Chapter 33
Charlie
“So, I was thinking,” Vincent started, his eyes on me like he didn’t want to miss a single reaction I gave. “I owe you a reward for filling out those papers yesterday, and for giving it your best in answering.”
Which I failed at, I thought.
“You have two options.” He went on.
Dread instantly fell over my shoulders. Not only would I have to choose, but I knew I wouldn’t want either option.
Shifting in my seat, my hand flexed tighter around the fork.
How much trouble was I in for waking up too early? I didn’t know what else to do after waking up to a nightmare that I couldn't shake. I thought cleaning the kitchen would be the safest bet, even if it didn’t help wash away the leery eyes that looked at me from all angles.
“We can go walk my property, where you can figure out where you’d like to plant flowers in the spring. Or we can go into town and get you some things you’ll need for the upcoming weather changes.”
He’d already gotten me so much.
Just the other morning, I noticed that the closet was twice as full. Sweaters and shirts. And pants. And then a dresser full of items, too.
I really didn’t need more. I never had much at Lockswell’s. Why did I need that stuff here?
“Walk the property, Sir?” My answer was more of a question than anything.
“Great choice.” Vincent smiled, pleased with my answer.
After we both slipped on shoes, Vincet held the door open that led from the kitchen. I stepped out onto the deck first, letting the warm heat wash over me.
It had been what felt like years since I was outside, and I was going to enjoy every second of my time.
“You are welcome to come out here whenever you’d like to. Just don’t go into the tree line. It’d be easy to get lost.”
There was absolutely no way I’d go that far from the house without Vincent. Let alone by myself.
“So, tell me where you think the best place to put the sunflowers is.” Vincent easily took control of what to say.
I walked one step behind the Alpha, my given place in this world.
Looking around the yard, which appeared to never end, I was nearly lost for words. The grass was slightly damp from the automatic sprinklers that came on during the early morning hours. There were a couple of trees that shaded parts of the yard. But there were no flowers; no color.
“By the tree line, but not too close since they need a lot of sunlight.” I gestured towards the tree line. About three feet in front of them would be the ideal place.
I could see them in my mind. Tall stalks with yellow petals reaching for the sky, thick green stems swaying just above my head. Flowers so high the bees would stay far enough away, too busy to bother with me as I watched from below.
“Did you have flowers at Lockswell?” Vincent asked, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his pants.
“Sort of,” I answered. “They grew out back—wild ones. No one ever cut them down. There was a garden too. I didn’t mind working in it. Herbs, vegetables… mostly for the younger kids.”
Vincent nodded, slow and thoughtful, as we walked the edge of the yard. “Would you want to do that here?” he asked. “The garden, I mean.”
I glanced at the soil. At the space. And thought about what it meant to grow something that wasn’t just for survival.
“Maybe?” I wasn’t too sure. I could, if the Alpha wanted one. But at the same time, if he wasn’t going to use the items grown, then there was no point.
“That’s an accepted answer. We have months before spring is here again. I don’t care one way or another. I just want you to be happy. And finding hobbies to keep you busy while I work during the day will be a good idea.”
I’ll just sit at your feet all day, I thought. I didn’t need a hobby.
I didn’t say anything in reply. I had a feeling that Vincent wouldn’t want me at his feet all day long, even though that’s exactly what I’d do if I were given the choice.
“What other plants would you plant?” He asked, returning to the subject at hand.
“Daisies and roses. And maybe a lilac bush. Your yard is very green, Sir. It needs color.”
“Come springtime, you can make a list of different plants we can plant. I’m not out here often, but I bet with your touch, I won’t want to ever leave it.”
My cheeks heated as I refused to glance at the man. My stomach swirled, too, but in a good way.
How could such an easy statement like that make me feel seen and confused at the same time?
I’d never felt like that before. I haven't felt useful even one day of my life until Vincent Harris stepped into it.
Lost in thoughts I couldn’t name, feelings too tangled to sort, I stumbled over my own feet.
I would’ve gone down hard, face-first into the grass, if Vincent hadn’t caught me. His hand gripped my upper arm, firm enough to hold me steady, gentle enough not to leave a mark.
“You okay?”
I nodded, heat rushing through me. Embarrassment bloomed sharp and full, curling around my throat until words felt impossible.
