Not His Omega To Love by GS Holmes

4Ethan

If I’d followedmy instincts, I would have stayed at Lorry’s Lobster joint and eaten my meal, away from the house, where Reggie was no doubt doing things to his shy little omega. Things I didn’t want to ever think about. How did I have a child old enough to be engaged in the same adult activities I did?

Despite that small voice at the back of my mind encouraging me to stay at the restaurant and give them some privacy, I bought enough food for three and got back into my car. I doubted Reggie thought about feeding his date, and since there was no food in the house—I hated cooking, and we basically dined on takeouts—it was up to me to provide them with something to eat.

It was the least I could do to make up for… well, Reggie. In a way, it was almost like an apology for Reggie being in his life.

I drove so slowly a police cruiser stopped me and asked if everything was all right. After assuring the officer I was fine, I picked up my pace and was home way too soon. I sat in the driveway, staring at the house. If I’d dared to bring anyone home to have sex under my parents’ roof, they would have kicked me out.

So much for a new way of doing things.

With a sigh, I grabbed the bags and marched up to the front door, intending to make enough noise for them to realize I was back. Before I could turn the handle, the door flew open, and an upset boy barreled out of the house and smacked right into me. I dropped the bags and caught him as he bounced off me and almost fell.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

I wrapped my arms securely around him to set him upright, and he clung to my biceps, staring up at me with wide wet eyes. He was a very sweet boy, wasn’t he? My son had no business messing with someone like this, and it didn’t matter that they were the same age. Something in the way he looked up at me with eyes full of devastation as if his entire world had been tilted, tugged at my heart. He was way out of his depth here.

“I’m so sorry.” He shifted restlessly against me. “So, so sorry. I have to go. I have to go.”

“Are you okay?” I released him, but instead of answering me, he rushed down the steps and ran away.

I picked up the paper bags, not caring if the food was still edible. I trudged inside the house, slamming the door behind me.

“Reggie!”

I dropped the bags on the kitchen counter and climbed the stairs. “Reggie!”

His door opened. “What’s up? Did you get anything for me? I’m starving.”

Words failed me. Who was this man-child before me? Where the hell had I gone wrong? Should I have protested more when Matt decided that he would be the one to take our only son? I’d done what I could, visiting him frequently and having him here with me for every holiday. With him playing football and or away on summer camp, that hadn’t been as often as I would have liked. I always thought I’d done okay, given the circumstances, but I was beginning to have second thoughts.

“Why did your friend leave so upset?” The words came out polite instead of me yelling what the hell was wrong with him. He was my kid after all, and I’d give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe his friend had been the one in the wrong, and Reggie hadn’t done anything.

Maybe pigs would one day learn to fly.

He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m through with him anyway.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Dad, I don’t want to talk to you about my relationship with you.”

“Too bad. I want to talk about it. I permitted you to have sex under my roof. I need to know that everything that went on was consensual.”

“Of course, it was.” He stepped back, looking horrified. “He sucked me off all on his own. Every time we had sex, he agreed to it.”

“That’s good to know, but it doesn’t quite explain what the hell happened. We spoke about this the other night, Reggie.”

“You don’t understand. He freaked out about nothing. The sex is good, but everything else with him is always so intense. Him leaving is for the best.”

“It doesn’t matter. You bring him here. You take him back home.”

“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m not gonna, and he wouldn’t let me anyway. I think it’s best for us if we’re not with each other right now.”

“Is this how I raised you?”

“Are you talking about the last three years?” His words slapped me in the face, but he had the grace to drop his eyes and shuffle his feet. “I’m sorry, Dad. It’s complicated, okay. I’m not going after him. He’ll be fine.”

Without a word, I strode toward the stairs. “When I get back, you and I will finish this conversation.”

He didn’t think I helped raise him before he moved in with me? I might not have physically been with him all the time, but his father had always involved me in the important decisions regarding him. Sure, it hadn’t been all the day-to-day stuff, but I’d done the best I could, even with the distance between us. Matt had chosen to move away and start a new family in another state.

Given my part in our breakup, I didn’t feel like I had cause to protest too much. I hadn’t been there for him enough. Not the way he wanted me to be, and he’d wanted to move away from the reminder of all that.

I got into my car, backed out of the driveway, and turned in the direction Cody had gone. He couldn’t have gotten far. Maybe I should have left well enough alone, but I couldn’t in all good conscience excuse this kind of behavior. How could I sleep tonight with that pitiful look of Cody’s face on my mind?

