Page 16 of Not Ready

I nod, rattling off the information.

“Consider it handled.” Mercer pats my shoulder and heads off.

“I can’t believe you’ve been so close this entire time.” Bishop stares straight into my eyes as his hand teases down my back.

“My name is Vale, by the way.”

“Princess Vee is a fitting screen name, but I prefer gorgeous. I’ve dreamed about this day for so long.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “I hate the circumstances, but?—”

“Me too,” I agree as my cheeks burn. “I mean, I get what you’re saying, but I’m worried about Kate. She’s stubborn. She wouldn’t come with me, and she wouldn’t miss class so that we could call the police.” I bite my lip to keep from rambling everything else on my mind. It’s a nervous habit, and my anxiety is through the roof.

“Mercy is taking care of that.”

I nod, pushing up on my knees to bury my face in his throat. “Sorry, I’m just very unsettled. This room is really open, and I don’t love it.” My hand teases through his fluffy beard on the opposite side of his jaw. God, he feels so sturdy. It’s exactly what I’ve been missing.

“Don’t apologize. Snuggle away. I’m not sure I could let you go right now if I tried.” He nuzzles his scratchy beard to the side of my head. “I know this is a big change, but you’re safe with me, sweet girl.”

My impulses hum in approval at his words.

I’m overwhelmed and embarrassed, but I do trust him. Minus the weirdness when I first got here, and aside from the major confusion with Mercer, I do feel safe.

We’ve talked all night long on more than a handful of occasions. This is the person I want to tell about my bad day or ramble to when something exciting happens.

I’ve looked forward to our conversations for so long, it’s hard to remind myself that I really don’t know him at all.

His hand drags up and down my spine over the too-small jacket. Combined with the warmth of his body heat radiating against my front, I feel a little like I’m overheating.

“Sorry, being pregnant is weird. I got really hot all of a sudden,” I say, trying to shrug off the coat.

He helps slide it off and tosses it on the other end of the sofa. He cups my face in his massive scratchy hands, running his thumbs over my cheeks. “You are a little red.”

“I’m okay.” I force a polite smile, pushing his arms away before diving back in to snuggle.

His low, gravelly chuckle fills the air. “I’m not going to complain. It’s helping soothe my impulses too. I’m surprised I didn’t get pulled over. I’ve never disregarded so many traffic laws in my life.”

My hand falls to run over his pec as his heart thumps under my ear. “I’m glad you’re here, but that sounds dangerous. I would’ve been okay a little longer. I just need you to be safe.”

“You’re a very sweet little omega.”

“God, Bishop, I’m so relieved to see you. I was in panic mode all day, and now that my adrenaline has crashed, I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“You’re going to keep your ass planted right here in my lap until you feel a little calmer. Then, I figure I’ll order us some takeout and we can eat. Are you hungry?”

I shake my head.

Not that I’ve actually eaten anything today, but if I admit that aloud, I’m fairly sure he’ll make me eat something right this moment. I am feeling a little better with his smoky scent all up in my nose, but I spent most of the drive battling a queasy feeling that I haven’t had since I hit the second trimester.

I’m supposed to be at work right now. I haven’t called them, but even if I did, they wouldn’t hold my job for me.

A shaky breath escapes.

Not to mention, I feel like the worst human being on the planet for not staying with Kate or forcing her to come with me. She might be furious and kick me out just for bringing the nightmare of Andrew to her doorstep. And at this point, I honestly couldn’t blame her if she did.

Bishop curses under his breath. “Is it me? Am I being too pushy? I’m picking up your stress pheromones, and fuck, I feel like I’m about to crawl out of my skin if I can’t figure out how to help you feel better.”

“I’m just worried about Kate and myself, if I’m being honest. This is the last thing I need right now.”

I feel like such a failure as a parent, and she’s not even here yet. Providing her with a safe and bright future has been my goal since the moment I found out about her, but I’m barely able to take care of myself most days. Despite all of that, I can’t think of her as a mistake, even if the timing in my life is less than ideal.

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