Page 64 of His Gentle Omega
When five became six, and both our stomachs growled loudly, I finally decided to call Shay’s cell phone. I had been trying to give him space after the weirdness of the morning and didn’t want to bother him. He had let me know he had a few morethings he’d needed to take care of after his appointment with Alex, but that was well before noon. Worry was setting in, even though I told myself I shouldn’t worry.
“When is Daddy coming home?” Lucas asked, as we finished reading one of his library books. He was all packed, his things sitting by my front door. Each time my eyes fell on his backpack and the bags containing his new toys and clothes, my stomach roiled, cold dread filling me.
“I’m going to call him and see how long he’s going to be.” Assuring him with a smile I hoped looked genuine, I dialed Shay’s cell. “Then we’ll order the pizza. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
Lucas rubbed his tummy. “Me too.”
On the third ring, I heard a vehicle pulling into the drive and Lucas raced to the front window. “Daddy’s home! And Uncle Asher is here too.”
“Great, we’ll see how hungry everyone is so we can order enough pizza.” The uncertainty and wariness I had been feeling returned tenfold, when Shay came in, followed closely by Asher. They both looked grim, tension radiating from their tight muscles.
Lucas ran to Shay, and Shay bent down to catch the running boy, hugging him tightly to his chest. His blue eyes, dimmed of their light, caught on mine and held. The air was thick with nerves, and my heart pounded, wondering what was to come. Nothing good.
Had it gone badly at the lawyer’s? Was Edward going to be able to take Lucas? Or was this feeling something else? Something to do with what had happened between Shay and me last night?
Shay deposited Lucas back on his feet, his smile faint and slightly forced.
“We were just going to order the pizza,” my voice was way more cheerful than I felt, and I almost winced at the sound of it. “Asher, would you and Gabe and the boys like to join us?”
The Pierce brothers exchanged a silent look and my stomach dropped straight down to my toes. I wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but I knew I wasn’t going to like it. Not one little bit.
“We can get whatever toppings you want,” Lucas assured his uncle, oblivious to the obvious tension hanging between the adults in the room. “’Cept them little fishies. None of those, please. And no pineapple.” He wrinkled his nose. “Pineapple is gross cooked.”
Asher smiled down at his nephew, a genuine smile, and ruffled his dark hair. “I don’t like either of those, so your pizza is safe. But we invited you and your dad to have dinner with us at the diner tonight. Then we can get you settled in your new house. How does that sound?”
“Yay!” Lucas shouted his approval, jumping up and down, while I tried to keep my face composed. It felt like my face was contorted into some kind of maniacal smile, not unlike theJoker’sinBatman.
Asher picked up Lucas’s backpack, and the other bags, and my heart beat so loud in my ears it drowned out all the other noise in the room. Why did it feel like someone was taking my child?He’s not your child, Bennett, I silently reminded myself.
Ours, my wolf howled mournfully,mate. Pup. Ours.
Shay and I continued our silent stare off, neither of us speaking. Trying to keep myself calm, I wrapped my arms tightly around my stomach.
“Asher invited us to have dinner with them,” Shay repeated, as if I hadn’t heard Asher. “I think it’s a good idea for us to spend some time with him and Gabe. And the twins.”
Blinking back the hot sting of tears burning my eyes, my smile wobbled, even as I nodded in agreement. “Of course. Yes, you should.”
“Bennett, you can come too,” Lucas declared cheerfully, and I inhaled sharply at the look of anguish that ghosted across Shay’s face before disappearing just as quickly. But he couldn’t vanish the despair from his eyes. It was there, staring back at me, hard to miss. “Can’t he, Daddy?”
“Not this time, buddy,” Shay’s thick voice nearly broke, and I closed my eyes tightly before opening them. “Tonight will just be family, and then you can get all your stuff set up in your new room.”
Just family.
That simple sentence said so many things and hurt more than it had any right to.
Lucas halted his bouncing around, giving his dad’s back a sharp look. Hands planted on his little hips, he declared loudly, “Bennett is family. Just like you said Maria and Albert were.”
And just like that my heart broke into a million tiny pieces.
Throat convulsing painfully, I couldn’t breathe. I wasn’t going to make it through whatever this was.
Smiling tightly at Lucas, voice barely above a whisper, I assured him the best I could. “I think your dad just wants it to be your uncles and cousins and you tonight. We can have pizza some other night. I bet you’re excited to have a real room again. You can put all your stuff in it and decorate it any way you want. Won’t that be fun?” My voice was fake cheerful, pinched and too high.
“Come tell Bennett goodbye, Lucas, and thank him for everything.” Shay ordered quietly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. The muscles of his shoulders were rigid, and he hadn’t moved from his spot since he had gotten there.
Lucas ran to me, hugging me tightly and burying his face in my middle. Holding him to me, I kissed the top of his head, my eyes squeezed together tightly. Praying the tears didn’t escape, so he wouldn’t see the hurt in them.
“Thank you, Bennett,” Lucas’s words vibrated off my stomach. “I love you. I’ll come over and see you real soon.”
