Page 25 of Our Time

I slap Ben’s chest, making both of us chuckle. “First of all, rude. Second, yes, I’m a behind the scenes guy but not how you think. They’re going to send me to school so I can take charge of the marketing department for the studio.”

There’s a moment of silence before Ben’s face is breaking out into a wide grin. He stands up from his seat so he can come around the back of mine and pull me into an awkward hug. He kisses the top of my head. “I’m so fucking proud of you. This sounds amazing for you!”

“It really is, but there’s something else.”

“What is it?”

Instead of answering, I tilt my head to the side. “Take a sniff. Does anything smell different to you?”

Ben raises his brow before tucking his head against my throat. He takes a deep sniff, breathing me in. “Umm? Have you started your suppressants again? Something smells a little weird. Like burning marshmallows.”

I swallow thickly, turning to look up at my mate. “That smell isn’t something outside that I’m taking. It’s somethingin me.”

Ben blinks. “Umm? What does that mean, Ryder?”

I roll my eyes, letting out a huff that makes him crack a smile. I point down at my belly. “There’s something in here.”

“Did you eat something weird?”

“Oh my god, Ben, you can’t be this dense.”

Ben stares at me for a long moment before it hits him. His mouth opens in shock. I turn in my seat as he falls to his knees. He tucks his face against my chest, wrapping his arms around me tightly. “Ryder,” he breathes, his voice overcome with emotion. He pulls off his glasses and I can see there’s unshed tears gathering in his eyes.

Oh great, here comes the waterworks. Fuck. This whole pregnancy is going to do a number on my emotions, I can already tell.

“How did this even happen?” Ben asks, his voice taking on a note of wonder.

“Well, babe, when an omega and an alpha really love each other--”

“Stop it, you ass.”

“Well, if you are what you eat.”

“You don’t eat ass anymore,” Ben says with a snort that’s a bit watery from the tears welling up in his eyes. “You quit.”

I lean down and kiss my alpha, the two of us clanking our teeth together because we’re busy smiling from ear to ear. We lean our foreheads together, just taking a break to enjoy this moment.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Ben murmurs, gently kissing my lips before leaning back on his heels so he can look up at me. “I didn’t let myself ever hope for this so I wouldn’t be disappointed. God, Ryder, I feel like the luckiest alpha alive.”

“Me too,” I tell him, holding his face in my hands. “I’m so happy to have you. I’m so happy to have this baby with you. I’m so excited for what we have to look forward to in this life together. I love you so much.”

Ben turns his head in order to kiss my hand. “I love you too.”

Eventually we get back to eating our dinner, already discussing names. We talk about our dreams and what the future will look like going forward. We discuss what school will be like with a baby and how that will work. There might be some hurdles to deal with but we have each other and I know that no matter what, Ben will have my back. We’ll be able to handle anything life throws our way.

CHAPTER TWELVE

BEN

“Hey,”someone says behind me and I turn around to find Christopher standing in the doorway. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course. I’m just trying to find some pineapple juice? I could have sworn I had some here but now I can’t freaking find it. I need the pineapple juice, Christopher.”

Christopher pushes me to the side, squatting down as best as he can with his round belly. It’s amazing how he and Ryder look identical in bellies despite the two of them being around two months apart. I guess that’s what happens when someone is carrying twins.

“Here you go,” Christopher says, straightening and handing the jug to me. “It was hiding in the back.”

“Thank Christ,” I murmur to myself, turning towards the rest of the kitchen to find a cup and straw.

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