Chapter 31
Andi
Idrop my purse to the floor, frantically scrolling through the plethora of notifications, texts and voicemails alike, to try to prepare myself for what I’m walking into.
“Hi Mom, I’m so sorry for missing these. I didn’t have my phone—”
“I don’t believe a single filthy word out of your little mouth,” my mom hisses.
There’s an intensity to her voice that instantly makes me feel like a child, kneeling on the cold concrete of our garage while she smashes things, screaming about how ungrateful I am for the life she’s provided me.
Her screaming, past and present, melds into one in my mind.
I perch myself on the edge of Leo’s bed, facing out the windows. My shoulders immediately curl in on themselves as I try to make myself small.
Who am I kidding?
I’ve brought this upon myself. There’s nothing I can do or say to get me out of this situation.
I knew things with the guys were too good to be true.
Why would I ever think things could be different for me?
Leo’s reassurance, Eli’s protection, Beck’s wide-eyed hope, hell, even Everett’s steady guidance, none of it fucking matters.
“Do you have any idea what you look like? Stumbling out of a club at two in the morning with multiple men? In that dress?”
My blood turns to ice.
Did Cameron not keep his word? Does the media know that Beck isn’t the only one I’m seeing?
I put my mom on speakerphone, immediately Googling myself.
My throat is so tight I struggle to breathe as I scroll through the first few headlines.
Okay, nothing terrible.
“It—it was with Beck and his team, Mom,” I protest, weakly.
The worst headline I can find is Andromeda Sterling can’t handle her liquor? Beckham Knight spotted taking his girlfriend home after a night out.
Considering how upset my mom is, I was anticipating it to be much worse.
“And his team lets you dress like some cheap hooker?” Gina continues, my protests not stopping her angry rant.
I wonder what Nancy would say if I recorded this and played it during one of our sessions.
Is that even legal?
Do I care if it isn’t? Part of me desperately wants someone to tell me I’m not crazy for thinking this is crazy.
“I—I’ve worn that dress before, Mom.”
“Before you gained weight.” She lets out a frustrated huff, like I’m the one making her life difficult. “I thought I instilled in you that dressing for your body type was essential.”
I scrub a frustrated hand down my face, feeling the burn of tears behind my eyes.
I feel like I’m getting whiplash.
There’s no winning.
She just wants to yell, and I’m expected to just take it.
Flashes of Eli’s snarling face from last night make my chest feel even tighter.
That’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. There’s no universe where you’ve gotta lose weight, you got that?
Well, turns out he’s wrong.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” I rasp, hoping that’ll calm her down.
She bulldozes right over it, determined to continue her rant.
“Where are you right now? You’re not at your apartment, I can see that.”
“You’re tracking me?”
“Of course I am,” she sniffs. “You know how hard I’ve worked to keep you safe?”
I cringe back at her words. If she really cared about my safety, I don’t think I’d be in Beck’s apartment right now. She would’ve never forced me to pick between going back to Ezra after what he did to me or pretending to be in a fake relationship with a stranger.
I got lucky that Beck and the people in his life are good people.
What would’ve happened to me if they weren’t?
“I’m at a friend’s,” I say. It’s not a lie, but it’s also not the entire truth. It’s a knee-jerk reaction, not being honest with my mom.
My morning has been special. Magical even.
I woke up in the arms of Leo, who braided my hair and learned how to take off my makeup while I was drunk.
I made out with Eli on the kitchen counter, and it was the hottest make-out session I think I’ve ever had.
And then Beck—sweet, sweet Beck—wanted me to join him in a docuseries about my experience as an omega.
Because I deserve a voice too.
But will I ever get one?
“Which friend?” My mom asks. “I don’t recognize the address.”
My eyes fall shut, and I brace my forehead against my palm.
No, I don’t think I’ll ever really be free.
“Beckham’s,” I say, softly.
My mom falls silent.
Which is even scarier than her yelling.
I don’t know why it’s that shocking. I was photographed leaving the club with him.
“You spent the night at Beckham Knights.” It’s not a question. If anything, she says it like a prosecutor repeats an accidental confession back to someone on the stand.
Because in her mind, I’ve seemingly committed a grave crime.
“It was late, and I was drunk. I didn’t want to—”
“You’re sleeping with him.”
“Mom—”
My throat closes. I haven’t, but even if I told her the truth, she wouldn’t believe me. She’s concocted this narrative in her head, and there’s no ripping her away from it.
