Page 123 of Party Girl: How a Naughty Omega Finds Love
“Oh, he’d fucking hate it.” Asher laughs. “He’ll survive.”
“So your family is awesome. No tragic backstory for you?” I ask with a bitter laugh. It’s not that I want him to have had a bad life, it’s only that I feel a little dramatic with all of my baggage.
“Eh, not really. I’ve been really fortunate, and I definitely don’t take it for granted. Trev’s dad is—” He stops when he realizes his mistake. He doesn’t want to share someone else’s secrets.
“An asshole, he told me.”
“Asshole doesn’t seem like an adequate word, honestly. My dads hate him, and it takes a lot for them to hate someone.”
I rest the back of my head on his shoulder, and we sit in silence for a little while, drinking our hot chocolate and simply enjoying the early morning hour. The quiet isn’t awkward with him; it’s the most natural feeling in the world. But eventually more questions come to mind.
“You guys come here a lot?”
“We don’t visit as much as we should. Work gets in the way most of the time. Most holidays we spend here. Avi’s family lives a few cities over, and Hayden’s mom joins us here.”
“I take it Trev’s dad doesn’t get an invite?”
“Nope. That bastard can rot in hell.”
“I know a few people that belong there.”
He hums. “I’ll be happy to send them there for you.”
Digging my elbow into his side, I roll my eyes. “Don’t try to be a hero.”
“Comes with the job,” he whispers into my ear, kissing the side of my head. “But seriously, if I wouldn’t end up in jail, I’d take care of them.”
“Aw, you’d murder for me? That’s almost better than buying me diamonds.”
“Almost? Whitney, I’m offering you the blood of your enemies and you still think diamonds are better?”
“Fine, bloodshed might be better than a silly rock.”
“Damn straight it is. Especially for your mom.” I stiffen a little, expecting him to want me to rehash my history, but instead, he says, “Maybe my mom will adopt you.”
“Well, technically since we’re pretend mates, she sort of has.”
“That’s true.” He leans forward and sets his mug on the coffee table before coming back to snuggle.
We fall quiet again, but the thoughts racing through my mind are so loud I worry he’ll be able to hear them. The screaming insecurity that’s telling me I’m not worthy of that sort of love. I don’t deserve his mother’s affection. I don’t deserve kindness. I pinch my eyes shut and relax into his hold. He runs his thumb over my shoulder and tells me random stories from his childhood, as if sensing my need for distraction. He talks until my eyes grow heavy and all those thoughts give way to sleep.
* * *
Saturday I wake up after the guys have gone to work. Asher must have carried me back to the bedroom because I’m under the softest comforter in the world. I roll onto my side and pull it closer, cocooning myself while I let my eyes adjust to the daytime. The bedside clock reads almost eleven in the morning. Using coffee as motivation, I roll out of bed but keep the blanket wrapped around me.
I probably look like a gremlin, but this blanket is too damn soft and the thought of leaving it behind makes my heart hurt. Avi left a note that he went out for a bit, but the coffee pot is full and that’s the most important part. Grabbing the biggest cup, I fill it and drink it as quick as I can. Then I refill it and add some milk, intending to savor this serving. My stomach growls so I shuffle around with the blanket and search for food. I grab a jar of pickles, sausage, and some leftover broccoli and rice casserole.
About three bites into the meal, I realize how disgusting it should be all together. It doesn’t taste bad to me though. I continue like a happy little creature from a cave, bringing the fork into my blanket cocoon to take bites. A soft knock sounds at the door, and I growl a little, more pissed about not being able to finish my food than I am surprised that someone is here.
“Whitney?”
Asher’s mom sounds so energetic even through the door. I’m going to need another three cups of coffee before I can be on that level. Who wakes up happy like that?
Monsters, that’s who.
“Melanie isn’t a monster,” I say out loud to myself, setting the fork down. I answer the door with the blanket around me.
She takes me in, her lips tugging into a genuine smile that feels like sunshine and rainbows.
