I almost had to laugh because of how sincere Jake sounded. Quite the little grown-up. “He will always worry about you, even if you become a big boy.”
“I'm already a big boy!” Jake pierced me with his eyes.
I reached out and ruffled his hair. “Of course you are. But that doesn't change anything. You upset your daddy.”
“I didn't want to do that.” He looked aside, letting his hands drop.
“I'm sure it'll be fine. You only have to stop punching other children.”
“I didn't even start it this time! What should I have done?”
“Mhm.” I pretended to think about this for a moment. “You could have told a teacher.” Exactly the advice I'd been given as a teenager. I hadn't taken it, but there was always a chance that my son was smarter than me. I certainly hoped so.
Jake scrunched his nose up. Okay, so he didn't like that idea.
“I know it's not cool, but it does help,” I told him.
“I'm not a tattle-tale.”
“It's okay to tell when someone's hurting you.”
Jake furrowed his brow and I wasn't sure whether he believed me or not.
“Why are you in so much trouble with this Miles kid anyway?” Maybe if I knew what exactly had happened, I could give better advice. I wasn't ready to give up yet. This was my big parenting moment, after all.
“Because he's mean.” Jake pouted.
“What does he do that's so mean?” I was sure Jake hadn't taken his sandwich for no reason.
“He says mean things,” Jake said, and then he pressed his lips together as if he didn't want to elaborate.
“Does he call you names?”
“Not me.”
“But?”
Jake looked at me with an angry expression. “He says mean things about Daddy! He can't do that!”
Oh. It looked like I wasn't the only one worried about what the town's people were saying. But I'd had no idea that their children carried this crap into school with them where it hurt Jake. And that just made me mad. Eli and I had both screwed up in our own ways, but our son was innocent. He didn't deserve this. None of us did, really, but least of all Jake. He was just a kid.
“That is mean,” I agreed, rubbing the back of my neck because I wasn't sure what to do about this. I was supposed to impart some sage advice to my child like a true parent, a real dad--but I had nothing.
In truth, I was every bit as angry as Jake was, and that was affecting my ability to think.
“I can't let them talk like that,” Jake said.
“I get that.” I really did. I felt the same drive to punch everyone who might hurt Eli that Jake did. But I also understood that I couldn't always act on my instincts. And suddenly I knew what I had to tell my son. “I know that you want to protect your daddy. You're an alpha, you know that, right?”
Jake shrugged. “Daddy said so. But I'm not sure what it means.”
“It is what you make of it.” I remembered getting this talk a long time ago. Not from my dad, because my dad had never had the time, but from one of the teachers at the boarding school I'd visited. I would have preferred getting it from my dad, though. And I was glad I could be here for Jake now.
He looked at me curiously, and I went on. “It's not bad to be an alpha. Some people will tell you that we're aggressive or easily angered and we can't help but get violent.” I shook my head. “Don't listen to those people. No matter what happens or what you feel, you're always in control.” That had been an important lesson for me to learn. “You didn't have to punch that kid. You could have walked away, if you'd wanted to. In fact, next time, I want you to walk away, just so you know you can. Do you understand that?”
“I can walk away,” Jake repeated, but he didn't seem fully convinced yet. “Do I have to walk away?”
“Well, that depends.” I leaned in to him. “Do you want to make your daddy sad again?”
He dropped his gaze. “No.”
“Good boy.” I ruffled his hair again. “So you have to try not to get into fights. No matter what people say. You always choose what you do, and there's always a choice other than violence, okay?”
“Okay,” he said without looking at me. “So what's good about being an alpha?”
“There's lots of good things!” I gave him a smile. “You know the reason we so often get into fights?”
He looked at me and shook his head.
“It's because we have so much energy,” I told him. “And that's a good thing, if we use it in the right way. We get things done. We protect the people we love. When a group of people needs a leader, they look to us. We're the ones who take charge in an emergency.”
Jake's eyes grew wide. “Like heroes.”
Not exactly what I'd been trying to say, but if he liked that idea then yeah, sure, why not? “Exactly like heroes.”
He grinned. “I want to be a hero.”
“Yeah? If you could pick a super power, what would it be?”
He tilted his head, face screwed up in thought. “I want to be invincible. So daddy wouldn't have to worry about me.”
It was official. I had the most adorable kid.
“That would be good,” I said. “But I think he's always going to worry about you, regardless.” And as I said that I realized that it was true. Because I already felt the same way.
“Daddy's an omega, right?” Jake asked.
“That's correct.”
“What does that mean?”
I scratched my head. Did he know how babies were made? Should I tell him? Probably not. He was too young for that. And I could just so imagine what Eli would say to me if he heard I'd gone into biology with Jake.
“Do you know?” Jake prompted when I didn't say anything for too long.
“Well,” I started. “I do know. I'm just trying to find the right words. Omegas are... a bit different from alphas, but they're necessary to us.”
“A lot of people say a lot of mean things about omegas.”
“I told you not to listen to people saying stupid things about alphas. You can't listen to people saying stupid things about omegas either. They're not getting it right.”
