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My mind shuddered away from what that change would bring. I had no idea what I was going to do without Michael home to keep an eye on Momma while I worked, but I was determined that he was going to go to college and have a life outside of caring for her all day.
The bus rolled to a stop in front of my office building, and I rose to go inside, pushing away worries about the future. I’d deal with it when it happened. My immediate concern was thinking of a way to tell Frankie that I was quitting, without burning bridges in case something happened that drove me back.
By the time I was leaving for the day I’d come up with what to say. It wasn’t quite honest, but it would allow me to leave without upsetting anyone.
Hopefully.
Dinner with Momma that night was difficult. The days we had to dismantle her nest to clean it always turned into bad days, but she hadn’t taken care of it since we lost Daddy, and we knew she needed it to help battle the depression. We always made sure to leave our scents on it for her, so she didn’t feel alone, but it wasn’t the same as having her mate’s.
She ended up leaving the table with tears in her eyes after only a few bites to retreat to her room for the night. Michael looked like he felt as defeated as I did, and I made a promise to myself to make him get out and have some fun with his friends from school. He didn’t need to be cooped up in the house so much, being the primary one to deal with Momma.
The guilt weighing me down was almost as heavy as the stress had been. While I hadn’t outright told him any lies, I was lying by omission. The house was paid off, our biggest worry relieved, yet he didn’t know about it because he would ask too many questions I couldn’t answer. Especially if he learned the medical bills had been settled too.
The biggest question would bewhy.
Leo had claimed he did it because he wanted to. To help me, so I’d have more time forhim.
I was smart enough to know that he’d done it to get my attention and make me feel indebted to him, regardless of if he had planned to make me pay it back. But thewhystill lingered.
Why me?
I refused to accept that he was as certain about me as he claimed to be. It’s not like fated mates were a real thing. I wasn’t sure he couldeverconvince me he wouldn’t grow tired of me at some point, and while a bond would tie us together for life, nothing said it would keep us happy forever. It usually assured the pair would be content, but I’d seen what happened when bonds twisted and things turned bad.
It wasn’t pretty. Though at this point, I wasn’t sure if it was better or worse than a broken bond.
And forever with Leo could be a lot shorter than expected with the life he led. If he claimed me and something happened to him, I risked fading away with him. I’d seen it happen, and I didn’t wish that pain on anyone, nor the responsibility of caring for what would be left of me.
Sliding behind the wheel of the Toyota, I headed to Frankie’s to give my notice. Leo probably wanted me to quit right away, but I wasn’t going to leave them shorthanded with no notice. My morals wouldn’t allow that, and Leo would have to accept it.
I went straight to Frankie’s office when I arrived, clearing my throat as I stood in the doorway. I had to clasp my hands together to keep from fidgeting as I waited for him to acknowledge me.
He finally looked up from his paperwork, giving me a once-over before raising his brows as he waited for me to speak. He was a portly beta of few words, and while he seemed surly to most, he’d never been purposefully hurtful. He’d also never made a pass at any of the girls working for him, which was one of the reasons I’d ensured I never did anything to jeopardize my job here. The same couldn’t be said for more bosses than I cared to think about, especially with omega employees beneath them.
Frankie was also aware of my situation at home. He’d helped me over the years, offering extra hours to me first, and letting me off when I needed to take care of Momma or Michael, and I had to ignore the thought that I was betraying him by quitting.
Everything I’d rehearsed disappeared from my head the moment I needed it, so I blurted the only thing left floating around.
“I need to put in my notice.”
His brows drew together, but it was concern in his eyes, not anger.
“Is everything okay with your mother?”
I nodded quickly, my ponytail swishing behind me. Some of what I’d rehearsed came back, so I sucked in a steadying breath and tried to smooth things over so things didn’t sound so dire.
“She’s okay, but Michael will be leaving for college soon, and she can’t be left at home alone so much. I do appreciate all you’ve done for me, but the office…”
I trailed off with wince, not wanting to voice that the office paid better, and that was why I was choosing to keep it instead of waitressing.
He grunted before turning to look at the calendar on the wall beside him.
“I hired a new girl today. Get her trained over the weekend and you can be done.”
My breath rushed out, tension melting from my shoulders. I hadn’t expected it to be so easy, and if I hadn’t known Frankie better, I’d have been hurt at how little he seemed to care that I was leaving after all these years.
Assuring him I would get the new girl trained and thanking him for understanding, I made my way out to the dining room. I hadn’t heard from Leo since he’d texted me shortly after I made it home last night, but I was glad to have an answer for his inevitable question. With the worry of putting in my notice behind me, I couldn’t help the desire bubbling up at the prospect of seeing him again.
I made it through most of my shift before my phone vibrated in my pocket. My heart leaped into my throat, almost choking me as my pulse raced.
