Chapter Twenty-Five
Walking into the store, it looked like Mason had to vomit. I took his shaking hand in mine and squeezed his fingers.
“C’mon, you got this,” I said, leading him into the shop.
His eyes darted all around the store. “I can’t wear any of this stuff. I don’t want to look like a woman. I want to look like a man. A pregnant man.”
“I’m sure we can find you something.” I walked over to one rack and started flipping through some stuff. He came and stood by my side as I pulled a few things out. Mason grabbed one shirt from my hand that looked all scrunchy on the side.
“I am not wearing a top with ruching.”
“You know what it’s called, though,” I said, putting the shirt back on the rack.
“Shut up.”
Mason went to try stuff on, and I sat in a chair outside the fitting room. We went shopping at the perfect time. No other customers were in the store.
“You have to come out and show me,” I said.
“I don’t know. That girl behind the counter keeps staring at us.”
“You’re going to have a lot of people staring at you until you give birth.”
“That makes me want to cry.”
My heart dropped. “Don’t cry, Mason. You don’t have to show me.”
He stepped out of the dressing room and looked adorable. He had on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but they hugged his body, showing off his round belly. It looked so much more pronounced than when we wore his baggy hoodie. In his hoodie, you could tell he had some kind of pooch going on, but as he stood there, his pregnant stomach stuck out screaming to be looked at.
“I look so pregnant. Look at me.”
“I think you look great,” I said.
He came and stood in front of me, and I leaned forward and kissed his belly.
“I think so, too.” The girl from the counter stood near the dressing room. “You guys doing that whole role-playing thing?”
“What? No,” I said. “People do that?”
“You guys aren’t the first.”
“We’re not roleplaying, and I don’t think it’s any of your business anyway,” I said.
She shrugged. “Sorry, was just curious.”
“I’m actually pregnant,” Mason said, surprising me. He was so worried about people seeing him, but yet, he stood there telling someone he was pregnant. Pride washed over me.
The girl looked at him and crossed her arms. He pointed to his swollen abdomen.
“Wearing some kind of fake stomach?”
“You don’t have to put up with this, Mason. Let’s find another store,” I said, my blood boiling.
Mason put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. Let’s just get this stuff and go.”
“You’re for real?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Mason said.
“You transgender?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.
“No. Intersex.”
“Really? I didn’t think … yeah, I don’t know what to think.” She scrunched up her nose and tilted her head, staring at Mason’s abdomen.
Mason let out a laugh. “Well, you know.”
“Let me help you guys out.”
The store clerk came back with a smile and a pile of clothes. “I bet you guys are so excited about being dads.”
Mason looked at me, tears welling in his eyes. “We are.”
“Yeah, we can’t wait.”
The store clerk left, and as if she thought we couldn’t see what she was doing, she pulled out her phone and took a picture of Mason as he popped out of the dressing room in a pair of jeans and a gray sweater.
I had to hold myself back from running across the store and smashing her phone.
“This one doesn’t show off my boobs,” Mason said. “Did she just take my picture?”
“Those jeans look nice, too,” I said, trying to distract him.
He took in a quick breath and closed his eyes. “She took my picture.”
“I’m going to talk to her. She’s invading your privacy.”
“No, Conrad, don’t. I think that will happen a lot whenever I’m out.”
“I can get a hold of the manager or something.”
“Conrad, no. But I do want to ask you a question,” Mason said, a serious expression on his face.
“Of course.” I put my hands on his shoulders.
“Are we together?” Mason asked in a whisper.
“Forever.” I smiled thinking about it.
“But like a real couple and not because of our biology?”
“What? Of course. I like you so much, Mason. I love you.”
Wetness built in his eyes. “You do?”
I nodded. I was such a dumb ass for never saying it to him until that point.
“How can you like this?” he asked, waving his hand up and down his body.
“I started having feelings for you before you were pregnant. And what’s not to like about you like this. You look beautiful.”
“Really?” he said, sniffling back tears.
“Yeah. I don’t know why I haven’t said anything. Since we first got together, I’ve been trying to get the words out. You’re my boyfriend. My mate for life. My omega.”
“Is that the only reason? Because I’m an omega.”
“You know it isn’t.”
He wiped at his eyes with the heels of his hands and nodded.
I grabbed him by the waist, pulling him to me. I placed my palm on his cheek. “I’ve liked you since the first day I met you. This is sort of a dream come true for me.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very much so.”
He wrapped his arms around me in a hug, his belly smashed between us.
“Yeah,” I said with a smile. “We’re in this together, no matter what. I won’t ever leave your side, and together, we’re going to have a set of twins.”