It was the day of the Bachelor Auction, and Eric was trying very hard not to think about it. If things had gone differently, he would be down at the event space helping Julian take care of last minute things. He was sure by now that all the other volunteers had figured out he wasn’t going to show up and probably hated him. That was fine with him. Eric was more comfortable with people’s dislike than their affection, as this whole disaster had shown him.

Instead, the Alpha spent the morning in the title company’s office signing a stack of papers until his hand ached. When they handed over the keys to the house, he expected to feel triumphant, the way he usually did with a new business deal. Instead, he just felt tired.

Well, the sooner he finished this project, the sooner he could get the hell out of Bright Beach. He decided to drive over to the house and check out the state of the interior so he could estimate how long it would take the demolition crew to do their thing.

The paperwork and closing details had taken most of the day, so it was early evening when the Alpha arrived at the house. Eric unlocked the door and pushed it open. It was dark inside, with the power long turned off, so he used his phone light to look around.

So. This was the famous house. The cause of all this trouble. The sooner he knocked it over, the better.

The place smelled dusty, neglected. His footsteps echoed as he walked into the center of the empty room The only good thing about the place now was the unobstructed view of the beach. He could see the dark waves and hear the gentle hiss of the sea.

The house had an open floorplan, similar to Julian’s condo, now that he thought about it: the front door opened straight into the living room, which flowed into the little kitchen. He could see where the furniture had been from dents in the carpet: a dining table and chairs, couches. A hallway off to the left led to a bathroom and a staircase up to the second floor bedrooms. Even empty as it was, the place felt welcoming. It had good flow, as they said in his design classes. And the wall of windows facing the beach made even the small space feel open and airy.

As he looked around, Eric realized he was standing in the living room from Julian’s story: the place where the previous owners had danced together, still in love after all those years. The Alpha wasn’t usually the type to be sentimental about a building (or anything for that matter), but looking around and realizing that this would all be gone soon made him feel strangely sad. Maybe because, thanks to Julian, he knew the story of the people who had lived here. Or maybe because the man who had told him the story was gone from his life.

Eric put his hands on his hips, looking around, desperate to distract himself from thoughts of the Omega. The construction was solid, the lines of the walls and ceilings still straight and sturdy. The fixtures were outdated, of course, but that was an easy fix. For a brief second, he imagined what he would do if it was his: install some new cabinets, put in a kitchen island for more storage, repaint. The place had a good feel to it. It was inviting, and full of potential, even in its neglected state.

This was more than just a building, he realized. It was someone’s home.

Home was a strange concept to him. He’d never really felt it in a particular place. He’d moved so much, after all. Even now, as an adult, he lived out of hotel rooms, only staying in a city long enough to finish the job. The closest he’d come to the idea of home was visiting Charlotte and Leah during the holidays. They had a tiny apartment, but they would decorate every square inch of it, and the place was warm and fragrant with the smell of holiday treats. And even then, he’d felt like a visitor, one who could only stand outside and look in.

Home seemed like a foreign country that he’d heard of but never visited: a place where a person could relax, settle down, and be comforted. By contrast, his everyday life was a series of solitary hotel rooms.

Except, he realized, when he was with Julian. The Omega had somehow encouraged him to open up, to relax, to be himself. But that hadn’t lasted, of course.

Well, whose fault was that? He hadn’t argued with Julian when the Omega told him to go: it had seemed pointless at the time. But as he thought back on their conversation, he realized something. Julian hadn’t really told him to go. He’d told him to choose.

Eric paced the floor, his thoughts racing. He remembered the conversation so clearly now. Julian had said “You either need to be a father or don’t, but you don’t get to pick and choose or half-ass it when it’s convenient.” And he, like an idiot, had said he couldn’t stay. He’d made his choice, all right, but he’d chosen the wrong thing.

Eric knew he had his obligation to his nice to pay for her college, and he would do that, no matter what it took. He could take out some loans if he had to. The Alpha would keep his promise.

But he realized that in focusing on money, he had neglected another, very important obligation: to be a father to his own child.

And, if Julian would have him back, he would beg the Omega’s forgiveness. Being with Julian even briefly had shown him what life could be like, and he wanted to see if the two of them could make it work.

As the realization dawned on him, the Alpha felt the sorrow he’d been dragging around for the last two days lift, like someone pulling back a curtain and letting sunlight shine in. Even if Julian said no, he had to at least try.

Eric knew, suddenly, what he had to do.

* * *

He was used to seeing the community center parking lot with only a few cars in the spaces, so it was a shock when Eric rounded the corner and saw it was completely packed. It was so crowded, in fact, that he couldn’t find a spot. The Alpha ended up parking on the street, too impatient to drive slowly through the rows. People were encouraged to dress up, so Eric felt out of place in his work jeans and boots. But there was no time to waste on changing: he had to see Julian right away.

He was halfway across the parking lot when he realized a few people were glancing at him. He recognized Emily, one of the other volunteers, looking pretty in a tropical pink cocktail dress. But instead of smiling at him, as she usually did, she gave him a disapproving frown.

Of course. They thought he had bailed on Julian. Well, technically, he had, so he couldn’t blame her. But he didn’t want to make a scene or spoil the event that Julian had worked so hard to plan; he just wanted to talk to the Omega. Maybe if he texted him, Julian would come out and talk?

He’d just pulled his phone out of his pocket when he felt a heavy hand close on his shoulder. The Alpha whirled instinctively and came face to face with Logan.

He was used to seeing the other Alpha in gym clothes, so seeing Logan in a perfectly-fitting suit was a shock. “What are you doing here, Eric?” he asked, and it was clear that he wasn’t happy to see him again.

“Logan, listen, I fucked up big time,” he said.

“Well, I won’t argue with you there.”

“I need to talk to Julian right away.”

Logan shook his head. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough, Eric? He’s worked really hard on this event. We all have. Please don’t ruin it with drama.”

“That is the last thing I want to do,” Eric said, trying to make Logan understand. “Look, all I want to apologize to Julian and see if he’ll take me back.”

The other Alpha raised an eyebrow. “Are you finally feeling guilty for what you did?”

“Guilty isn’t the right word,” Eric said. “I realized that I need to take responsibility for my own actions. I want to be a father and be in our child’s life. And I realized that Julian is a hell of a guy, and if I walk away without trying to make it right it will make me the stupidest man alive.”

As they had talked, Logan had watched Eric with a cold, blank expression. But when Eric finished, Logan broke into a warm smile.

“About time you came to your senses,” he said, giving Eric a brotherly punch on the shoulder. “Lucky for you, I have an idea. But you can’t go in looking like that. Come on.”