Page 10 of A Very Oceanport Christmas
"That's..." Sam started, then stopped. "You're starting to sound like my parents."
Maybe your parents have a point.I wanted to say that, but didn't. It wouldn't have gotten me anywhere. "I'm just saying, there are things you don't trust me or anyone with, but that's cool. It's just who you are."
"I do trust you, though." Sam was quiet for a moment, obviously gathering his thoughts before speaking again, his voice soft. "I don't know who the other father is. That's why I don't want to talk about it, and I don't want to be seen as helpless just because I'm an omega and I'm pregnant."
I drew in a breath. "You know I would never see you that way," I made myself say, trying to focus my thoughts even as the largest part of my brain was taken up by theotherthing he'd said. He didn't know who the other father was?
My hands tightened around the steering wheel.
How many guys had...?
No, brain, don't go there.
I wasn't going to shame Sam for sleeping with however many guys he wanted to sleep with.
Even if I really wished that I'd been included on that list.
Even if I wished I was the only one on that list.
Sam had trusted me with this information and I wasn't going to throw that in his face.
"You have no reason to be ashamed," I said, keeping my eyes fixedly on the road ahead.
"I'm not ashamed, I'm just... I'm embarrassed."
I risked a glance at Sam. His cheeks had taken on a faint pink coloring. I almost couldn't believe it. Samneverblushed. At least, he never had around me. I'd always kind of thought that the whole concept of embarrassment was foreign to him. In a weird way, seeing him like this made me want to defend him. As if the blush on his skin spoke to some primal alpha instinct in me that wanted to wrap him up and protect him from all that could hurt him--even when he didn't want my protection. "Hey, no one can tell you how many men to sleep with," I said. "That's old-fashioned bullshit, okay? So what if you don't know? I'm sure you're not the first omega in history who's a little fuzzy on those details."
"Maybe not, but still..." Sam stared out the window by his side. "This really wasn't in my plans."
"No, I guess not." I focused back on the road, even as I wished that I could make my friend feel better somehow. "If I've learned anything, it's that you gotta roll with the punches."
Sam sighed. "I know that. But you can't tell me that you don't wish for things to be different sometimes. You used to dream about being a doctor. I know this isn't the life you wanted."
"That doesn't matter," I said sharply. "It's the life I have."
That shut Sam up. Face sullen, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and returned his gaze to the window. The silence between us grew thick and I cursed myself for reacting the way I had when Sam had opened up to me about his feelings. I was being an ass.
"I didn't mean to sound that harsh," I said after a moment.
"It's fine." Sam let his hands sink to his sides.
"Look, I'll always have your back. I know you think you have to do everything by yourself, but you don't."
"Neither do you," Sam quipped. "Which is why I'm going to decorate the hell out of the ice cream parlor."
"All right." A small smile played on my lips. I couldn't help it. It was good to have Sam back in town, even if he was still impossibly out of my reach. "You help me with the decorations and in return, you let me take you to a doctor."
"But this isn't your responsibility! It's--"
"Sam."
"Okay, fine." He huffed, but I could tell he wasn'treallyannoyed, because not two seconds later, he was fiddling with the controls of the car radio, a mischievous expression on his face.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Putting on some music." He grinned at me.
"Don't tell me you're--" But it was too late. Before I could finish my sentence, the sickeningly sweet sounds of Christmas carols filled my car. Of course. Sam's way of punishing me. I rolled my eyes at him. Thank God we would be at the mall soon. Sam looked at me as if daring me to complain about his choice of music. I knew that would be pointless, though.