Jake nodded. “I know. They're mean.”
“Right.” I patted him on the back. “Omegas are...” The best partners you could wish for, and if you're lucky, you'll meet one and fall in love with him... and you won't be as stupid as your dad about it. “They're nurturing and caring. You know, we alphas, we charge head-first into situations, and the omegas are the ones who pick up the pieces when we crash. People who say they're useless don't know what they're talking about. In my opinion, the world needs a lot more omegas.”
“Then we have to protect them,” Jake concluded, determination shining in his eyes. And I couldn't have been prouder.
“Yes, you got it. But... not with your fist, okay? Your daddy is an omega, but he's also your father, and an adult. He can take care of himself. He doesn't want you to get in trouble to protect him. Do you understand?”
Jake folded his arms in front of his chest and tilted his head again. “Maybe.”
“Protecting your family is important,” I told him. “But you have to think about what they want too. Your daddy doesn't want you to hit anyone, and you have to respect that.”
Jake huffed, and then he jumped off the bed. “Okay. I'll go apologize.”
He left the room without another look back. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Maybe I could do this parenting thing after all.
18
Matthew
I stayed at Eli’s place until after Jake’s bed time that night. After all, I had some things to discuss with him that we couldn’t talk about while the little one was up.
“You did really well with him today,” Eli said as he came back into the living room after putting our son to bed.
I felt my lips tug up. “Beginner’s luck.”
Eli smiled back at me. “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?” I asked as he sat next
to me on the couch, leaving only an inch of space between us. An inch too much, in my opinion. Especially when I inhaled and caught his sweet scent in the air. I wondered if that would ever stop driving me crazy—which, by the way, it never did.
“Being here,” Eli said. “Talking to Jake.”
I shrugged. “That’s easy. I care about Jake. He’s a great kid.”
“Of course he is,” Eli said, finally inching closer to rest his head on my shoulder. “He’s ours.”
“He really is. He has your smile.” And what a great feature that was.
Eli chuckled. “And your determination. He reminds me of you a lot. That used to make me feel odd, you know? I mean… I like that he’s got so much from you, but at the same time, it’s always made me miss you. And I felt like I shouldn’t still be missing a guy after so many years, but the truth is… ” He paused to bite his lower lip. Whatever he wanted to say wasn’t easy for him to admit. “The truth is that I never really got over you.”
I put my arm around him and kissed his forehead. “I never really got over you either.”
“I still can’t believe you’re back.”
“I still can’t believe I’m a dad.”
“Touché.”
I licked my lips. “You know, I’ve been told some things today. About the rumors flying around in town.”
“Oh. Yeah. I don’t care about those. The only reason I care about them is because they hurt Jake. That’s all on me.”
“No, it isn’t.” I rubbed his shoulder. “They’re children. If it wasn’t for the rumors, they’d find other reasons to be mean to each other. Jake’s a smart kid. He’ll learn not to listen to that crap. And people will latch on to some other topic soon enough. In fact, I think we can speed that process up.”
“Oh?” Eli looked intrigued.
I smiled. “We won’t be as much fun to talk about when we’re not a secret anymore.”
Eli’s eyebrows shot up. “You want to go public?”
“What do you say I take you to the finest restaurant in town right now?”
“Won’t they be booked out?”
“You forget that you’re talking to the richest bachelor in town.”
“Oh, are you a bachelor?”
I leaned in so I could speak into Eli’s ear, and feel the shiver that went through him as my breath hit his skin. “Well, I’m not married, but am I taken?”
“I think you might be.” Eli ran his hand into my hair and pressed our lips together. One moment, two, then he broke away again. “Are you really serious?”
“You don’t think we should? Look, I know you have your reservations, and that I’ve hurt you before. We’ve both made mistakes, and yet here we are.” I inhaled, trying to get the words right in my head before I could say them, but there were so many of them. So many things we’d always left unsaid between us. “You know, when we first met, I was instantly attracted to you. I couldn’t think about anything but how much I wanted you. It was intense. It still is. But I used to think that was all it was. Physical. My whole life I’d been warned that one day, I’d run into an omega who would drive me crazy and seduce me.”
Eli grimaced. “I know exactly what you’ve been told.”
“I’m sorry.” I cupped his face. “But you have to understand that this was what I believed growing up. So when I met you, I thought I knew exactly what was going on.”
“You thought I was trying to seduce you? To get at your money or something?”
“No, no, not like that. My mother would probably have said that, but I never thought you had any ill intent. But I figured what was going on between us was just this alpha-omega connection I’d been told about. Just our bodies reacting to each other. Some chemicals in our brains.” I exhaled and dropped my hand, gazing into Eli’s eyes. “I was young, and I was stupid, and I wasn’t expecting to fall in love.”
“You…” Eli looked like he wasn’t sure whether or not to believe what he was hearing.
“You didn’t know that I loved you?”
Eli licked his lips. “You didn’t say.”
“No, because I was stupid. Thing is, I didn’t realize. Not until after. When I was already married and Danielle… just couldn’t measure up to you. Nobody could.”
