Chapter 6
“What do you think about a weekend away?” I asked as Tyler and I zoomed down the road on our way home from meeting his friends for lunch. “We haven’t gone somewhere together in ages.”
“I’m busy,” he said without even looking at me.
“I never suggested a date.”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t have time for a weekend away.”
“It’s been over three years since our last getaway. I feel like you don’t have time for me anymore.”
Tyler spared me a brief glance before focusing back on the road. “Why are you getting so needy lately? You’re usually independent.”
I bristled. “If we spent time together, I wouldn’t be needy. You let your job become your whole life. I just want to hang out with you once in a while.”
“Sorry for keeping a fucking roof over your head.”
I stifled a sigh, knowing it would only annoy him. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what you said. My job is what gives you the life you have, so maybe you should learn to shut up and enjoy it.”
I lapsed into silence, staring out my window.
It was his inheritance that kept a roof over our heads, not his job, but I wasn’t going to say that out loud.
If it were all about money, he could’ve chilled out on letting me start a business properly.
I’d have been happy to contribute this whole time, but he was the one who stopped that.
I hated when he was upset. Tyler was a ticking time bomb when he got in his moods and I did my best to tiptoe around it, but how was I supposed to stage a proposal if he wasn’t willing to do anything special?
“I love you,” I said quietly.
He didn’t reply. His fingers tightening on the steering wheel were the only indication he’d heard me at all.
“Why don’t we order a nice dinner and have a quiet night in?” I suggested.
“Mads, give it up. I said I don’t have time.”
“Will you ever? I want us to build a proper life together, one where we’re committed to each other. I want to marry you. I want you to bond me. I need you to want the same.”
“And if I don’t? You’re being ridiculous. Where is this even coming from? It’s been a goddamn decade and you haven’t been up my ass about any of this before.”
“That’s a long time to not have decided if you want me forever.” My eyes burned. “If you don’t want a life with me, then I need to be done. I can’t keep hanging onto something with no future, Tyler. If you won’t marry me and you won’t bond me, then you have to let me go.”
“You’re mine.” He grit his teeth.
“Then do something to actually make me yours,” I hissed. “This is ridiculous. We’ve been together for ten years. Why won’t you commit?”
“Because I don’t have to. Why are you being such an uppity bitch out of nowhere?
” he growled, setting all of my nerves on edge, but then took a forceful breath to calm himself down.
“I’m sorry, baby. Let’s move on. You’re letting your omega nature get the better you and I’m pissed over work.
There’s some fucking asshole fighting with us on some land. ”
“I’m sure you’ll win in the end. You always do.” Work was usually a pretty safe topic, and I couldn’t emotionally handle the current one anymore. “What do they want the land for?”
“They want to turn it into some safe house or something for goddamn poor piss-baby omegas.”
“Is your competitor the Omega Housing Initiative?”
“Yes! Fucking idiots. Every single one of them. Omegas wouldn’t need something special if they would get off their asses and find an alpha. Waste of real estate when we could put in some luxury condos.”
I stared at him like I had never seen him before. “You don’t think omegas deserve safe housing if they don’t have an alpha?”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “There shouldn’t be any omegas without an alpha. The whole fucking point of them is to be with us. They were never meant to be independent, and if they wanna fuck with nature, then they deserve whatever happens to them.”
I swallowed hard, nausea stirring in my gut. “That’s not very kind.”
“Nature never is. Where do you think you’d be without me? You need me. All omegas need alphas. It’s just the way it is.”
“I don’t need you. I want you. There’s a pretty big difference. I’ve loved you my whole adult life.”
“Don’t play dumb. You know I hate when you do that.”
“I’m not.”
“If you’re going to be this way, then we’re done with the conversation.”
I crossed my arms petulantly and sank in my seat. “Maybe I’m done with this whole relationship then.”
The car screeched to a halt on the road’s shoulder and I careened forward, before slamming back against the seat.
“Get out.”
I blinked at Tyler, watching the traffic whiz by in the background. “What the fuck? No.”
“Get. Out. You know I believe in appropriate consequences for actions, and if you’re going to be a stupid cunt, then I’m going to punish you for it. You say you don’t need me, well, get ready to find out how wrong you are. Out. You can come home when you get your head screwed on right.”
“We’re on the freeway. I’m not getting out.”
Tyler reached over and unbuckled my seat belt, grabbing for my purse. “I’m not going to marry you or bond you, and if you’re going to be an insufferable bitch about all of it, then you’re not going to live in my house and off my money. Your pussy isn’t good enough to put up with that shit anymore.”
I scrambled, panic coursing through my body. “Tyler! Stop! I’m sorry.”
He only shrugged. “I paid for that purse and phone. You’re leaving them here.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I paid for that outfit, too. You really want to push your luck here? Get out or I’m going to come around and take back everything that’s mine.”
Barely able to breathe through my panic, I climbed out the door and onto the shoulder of the road. I stood there frozen, waiting for him to say he was joking and let me back in.
“Close the fucking door.”
Tears burned their way down my face. “Please don’t do this.”
“Close the fucking door, Madison. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
I pressed trembling fingers to the door, and the moment it shut, he blasted off into traffic, leaving me there crying on the side of the road with nothing but the clothes on my back.
