Page 52 of Best Friends
I narrow my eyes. “And what if I’m pregnant? Is there a reputable clinic a town over for that too?”
His eyes flicker. “If you are carrying my child, I’ll leave that decision up to you. If you want to keep the kid, I’ll help out financially and however else you want.”
I huff. “I assume since you can’t wait to get your bite off my neck, you’d want me to get rid of the baby too. Wouldn’t want any little bundle of joy reminder of our poor choices running around in nine months, now would we?”
His lips thin. “Where do you get off giving me attitude? I’m trying to do the right thing. You made it abundantly clear that you wish I’d never claimed you. I’m trying to make things right.”
“Bullshit. I think you woke up this morning andyou’rethe one who regretted what happened. You can’t get your mark off me fast enough.”
He shakes his head, jabbing a finger at me. “Hey, I washappy. I was over the fucking moon yesterday after I claimed you. Then you started in with all your, ‘Hey, can we just pretend this huge fucking thing never happened?’ So don’t you dare put this on me.”
“You’re so full of it. I’d never have suggested we undo what we did.Never,” I snap. “All I asked for was a little time before we told everyone.”
“Yeah, that’s all you ever want from me.Time. I’m supposed to just smile and pretend we’re just pals so that you can keep your fucking secrets until the end oftime.”
“My god, Malcolm, are you seriously saying that asking for a little time to assimilate what happened is as hurtful as you telling me you want to remove your bite from me? What kind of alpha does that to their omega? What kind of honorable alpha claims an omega and then humiliates them by attempting toundoit?” My voice breaks and I’m horrified that I’m on the verge of tears. But I feel betrayed by him. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Malcolm would suggest such a thing.
A flush creeps up his cheeks. “Why would you be humiliated? You don’t even want anyone to know about us.”
“If you don’t understand how fucking insulting your suggestion is, I don’t have the energy to explain it to you.”
We fall silent and I struggle to contain my emotions.
After a long while, he says softly, “I’m not trying to humiliate you.”
I grit my teeth and just glare at him.
He shifts uneasily. “I swear, that wasn’t my intention. I… I’m just trying to fix the situation. You don’t want to be my omega. I don’t know how else to undo what I did.”
“Wedid it. Stop acting like you claimed me without my knowledge,” I hiss.
He watches me, as muscle jerking in his cheek.
I give a humorless laugh. “You want to know how pathetic I am? I woke up this morning, wondering how to reconcile with you. I wanted to make things right between us.” A painful lump forms in my throat. “Meanwhile, you woke up wondering how you could unload me.”
“That’s not fair or true,” he says hoarsely.
“Isn’t it?” I rub the back of my neck, feeling confused and sick to my stomach. “I don’t know where we go from here. I really don’t.”
“Me neither. I can’t seem to do anything right when it comes to you.”
I squint at him, heart aching. “All I did was ask for some time to figure out the next steps. I didn’t ask you to fall on your sword andundothe claiming. I never once said I regretted it happening. All I said was the timing could have been better.”
“Same difference.”
“No. It’s not.” I almost add that I’m honored to be his omega, but my pride won’t let me say the words. Not when he’s threatening to have his bite removed. I’m not willing to be that vulnerable with him right now.
He leans against the back of the couch, raking his hand through his dark hair. He looks dejected and a little lost. “Everything is so fucked up and I don’t know how to fix it. What the hell is happening to us?”
“I don’t think there is an us anymore,” I say coldly.
He winces. “Tell me what to do. I don’t know what you want, Carrick. I literally have no idea what you want from me.”
His use of my full name feels strange. Like he’s trying to distance himself from what we were. “This was exactly what I was afraid of when you first suggested getting sexual. I knew it would fuck up our friendship,” I rasp.
Guilt shifts through his ocean blue eyes.
“Best friends for life, my ass,” I mutter, scowling at him. “You promised me the sex wouldn’t ruin everything.”
