Chapter Fifteen
Rider
“He splashed me with paint on purpose,” grumbled Lyle, pointing at Zach accusingly, but Zach just laughed.
Both students were in my last period Painting 103 class. For some reason, they didn’t get along. I wasn’t sure what the original problem had been, but during the semester they’d bickered endlessly.
“Zach, is that true?” I arched one brow.
“No. He’s just paranoid.”
“I am not,” Lyle snapped, glancing down at his paint splattered jeans. “He took his brush and he flicked paint at me.”
“I told you I was trying a paint technique I saw on the internet.”
“You’re not supposed to flick it on people. You’re supposed to get the paint on your canvas.” Lyle sighed.
“Gee, thanks. I didn’t know that.” Zach rolled his eyes.
“Guys, why do you always pick spots next to each other if you don't like each other?” I was in no mood for their nonsense. I was tired, my back ached, and my temples throbbed. All I wanted to do was go home and soak in a bubble bath. Preferably with Jax if he was willing; and lately, he’d been more than willing to do anything I wanted. Ever since that lust filled doctor visit, he’d been different. He was practically the definition of the doting alpha. My stomach twirled with excitement at the thought of how attentive Jax had been. But then I was distracted when the two boys started bickering again. “Whoa. Time out.”
They stopped squabbling, and faced me.
“From now on I want you on opposite sides of the room from one another.”
“What?” Zach scowled. “You said we could sit where we want.”
I frowned. “Yeah. You can. Why would you want to sit by Lyle when you two hate each other?”
“Hate?” Lyle looked non-plussed. “No one ever said anything about hating each other, Mr. Jones.”
“Yeah.” Zach looked shocked. “Why would we hate each other?”
I smiled tiredly. “Hate is probably too harsh of a word. But obviously you two don’t like each other.”
Zach slid his gaze to Lyle who was watching me. “I like Lyle just fine.”
Lyle glanced at Zach, and then back at me. “Yeah. I have no problem with Zach.”
I wrinkled my forehead. “You two never stop arguing.”
“We’re passionate art types,” Zach said. “You’re reading too much into this.”
“Yeah. We hang out after school sometimes. Zach is like one of the funniest people I know.” Lyle snorted a laugh. “You should have seen him the other day. We were in Starbucks and he had two straws up his nose and—”
I held up my hand. “I think I get the picture.”
Zach laughed. “It was hilarious.”
Lyle grinned. “It really was.”
Exhaling, I addressed Zach. “Maybe move your easel away from other people when you’re going to experiment with new techniques.”
“Sure. I can do that.” Zach nodded amiably. He pointed to Lyle’s jeans. “To be honest, those jeans look pretty cool now.”
Lyle stared down. “Yeah, the pattern isn’t bad.”
I gave a gruff laugh. “You two good now?” The bell rang as I finished speaking.
Thank God. Time to go home.
Zach and Lyle went to clean up their work stations, along with the other students. Once my classroom had cleared out, Tania poked her head in my door. “Want to go get a drink?” Her gaze dropped to my slightly rounded belly. “Non-alcoholic drink.”
I sighed and locked the drawers on my desk. “I would but I’m too tired.”
She pushed her lip out in a pout. “Seriously? I’ve barely seen you since I got back.”
“That’s not true. We’ve hung out.”
“Not enough. And I still haven’t met your… husband.”
I winced. “I know.”
“Why not?” She frowned. “Why are you keeping us apart?”
I laughed. “I’m not. He was traveling for business and then I just forgot.”
“Liar. You don’t think we’ll get along, so you’re making sure we never meet.”
I rolled my eyes and slipped on my coat. “Not true. I think you’ll like him just fine.” I did too. Jax was different with me lately. He was much warmer. If Tania had met him at first, I had a feeling she’d have disliked him immediately, but the way Jax was these days, especially since my pregnancy, I knew she’d approve. “Why don’t we meet for dinner one day this week?”
“Really?” She smiled. “You mean my guilt trip worked?”
I laughed. “Yes. Plus, I actually do want you two to meet.”
“Awww. You want your best buddy to meet your fake husband?”
“He doesn’t treat me like he’s my fake husband lately.”
She studied me. “No?”
“He’s been really affectionate.” I followed her out of my classroom. “Maybe it’s the pregnancy.”
“What else could it be?”
Good point.
“I’m curious what you’ll think of him.” We reached the parking lot, and I unlocked my car.
“When you first married him, I wanted to hate him. He rushed the wedding so much I couldn’t even be there, which pissed me off.” She twisted her lips. “But I must admit, you seem happier these days.”
