The “Sold” sign on the house taunted Julian every morning as he drove past it on his way to work, and every night as he went home to his silent condo. It was a monument to his failure, a reminder that love was something nice that happened to other people. It showed what happened if you let your guard down even for a moment. The Omega didn’t intend to make that mistake ever again.

When Julian called Carla at Bright Realty to ask what had happened, she told him that the McLeods’ daughter needed the cash for an unexpected surgery and couldn’t wait any longer for Eric to finish his charity project. So they waived the requirement and offered to let him buy it.

The sign had gone up the night of their breakup: Eric hadn’t wasted a single second. Typical Alpha.

They hadn’t spoken since the night at the gym, and he hadn’t seen Eric around town either. Julian tried to tell himself it was better this way. He wasn’t sure if he would be strong enough to resist if the Alpha tried to work it out.

Because as much as he hated to admit it, he missed Eric, desperately. He missed the Alpha’s quiet confidence, his teasing smile, the light in his beautiful blue eyes. When Eric opened up to Julian about the situation with his ex-boyfriend, the Omega had been so tempted to forgive him for everything. His heart ached to think of Eric being lied to like that, even now.

But he knew that trying to make it work now would be a mistake. The Alpha showed his true intentions by buying the house and avoiding him, and Julian knew it was only a matter of time before he demolished it and rebuilt, then left Bright Beach forever. The Omega still felt sad about losing the house, but less than he expected, which surprised him. Even if he could have it now, it would only remind him of Eric. No, he decided, it was better to focus on his new future: the child growing inside him.

* * *

It was the night before the Bachelor Auction, and the event space was crowded with volunteers talking and laughing as they finished setting up. Gabe and Logan were both there to help out, and little Cash was toddling around, enjoying being an adorable distraction.

Julian was grateful for the bustle and noise, losing himself in the task of getting things done. He wandered around with his trusty clipboard, checking off things as they were completed and making notes of anything he needed to pick up for tomorrow. The Omega knew in his heart that Eric wouldn’t show up, but it didn’t stop him from looking up every time the door opened. He scolded himself for being silly and swore he wouldn’t do it again, but it was no good.

The stage had been completed. Logan said Eric had left detailed instructions, and for a minute Julian was suspicious: had he intended to not finish it all along? But even as he thought it, he couldn’t see the Alpha doing that, since Eric had been nothing but helpful the entire time. Julian had to admit, the stage had come out perfectly, and building it had ended up much cheaper than renting.

Gabe oversaw the setup of the tables and chairs with Cash balanced on his hip. The other Omega caught his eye and smiled. Julian wandered over to join them, dodging people carrying tables.

“Looking good,” he said, trying to summon a smile of his own. “What do you think, Cash?” he asked, grinning at Gabe’s son.

The toddler giggled and hid his face in Gabe’s neck. Gabe chuckled. “We’re shy today, apparently,” he said, shaking his head in amusement. “Anyway. Anything else on the big list?”

“No,” Julian said, scanning the page one last time. “I think we’re about done for the evening. I’ll arrive early tomorrow and let in the bartenders so they can set up, and the florist should be delivering the centerpieces tomorrow afternoon so they’re fresh.”

He thanked everyone for their hard work as the volunteers finished up and filed out the door. Finally, it was down to the four of them: the little family and Julian. Cash was starting to get sleepy and grumpy, so Logan volunteered to take him home. “See you tomorrow,” he said cheerfully to Julian, bending down and giving Gabe a soft kiss.

After they’d left, the two Omegas sat at one of the tables to take a break. Gabe reached out and touched Julian’s hand. “How are you holding up?” he asked quietly.

“Oh, fine,” Julian lied. “It’s nice to have something else to focus on.”

“I saw the Sold sign on the house,” Gabe said slowly, shaking his head. “I still can’t believe Eric did that so quickly, even after everything that happened. I guess now we know who he really is. Just another greedy developer.”

“Well, he needs money to help out a family member, so I can see why he went through with it,” Julian said, wondering why he was defending the Alpha at all. What was the point? The Omega was sick of thinking about the house. “I wish I hadn’t wanted it in the first place,” he said bitterly. “Then I wouldn’t have cared what happened to it, and none of this would have happened.”

“Why did you want the place so bad, Julian? You never told me.”

Feeling guilty that he’d confided in Eric before his best friend, the Omega explained. “…and I saw them dancing in their living room and I realized I wanted that,” he said, feeling the old pang of longing, still strong after all these years.

He’d expected Gabe to say his story was sweet, but the other Omega was staring at him like he’d grown a second head. “Julian,” Gabe said slowly. “You never wanted a house.”

“What? Of course I did. I just told you the story,” he said indignantly.

Gabe shook his head and smiled. “No. What you wanted was a home.”

Julian stared at his friend, feeling understanding slowly unfold, like a slow-blooming flower. Ever since he met the Alpha, he had barely thought of the house itself. Instead, he had been focused on Eric, and how he had made Julian feel: like he was seen, and understood, and maybe even loved.

Gabe seemed to see his thoughts, because he smiled.

“I fucked up, didn’t I?” Julian said.

The other Omega laughed softly. “It’s not a fuck up unless you don’t do anything to change it.”