Page 53 of Claiming Their Omega

This should help. Now she can figure it all out, and none of us has to get involved. A solution to this whole mess.

I go to sleep feeling a lot more reassured, something in me purring in satisfaction that I could help this Omega.

Chapter 17

Grace

I don’t wake up as hungover as I feared, but I still have a headache and my tongue still feels fuzzy.

Ugh.

I bury my face into the pillow and groan. I really regret drinking so much. It could be a lot worse, but I still don’t want to get out of bed.

God, I can barely even remember last night. I remember I was blurting out just about everything to the bartender, although not the fact that the courtship I’m in is fake, thank goodness. I remember that Cade came to get me. He looked so hot in his leather jacket and standing next to his motorcycle.

And then we… we walked? Yes, we walked. I didn’t want to get on the bike, so Cade walked me all the way back to the ranch.

Well, that explains why my feet hurt so much.

I remember, vaguely, that we talked, but I don’t remember what we discussed. Actually, I think I did most of the talking, but that’s pretty typical. Cade’s always been a man of few words.

I’m so embarrassed. I ran out and got drunk and Cade had to get me to come back. He even had to walk all that way with me. What a mess.

As I get ready for the day, shame settles in the pit of my stomach. Now that I’ve gotten it all out and gotten royally drunk over it. I can see the other side of the issue. Jesse was right, I think. It was unfair of me to ask them to be my sex tutors on top of everything else.

They’ve let me into their home, and they’ve agreed to pretend to court me. That’s already so, so much. To ask for them to basically teach me to have sex on top of it, something so intimate, is just too much.

I’m such a mess. I can’t believe I’ve done all the things that I did yesterday. I must have been insane. These damn hormones.

When I finally drag myself downstairs to the kitchen, I’m hoping that the others will already be up and out on the ranch, working and finished with breakfast.

Unfortunately, fate is not kind.

“Morning, sleeping beauty,” Hendrix says. He’s clearly trying to be buoyant, but it’s not quite working.

Jesse won’t look at me. Cade glances at me out of the corner of his eye and gives a gruff nod, and that’s it.

Easton clears his throat. “Here. Some aspirin and water, for the hangover.”

“Oh, thank you. How did you know I was hungover?”

“The amount you drank, you were bound to be,” Jesse mutters.

I’m guessing that Cade told them about last night. I can’t expect him to have kept it a total secret, but I still feel even more embarrassed. I never should’ve gotten so plastered. I’m twenty-five. I’m not an irresponsible college freshman. I should be able to handle all of this better.

Easton passes me some food and we eat quietly. The men discuss some things around the ranch, but everyone’s a bit quiet and a bit stiff. I’m relieved when they all get up and start their day around the ranch. I insist on doing the dishes. I need something to distract me.

Besides, aside from my embarrassment this morning, I’m appreciating the physical work and doing things with my hands. It’s helping me to feel a bit more at home in my body, more settled. Not as much as it would for me to… well… but it helps and it’s certainly better than nothing.

I spend the day as far away from the men as I can, and I can feel they’re doing likewise. I don’t feel any judgment, just an awkwardness. Like they don’t know what to do with me. I suppose that’s fair. I’m not sure what to do with myself.

I try to cook a really nice dinner as a silent thank-you for everything they’re doing. An olive branch. I don’t think any of them would be comfortable if I tried to make a speech. I just hope they understand what I’m trying to tell them.

I’ve just gotten everything underway, the men washing up, when I hear the ring of the doorbell. That’s odd.

“Who is it?” I call, wiping my hands off.

There’s no answer.

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