Page 24 of Roommates
Conner nodded. Of course he already knew all this, but he let me talk anyway, which was nice, because it helped me clear my mind.
“My uncle worked his ass off and managed to go to college anyway. He was that good.” The thought put a smile on my face, but it was a sad smile, because I knew what happened next. “It didn't take a month before he was raped on campus. Only a little while later he lost his scholarship because he got pregnant. Like it was his fault!” My voice shook; I couldn't help it. This story always made me mad. It was all just so fucking unfair.
“I'm so sorry,” Conner said.
“That's not even the worst of it.” My fingers twisted in the bed sheets. “The guy who violated him didn't only get away with it, he asked for custody of the child too... and he got it. My uncle was deemed incapable of caring for the child because his experience on campus had left him with panic attacks. There is no justice for omegas in this world. Something needs to be done about that.”
“Wow, that story is horrible.” Conner wrapped his arms around his knees. “But we've progressed and the laws are changing.”
“Yeah, but not enough of them. If I can make a change, I need to pursue that.”
“Even if it means giving up your own child?” There was a quiet challenge in Conner's eyes as he looked at me, and I didn't know what to say. “I want to make a change too,” he continued. “But that can be done in more ways than one, and even omegas can do it.”
I exhaled, not wanting to argue with him. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t know. I think I’m just gonna go back to my room and grab my stuff so I can make it to my next class.”
“You’re going to class?”
“I’ll take any distraction I can get right now.”
Anything so I wouldn’t have to think about the baby in my belly.
1 4
L U C A S
W hen I returned to our room after classes were over that day, Adam was nowhere to be found, and I wasn’t sure where he was. With everything going on, it took me a solid five minutes to remember that he had a game that night. That his life hadn’t stopped just because mine seemed to have ground to a halt. No, Adam still had football. He’d been preparing for tonight, and a game a little later this week, for months. Something about scouts possibly being there.
Staring at Adam’s empty half of our room, I sat on my bed. I'd never watched any of his games, but I knew he and the team, they all lived for them. Getting into pro-football was basically Adam’s only way out of the plans his parents had for him as the only alpha-heir. No wonder he trained so hard.
Secretly, he was just as unhappy with his genetic make-up as I was with mine.
What an odd pair we made.
And what a wrench I could be throwing into Adam’s future.
Sighing, I rubbed my face with the heel of my hand. I'd promised Conner I wasn't going to do anything for a few days, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that would be foolish. If I wanted to do something about this pregnancy, it was better to act quickly. Before I lost my resolve—and before my options vanished into thin air. The clock was ticking, quite literally. What if I waited to tell my parents and then by the time they found someone to help me, I was too far along for anything to be done? I couldn't let that happen.
Besides, I had the room to myself right now and I couldn't tell when that would be the case again.
I took my phone out of my pocket and stared at it for a good ten minutes before I could get my fingers to unlock it and move over the screen. This was not a conversation I wanted to have, but I should have thought about that before I fucked up.
My insides felt as if they were trying to twist in on themselves as I dialed my dad's number. Myomegadad's number. At least he would know what it was like to go into heat, right? Maybe he would understand. I could only hope.
I had to let the phone ring for a long time before he picked up, which surprised me. My papa was usually quick to answer the phone, and quick to berate me for not calling more often than I did.
“Hello, Lucas,” he greeted me when he finally picked up. “How's life at school?”
“Good,” I lied, because I didn't know how to segue into the topic I needed to discuss.
“Your dad and I were just discussing what to do with your old room when you move out for good.”
“Really? That sounds like you can't wait to get rid of me.”
“You know it's not like that,” my papa said, sounding amused more than anything. “It's just that your room would make the perfect little home library. That's what I want it to be, anyway, and you know I always win in the end.”
“What does Dad want it to be?” I asked, slinging my arms around my knees and drawing them toward my body, suddenly feeling like a child seeking comfort. Talking to my papa, it was easy to forget that I was an adult now, that I was supposed to have my life under control.
“What do you think he wants it to be? He wants to put a pool table in there, obviously.”
