“We could?—”
“No,” I cut in before Fletcher suggested something crazy like putting me on early bedrest. I raised my hand. “I can still work. It’s not like I’m contagious. I wanna save money for once the baby comes. I’m okay, honest.”
“I believe you,” Fletcher said. “But if you need a break, be sure to tell me.”
“I will, I promise.”
On Thursday, I ran to the bathroom, just like clockwork, but this time, when I came out, Josie cornered me. She crossed her arms over her chest, her brow furrowed and her lips a downward slant.
Uh-oh…
“Hey, I’m worried about you,” she said.
“It’s fine,” I said, trying to brush past her, but she side-stepped to stand in my way. “I’m fine.”
“Are you pregnant?” She asked the question so bluntly that it felt like a bullet ripping through my chest. I stood there, gaping at her, too shocked to speak.
She frowned. “I thought so. Look, I’m not here to judge you, but if you need any help… If you’re in any kind of danger, please know that I’m here for you. I know you were in a dark place before. I just wanna make sure you’re okay, you know? As your friend.”
I frowned. Dark place? Did she think… “I— No, really, Josie. I’m okay. Yes, I am pregnant, but please don’t tell anyone. It was an accident, but it’s not unwanted. Nothing bad happened, I promise. I just wasn’t careful enough, I guess.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “Well, is the Alpha gonna man-up and be there for you and the baby? Because if not, I know of some places that help Omegas in need.”
“Josie, really. I’m fine. Just leave it alone, okay?” Frustrated that she wouldn’t drop it, I pushed past her, maybe a little harder than I needed to, my face burning up.
I tried to focus on work, but all I could think about were the rumors spreading around Bixby’s that I was carrying some fly-by-night Alpha’s bastard child.
Needless to say, my mood continued to plummet throughout the day. I was quiet on the drive home, not missing the worried glances Adam and Fletcher kept exchanging. When we got home, I excused myself to shower, then crawled into bed and journaled my feelings, as Madeline had suggested.
By dinnertime, I felt a little better. It helped that Adam had left to pick up pizza, and I wasreallycraving melted, gooey cheese. I blamed the baby.
I got through two pieces before pushing my plate away and announcing, “Josie knows about the pregnancy.” My mates fell silent, their eyes locked on me. I took a deep breath. “She kept asking if I was okay, if I was safe, if I needed help from outside sources because the father wasn’t in the picture.” I dropped my head into my hands. “I’m sorry, guys.”
“It’s not your fault, Sky,” Adam assured me. “This isn’t something we can hide, nor do I wish to hide it. We’re going to need to call a staff meeting before the rumors get out of hand, though.” He looked at me, his golden eyes soft as honey. “Are you okay with people knowing? About the baby?” He paused. “About us?”
I glanced between Adam and Fletcher, a smile tugging at my lips. “I am.”
Because I was. These two men were the reason I got out of bed every morning. The reason I smiled, the reason I laughed. They made my once-abysmally gray world fill with a rainbow of color…and I was pretty sure I was in love with them, though I didn’t dare speak those words out loud.
I touched my stomach. “I want them to know,” I said firmly. “I’m tired of hiding.”
Fletcher reached over and squeezed my hand, his smile soft. “That makes three of us, then. I want the world to know you’re ours, and so is the little one growing within you.”
My chest tightened because he was right. I was theirs, and they were mine, and I didn’t want it any other way. “Can we do it tomorrow? Or is that too abrupt? I kind of want to just rip off the Band-Aid.”
Fletcher and Adam exchanged a look. Adam pulled out his phone. “I’ll see what I can do.”
39
ADAM
After our conversation over dinner,I sent a group text to our employees to meet at Bixby’s at 11AM for a brief staff meeting—both mandatory and very important.
The next morning, we arrived at Bixby’s and waited for everyone to show up. I felt a small swoop of nerves as my loyal staff members, some pack and some simply human, Alpha and Omega both, gathered around in the office, chattering amongst themselves, no doubt curious about why they were being called in on such short notice.
Once everyone was there, I stood to face them. Fletcher was at my side, and Sky took his place in the middle, in front but somehow without being the center of attention. Still, close enough that we could touch him and comfort him if need be.
I cleared my throat. “So. I wanted to put an end to the rumors that might’ve been floating around the past few days. As some of you might’ve heard, Sky is pregnant. This is indeed true.” A few people gasped softly. Sky ducked his head.