“Don’t ‘Mom’ me,” she bites out. “This is exactly what I warned you about. These men are using you, Andromeda. They see a pretty face and a famous name, and they will use you up and throw you away, and I will be the one who has to put you back together. Again.”
I want to scream. I want to rip my hair out. I want to buy a one-way ticket fucking anywhere but here, and disappear.
I feel insane.
My mom didn’t do jack shit to put me back together after everything happened with Ezra.
And sure, I was never the best daughter, but she’s making it seem like she’s this patron saint when she isn’t.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” she asks when I’ve been silent for too long.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out what she wants me to say. She said it when we started the call. She doesn’t believe a single word out of my mouth.
I take a deep, shuddering breath, catching a whiff of Eli’s blood orange, both lingering on my skin from when we made out and on his borrowed t-shirt.
It helps me channel a little bit more of a backbone. Apologies have gotten me nowhere so far.
“You never had a problem with me going out with Ezra,” I point out.
There’s a beat of silence on the other end of the line.
“That was different.”
“How?” I scoff, unable to hide the bitterness in my words.
“Don’t use that tone on me, Andromeda,” my mom snarls. “Ezra was your boyfriend. These men are—”
“Ezra put me in the hospital, Mom. It’s like you only remember that when it’s convenient for you to throw it back in my face.”
The moment the words leave me, I’m overwhelmed by a bone-deep exhaustion.
“I want you to come home,” Gina says, her voice shifting to something softer.
Something a hell of a lot more dangerous.
“You’re clearly going through something and you need your mother right now.
I’ll send a car right away. This is incredibly concerning, Andromeda. You’re acting so out of character.”
An agreement is on the tip of my tongue. Anything to get this to stop.
But then my phone buzzes in my hand.
Unknown number
It’s Everett. Do not go.
Say you have an interview that was a new addition to the calendar. It doesn’t make sense for you to leave now.
My head whips around, and a hot flush of shame builds up from my neck and into my cheeks.
I meet Everett’s piercing blue gaze, his lips pursed into a thin line, through the crack in Leo’s door.
Oh, I guess I didn’t close it.
“Andromeda?”
I stare down at his texts.
Maybe I left it open on purpose. No one has ever heard my mom like this before.
It’s... liberating.
Unknown number
I will keep you safe
We all will
“I—I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mom,” I answer, turning away from the door to give myself the illusion of privacy. My voice is soft and shaky-sounding. My face crumples. I’m so pathetic. I’ve been given a script to say to get out of this and I’m still trembling.
“What? Why not?”
“I actually have an interview with Beck later. It’s a new addition to the calendar. It doesn’t make sense for me to head all the way back home right now.”
“New addition? What in the—”
Unknown number
Good girl.
Now hang up.
My mom’s protests fade into the background. I can’t hear over my pulse roaring through my veins.
Now is not the time to appreciate being called a good girl.
Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever hung up on her before.
I’m sure my mom would have a lot to say about me being a male-centric attention whore if she caught wind that I hung up on her because an alpha told me to.
“I’m going to hang up now, Mom,” I say, my voice a faint whisper.
“Don’t you dare, Andromeda. Don’t you—”
“I’ll call you later, Mom.”
And then, for the first time in my life, I hang up on her.
I sit with my phone in my hand in Leo’s quiet room, staring out the window, frozen in shock. My heart hammers away in my chest.
The feelings that bubble up threaten to drown me. The guilt, the urge to call her back immediately and apologize, the certainty that I’ve just made everything astronomically worse.
I flinch when my phone starts vibrating in my hand.
I’m going to die.
A pair of pressed slacks appear in front of me.
Everett.
He gently pulls my phone from my hand, shutting it off and slipping it into his pocket.
When I don’t meet his gaze, he kneels down in front of me so we’re at eye level.
“You heard all of that?” I rasp.
“Yes.” He nods.
Well, at least he’s honest.
“We were worried about you, and it seemed you left the door ajar.”
“We?” I glance over my shoulder to see Beck, Leo, and Eli all wearing matching expressions of concern, sadness, and absolute, unbridled fury.
I bury my face in my hands, unable to feel the force of all their eyes on me. Not after they just witnessed all of that.
I don’t know how Everett does it, but he’s able to send the other three away with just a look.
One of them shuts the door behind them, the latch catching with a click.
The mattress underneath me sinks as he sits beside me.
Far enough away that our legs aren’t touching, but close enough that I can almost feel the heat radiating off his body.
My shoulders tremble as silent tears track their way down my cheeks. And he just sits there, not saying anything, his hazelnut whiskey wrapping itself around me.