talk about last night, wanted to ask a thousand questions. Like what did it mean for us? Did it even mean anything? Or was it just one night of two people giving intoforces they had no control over? Where did we even go from here? And why was it suddenly weird between us?
Even as I wanted to ask all those questions and more, I knew that Shay wasn’t ready to answer any of them. And I needed to be okay with that. I needed to be okay with him not even acknowledging last night.
Even if I was so far from okay with the entire situation.
This man and his son had completely stolen my heart over the last week, without even trying.
“Take the key, Daddy,” Lucas chased his last bite through the syrup on his plate, completely drenching the bite of bread. “Bennett and me have lots of adventures to do today, and we don’t want you to be locked out.”
Shay and I stared at each other, something we had been doing pretty much all morning. Silent words passed between us, without either of us speaking.
Tread easy, Benny,my wolf whispered.
I know.
Finally, without saying a word, Shay pocketed the key and I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
When breakfast was finished, and Lucas was getting dressed, Shay was getting ready to leave for his appointment with Alex. Following him to the door after listening to him say his good-byes to Lucas, he hesitated before opening the door.
Gathering my courage, I finally said, “Shay, about last night…”
He turned, towering over me, and I peeked up at him from underneath my lashes. I couldn’t read the expression on his face.
“We’ll talk tonight, Bennett. I need to go, or I’ll be late.”
His tone, the look on his face–in his troubled eyes–his body language…and Iknew.
Nodding, because I didn’t trust myself to speak, I blinked rapidly to push away the heat burning my eyes.
“I’ll see you later, Bennett,” he whispered roughly, before pulling the door closed behind him.
Why did it feel like when I said good-bye to them tonight it was going to be forever?
Chapter Seventeen
Shay
The elevator dinged and the doors opened onto the third floor in a fancy, chrome and glass office building. Besides the key Bennett had insisted I take, he had printed off the lawyer’s address, along with a list of places in Sweet Alps to get groceries, restaurants, and other places in town he thought might be important. It was a thoughtful thing for him to do–like everything else he had done–and I had thanked him with a soft smile. It seemed like all I did was thank the man for looking out and taking care of us.
This morning had been awkward. I was well aware I was to blame for all the weird energy between Bennett and me. I just couldn’t deal with anything that had happened the night before, and all the things we had done. Whatever had my dick retreating for so long, along with my tiger, had roared to lifebeneath Bennett’s gentle touch. His smell. His gorgeous, compact body. His inherent goodness that made up all the parts of him.
Last night was nothing short of wonderful. Amazing. Beautiful. Earth shattering. More words than I could come up with to describe it adequately.
And yet, it was wrong on so many levels.
There were so many things I had to deal with before I could think about moving forward with someone, even if that someone might be–was–my fated mate. And how did I begin to tell Bennett–or anyone for that matter–that I was barely holding it together? That I might look okay on the outside, but on the inside? On the inside I was a complete and absolute mess.
Bennett was going to end up hurt, and that was the last thing I wanted and had been doing my best to avoid. Last night his touch had been comforting and calming, feelings I hadn’t felt in longer than I could remember. He smelled so damn sweet and good and true. My body had craved him, ached for him, my tiger roaring to life beneath my skin.
But I couldn’t deal with any of the feelings Bennett evoked in me. Not right now. Not with everything that was coming my way. Not with everything I needed to deal with.
I just couldn’t.
A part of me wanted to bury my head in the sand and not come back up until my life had settled down. But I couldn’t do that. That wasn’t reality, and I had Lucas to think of. It had almost been a relief when Asher had shown up this morning and told me the house was ready for us to move into.
How did I even begin to explain to Bennett that I wasn’t trying to get away from him, to put distance between us, after the night we spent? Even though I was positive it looked and felt that way. But rather, I needed to learn how to be alone for a little bit,just me and Lucas. That I needed to get all the things–Edward, his parents, my life–settled before Bennet and I could stand a chance of having a future.
I was messed up, and I knew I was messed up. Just like I knew I needed to clean up the wreckage myself.
