Page 47 of Vegas Baby!

Her eyes gleamed. “I got spoiled.”

“That’s what you always deserved.”

The others rolled up with a frankly ridiculous amount of luggage.

“Jesus, did you pack up your whole apartment in suitcases?”

Bryce shrugged. “Pretty much.”

“You all take a seat. I’ll load us up.”

Everyone looked at me like they didn’t quite trust my motivations, but if I was going to prove to them I had turned over a new leaf, I need to start acting like it. I loaded up Bryce’s bags first, not even throwing them a little. I stacked all the others on top of them and once they were secured, I took my spot in the driver seat.

I listened to them chat the whole way home, discomfort over their ease with one another turning my stomach. I had missed out on so much.

My fucking fault.

“Where is Bryce going to be staying in the apartment?” I asked.

“With Ava and me,” replied Jesse.

I was never going to get time with her if those two needed an omega wedged between them.

When we arrived at the apartment, we took all of the bags up as a unit.

Jesse froze in the doorway. “Damn, did you hire a cleaner while we were gone?”

“I had a lot of time on my hands.”

Ava was in next, parking herself gratefully on the couch. It only took her a few seconds to notice the crib full of things set off to the side in the living room. “Luke, is that…”

“I wanted to be prepared. I know there’s a lot more you’ll need, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to start.”

Her eyes instantly filled with tears and she reached her arms out to me. “Help me up.”

I took both her hands, pulling her back up to standing, and she tucked herself against my chest.

“Thank you. I’ve been holding off on ordering because I had nowhere to put anything.”

“Order anything you want. I’ll bunk in with Micah if I need to and the baby can have my room.”

Ava let out a loud sniffle and burst into tears against me.

“Hey, it’s okay.”

“It’s the pregnancy hormones!” she wailed.

I cradled her in my arms, stroking her hair. If everything went well, I wouldn’t have to be sharing a room with Micah, but I wanted it made clear that even if we didn’t leave this apartment we would make it work.

We got Ava settled in to rest, Bryce going to lie with her. I was only a tiny bit bitter that it wasn’t me instead. Micah and Jesse cornered me.

“What’s going on?” Micah asked.

“I’m trying.”

“You got scared shitless when we left, didn’t you?” Micah said.

“Yep.” No point in hiding it.

---