Page 33 of Thorns That Bloom
For a moment, it looks like Theo might reach out to me as I’m moving away. He doesn’t. Instead, he smiles awkwardly and raises his arm to mess with his hair.
Kristoff stands by the entrance to the cafeteria, chatting up the girl he’s been interested in. A couple of other engineers are standing with them. I cock my brow in surprise when I realize he’s been waiting for me, and in turn, the entire group. “You didn’t have to,” I say as we all make our way out.
“No problem.” Kristoff sounds as light as ever. He’s getting used to me just disappearing somewhere without saying anything, but he still cares enough to watch over me to a non-suffocating degree, which I appreciate.
In the corner of my eye, I notice one of the guys watching me in a…suspiciously curious way. It sends prickles of unease down my back, but I ignore it. We all get into the elevator, and eight people definitely is at the higher end of my comfort level.
“Sam?” the same man who looked at me weird moments ago asks, throwing my name out into the air with hesitancy that makes me even more nervous. Narrowing my eyes, I turn to him, trying my best to remember his name but failing.
“Um, yeah?”
Everyone else is part of the conversation now, even though they all try to act like they’re not paying attention. The elevator ride is short, but the time seems to stretch and slow with each passing second.
“Do you have an alpha?” he asks lightly, cautiously, but not as tactfully as one probably should.
Frowning, I feel my chest tighten. Who the fuck asks someone that out of the blue?
“Why?”
“Well, you know, considering—” He pauses, gesturing at my stomach. When I narrow my eyes at him even more, he finally starts showing some discomfort. “I saw you talking to that alpha from manufacturing, is all, and it made me wonder if…you know.”
“And you were wondering if I was cheating? Because I talked to an alpha? Because I’m pregnant?” I say sharply, kind of amazed at his audacity.
Kristoff next to me darts his eyes between us, looking pale and nervous. “What Daniel’s trying to say is that—”
“No, I don’t have an alpha. People can be pregnant and single, didn’t you know?”
Daniel hunches a little. “I know, I was… I didn’t mean to sound rude.”
Well, you fucking did. Prick.I bite back the response and look away instead. When the elevator dings and the doors open, everyone stays in place, motionless, like they’re too entranced by our little drama to move.
At least until someone takes a sharp breath, which finally serves as a signal for people to disperse. One could cut theawkwardness in the air with a knife. Flashing Daniel a scowl, I step out too, but then he clears his throat and I know it’s not over yet.
“Hey, I got… I got cheated on recently, so I was just making sure. Especially considering, you know, things I hear from Manufacturing. I wasn’t accusing you, just—”
I turn sharply. “Whatare you hearing from Manufacturing?”
He and Kristoff glance at each other. We move aside for passersby to get into the elevator. With my arms crossed over my chest, I lean with my side against the wall and glare at him, letting Daniel know that I’m not leaving before he tells me what the hell he means.
“Eh, nothing,” he says, shrugging. “I’m friends with one of the workers. He’s my sister’s brother-in-law and— What I’m trying to say is that I thought you and the blond guy were like…getting close.”
Why would he think that? Because we talked together twice in the cafeteria? What the fuck?
“Theo,” I mutter. “His name’s Theo.”
I think he can read my thoughts on my face, because he continues. “Yeah, Theo. He…erm, it’s just that my friend was saying how all the guys make fun of him because he’s been all sappy, talking about fated mates and babies all of the sudden, and…well, he won’t tell anyone who it’s about, but it’s…pretty obvious.” My cheeks heat, only this time there’s an uncomfortable, nauseating sensation behind it. “Considering it started after you turned up and…ya know.” He shrugs awkwardly.
I guess it is obvious, huh? He’s so damn awkwardaround me, and he—
I swallow, glaring at the floor as my emotions swirl wildly inside my chest. I’ve allowed myself to be flattered by the interest of this sweet, clueless guy after the hell that’s been the past months without thinking about the most important thing: he’s an alpha. An alpha being interested in an omega means more than that. It’s an alpha being innately possessive of them.
And that thought terrifies me.
Drawing in a ragged breath, I mutter a quick, “It’s fine,” and dash toward my office, away from Kristoff and Daniel.
I need safety. Silence. Solitude. I close the door behind me and turn the light off, leaving only the small lamp on my desk and the monitor on to illuminate the surroundings. Shaky, I sink into the chair, pressing my hands against my chest, as if that will somehow slow my pounding heart.
“There are feelings we need to let settle before facing them,” Dr. Stewart told me at the end of our last session, when we talked about expectations. So, that is exactly what I do. This uncertainty and doubt and fear…I let them settle.