I smiled. “I… I am happy.” Maybe Jax didn’t love me like I’d want, but he treated me like he did, so what was the difference? I could pretend he loved me and that was enough for now. Although, I’d have been much happier if Emilia wasn’t around all the time. She hated how good Jax was to me. It was obvious in her pinched face and stony gaze. I could see her anger building with every passing day. Her level of loathing made me a little nervous, and a part of me wanted to talk to Jax about how bitter she was. But I also didn’t want to do anything to ruin how happy Jax was with me. So I put up with the withering glances that Emilia threw in my direction.
“I can’t believe you’re finally going to be a daddy.” She laughed.
“Me neither. I’d almost given up hope after what Dale pulled.”
She frowned. “Yeah. Have you heard from him?”
“Dale?” I gave a hard laugh. “No.”
“Not one word?”
I shrugged. “He texted me a Merry Christmas. I didn’t respond.”
“Good.” She huffed. “What a dick. Why would he reach out at all? He dumped you.”
“We were together four years. I thought about him around the holidays too. It was hard not to.”
“Yuck. Really? You thought about him?”
I laughed. “Not in a ‘I want you back’ way, but yes, he crossed my mind.”
She shook her head. “Well, I’m glad you’re rid of him.”
“Me too.” I wasn’t lying either. The relationship I had with Jax, business arrangement or not, was more affectionate than what I’d had with my ex. Dale had never been into hugs or touching, if it wasn’t going to lead to sex. While I’d thought Jax would be that way too, I’d been wrong. He liked to stroke my hair and kiss me whether it was going to end up in fucking or not. Until I’d met Jax, I don’t think I’d even realized how much I needed that in a mate.
“Is that lady who works for Jax still giving you a hard time?”
I frowned. “She hasn’t spoken to me since that one day she went off on me, but she still seems to hate me.”
“What do you think her deal is?”
I shrugged. “She loved Thomas and resents me being around.”
“So… poor Jax is just supposed to live by himself forever, with only sad memories of his dead lover to keep him warm?” She rolled her eyes. “That’s some weird shit.”
“Yeah. She seems kind of obsessed with Thomas.” I’d tried not to think about my run-in with Emilia very often because it unsettled me. Knowing someone disliked me that much was strange. It wasn’t like I hadn’t had enemies over the years, but there was usually a reason. With Emilia, she simply hated me because I wasn’t Thomas.
“I still think you need to tell Jax about her being so rude.”
I winced. “God no. I don’t want to because then I’d have to come clean about why she felt the need to warn me off.”
“Is that so bad?” Her expression softened. “You say he treats you really well right now. Maybe he is falling for you.”
My face warmed. “I don’t know. He’s probably just being super sweet because of the baby.” I cupped my small belly and sighed. “I don’t want to hope for something I can never have.”
“Yeah, but if he’s in love with you, wouldn’t you want to know that?”
I grimaced. “Of course. But if he isn’t falling for me, then that conversation would just be super awkward.”
“True.” She laughed. “I guess give it time. How could he not fall in love with you?”
“Because he’s still in love with Thomas.”
“After twenty years? That’s pathetic.” She moved closer and she put her arm around my shoulder. “I think he’s already falling for you. That’s why he’s being so lovey-dovey with you.”
“I don’t know. I’m too afraid to push him to tell me how he feels. It could fuck up what we have right now, and what we have is so good.”
“I get it. I do.” She kissed the side of my head and let me go. “Sure you won’t come by The Honey Tree for a drink?”
“Positive. It’s no fun being sober around people who are drunk.”
“True.” She laughed. “Call me later if you need to talk. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Night.” I got in my car and started the engine. I’d spent many an evening at The Honey Tree after work, hanging out with my work buddies and avoiding going home to my quiet apartment. Now, when I got off work, I couldn’t wait to rush home to be around Jax. My stomach tensed as I thought about him. Life would be pretty awesome if he fell in love with me. What we had was great, but if he loved me… well, that would be the most amazing gift.
The drive home was spent deep in thought. When I walked into the house, it was quiet. I assumed Jax was in his office working with Emilia, and so I went upstairs to change out of my work clothes. There was a tray on my dresser with iced tea and brownies. I smiled, and my heart squeezed with affection for Mrs. Lane. She often left me something to eat and drink after work. She teased me that she was just trying to fatten me up because of the baby, but I knew she cared about me.
I drank a glass of the tea and ate two brownies because I was starving, then I stripped and climbed in the shower. I soaped up and washed my hair, and about the time I was getting out of the shower, I realized I didn’t feel well. I frowned and dressed quickly, then I laid on the bed and closed my eyes. My stomach cramped, and I sucked in slow breaths, waiting for the nausea to pass. It was unusual for me to feel sick later in the day. The nausea tended to hit me early in the morning.