“I…didn’t know you felt that way.”
“No.” I ran my hand into his hair, playing with a single strand. “You couldn’t have known.”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “I just wish I had.”
“I know. I wish I could go back and do things differently, but we don’t have that choice. All we have is right now, and all I’m wondering is if we could start over. What do you say? Are you willing to give us another chance?”
Eli opened his mouth and closed it again. His eyes searched my face, and I wasn’t sure what exactly he was looking for, but then he said just one word. “Yes.”
It was all I’d wanted to hear.
I pulled him toward me and crushed our lips together, claiming him as mine. He made a small, appreciative noise and heat rose underneath my skin. Nothing had ever felt so right.
I was completely lost in the moment. We both were.
Until we heard a small voice coming from the direction of the doorway.
“Daddy? What are you doing?”
19
Elias
I’d never scrambled away from a man so quickly in my life. Matt and I had had some close calls when we’d first started going out way back when, but holy shit. We’d never been caught red-handed. And now my son had seen us. My son who didn’t know that he was also Matt’s son.
Matt and I stared at each other in horror.
Deep breath, Eli. Calm down.
This wasn’t so bad, right? Jake didn’t know what sex was. He had probably no idea what we’d been doing.
“Daddy, were you kissing Matt?”
So much for that theory.
“We were… uh… “Damn it. Seven years of being a parent had not prepared me for this moment.
“I did kiss your daddy,” Matt said before I could finish stumbling my way through a sentence. “What are you doing down here at this hour?”
Deflecting from the topic. Smart. I could see how in some situations, it might be nice not to be the only parent anymore.
“I got thirsty,” Jake said, still regarding us through narrowed eyes.
Matt got up from the couch. “I’ll get you a glass of water.”
Fleeing from the scene. Also smart.
Too bad I didn’t get to do that.
Suppressing a sigh, I patted the spot on the couch next to me that Matt had just vacated. “Sit with me.”
Jake climbed onto the couch and shot me an expectant look. “Are you and Matt like a couple?” he asked after a moment in which I frantically tried to come up with something to say.
I laid an arm around his shoulder and pulled him against my side. “Would that be a problem?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s been alright so far, hasn’t it? We’re having fun together, right?”
“I guess.” But he still sounded skeptical. “Do you like him?”
“Do you?”
“I asked first.”
I sighed, because I knew I couldn’t beat playground logic. “I like him. What do you think? Can we keep him around?”
“Yeah. Maybe.” Jake shrugged. “If you like him.”
I hugged my kid and kissed the hair on his head.
Matt chose that moment to re-enter the scene with a glass of water. “Still thirsty?”
“Yeah.” Jake got up and took the glass from him. He took a sip and then looked up at Matt. “You can be a couple with my daddy.”
“Really?” Matt grinned. “I’m glad to hear that, buddy.”
Jake gave him a smile. “You’re alright.”
“And you need to go back to bed, “I joined the conversation. “Finish up your water.”
“But I don’t have school tomorrow,” Jake tried.
�
�Oh, because you got yourself suspended.” Matt playfully boxed Jake in the side. “Nothing to be proud of.”
“But I don’t have to sleep early when I don’t have school,” Jake insisted.
“Yeah, well, tonight you do.” I took Jake by the hand and led him toward the stairs.
“Whyyy?”
“Because I’m not rewarding bad behavior. Up you go.”
“Not fair!” But he went up to his room like a good boy, water glass still in hand.
I exhaled once he vanished from sight. That had gone a lot better than I’d feared. Still… I turned to Matt. “We have to tell him.” We couldn’t postpone this any longer. That wasn’t fair to him.
“I know.” Matt ran a hand through his hair. “But how? And when?”
“Tomorrow.”
Matt raised an eyebrow at me.
“We’ve gotta rip that band-aid off,” I insisted. “I would have told him even sooner if I’d known you were going to stick around.”
“Yeah. Okay,” Matt finally agreed. “I just…” His lips tugged up in an uncertain sort of smile that I rarely saw on him. “I’m actually nervous about this.”
I sat with him. “I’m nervous too.” After all, I hadn’t exactly told Jake the truth when he’d asked about his other father before. “Jake never asked many questions, but I basically told him that his other father had left to go on an adventure and he’d never returned.” Not the best lie I’d ever told, but it had been enough to satisfy a three-year old.
“An adventure, huh?” Matt scoffed. “I’m not sure running a hotel counts as an adventure. Now room service on the other hand, that can be adventurous.”
I exhaled. “Jake sees his other dad as some kind of hero. I’m sorry about that. It’s my fault. I could have stopped it, but, you know… I figured since he was stuck with me for a parent, he deserved to have one father who wasn’t a social outcast, even if that father was totally made up.”
“I’m sure Jake doesn’t mind having you as a parent, and I’m sure he’s smart enough to see he’s lucky to have you.”
I leaned against Matt. “You really think so?”
The Omega's Secret Baby (Oceanport Omegas Book 1) Page 10