I couldn’t speak. I could barely breathe. But Vincent didn’t push. He just held on.
Once the embarrassment only simmered, I muttered out an apology. Omegas weren’t meant to be clumsy. We were trained to be sure-footed, always thinking a step ahead.
“No apology needed, sweetheart.” Vincent’s voice wrapped around me, causing my eyes to blur with unshed tears. It was a type of comfort I had long forgotten about. Warmth and acceptance.
Neither of those things was something I was given. It was stripped from me along with many other things that I had since forgotten about.
When I had tripped, I was often hit upside the head or smacked with a thick wooden board on my backside.
Sometimes for other Omegas who had difficulties in learning to keep their balance, they were forced to walk on a thin board that didn’t even fit the width of a foot.
And if an Omega fell off it, they’d get punished by different methods, then told to redo the walk until they got it perfect.
“Where did your mind go just now?” Vincent asked. His hand was still on my arm, but now it wrapped around my elbow, like he was afraid I’d disappear into my thoughts.
Given, I just did.
“How Omegas are trained to walk correctly. Any form of misstep is returned with a swift punishment.”
“That won’t happen here.”
I grimaced, not believing his words. The handlers always used them. “If you follow the rule, it won’t happen.”
For some reason or another, rules tended to be bent at some point. Either I didn’t keep my expression welcoming enough, or I moved too fast, or some other thing. A punishment was bound to happen.
“I don’t you don’t believe me, but I hope in time, you will, Charlie. I won’t hurt you on purpose here, and I’ll tell you that however often I need to.”
It's about trust.
The words echoed in my mind. He had spoken of them just the other day. Trust went both ways.
It was so much more than just words spoken. The action had to be shown.
“Trust,” I spoke the word, testing it on my tongue just like I had when he’d gone over what it meant to him.
“That’s right,” Vincent said softly, almost surprised. “My words won’t be enough to prove to you that I won’t hurt you.”
I didn’t know how to reply, so I didn’t say anything at all.
Vincent guided me through the yard, slow and steady. His pace never rushed, never faltered. One arm looped through mine, anchoring me without pressure. Not pulling. Not pushing. Just there.
“We’ll have to have Moore and Adrian over for a BBQ before the weather changes. And maybe a couple of other friends with their partners, too.”
“If that’s what you want, Sir.” Meeting others wasn’t something on my to-do list any time soon. But Moore and Adrian were okay people. Adrian, of course was.
“I’ll let you settle here first. Find your feet and your place. If you aren’t ready, that’s fine. I won’t hold it against you.”
I didn’t think I’d ever get used to him offering me a safety net at every step. But it was certainly happening often enough for me to notice what he was doing.
“Did you get to spend a lot of time outside?”
“Not often.” Sadly. Well, not in the winter months. I could do without the cold and snow. “I do enjoy being outside, Sir.”
“You are welcome to come out here without me.” He told me earlier. “I can see you out of any window in the kitchen. Even if all you do is sit on the porch. There are a couple of chairs you can take advantage of.”
I glanced towards them as we were walking back that way. They were a light grayish color, nearly the same color as the wall.
“The reason I bought this house, other than its location, was because the sunset is right there, and it can be quite beautiful.” He pointed towards our right, where the sun was slowly dipping in the sky.
It wasn’t sunset time, but I could picture it.
Not much blocked the colors that could paint the sky.
“And the morning sun can be watched just that way. It’s nice to not have trees blocking the view too much. ”
“There are always trees on all sides of Lockswell’s.” And brick fences. To say I was held there like an inmate wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Sure, the trees and flowers were pretty, given the seasons that passed, but otherwise, I couldn’t see what was beyond it all.
“There are no walls here. You can enjoy the scenery. Come out here in the morning and write in the notebook. Or just come out and let the silence settle over you.”
Why did those options sound so appealing? I wanted to do them so badly, I could almost reach out and grab them.
“It’s okay to want things.”
I wanted to desperately wanted to believe those words.
Vincent gave me a soft smile, warm and light. The way he looked at me at that moment was something I wanted to bottle up forever. I wanted to capture that look in a picture if I were an artist.
It was filled with so much light, so much good, that something super small settled in my chest.
He cares, my thoughts are supplied for me.
And maybe, I’d let him show it more often if I got that look from him every time.