It took only a few seconds for terror to fully kick in. I couldn’t call for help. Who would I even call if I did? I didn’t have a single phone number memorized except for Tyler’s, because he’d had the same one since we were teens.
Alone and with nothing, I spun around, trying to get my bearings. In the distance I saw the familiar shopping complex I frequented. It wasn’t much of a solution, but it was definitely better than being roadside.
I took off at a run. Thank god I had taken up jogging. My whole body thrummed with adrenaline as I sprinted alongside the cars. It was hard to see while crying and I skidded on a piece of trash, earning myself a hefty bit of road rash on my hands and knees.
With a string of curses, I picked myself up and forced myself to keep going despite the sharp pain with every step. Moment by moment, Best of Nests came into view.
Please let Jude be working.
I didn’t know where else to go. I needed a friendly face even if he couldn’t help me.
Pushing onward, I couldn’t stop the sobs that snuck free.
Tyler had done a lot of stupid things throughout the course of our relationship, but this had to take the cake.
He couldn’t walk back from this, and more than that, I didn’t think I could let him try even if he did.
I’d known for a long time he took my presence for granted, but I never imagined that things would end like this.
If he had wanted to marry me or bond me, I could’ve let myself live in the delusion that I was happy.
If he had committed to me, I could’ve stuck it out, but I wasn’t even worth that much to him.
By the time I reached the doors to Best of Nests I was fully hysterical, my whole body heaving with every sob. Even with the cooler temperatures I was sweaty and windblown, aching, thirsty, and desperate for some sense of safety.
I tumbled into the store, making a beeline for the registers. “Please, please, please,” I whispered as I rushed on.
Jude looked up from where he was talking to one of the cashiers and immediately sprinted toward me. “Madison? Holy shit. What happened? Are you okay?”
I threw myself straight into his arms and cried so hard, he probably thought I was dying. He held me tightly, providing an anchor point I desperately needed.
“Maddie, talk to me. What happened?” His voice was soothing, like warm velvet wrapping around me.
“He—” I hiccuped. “He kicked me out of the car.” Another sob. “He took everything.”
“Okay. Let me get you some water.” Jude scooped me off my feet and carried me into the break room, setting me gently onto the couch, and getting me a cardboard cup of water. I slurped it down gratefully.
Everything ached and my road rash stung.
I whimpered when Jude transferred me to the counter next to the sink, gently rinsing my hands under warm water, and using a soft cloth to clean the dirt from my knees. The soap made me hiss, but Jude’s warm gaze made it bearable.
“I’m sorry,” Jude whispered. “I know it hurts. You’re doing really well, though.”
“It’s okay.” I sniffled, shivering as he made sure my skin was dry before applying some ointment to the scrapes and applying bandages to the deeper cuts. When he was finished, he hugged me tightly. I sank into his arms, savoring the strength of him wrapped around me. “Thank you.”
“I’m so sorry this happened to you. Should we call the police? Report him?”
I shook my head. What would I even tell the cops? I had hurt myself in my panic. Tyler had only made me get out of the vehicle. “Could you give me a ride to the arena when you’re done with work?”
I didn’t have any money for a cab or a rideshare, or even the bus. I had to find Charlotte. She would help me.
“Of course I can.” Jude pulled me into another hug and I had the wherewithal to be embarrassed that his shirt held the scent of my distress.
I’d probably ruined a bunch of products coming in here like I did.
No one was supposed to come into the store without their scent muted, and here I was, crashing through it with my cloud of misery.
“Do you have somewhere to stay?” he asked gently.
“I don’t know. I need to talk to Charlotte.” One of her alphas ran the Omega Housing Initiative Tyler had been complaining about. Maybe they could get me on a list to find somewhere safe while I figured things out.
“That’s your friend with the Night of Knights alphas, right?”
I nodded, burying my face against his chest.
“You could stay at my place if it wouldn’t be weird. I can sleep on the couch and you can have my room.”
Jude had always been sweet to me, but I couldn’t show up a hot mess and steal his room, no matter how curious I was about his home. “I don’t want to impose like that. It’s not fair to you.”
“You’re not an imposition. I’d be happy to help.”
I couldn’t bear to look him in the eye yet. “I’m sorry I came in with my scent out.”
He stared at me with wide brown eyes. “I’m glad you did.”
“I just want to curl up somewhere safe. I can’t handle anything else today. I’m really really sorry to interrupt your work, but I didn’t know where else to go.”
“I’m glad you did, that you felt safe enough to seek me out. Plus, you’re always welcome here,” he promised firmly. “I’ll leave work early and drive you over.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I can wait.”
Jude eyed me suspiciously. “You can stay in the break room if you’d like.”
“Could I stay with you while I wait? I think if I don’t have a friendly face I’m going to spiral.”
His hands twitched against me and he pulled in a shuddering breath. “I’m never going to tell you that you can’t be around me.”
Jude stepped back, taking my hand and leading me outside. I followed after him, my body wracked with shivers now that the adrenaline was wearing off.
How had my life gotten so fucked so quickly? And more importantly, how the hell was I going to fix it?