Page 61 of His Sassy Omega
His hair was a bright Christmas green this week. “Don’t I always? Why are you being weird? Stop being weird.”
I slumped in my desk chair. “Did you see Quinn?”
Wade took his usual seat, sipping his own brewed drink. I smelled gingerbread and wondered if it was coming from his cup. It smelled lovely.
“I did not. Josh said he was passed out on his office couch. I wasn’t about to wake his morning grumpy ass up. They’ll be here in a couple of hours with the brunch delivery.” He gave me a good, hard stare over the rim of his cup, his light gray eyes burning into my soul.
I stared down at my cup. “Have you talked to him this week?”
He raised a dark brow at me, questioning without saying a word.
“Why the sudden interest in my best friend?” He wagged a finger at me. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed all the questions you’ve been asking me about him. I’m pretty, but I’m not dumb, so what gives?” He batted his dark lashes at me.
“I don’t have a clue what you are talking about,” I said primly, not buying Wade’s completely clueless act for a second. Wade knew more about the situation than he was letting on. He’d dropped tidbits about Quinn this week, without me asking him any new questions.
“I’m just asking normal questions,” I defended. “He’s your best friend, he means a lot to you. You’re my friend, besides my employee. I’m just trying to get to know you better.”
Wade snorted. “Do you hear the bullshit coming from your mouth? Your eyes should be brown with all the shit in here.” He bounced up from his seat. “Look, here’s the facts. Quinn is my best friend, so he did spill some details. You hurt my friend, I’ll hurt you, just so we’re clear.” He tried to make his voice low and menacing, but it just came out hoarse and adorable. I wasn’t going to tell him that, though.
“You and who else? I’m a whole foot taller than you. But, duly noted.” I’d give the same lecture to any one of my friends who tried to date one of my brothers.
Wade smiled at me, and it was a scary little smile. Like if a scary elf was smiling at you, plotting where to bury your body.
“You know I can make your life hell if I wanted to, Lachlan. Don’t even play like that. I mean it, whatever this thing is you think you are doing with Quinn, just don’t hurt him. You two are very different. You may want different things, and that can cause issues. If you need to bail, do it before feelings get involved.” He started to walk back to his desk, his usual bounce gone, but turned back to me. “And, Lachlan, that goes both ways. If Quinn hurts you, I’ll bring the ice cream. I love Quinn, but he can be kind of a dating asshole.”
I hoped Quinn hadn’t shared too many intimate details of our relationship with Wade. As much as Wade was my friend, I was still his boss.
It wasn’t until later in the morning, almost afternoon, before I even had a chance to see Quinn.
He and Josh had been busy setting up, and I hadn’t wanted to look too anxious by hovering around them while they worked.
After they’d finished their setup, I’d been expected to say a few end-of-year words, before we officially started eating the brunch. Employees had been filling plates and talking to me, and I hadn’t been able to break away until now.
Quinn had sent me a text that he was waiting for me in my office, and I tried not to run there. I was excited to see him, but anxious about what he wanted to discuss. Wade was suspiciously absent from his desk. He was either still in the banquet room we had set the food up in, or he was giving Quinn and me privacy to talk.
Entering my office, I shut the door and leaned against it. I briefly thought about locking it, but knew a closed door to my office was a natural deterrent for anyone coming in. No one would dare enter, without at least knocking first.
Quinn was standing with his back to me, his eyes glued to the scenery outside from the wall of windows that were the back wall of my office. I knew by the ever so slight tensing of his shoulders, that he was aware I was there. I stayed silent. I didn’t know where Quinn’s head was, and I didn’t know how to start a conversation I was afraid of having.
So, I just stayed quiet.
Waiting. The wait seemed longer than it was in truth. It was a few seconds that seemed to go on for an eternity.
“I don’t want kids.”
His voice finally broke the silence, though he didn’t turn to look at me. His tone was firm if a bit shaky. For a second, I felt like I’d been hit in my solar plexus. Before reacting, I digested his words, chewed on them, thought about what they meant.
For him, for me, for us.
“Okay.”
He turned to me then, his eyes tired and ringed by darker circles than had been there last Sunday. He was paler than normal, and every one of my alpha protective instincts were on red alert. I wanted to wrap him in my arms and shuffle him to the nearest bed, to get some much-needed sleep.
“I don’t mean I don’t want themnow,” he continued, staring at me hard, watching my face. “I mean I don’t want themever.”
The air whooshed out of me, and I felt like I might be sick. My heart pounded, and my chest ached. Of all the things I’d thought up the last several days, of all the scenarios I’d conjured in my head, I’d never expected Quinn to saythat.
When I’d said okay, my mind had conjured up a ‘down the road’ scenario. I don’t want kids right now, but maybe in a year, two at the latest. I was having a hard time processing how Fate could put a fated mate – my fated mate – in front of me. Let me taste them, let me want them, and yet theyfundamentally wanted something so vastly different than what I wished for.
