Page 14 of Such a Grumpy Omega
“Yeah.” I picked up my phone and checked the time. “I’m sorry. I’ve kept you up nearly until morning.”
“It’s okay,” he said. He stared into my eyes.
Goddess, how had I missed what was right in front of me? As soon as I had the inkling that Fraser was my mate, I should’ve abandoned all my plans and found a way to deal with my own demons.
“I’m glad we cleared the air. No more secrets between us, okay?”
I nodded as a rock of guilt sank into my stomach. “Not a single one. I promise.”
“Good. You need to sleep, too, omega.”
A laugh bubbled out of me. Nothing funny had been said, but this whole thing was ridiculous. And all my making. “I don’t think I could sleep a wink.”
Fraser cupped my face and stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Try for me, Everly. Please. I don’t want to worry about you.”
“I’ll try.” That was the only promise I could make.
“That’s all we can do. Have some breakfast too. I can smell your hunger.” He winked. “Among other things.”
The sides of my mouth lifted in a smile. “I’m not the only one.”
“You’re not wrong about that.”
I shut the door after he left and waited an embarrassingly long time before I heard the elevator ding, announcing its arrival on my floor. Leaning against the door, I weighed my options. I could go to sleep and think things over, let Fraser do what he had to, alone.
No. No, that wasn’t me anymore. I had a mate now, and my wolf urged me to do whatever I had to in order to make this right.
I had to start now.
With a huge cup of coffee in my hand, I waited for the county and city offices to open. Damn them for not opening until nine. Eggs and toast were calling my name, but I had bigger things to take care of. Things to put right.
Correcting all my errors and erasing as many of my mistakes as possible.
As soon as my workplace opened and I knew a manager would be in, I called in and told them I was sick. A bit of a lie, but not a total one. I was sick from what I’d done to Fraser. For the way I’d handled everything and took a chance on compromising my alpha’s business, his prosperity.
The manager threw a fit about me calling in more than once, but I simply didn’t care anymore. I had enough money from the sale of the house and the estate to sustain me for quite a while. If I got fired, so be it. There were more important things.
I spent the morning and most of the day retracting statements. Getting letters notarized. Walked the streets hand-delivering letters and taking things back. I drove to the county offices and told them that I was wrong. To take back everything.Hopefully, they would stop hounding the owners of Cuffed and leave them alone.
By the end of the day, I was almost entirely spent. I’d worked myself to the bone unraveling the knots I’d tied.
Still, I knew Fraser would have to tell the other owners. He would have to tell them everything and that it was his mate who had done this to them. I didn’t want him to have to do that alone.
Then again, I didn’t know if he’d accept what I had to offer. I had to try.
“Everly,” he answered on the first ring. “Are you okay?”
“Yes? No.”
“You’ve been busy today,” he said, matter-of-factly.
“How did you know?”
He chuckled and I heard him shuffle around, open a door, and then close it. “I received some phone calls. I do have some friends in a few high places.”
“I did the best I could. I took everything back, Fraser.”
Making a noise deep in his throat, a sound of approval, he spoke. “I know you did. You did the best you could, and whatever is left will be handled on our end.”
