Page 23 of The Omega's Surprise Baby
I wanted to be. Iwas.But at the same time, I was not. Not happy.
But no one was looking at me now, and I took the chance to lay the mic down and slip off the stage.
“Shane!” someone called after me, but I ignored them. The damnapocalypsecouldn't have stopped me from leaving the room. I'd had enough of this party. I needed a moment to breathe. My friends and family, mychildren, didn't need to see me break down. Not again.
I stepped outside into the warm air of a sunny summer evening. Dean and Griff had picked a good day for their wedding. The sun was laughing right along with them. A good sign for their future, I hoped.
Leaning back against the brick wall of the building, I took a deep breath. I should go back in. I would in a minute or two, if only to ask my mom to take the children for the night. Then I could leave without having to worry about them.
But I couldn't make myself move.
An exasperated laugh escaped me. Fine alpha I was, scared at my own emotions. Ron would have laughed at me too, if he was here. I could hear his voice in my head.
Big burly alpha, and you're scared of a party.
I'm not scared of the party.I rubbed my face.But I miss you so much I don't know how to breathe.
This was the downside of true love. It was great, but it also brought great pain.
I took another breath, and then the door behind me opened. I didn't turn to see who it was, trying to come up with an excuse for what I was doing out here.
“You said you'd be okay. I don't think you are.” Kade's voice.
I had to laugh. Not because I was amused, but because I needed to release some tension. “I've been worse.” I could have told him that I was fine, but what was the point when he could clearly see that I wasn't? I was tired of wearing my mask, so I let it fall. No one but Kade could see me here, and for some reason, his gaze didn't bother me. He'd be gone again in a day. What harm was there in letting him know how I felt?
“I'm sorry,” Kade said.
I shook my head. “Don't you have to go back in and play?”
“Nah. My throat is getting sore.” He laughed. My dick twitched when he mentioned getting a sore throat. Totally inappropriate, I know, but I couldn't help it. He turned me on, even now. “I've played for an hour and there's more people giving speeches now.” He shrugged. “I can take a break.”
“I didn't mean to say you can't, sorry. I just don't want you to get in trouble on my account.”
His lips tugged up at the corner. “Like Dean and Griff would give me trouble. They're good people.”
“They are.” I smiled back at him. “I meant every word I said on the stage.”
“I know you did.” Kade's lips turned down again, as if he could sense my pain. Maybe he could. He was looking at me likethatagain. Like he could see straight into me. “You're good people too.”
“You think so?”
“I do...” His gaze softened. “You know, I never thought I'd meet anyone who hates weddings more than I do.”
“I don'thateweddings. They're just difficult for me to handle.”
He tilted his head as if he had to think about this. “I guess you could say the same about me,” he said eventually.
Why?I wanted to ask, but at the same time, I didn't want to talk about weddings at all. Not right now. Still, the omega in front of me intrigued me. Enough to make me forget my pain for a moment.
Kade looked at the door to the hall and back at me. A pensive look crossed his features and then mischief lit up his eyes. “If you come back in with me, I'll dance with you.”
My eyebrows went up. “You want to dance with me?”
He offered me his hand. “Don't you want to dance with me?”
He was confident for an omega. I liked that. And I didn't particularly want to refuse him even if I knew that dancing with Kade might not be the best course of action.
He'll be gone tomorrow.
