Chapter 33 #2
“My body, my choice,” River snapped back. His angry gaze turned back to Emerson.
Emerson turned away, not in the mood for one of River’s tantrums.
“Do you know how embarrassing it was for the whole neighborhood to witness my boyfriend jump out of my bedroom window—and then have this idiot jump out and chase him?” River growled low. “Why’d you do it, Em? Did you have a hard-on for my sexy alpha boyfriend?”
Emerson’s head whipped up and he met River’s gaze as gasps filled the room.
River crossed his arms over his chest, lifting his chin arrogantly.
When he glanced around at everyone, he seemed to waver a bit.
“Oh, come on! How long are we all going to pretend we don’t know?
” River eyed Emerson. “I bet there’s no omega he’s been sitting vigil with, either.
Another piece of fiction ol’ Em can hide behind. ”
“River!” Emerson’s papa snapped.
Emerson’s knees felt like they were about to go out from under him.
He scanned the room, but everyone but Randall turned and looked away from him, as if embarrassed.
When his gaze landed on Jackson in the other bed beside Randall, he cringed and really wanted to die on the spot. He’d not even noticed the man there.
Pity shone on Jackson’s face and Emerson immediately wanted to put his fist there to make it go away.
“My man Emerson here has the best omega in the world,” Jackson said, breaking the silence.
“I know, because I tried to win him myself, but wasn’t meant to be.
I might be a little salty about that, but if I can’t have him, at least I know he’ll have a hero at his side.
” Jackson grinned. “I saw you doing your thing in that fire and I’ll say that I’m way more impressed with you now.
Especially when you made that beam your bitch.
I’m definitely not going to piss you off anytime soon. ”
Emerson smiled weakly, appreciating Jackson’s attempt to cover for him. It also made him feel a little guilty about considering that punch.
River looked at Emerson and back to Jackson, lowering his arms to his sides. “So… there’s really an omega? He’s not fake?”
“Oh yeah,” Jackson said. “A very talented one who’s fine as hell.”
“You don’t have to do that, Jackson,” Emerson said. He’d already planned to come out to his family. This wasn’t the way he’d wanted to do it, but such was life. “There’s no point in continuing the lies.”
“I knew it,” River said, narrowing his eyes at Emerson.
“Pretty sure I just said there is an omega,” Jackson muttered, frowning at River with irritation in his eyes.
“Dash identifies as an alpha, Jackson,” Emerson said. “He’s not an omega.”
“What do you mean, he identifies as an alpha?” his papa asked.
“Forget I said that, Papa.” Emerson scrubbed his face with both hands.
He was already in trouble for opening his big fucking mouth as it was.
No way was he divulging Dash’s secret again without express consent.
“When you meet him, you’ll see he’s an alpha and while we’re at it, yes, I’m alpha-attracted.
I always have been.” He fought the sting of tears.
“I love Dash and I want to be with him even if that means we end up in prison someday because a little bit of something real with him is better than this lie I’ve lived my entire, empty life. ”
Tears welled in his eyes and he paused, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from losing it.
“I’ve hid it from you—obviously not very well—because I didn’t want to lose my family.
I’ve seen too many friends shunned and didn’t want that to happen to me.
But I’m tired. I’m so fucking tired.” A tear slipped down his cheek.
“I can’t live this lie anymore. I mean, I have to with the outside world, but I don’t want to hide myself from the people I love most. Not anymore.
I just want to be who I am and not feel ashamed every minute of the godsdamned day. ”
Silence filled the room for a few seconds and Emerson felt adrift.
It was the last person he’d expected to rush forward.
River pressed his face into the middle of Emerson’s chest, wrapping his arms tight.
He sobbed, squeezing Emerson. “I’m so sorry, Em,” River mumbled against Emerson’s chest. He lifted his teary gaze.
“I was angry and I wanted to hurt you, but I had no idea how much you were already hurting. And I just made everything worse.” River sniffled, tears running down his cheek. “Can you forgive me?”
A sob and a chuckle came out together when Emerson tried to reply. He lifted both hands to River’s face. “You’re forgiven… as long as I am, too, for embarrassing you in front of the whole neighborhood.”
“You are,” River whispered.
“Good. And just for the record, I don’t have the hots for your boyfriend. He’s mid at best.”
River laughed but started crying more. “I knew you didn’t. I didn’t mean to out you, it just tumbled out because I was angry.”
Emerson tucked River’s head under his chin and hugged him tight as he continued to sob.
When he glanced around the room, his papa and his omega brothers had tears in their eyes.
As did Randall. Lucas and Fitz’s expressions were guarded, though, and Emerson couldn’t tell what the pair thought of his revelation.
