Page 22 of Unbreak Me

Both of them suddenly looked at me.

A shiver ran down my spine. This was it—the moment I should back out.

My eyes rested on Wilson’s face, then drifted down to his broad chest. There was something about him—something familiar and comforting. He had this quiet energy I’d always associate with home, farmland, and safety. Yeah, a golden lab; he even had the colors with his sandy mane. This gentleness about him, something real and honest… though also a little sad, why was it drawing me in?

Just being objective—let’s not kid ourselves—he wasn’t a bad catch. The man had his own company, he was doing something with his life, and he looked reallygood.

There was something else, too—something I couldn't quite put my finger on. But it was too early to try to unravel that mystery.

So what should I do?

Do exactly this, what I was so skeptical and contemptuous about—make a lifetime decision based on afew minutes’ conversation with a hot stranger?

I could not. I should not!

Just to test myself, I imagined the situation where I refused him and never saw him again; the shock on his face. He would slowly stand up and walk away, hunched back, crushed… Just the vision itself made my stomach clench painfully. A wave of anxiety and resistance hit me, and I slightly leaned forward. I had to stall—I needed more time!

"You’ve been honest with me, and I appreciate that," I said slowly, trying to choose my words carefully. "So before I answer, maybe I should tell you a bit about myself first. Since we’re all trying to figure out what this relationship might look like and make sure the terms are crystal clear for everyone," I added, my tone staying a bit formal.

I couldn't force the magic 'yes' for now, so I wanted to hold out a little longer to make sure he really wanted this—to see that he was consciously choosing me.

"Of course," Nolan jumped in, leaning toward me a little. "I think Mr. Wilson would definitely like to hear more about you," he added with an encouraging smile.

So I started, my voice falling into a flat, neutral tone.

"I come from a pretty poor family. My omega dad was a schoolteacher, but my alpha father worked in a factory—and unfortunately, he had a drinking problem. I’m the youngest of three. My older brothers moved out as soon as they could, but I stayed behind and watched my father’s condition get worse while he drank away the money my dad earned… But thanks to good grades, I managed to get a full-ride scholarship to a decent college. Freshman year, I met this alpha I fell for…" I winced awkwardly. "Everything seemed perfect. We were together for a few years, all the way through college, and we even started planning a wedding…" I trailed off, feeling the familiar twinge of anxiety creeping in. My jaw tightened as I looked away. "But a month before the wedding, he met his High Mate."

A quiet pause followed, and then Wilson said softly, "I’m really sorry."

I didn’t respond. What was there to say? It happened. Everyone in the ABO world knew that shadow hanging over every relationship—the possibility of losing your mate to someone they were biologically more compatible with.

"I wasn’t in a great place after that, as you can imagine," I went on. "Not long after he left, a friend of mine, who’d just become a surrogate, couldn’t stop talking about how great it was. He encouraged me to try it—surrogacy contracts pay really well. Back then, it sounded like a good idea, like the perfect choice for me, especially since I wasn’t ready for a normal relationship."

I paused, letting the words hang in the air. Nolan stared at the floor, and Wilson was looking at his hands, fingers intertwined, just listening without a word.

"So I went for it," I continued. "The money came in fast, but it went out even faster. Around that time, my dad got really sick. We spent a fortune on top-notch therapies for him—thankfully, they worked, and he got better. I also used the money to pay off their mortgage. After that first surrogacy, I decided to do it again. I figured I’d done it once, and it went well, so why not? And so… that became my plan. Year after year. But somehow, the money always vanished." I grimaced, as if trying to say ‘guilty as charged’. "Then, my alpha father had a work accident. That racked up costs. After that, there was a fire in the house. We sold the plot and bought a bigger one—I paid for that too, of course. My brothers kept needing help. One required cash for his business; the other for a car and a house. Then one of them got married and came to me for wedding expenses. And just like that, my money melted away." I stopped, feeling a familiar wave of anger bubbling up.

It wasn’t fun to talk about this—just thinking about all the dumb decisions I’d made was humiliating.

Still, Jan should know it. For reasons unknown, I needed him to hear exactly how I'd let my life spiral into such a mess. I hated lies, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to start a new life on a shaky foundation of half-truths.

Wait? Start a new life? Where did that thought come from? I was going to say ‘no’, theplanwas still on, right?

Or no…

"And then…" My voice wavered. "During my last pregnancy, there were… complications. The baby was born premature. The parents blamed me for it—said I’d indirectly caused it—and I ended up having to pay them a huge settlement. The boy spent almost three months in the NICU, clinging to life, and theirlawyer was… very good. By the time it was over, I’d lost almost all my savings. So here I am, thirty-four years old, basically starting from scratch."

Another heavy silence settled over us. Nolan looked uncomfortable, but I didn’t care. Jan, on the other hand, was calm. He just sat there, listening.

"I also gave running my own business a shot," I added, my voice tinged with bitterness. "I started a small publishing house. I wanted to help new, talented authors, mostly working pro bono. It was idealistic, I’m afraid. Then the economy tanked, and book sales plummeted. I guess I’m just not cut out to be a businessman." I shrugged and scratched my chin, feeling more and more like an idiot as I laid it all out there. Why was I oversharing?

At this point, I probably sounded irresponsible, naive, careless with money—let’s face it—a complete loser. That’s exactly how I felt. Would he still want me, knowing it?

And most importantly, should I even care?

But I did. I realized what had happened during those dreaded ‘few minutes’ of getting to know each other.

Mylifetimedecision had really started to form, overthrowing myplan.

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