Chapter 38
SKY
I was sort of just…floating along. Sometimes, it didn’t feel real, like I couldn’t possibly be pregnant.
There was no way. I didn’t feel any different, but there was a slight swell to my once-flat stomach, probably not even noticeable to anyone except me.
I knew it was there, and that was all the proof I needed.
There was a baby growing in my womb. Adam’s baby.
I stared at myself in the mirror, my hands smoothing over my belly, over the loose skin and stretch marks from my other pregnancies. Would this one be different? Would I get to cradle my newborn in my arms, look into its eyes and touch its damp hair, feel it suckle greedily from me?
I teared up at the thought, biting down on my bottom lip. It hurt to think about the other babies, the ones who lost their lives to a monster. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I traced the stretch marks with my fingertips.
It isn’t your fault. Fletcher’s voice filled my head, and deep down, I knew he was right. I was helpless against Dr. Thompson. A victim in the cruel game he played, but damn it… This time it would be different. I had Adam and Fletcher at my side.
This time, I had love.
The holidays were soon upon us and at Bixby’s, we were selling turkey Manhattan platters and ham dinners out the wazoo. Mornings were no different—except instead of turkey, it was sausage gravy and biscuits and fluffy eggs and bacon, and damn if we weren’t always busy in the mornings.
I was racing around, taking orders and serving tables, making sure everyone had refills on their coffees and their teas, when suddenly, my stomach lurched. A whiff of greasy bacon made nausea roil and my mouth flooded.
“I-I’m sorry,” I blurted out, half-panicked.
“I’ll be back with the rest of your food in a minute.
” I took off running towards the bathroom, the strings of my apron trailing behind me.
I barely made it into a stall before I was vomiting up my morning coffee and buttered toast. It came out hard and violent, one of those, your stomach kills you afterwards. Ugh…
I rinsed my mouth at the sink and came out of the bathroom, a bit shaky but determined to brush it off and get back to work.
Except it happened the next morning. And the next. And the next. Morning sickness. Great. Just what I needed, right before the holidays.
Fletcher rubbed my back as I retched at home over the weekend. I hated it, hated the sour taste in my mouth after, but he was right there with a damp washcloth to wipe my face and mouth, and a cup of water to rinse with.
I spat into the toilet and gave a flush, groaning low. “Ugh…”
“Are you okay?” Fletcher asked, concern wrinkling his brow.
“I’m fine,” I told him. “Just the baby making itself known, I guess. This happened before, too, but I never had to hold down a job. If I puked, I puked.”
“We could—”
“No,” I cut in before Fletcher suggested something crazy like putting me on early bedrest. I raised my hand. “I can still work. It’s not like I’m contagious. I wanna save money for once the baby comes. I’m okay, honest.”
“I believe you,” Fletcher said. “But if you need a break, be sure to tell me.”
“I will, I promise.”
On Thursday, I ran to the bathroom, just like clockwork, but this time, when I came out, Josie cornered me. She crossed her arms over her chest, her brow furrowed and her lips a downward slant.
Uh-oh…
“Hey, I’m worried about you,” she said.
“It’s fine,” I said, trying to brush past her, but she side-stepped to stand in my way. “I’m fine.”
“Are you pregnant?” She asked the question so bluntly that it felt like a bullet ripping through my chest. I stood there, gaping at her, too shocked to speak.
She frowned. “I thought so. Look, I’m not here to judge you, but if you need any help… If you’re in any kind of danger, please know that I’m here for you. I know you were in a dark place before. I just wanna make sure you’re okay, you know? As your friend.”
I frowned. Dark place? Did she think… “I— No, really, Josie. I’m okay. Yes, I am pregnant, but please don’t tell anyone. It was an accident, but it’s not unwanted. Nothing bad happened, I promise. I just wasn’t careful enough, I guess.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “Well, is the Alpha gonna man-up and be there for you and the baby? Because if not, I know of some places that help Omegas in need.”
“Josie, really. I’m fine. Just leave it alone, okay?” Frustrated that she wouldn’t drop it, I pushed past her, maybe a little harder than I needed to, my face burning up.
I tried to focus on work, but all I could think about were the rumors spreading around Bixby’s that I was carrying some fly-by-night Alpha’s bastard child.
Needless to say, my mood continued to plummet throughout the day. I was quiet on the drive home, not missing the worried glances Adam and Fletcher kept exchanging. When we got home, I excused myself to shower, then crawled into bed and journaled my feelings, as Madeline had suggested.
By dinnertime, I felt a little better. It helped that Adam had left to pick up pizza, and I was really craving melted, gooey cheese. I blamed the baby.
I got through two pieces before pushing my plate away and announcing, “Josie knows about the pregnancy.” My mates fell silent, their eyes locked on me.
I took a deep breath. “She kept asking if I was okay, if I was safe, if I needed help from outside sources because the father wasn’t in the picture.
” I dropped my head into my hands. “I’m sorry, guys. ”
“It’s not your fault, Sky,” Adam assured me.
“This isn’t something we can hide, nor do I wish to hide it.
We’re going to need to call a staff meeting before the rumors get out of hand, though.
” He looked at me, his golden eyes soft as honey.
“Are you okay with people knowing? About the baby?” He paused. “About us?”
I glanced between Adam and Fletcher, a smile tugging at my lips. “I am.”
Because I was. These two men were the reason I got out of bed every morning. The reason I smiled, the reason I laughed. They made my once-abysmally gray world fill with a rainbow of color…and I was pretty sure I was in love with them, though I didn’t dare speak those words out loud.
I touched my stomach. “I want them to know,” I said firmly. “I’m tired of hiding.”
Fletcher reached over and squeezed my hand, his smile soft. “That makes three of us, then. I want the world to know you’re ours, and so is the little one growing within you.”
My chest tightened because he was right. I was theirs, and they were mine, and I didn’t want it any other way. “Can we do it tomorrow? Or is that too abrupt? I kind of want to just rip off the Band-Aid.”
Fletcher and Adam exchanged a look. Adam pulled out his phone. “I’ll see what I can do.”