Page 51 of The Omega's Surprise Baby
Shane laughed. A light, carefree sound. “Of course you're still cute. Don't act like you don't know it.” I felt myself grin in response to his scolding. Talking to him was so easy. I wanted to do much more of this. Even if I knew some of the conversations ahead of us would be a bit more difficult.
“I'm not as wide-eyed anymore,” I said, thinking back to my time on the show. I'd been such a rookie, knowing nothing about the business. Standing in the spotlights, surrounded by cameras, I felt transported to another world. Foolishly, I'd believed it was abetterone.
“No,” Shane agreed. “But I think you're even more charming now that you know what you're doing.”
Did I know what I was doing? Part of me wanted to laugh at the very idea. “Show biz is complicated.” I let myself fall back on my bed.
“Most things are. Nothing worth doing is ever easy.”
One of my eyebrows arched up. “Where did you pull that quote from?”
“Oh, it's just... something someone used to say.” I heard him deflate and kept myself from digging deeper.
“Well, whoever said it, they're probably right. Lots of complicated things in life. Like... you and me. That's complicated, right?”
“It doesn't have to be.”
Oh, you don't know the half of it.“It's fine if it is. That doesn't mean it's not worth doing, right?”
“Right.”
At least we were agreed on that. I closed my eyes, wishing I was already in Oceanport with him. “I can't wait to see you again.”
“Me too. I'm glad you're moving your flight up.”
I had to smile at that, even while I was wondering if he'd still be so happy to see me when I told himwhyI was moving my flight up.
I could only hope.
19
Shane
Kade was coming early! Well, at least that was one piece of good news on this shitty day. When I'd made breakfast for the kids in the morning, Conner's newly developed omega-scent hadn't been there anymore. For a second or so, I wondered whether I'd imagined it the night before, but the hormones responsible could fluctuate heavily at his age. There wasn't anything strictly abnormal about the scent I'd smelled the night before being gone in the morning.
Sadly, that didn't mean it wasn't going to return. It did give me a little time to prepare my conversation with Conner, though. I sent him off to school, thinking I could talk to him in the afternoon. But then I got caught up at work and when I finally got home, Conner wasn't there. After a moment of frantically searching the house, I called Jake's parents.
“Yes, Conner's with us,” Eli told me. “Didn't he tell you he was going to come over?”
“He...” I stopped myself. Actually hehadtold me. Over dinner last night. I'd simply forgotten.
“The boys are playing outside,” Eli informed me. “But I could call them in if you need him to come home.”
“No, no, that's all right.” I wasn't going to stop Conner from having fun with the one friend he had. “Does he seem okay? You didn't notice anything off, did you?”
I heard the frown in Eli's voice when he replied. “No, nothing. Is anything going on?”
“No,” I lied. “I guess I'm still worried about that bully at his school.”
“Oh, I don't think he's been in any sort of fight. He seems happy.”
“Okay, good.” I stroked some hair back from my face. “Tell him I'll come fetch him in about an hour.” Just in time for dinner.
“Will do.”
I ended the call, glad that Eli hadn't noticed anything. That meant maybe his scent hadn't returned over the course of the day and I still had a chance to talk to him before anyone else told him that he smelled different. I was leafing through the school brochures again when Kade called and distracted me for a while. It was only when I was done talking to Kade that I realized I now hadtwopieces of news to break to Conner that he wouldn't particularly like.
My son seemed a bit lost in thought when I collected him from Jake's place, but that was nothing out of the ordinary for him. “Did you have fun today?” I asked while he climbed into the car.
