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Eric’s eyes are warm and a little wet as he takes me in, and his smile is genuine. I remember that smile. It’s the same one he gave me as he ordered me an ice cream cone before bringing me back to Mom. “Lake, oh my gods, look at you. I’m so glad to see you.”
I smile at the older man and start to offer him my hand to shake, but before it’s even an inch away from my side, Eric takes the two steps necessary to enter my personal space and envelops me in a hug.
FOURTEEN
EVANDER
I’m not exactly sure what I expected to happen when I invited Lake to dinner. I expected it to be just Dad, Lake, and me; that’s for sure. I definitely didn’t expect to have Logan and Lake’s twin brother here acting like overprotective fathers making sure their daughter comes home from prom with their virginity intact.
“Lake, Ev told me you were on an extended business trip. Do you take a lot of those working for the accounting firm?”
“So, Evander, how exactly did you know Lake goes to that coffee shop all the time? He doesn’t exactly plaster it on social media.”
And so it went, on and on. I stand up and grab another beer, making sure to get one for my dad and Lake too. I’m not sure if Lake even drinks, so far all he’s had is water, but judging by the uncomfortable look on his face, he’s willing to start tonight.
Besides the ridiculous posturing, the night is actually pleasant. I teared up at my dad and Lake’s reunion. It seems like a piece of my dad has settled tonight at seeing that Lake is happy, well adjusted, and safe. Seeing Lake again, I won’t lie, it does something for me.
He and his brother may be identical twins, but while I can acknowledge that River is an attractive man, I don’t get the same tightness in my gut that I get every time I look at Lake. He certainly doesn’t make me hard just by existing, but when River isn’t interrogating me, he is a very warm and likable man. And without even trying, he makes it obvious Lake is hiding something.
River immediately warmed to my dad, showing him pictures of his daughter and his mate, as he called him, Cooper. He told him all about his job as a physical therapist, their home across the Hudson, he and Lake’s little sister Essie, and their adoptive dad Luke. He was extremely open and honest, which makes Lake’s evasive measures about his employment even more obvious.
“So where’d you go to school, Lake?” Logan asks as he scarfs down his third cheeseburger. I roll my eyes and look at my dad, who’s just staring up at the night sky like maybe the gods will come down and smite him, ending this endless interrogation.
And I know the question seems innocent, but not out of Logan’s mouth. He may seem casual now, but he’s in full detective mode, which honestly kind of sucks. I was really hoping he’d meet Lake and immediately fall for him like I think I did. Logan and I are in this weird place now, and I want it resolved immediately. Nothing seems to change with our friendship, but all of that easy affection we share with each other is gone, and I know it’s not coming back until we decide if we’re gonna be more to each other than just friends.
A lot of that depends on the man sitting across from me in one of my dad’s deck chairs though. Because the longer I spend with him, the more I feel this connection between us, and it will be hard to walk away from that. I will for Logan, but I don’t want to. All I want to do is close this distance between us and wrap the man in my arms—and then get Logan to shut up and wrap his arms around the both of us. That would be fucking perfect. But it is clearly a fantasy.
“MIT,” Lake responds.
“Oh wow, that’s impressive. What’s your degree in?” Logan asks.
“Lo, chill with the third degree,” I snap at him, over this whole thing. He looks over at me, and I can see some guilt in his eyes. Good. He needs to fucking relax. This isn’t an interrogation.
“Ok,” he says after a breath. “Sorry, Lake, I get carried away with myself sometimes.”
Lake looks a little confused but smiles slightly, and damn does he look adorable like that. “It’s ok. I can tell how close you and Evander are, though Evander came looking for me, not the other way around.”
Well fuck, he has us there. I stare pointedly at Logan. The man has a point. If anyone should be getting interrogated, it’s us. And while River did, to an extent, he seemed a lot less nefarious about it than Logan does. It’s Logan’s job, though, and I understand that sometimes the lines blur.
My dad takes this opportunity to change the subject, thank gods. “So, besides work, what else is going on with your life?”
Lake seems to take this question extremely seriously and ponders it for a while before his face lights up. And fuck, my dick takes notice of that look. “Oh, I may be a surrogate for friends of ours.”
We all already know this, since I’m a fucking stalker who can’t mind my own business, but we all have the sense to act surprised. And honestly, I think we all do have questions.
“That’s amazing, Lake. I’m glad you’re able to do that for your friends,” my dad says diplomatically. He’s not one to press for information. I think it comes from years of being a drug dealer and working on the streets. The culture was very muchdon’t ask no questions and don’t see nothing you’re not supposed to.It’s probably why he didn’t say anything when he walked into the kitchen and saw Logan and I holding hands and touching each other in a way we never have before. It was nothing inappropriate, but I know he must’ve been curious. But Dad was the king of minding his own business, and I know he is just waiting until I finally come clean.
“So, does that mean you’re an Omega?” Logan asks, who is not the king of minding his own business. “Are they sure you’re able to do that? I thought there were all types of requirements for being a surrogate, even when it’s a female.”
“Gods, Logan,” I mutter under my breath. My dad pushes my half-finished beer toward me, and I finish it in two swallows.
Lake isn’t offended though. If anything, his golden-brown eyes twinkle with excitement. This is clearly a subject he’s comfortable discussing. “Yes, I was tested shortly after the gene was discovered in River. It was only logical, of course. As his identical twin, chances were pretty high. What’s actually fascinating is how the gene is presenting itself in Essie, though. She’s a female, but her blood tests show some differences in her DNA from regular non-Omega women, though there’s no difference in her anatomy. They aren’t sure what that will mean yet. The doctors suspect that any differences won’t present themselves until after she has a baby. That seems to be what happened with River. He was completely normal until after his pregnancy, and now they are noticing some changes—”
“Lake, stay on subject,” River chides gently, and I have to smile. At Lake’s blush and River’s eye roll, I imagine this is a common occurrence between them.
“Sorry, sometimes I get excited when discussing subjects I find interesting,” Lake replies with a slight blush to his cheeks.
I glance at my dad and Logan. My dad’s eyes are glistening with amusement and some kind of fatherly affection. And Logan, most of that animosity he has been showing toward Lake all night is quickly washing away. I can’t quite place the look on his face now, but he has slipped out of cop mode, finally, and is now the Logan I know and love.
