14. Hazel
Chapter 14
Hazel
Phillip:
Lunch at Hawking today? We want to see you again.
Roman:
Please!
I sighed, looking at my phone screen. I could only use the excuse that I had a class so many times.
Hazel:
Don’t you guys have classes you need to attend?
Cormac:
We’ve got nothing important going on. We wouldn’t ask you to lunch if we didn’t want to be there.
Phillip:
You are what’s most important now.
My stomach flip-flopped at those words. Lunch wasn’t a terrible idea, but the prospect of having it on the Hawking campus made me uneasy. What if we accidentally ran into Seb? We had hardly interacted over the last few weeks, other than the odd text, and those had seemed somewhat cold.
We would eventually make up; we were both stubborn, and every time we fought, we took a little time to cool off. Then again, our arguments were usually over small, silly things. Not large, surprise-baby sort of things.
I was still feeling like death. Every time I stood up, the room would spin, and I would have to clutch on to something to stay upright.
Roman:
We don’t have to get lunch on campus if that’s what you’re worried about.
I let out a deep sigh of relief.
Hazel:
There’s a really amazing Italian joint not far from campus. I’ve been craving spinach and ricotta tortellini.
That wasn’t a lie. My cravings had been somewhat violent over the last few days. Since some of the cravings had been a bit more interesting—for instance, my bathroom soap was smelling rather delicious lately—the pasta was downright normal in comparison.
Phillip:
Do you want us to pick you up?
Hazel:
I’ve got a friend who works nearby. She’s happy to give me a lift there, but if you guys can bring me back, I’d appreciate it.
Phillip:
Of course, we will. Meet at 1?
Hazel:
Perfect.
I threw my phone on the bed and turned toward my closet. I had an hour until I had to leave, and I had no idea what to wear. What outfit was appropriate to meet your three potential baby daddies, who were also the sworn enemy of your best friend?
It was too warm to wear anything too conservative. Rummaging through the piles of fabric, I finally settled on a light and airy sun dress that fell just past my knees and had sleeves that ended in elastic cuffs at my wrist. It was cute, pink with a distinct floral pattern, and was modest yet pretty. Pairing it with a pair of flats, I gave myself a quick look in the mirror. My hair was its usual wavy mess around my jawline; there was no taming that. The alphas I was meeting with had seen me thoroughly fucked with a lot worse hair, so it wasn’t like I had to impress them.
Even though a small part of me wanted to.
With a sigh, I grabbed my bag and made my way out the door, making sure to bring my purse and my keys. Seb had my spare keys, and I didn’t want to have to ask him to let me back in when I potentially stank like the enemy.
All of the Kingswood pack was waiting for me, sitting around the table with drinks in front of them. The seat next to Roman was vacant, but there was a glass of ice water and a soda on the table.
“Sweetness.” Cormac smiled, standing up and ambling over to me, pulling me in for a hug. I leaned into his embrace, inhaling his familiar scent and letting it relax me. “Come sit down, you look tired. We ordered both the water and a soda for you because we didn’t know what you wanted.”
“That’s a lie.” Roman snorted. “Cormac wanted to get you a soda, and Mr. Responsibility over here insisted we also get you an iced water.” He jacked his thumb in Phillip’s direction.
“She’s been dehydrated. She most likely needs water.”
He wasn’t wrong, but the soda was a far more tempting option.
“Thank you.” I smiled at Phillip, touched that he cared.
I took my seat and grabbed the menu.
“I’ve already gone ahead and ordered some spinach and ricotta tortellini with our starters.” Roman slung an arm over the back of my chair, pulling me close to him.
He remembered what food you’re craving , a small voice in the back of my head trilled. I’d been under the assumption that, now I was no longer in heat, they wouldn’t be anywhere near as attentive as they had been then, but they were proving me wrong.
“Is that okay?” Roman asked, his face dropping when I didn’t reply.
I leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “That’s perfect. Thank you.”
Picking up the soda, I took a quick sip and hummed in happiness. Then, looking at Phillip, I picked up the water and took a considerable gulp. His face hardly moved, but his eyes crinkled as I drank the water.
That small part of me that wanted to please him did a little jig at that look.
“I ordered most of the appetizers,” Cormac admitted with a grin. “So there will be plenty to share.”
“Good, because I am starving,” I said. “For some reason, today, I’ve been hungry non-stop. I ate like three cereal bars before I came here, and I’m still hungry.”
“That’s good, surely?” Roman asked.
“It is!” I nodded. “It’s just unusual because I’ve barely had an appetite, and I’ve been struggling to keep things down for weeks now.”
“I know,” Phillip said. “You’re far too thin.”
“It’s not like I intended to do it! Blame the tiny human you guys made with me.”
Roman laughed. “Maybe the baby got our stubborn DNA.”
I bit my lip. While the guys did seem fairly obtuse and stubborn at times, I knew, deep down, that I would be the stubborn one of this rag-tag bunch.
“We are all stubborn. The baby is going to be a little drama queen, just watch.” Cormac laughed.
“She’s not going to be,” Roman insisted. “She’s going to be an angel, just like I was.”
“She?” I raised my eyebrows.
Roman turned to me, beaming. “Yes. A little girl that looks just like you. She’ll be so damn cute.”
“It could be a boy.” I hadn’t really thought about the gender of the baby. It was just a clump of cells at the moment, and I hadn’t let myself think that far ahead.
“Nope. It’s a girl,” Roman declared confidently.
“It could be, dude,” Cormac said.
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to try again. That could be good—we could have one of each, Duchess!”
I choked on the mouthful of soda I was in the middle of drinking. What the hell had Roman been smoking?
“I think this is a one-and-done situation.” I coughed as Cormac leaned over, gently rubbing my back.
Roman frowned. “I know you’re not on board yet, but you’re it for me, Duchess, I’ve told you this. But if you don’t want more than one kid, then I guess that’s up to you. I will just follow your lead when it comes to babies.”
I turned and gave a pleading look to Phillip. “What is he on?”
He rolled his eyes and groaned. “I ask myself that every day. Unfortunately, this just seems to be the way he is.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
“It is, but I’m stuck with the asshole.”
“Hey! I’m not an asshole.” Phillip glared at him instead of answering, and Roman’s face broke into a grin. “Okay, maybe I’m a little bit of an asshole, but as you said, you are stuck with me now, just like you are, Duchess.”
“I’m lucky I don’t live in the same house as you, then.” I laughed ruefully.
Roman’s brows crinkled, and his pack mates didn’t look too happy, either. “I don’t like that you’re so far away. Promise me you’ll call us if you need help?”
“I, uh…”
“Let us help you,” Phillip interjected.
I closed my mouth and nodded. Roman’s frown melted into a smile, and before he could open his mouth, food arrived, and we were distracted with eating.