Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Jay
It’s finally Friday, and I should have known that would mean Harper would want me to bring him straight home after his practice.
He already tried to back out of going, saying he wasn’t feeling it today, claiming a headache, and, as a last-ditch attempt, trying to make me believe he’s afraid of the woman in the orchestra who has a serious crush on him.
That last excuse, I could almost believe, but ever since the day he told her he had a girlfriend, she quit showing up to practice.
I knew the real reason.
He wants to be home because he wants to see Falcon the second he gets back tonight.
His anxious brain isn’t thinking straight, clearly, because Falcon and Shayne will only be leaving to head to Cressidan City in the afternoon, and they won’t get back until sometime close to midnight, most likely, so that would leave a whole day for our Omega to mope around, stewing in negative emotions.
It’s not the healthiest thing for him.
The practice would channel those emotions into something more productive, so I talked him into doing everything we usually do, despite the fact that I’d rather be waiting in the house than going through another day of playing chauffer, standing around feeling like a spare part in uncomfortable clothes, counting down the minutes until we can leave.
Getting through the morning was easy.
It did me good to hear Harper play.
And he was happy afterward, enough to let me distract him for a few hours more before we finally headed home around 4 p.m.
I took the scenic route after that, and we stopped at a fast-food restaurant to get dinner and eat at one of their outdoor tables, as far away from the other diners as possible, of course.
We could have eaten in the car, but I was trying to waste time.
Thankfully, it was too early for the dinner rush, so Harper’s perfume didn’t attract much attention. The one guy who stared like he’d never smelt anything like it before was quick to mind his business once I cleared my throat as a reminder that Harper wasn’t alone.
Most Betas aren’t a threat in general, and they don’t try to fight if they feel an Alpha presence.
Harper makes me feel like an Alpha.
He tells me I’m a Delta, a mix of Beta and Alpha.
I never used to believe in those other designations, the ones that were eventually deemed redundant. I’m pretty sure I get treated more like an Alpha because I know how to behave like one, and I think that’s really all it takes, but Harper’s smarter than I am.
He made me realize not all Betas are capable of Alpha behavior.
Guys like me have Alpha DNA in their bloodline.
So, the creepy staring guy minds his own business, and we get to eat our dinner in relative quiet, out in the open on a nice early spring afternoon.
It’s kind of hard to hear birds chirping out here, with all the traffic going by, but it feels good to be outside, the sun warming my skin while I eat.
Harper is quiet, but he gradually becomes more and more fidgety and anxious, and I know it’s time to go home when he starts crumbling up the remaining bits of crispy fries in his fingers and building a mound of salty dust on his napkin.
I’d run out of ideas to keep him busy, and our drive home was going to mean crawling along in rush-hour traffic. The thought automatically made me cringe. I wanted to waste time, sure, but I’d rather be doing almost anything other than sitting in the car.
Too bad for me, I guess.
We got home around a quarter to seven, to a quiet apartment.
Our Alphas were already gone, like I expected they would be.
Driving to Silver City’s centre can take an hour at off-peak times using the shortest route, and maybe a half hour more when it’s busy, but Cressidan City is more like a three-hour drive in the opposite direction. It’s not a quick trip, and we’ll be lucky if they’re back before midnight.
Despite knowing this, Harper won’t sit still once we’re home.
It’s going to be a long night.
I can only hope that Falcon comes back feeling better than he did when he left.
That’s why Harper is so damn anxious. Falcon hasn’t been himself since the morning after that night he spent with the Alpha Alliance, rescuing girls from creepy assholes.
“I need another snack,” he insists, getting up from the couch for probably the fifteenth time since we put on the movie.
It’s not even thirty minutes in. I don’t bother to hit pause.
Neither of us are really paying attention to the TV.
I lean back in my seat on the corner of the couch, staring blankly at the mindless action sequence that’s happening on the screen.
Harper takes his time in the kitchen.
Eventually, I realize he’s taking a little too long.
Getting up, I stifle a yawn before I head for the kitchen.
The apartment is pretty small for the four of us, so it only takes a half dozen steps to get to the doorway and discover what’s holding my Omega mate up.
“Hey, what’s …” I start, trailing off when I see the mess on the floor.
There’s a puddle and a few splashes of something pink, and Harper is just getting up from behind the table with an open tub of strawberry ice-cream in his hands.