As I turned the corner, I made out his speck of a stature up ahead. His shoulders were slumped, and even from behind, I noticed he was wiping at his face with the sleeve of his shirt. Goddammit, he had to know Reggie wasn’t worth these tears. I loved my son, but when it came to relationships, I would never recommend him to anyone.

As I got closer to him, I slowed the car and wound down the window.

“Hey there, Cody. Why don’t I take you home?”

He stopped and spun around to the car. His eyes were red and his face blotchy. His cheeks turned even redder when he saw me, and he dropped his eyes. “Mr. Finch?”

“Come on, hop in, and I’ll take you home.” I reached for the door on the passenger’s side and opened it for him.

“I-I can’t. I’m fine. I don’t mind walking.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

He sucked in a deep breath. “I’m not ridiculous.”

For fuck’s sake, now I was making things worse.

“No, of course, you’re not. I don’t think of you that way at all. Let me drop you home, and that’s it.”

“I don’t want to put you out of your way.”

“You won’t. I promise. As a father, I can’t let you go off on your.”

Brockridge was a good place to live, but the crime rate wasn’t exactly nonexistent. There were still alphas out there who thought omegas were free for the taking.

“I need to know you got home okay. Either I take you home, or we wait here, and you call your parents to pick you up. You choose.”

His eyes went wide, and without a word, he ran toward my car. If I wasn’t in such a pissy mood, I would have smiled. Why did Reggie have to put his hands on such a rare boy? The “friends” Reggie usually brought home, whether they were alphas or omegas, were pretty open and as laid back as him. Why had he gone after Cody?

“I’m sorry for inconveniencing you,” he said softly when he shut the door.

“It’s no problem. Now stop apologizing. Put your seat belt on and give me your address.”

He did what I instructed without asking any questions. I smiled at him and gave him a nod to put him at ease. He mumbled out the address, which was on the other side of town in Elittson Flat. I shook my head but didn’t say anything as I drove. If he’d walked, it would have taken him almost half an hour. Reggie needed a swift kick in the seat of his pants.

“Did he hurt you?”

My question reverberated in the car, and I winced. Reggie had made it clear whatever happened between them was consensual, but I needed to hear it from Cody too.

“No.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding. “I’m not sure what happened between you two, and I’m not asking you to share either, but don’t blame yourself or waste your tears on Reggie.”

“Huh?” He turned his head in my direction.

“I know it sounds a little weird, since I’m his dad, and I should be rooting for him, but the truth is that Reggie’s not exactly relationship material right now. He’s more of the guy you hang out with until your true love comes along.”

“I guess so.”

“I’m sorry if he led you to believe anything else.”

“No, I was stupid. My friend tried to warn me, but I didn’t want to listen. I was…”

When he trailed off, I figured we were moving into uncomfortable territory.

“Anyway, in a few months, you won’t have to see his ugly mug again.”

“Thank, god. It’ll be hard enough seeing him around school.” He groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Wait, why am I talking to you about this? This is super weird.”

Agreed. I never meant to chase after my son’s ex and try to cheer him up. I was simply a concerned dad who wanted to get him home to his parents in one piece. With that in mind, I didn’t say anything else until we were on his street. The houses were huge imposing structures settled on lush grounds with fancy gates.

“Which house is yours?”

“The one right up there to your left. The yellow one.”

Nice. The two-story structure had a long driveway, but the gates at the entrance were wide open. The lawn was well taken care of, and off to the side of the property was an artificial pond.

“You can let me off right here at the gates,” he said.

I wanted to protest, but he sounded nervous, so I didn’t push. I slowed down at the entrance, and he unlocked his seat belt.

“Thank you.”

I nodded. “It’s the least I could do.”

“I mean for everything. The ride and the talk. You’re right. Reggie is a bit of a douche.” As soon as he’d blurted out the words, he slapped a hand over his mouth. “I’m so sorry. I mean, he’s your son—”

“And he’s a bit of a douche.”

A giggle escaped him but ended almost as quickly as it had come out. He blushed again and slipped out of the car.

“Thanks again.”

He waved pretty much like he’d done the first night we met. He hurried up the driveway, his shirt half-tucked into the waistband of his jeans. My eyes landed on his ass, but I tore my gaze away and drove off.

I’d done the decent thing, and hopefully, he would stay away from Reggie and hang out with alphas more his speed. A turtle’s pace. There was way too much innocence wrapped in that package.