Page 31 of His Omega Bear

Or at least, that’s how it felt most days.

Right on time, the doorbell rang, and I let out a sigh of relief. Rhys had arrived. I quickly glanced at Emilia, who was deeply focused on her own world of baby chew toys. If chewing on them could be considered playing, that is. Without wasting any time, I rushed to open the door.

“Hey,” Rhys greeted me with a warm smile, his presence instantly lifting my spirits.

“Hey,” I replied, unable to suppress the gratefulness in my voice. “Thanks for coming.”

Rhys smiled as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “Thanks for inviting me over.”

I leaned over and planted a brief kiss on his cheek, watching as a blush crept up from his neck.

But before I could even appreciate that a beautiful man was in my home, I clutched him to me and pulled him in for a hug. Rhys wrapped me in his arms, and the familiar heat he radiated brought relief from my stress. I sighed heavily, my shoulders slumping with the weight of exhaustion.

“You okay, big guy?” he asked, rubbing my back soothingly, like I’d seen him do with Emilia. No wonder she liked him better than me.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m going stir crazy in this house. And Emilia is a baby. She’s not the biggest conversationalist.”

Rhys pulled back to look at me. The smile he was fighting to suppress was evident. “Give her time. She’ll be talking your head off in no time.”

He had every reason to run in the opposite direction. We were still figuring out what we were, or if we were anything at all, and I kept adding baggage to our relationship. I kept dumping my crap on him. He would surely get tired of my shit soon.

His expression softened with empathy as he listened, his gaze filled with understanding. The best part was he never took his hands off of me.

“I can only imagine how tough it must be to be a single parent of an infant,” he said gently, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on my face.

I leaned into his touch, grateful for his comforting presence. “Yeah,” I murmured, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. “But having you here makes it a little easier.”

Rhys gave me a sincere smile and looked directly into my eyes, offering unwavering support. “I’m here for you, anytime, Jaxson.”

A sense of gratitude flooded over me as I listened to Rhys’ words. His genuine sincerity cut through my walls and calmed the ache in my heart. He stood there, emanating strength and stability, grounding me in that moment of raw vulnerability. It was a reminder that I didn’t have to face everything by myself, something I had feared when I moved out here. Something I’d feared since losing my family.

His hand on my face, his thumb swiping back and forth from my cheekbone to my lips, sent shivers down my spine, igniting a spark of warmth in the depths of my soul.

I looked forward to seeing him when he showed up had become a habit. I waited every day for him to arrive and light my world up. But I also realized I needed to show interest in him as well.

“How was your day?”

Rhys’s eyes softened even further, his lips curling into a gentle smile. “It was good. Thank you for asking,” he replied, his voice warm and soothing. “Work was busy as usual, but coming here to see you makes everything better.”

He was fucking perfect. I was convinced he was meant for me.

“And what about you?” he inquired, raising his hand slightly, before continuing his calming movements. “What did you do today?”

“Same thing I do every day. Email, firewalls, change diaper, find pacifier, give her a bottle. Its on repeat.”

“Our—” he flushed, “I mean the little miss still keeping you up?”

Why did the sound of him almost calling her ours sound so right?

“I swear she hates me.” I probably sounded like a whiny child, but every time I thought we were making progress, she would suddenly turn against me.

Rhys chuckled, and squeezed my shoulder, “She loves you,” he reassured me. “She’s still finding her way and learning a new way of life. Give her time. Some babies have the internal clock turned reversed for a long time.”

As I leaned in closer, my forehead pressed against his shoulder and my voice took on a pleading tone. “Really? Because every time she’s nice to me, it feels like a trap.”

Rhys began to shake in my arms as he laughed at my ridiculous statement. But if it kept him wrapped around me like this, I’d be as ridiculous as he wanted.

“Jaxson. She’s what, five months old?” he reminded me. “I’m pretty certain she can’t hate you.”

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