Page 38 of Bound By Pain
“But Iamokay. I’m here. Alive and free. Safe in my apartment with my mates.”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Shelby cuts in, patting Forrest’s hand before he can argue. “But you refused to listen to what the doctors had to say. You aren’t accepting all of what happened to you-”
“I don’t need a doctor to tell me because I already know. I was there. Experienced it firsthand!” Bea shouts, knocking her plate to the floor when she jumps to her feet, wincing when she puts too much pressure on her injured ankle.
Her parents stare wide-eyed, surprised by her outburst. Even Ridley seems concerned, but I’m not. The last thing she needs is someone telling her how she should feel.
“Those doctors only have enough information to tell me what theythinkcould happen as I heal. Their worst-case scenarios will only make it harder to cope.” Bea is out of breath as she hobbles out of the room.
“Shit, sunshine, wait!” Ridley calls, leaping to his feet and rushing over to help her. The two of them disappear into her room, leaving me alone with her family pack.
“This proves she isn’t handling things as well as-”
I cut her father off. “Your daughter is handling things as best as she knows how. She needs time to process and room to heal. Not your worries adding to the burden she already carries.”
“We aren’t trying to make things more difficult,” Forrest protests.
I grab Bea’s plate and discarded breakfast, making a note to get her something else to eat after she’s calmed down.
“Not intentionally. I understand you are worried about her; we are too. But pushing her to talk isn’t helping.” Dropping everything into the trash, I sigh and push my hair away from myface. “Look, what you’re doing comes from a good place, but she isn’t ready to talk. All we can do is to be here when she needs us. Whether that’s listening or distracting is up to her.”
“I… I suppose you’re right. We just don’t want her to get stuck in her head and spiral.”
“She isn’t alone, and frankly, she never will be. We may have only met a few days ago, but I need you to trust me—trustus—to take care of her.”
Phoenix stands, nodding to his family before he crosses to where I’m standing by the kitchen island. He offers his hand, gripping mine tightly when I reach out to shake it.
“Our little girl is in your hands.” His hand clamps down on mine, squeezing tight enough to hurt. “Don’t break her heart, or I’ll break your spine.”
Spinning, he walks out the front door without another word. Fates, that is one scary Alpha. I’m so glad my Omega had someone like him in her corner growing up.
The rest of her parents cleared out, asking me to have her call them when she feels up to it.
My shoulders sink, relief flooding through my body when the door closes behind them. I was not prepared to handle anxious parents this early in the morning. Apparently, my Omega wasn’t either.
Stepping into her bedroom, I see Ridley kneeling in the doorway to her nest. When I join him, leaning against the door frame, I see Bea inside, angrily rearranging everything. The most adorable grumbles rumble beneath each frustrated huff when she realizes a piece is in the wrong place.
Ridley raises one brow, silently asking me if we should intervene. We could, but she isn’t harming anyone. If her instincts feel unsettled, we should let her do what she needs to feel better.
He sighs, taking his shirt off and offering it to her with a goofy smile. Bea beams back at him, hastily grabbing the shirt and stuffing it between two of her stuffed animals.
The ringing of my phone startles us all. Blowing out a breath, I grab it from the dresser where it was charging. My father’s number flashes on the screen. I reject the call, but open my texting app and send a message promising to call him back shortly.
“Is everything all right?” Bea calls, peeking her head out the door.
“Yeah.” I wave my phone in the air between us. “My dad was trying to call me.”
“Your dad?” Curiosity and apprehension shine in my Omega’s dark blue eyes. She knows I haven’t spoken to my family since I left for rehab several years ago.
“Um… realizing you were missing and hurt, it put me in a bad place. I tried going to see my therapist, but I don’t think our session really helped. Afterward, I stopped by a liquor store-”
She sucks in a sharp breath, eyes filling with tears. “Oh, Orion! I’m so sor-”
“Nope. No apologizing. It was my decision, butterfly. You aren’t responsible for my choices. I didn’t drink it. Apparently, one of my sister’s mates saw me and called my parents. My dad showed up to talk me down. It was his idea for me to gather things you’d need for the nest at the hospital.”
Softness eases the tension in Bea’s shoulders and jaw as she crawls out of her nest. Her arms wrap around my back, hugging me tightly against her. With her chin resting on my chest, she looks up at me. “Are you going to call him back?”
Tugging her impossibly closer, I nod, then shake my head. “I think I should go see them.”