“What I want to know is—did everyone know this but me?” Randall asked. “I had no clue!”
“I didn’t know, either,” Lucas muttered.
“Nor I,” Fitz said.
“We knew,” Harley, his eldest omega brother, said, wrapping an arm around Bayley’s shoulders. “Omegas are always the smartest ones in any room.”
“Damned right,” Bayley said. He smiled at Emerson. “And I, for one, am happy that you’re finally free to be yourself. I love you, Em, and I can’t wait to meet Dash.”
“Thank you,” Emerson said to Bayley.
Harley walked over and hugged Emerson’s side. Emerson pulled one arm from River and moved it behind Harley.
“I’m happy you’ve found love, big brother,” Harley said before hugging him tight.
Randall whipped back the covers and jumped out of bed. He shuffled over with his skid-free socked feet and hugged Emerson’s other side. “Come here, big guy.”
“Hellllllo, Walkers!” Tanner’s voice called out before he appeared, rolling Dash into the room in a wheelchair.
Dash’s gaze hit Emerson’s and he frowned, turning to survey the teary eyes and all the hugging going on.
“What’s this love fest going on?” Tanner asked. “And how do I get in on it?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Fitz murmured from across the room.
“Oookay.” Tanner shrugged. “Well, I’d like to introduce you all to my cousin, Dashiell Keller. Dash, these are my fabulous Walker in-laws.” Tanner turned to face the room. “Emerson saved Dash’s life today and he wanted to come thank him himself.”
“And apologize for earlier,” Dash murmured, gaze on Emerson.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. I crossed a line,” Emerson said.
Dash shook his head. “No. You didn’t.”
“Is this the Dash?” Morgan Walker asked Emerson.
Emerson met Dash’s confused gaze. A light of recognition crossed Dash’s face before he released a slow breath. Emerson was terrified to speak after already breaking Dash’s trust once that day.
“I am the Dash,” Dash murmured, holding Emerson’s gaze.
Morgan crossed the room and stood in front of Dash. “My son says he’s in love with you.”
Dash’s gaze whipped to Emerson’s and back to his papa’s. “So he’s said.”
“And what about you? How do you feel about my son?”
Dash’s gaze traveled again, lingering on Emerson a few seconds before he returned it. “Like I’m unworthy of him.” Dash’s eyes began to shine. “And his love.”
Emerson frowned, his heart aching that his mate thought that. Dash wasn’t unworthy. Far from it.
“But I plan to work on that and get better at showing him how much he means to me—if he’ll have me. He’s pretty good at showing me so I just need to take better notes,” Dash said.
Morgan turned to eye Emerson with an odd expression before focusing on Dash again. He squeezed Dash’s arm and smiled. “Good answer.”
Dash rose out of the wheelchair and wobbled a bit. Emerson released his brothers and rushed closer, lending support.
“You’re supposed to be resting,” Emerson grumbled.
“And you were supposed to wait to tell your family until I was with you,” Dash argued.
“Hi, yeah… that was my fault,” River said, lifting a hand, waving to get Dash’s attention. “I kind of outed him because I was mad at him.”
“Kind of outed him?” Randall asked. “You damned well drop kicked him out, Riv.”
River’s eyes welled with tears again. “Don’t be an ass, Rand. I feel bad enough as it is.”
“As you should,” Randall argued.
River smacked Randall on the arm before sitting down beside him in the hospital bed.
Harley inched forward and reached out a hand, a gentle smile on his face. “Hi, Dash. I’m Harley, the eldest omega sibling. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Dash shook his hand. “Nice to meet you as well.”
“We have a house full, so let me give you the rundown. I’m the third kid after Harry and Em.” Harley turned to point to Fitz. “I assume you know Fitz, who’s number four. Then comes Bayley, Lucas, and Randall in order, ending with the runt of the litter, River.”
“Hi,” Dash said, his voice sounding raw.
All of Emerson’s siblings murmured hello.
“Now aren’t you glad you came in?” Tanner asked. He turned his attention to Emerson. “He didn’t want to come in.”
“Why didn’t you want to come in?” Emerson asked Dash quietly.
“I wanted Tanner to ask you to come out in the hall, but Tanner does what Tanner does.”
Tanner stuck his tongue out at Dash before he checked the stroller at Fitz’s side with his sleeping triplets.
“I didn’t want to create questions,” Dash said before looking down at himself. “I also wasn’t planning to meet your family for the first time wearing a couple of hospital gowns and these ridiculous dayglo socks.”
“You make them look good,” Emerson said, grinning down at his mate.
“Shut up,” Dash said, grinning and shoving his arm.