He flashes me a sheepish smile as he explains, “I didn’t give it enough time to melt before I tried to scoop it, and it turns out I wasn’t holding the tub very tightly.”
“Do you still want ice-cream?”
He looks at the tub in his hands and lets out a sigh.
“Not really. It’s just all this waiting around. It’s making me insane. Can’t we drive out there, wait for them outside the academy, or something?”
He puts the tub in the sink and makes a disgusted noise when he looks down at his shirt.
There are wet spots all over the fabric.
“After I change, I mean.”
He hauls the shirt over his head, curling it into a ball in his arms before he turns his expectant gaze on me.
Right. I guess he did ask a question. He must have been serious about it.
“I don’t think it’ll help,” I tell him, knowing it won’t.
He pulls a face. “It’ll put us in motion, make us feel like we’re doing something.”
“But we won’t really be doing anything, except maybe upsetting our Alphas.”
He sighs. “I can’t deal with this. I need to know the Falcon that’s coming back is the original version, not the moody asshole who appeared three weeks ago and hasn’t taken the hint to leave.”
I can’t help but laugh. “He’s been going through something, Harper. You know that. You’re the one who feels everything everyone else is feeling.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbles.
“Okay, go shower like I know you want to. Take your time and then we can put on one of those pretentious foreign films you’re always trying to get me to watch.”
He looks up at me. “You’re serious?”
“I know I said I don’t like black and white TV, but I’ll try it this once.”
His eyes light up. “I can’t believe this is happening. You’ll really watch one with me?”
“I’ll keep my phone in my pocket and everything.” I raise my empty hands.
I’ll probably regret it at some point, when my eyes are fighting to stay open to attempt to keep up with the subtitles, but if it keeps Harper settled and happy while we wait, I can’t really complain.
I move into the kitchen to let him pass me.
He hugs me as he goes, planting a kiss on my cheek that makes a smacking sound before he goes on his way, singing something softly in French as he heads for the bathroom.
I smile as I tidy up the mess he left on the floor, and the cabinet doors, and, somehow, inside the silverware drawer. I don’t find the ice-cream scoop until I check the freezer and discover it sitting on the bottom shelf, a full scoop of the pink sugary treat inside it.
“Huh,” I murmur as I take it out and drop it into the sink.
I get my phone out and place an order for strawberry sundaes from our local dessert take out place. Then, I turn it off as I put it back into my pocket. If it’s not making my pocket vibrate, I won’t be tempted to look at it, and if I do, I’ll feel dumb for not remembering I switched it off.
I manage to make it through the first movie thanks to the burst of sugar from the sundaes when they arrive before the mid-point. The second movie isn’t quite as successful, but Harper is more relaxed, pleased that I’m indulging him with something I wouldn’t usually agree to.
I don’t know why I don’t do this more often.
The movies are boring, sure, but it’s more than worth it to make my mate happy.
By the time the credits are starting to roll, he’s the one asleep, curled up next to me with his head on my lap, while I fight the urge to yawn loudly enough to wake him.
I’ve been drifting on and off into a doze, fist on my cheek while I prop myself up using the arm of the chair in an attempt to stay awake.
I pick up the remote and stop the movie, turning off the TV and holding my breath.
And that’s when the sound of our Alphas arriving home wakes Harper up with a jolt.
He sits up straight and lets out an excitable gasp.
One quick glance my way, and he bounds up and out of the room.
I put the TV remote down as I get up to follow my Omega, only slowing down to switch on the lamp by the side of the living room doorway.
It got dark while we were watching movies, but it’s only a little after ten p.m. and our Alphas are home. I can’t help wondering what it means that they didn’t spend much time at the academy.
Shayne has just put his shoes onto the rack by the front door, and he’s straightening up as Harper rushes toward him.
Falcon is locking the door when Harper stops an inch away from Shayne.
“Well?” Harper asks, as he crosses his arms.
Shayne smiles wryly at him. “We have some … news.”
Falcon turns around, and nods slowly. “We should all sit down.”
That sounds kind of ominous.
My heart starts to sink.
Damn.
Falcon doesn’t look any less moody than he did when Harper and I left the apartment this morning. Whatever they need to tell us, it can’t be good.
“News?” Harper mutters.
Our Omega frowns as he glances back at me.
His expression confirms my fears.