An hour passed with me waiting for the stomach cramps to fade, but they only seemed to get worse. I rolled onto my side and curled into a ball, sweat breaking out on my face. More time passed and I didn’t seem to improve. Finally, I couldn’t fight off the nausea any longer, and I stumbled dizzily into the master bathroom. Falling to my knees, I vomited into the toilet for several minutes, then trembling and weak, I slumped onto the cool tile. I felt feverish and unable to move.
I must have dozed off, and when I woke up, it was dark. I managed to stand, grateful the nausea had mostly faded. I brushed my teeth and went to lie down again, still feeling sluggish and chilled. It was almost six, and I knew I should try to go downstairs for dinner, but I was too tired, and the thought of food made me shudder.
There was a soft knock on the door, and it opened slowly. The light from the hall fell across the bed, and Jax stood there. “Time to wake up from your nap, Sleepyhead.” His voice sounded amused.
I didn’t have it in me to laugh, so I just held out my hand.
He immediately crossed the room, and sat on the edge of our bed. The minute he took my chilled hand, he stilled. “Are you sick?”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
“Shit. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was too weak.”
He put his hand on my forehead and he cursed. “You’re burning up.”
“I am?” That was surprising, considering I had the chills.
“I’m taking you to the ER.”
I scowled. “No. I’m feeling a little better.” He switched on the light next to the bed, and I winced, shielding my eyes.
“You’re as white as a ghost.” His eyes were dark with concern. “How long have you been feeling like this?”
“Since a little after I got home.”
“God, Rider. You should have told me. You mean to tell me you’ve been suffering for hours? You could have called or texted me. I’d have come right upstairs to help you.” He touched my jaw, his voice hushed.
I sighed, feeling less scared now that he was with me. “I hoped sleeping would help.”
“Did it?”
“Yeah. I don’t feel good, but compared to earlier, I’m much better.”
“Hmmm.” He left me and he went into the bathroom. He returned with a thermometer which he slipped between my lips. He watched me for a few minutes, then he pulled the thermometer out of my mouth and squinted at it. “101 degrees.”
“That’s not that bad. I think anything over 102 is the temperature to watch out for when pregnant.”
“I don’t know, Rider. Fevers make me uneasy.”
“I feel better. I swear.”
“Did you vomit?”
“Yes. But that was hours ago.”
“Is this normal for a pregnant omega to run a temperature and vomit?” He squeezed my hand. “It can’t be, right?
“Nausea is normal, I’m not sure about a fever.” I rolled onto my back, my sweaty shirt sticking to my skin. “But I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
“And I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He hesitated. “Or the baby.”
His heartfelt words warmed me, and I smiled weakly. “I just want to rest.”
He didn’t speak, he studied me. His jaw was tense and his mouth a grim line. I’d almost have thought he was mad at me, except for the gentle sweep of his thumb over the skin of my hand.
“If I get worse then I’ll go to the hospital.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
He felt my head again. “I don’t like this.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to the baby either. If my temperature goes up, I’ll go to the ER.”
He exhaled tiredly. “Okay.” He stroked the hair off my forehead. “You should probably sleep. I’m going to tell Mrs. Lane what’s going on. Then I’ll be right back.”
“You should go eat dinner.” I grimaced at the twinge of nausea the thought of food gave me.
“I’m not hungry. I want to keep an eye on you.” He stood. “Be right back.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. I felt safe now, knowing Jax would watch over me.
He was back after a few minutes, and he clicked off the light. He helped me undress down to just my underwear, then he pulled back the covers and helped me into the bed. I heard the whisper of clothing being shed, and then he was under the sheets, his warm, hard body pressing mine. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him. The heat of his skin, and the familiar clean scent of him comforted me immediately.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I whispered.
He kissed my hair, and he said, “Me too.”
I nestled closer, letting myself relax into him. “You’re a good alpha.”
He laughed softly. “I’m learning as I go.”
I was drowsy, which is probably why I asked what I asked next. “You never claimed Thomas?” The second the words left my mouth I froze, worried I’d fucked up the moment. But amazingly, he didn’t stiffen or pull away like he might have in the past.
“No.” His voice was soft, pensive. “We weren’t ready to have kids. Hell, we were just kids ourselves. We thought we had our entire lives ahead of us.”
I kissed his neck, wanting to comfort him as he always did me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up.”
“It’s okay.” He sighed. “It doesn’t hurt as much to talk about him these days.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He nuzzled my hair. “I think that’s because of you.”
Excitement rolled through my exhausted body, and I was afraid to speak in case I broke the spell. When he said things like that, it got my hopes up. It made me yearn to have it all. But just because he liked having me around didn’t mean he loved me. I needed to remember that. However, it did give me hope that maybe one day he’d fall for me. The closer we grew, the more that might one day be a reality.
I closed my eyes and let out a contented sigh. Jax’s arms tightened, and I allowed myself to drift off.