Chapter Eleven
Eddie
After telling Hollis goodbye, I’d driven home. I sat in the driveway with a can of diet soda and the Plan B pill. My hands shook a little as I pealed the paper backing off the blister pack. I pressed the pill through the foil and dumped it into my hand.
I stared at the round white pill for at least a few minutes before I worked up the nerve to pop it in my mouth. I had no idea why the idea of taking the pill was making me so upset, but I knew it had to be the right thing to do.
Right?
The little pill was bitter against my tongue, so I took a huge swig of the diet cock. The only problem was that I couldn’t swallow. My throat closed up and a wave of anxiety rushed over me. It almost felt like I was drowning.
I threw the car door open and spit out the pill and soda. If I was pregnant with Hollis’s baby, I’d just have to deal with it. There was no way that I could kill it. I appreciated that he’d said the decision was mine to make, but I just didn’t believe that. I couldn’t take the possibility of a family away from him without even discussing it first.
Instead, I decided to go inside and talk to Mama. She’d help calm my fears, but I knew she wouldn’t support me taking the emergency contraceptive. That’s just not how she was raised.
When I walked through the front door, Mama and Ted were sitting on the sofa. They looked like they were waiting for me, and I briefly wondered if word had already gotten back to them about me, Hollis, and the Plan B.
“Come sit down,” Mama said as I closed the front door behind me.
“Okay,” I said warily. “What’s this about?”
“We’re worried about you,” Ted said. “The rumors we’ve heard have been concerning, to say the least.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “Things are actually good for me.”
“I don’t know how that’s possible,” Mama said. “The things I’ve heard…”
“What have you heard?” I asked. “Why would you believe rumors instead of asking me?”
“We think you should stop working for Hollis Rivers,” Ted said. “We think you need some distance to get clarity on the situation?”
“The situation?” I could barely contain my anger, and I was still standing in the front entryway at that point. I hadn’t gone into the living room and sat down like my parents asked. I was glad for that. I suddenly felt hot and the walls felt too close. “Ted, you told me to take the job.”
“I meant for you to take the job, Eddie. I didn’t mean for you to start a relationship with an unstable Alpha like Hollis.”
“Unstable?” I spit. “You don’t know him. You both have lost your minds,” I said and stormed up the stairs to my bedroom. A few moments later, Mama came through the door and closed it behind her.
“You really shouldn’t have snapped at Ted that way.”
“Mama, not now,” I said. “I need some time alone.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Eddie,” she said. “Ted and I want you to quit the job. We know what’s best for you in this instance.”
“I’m not quitting the job,” I said. “And I’m not quitting Hollis.”
“Eddie, you’re still a young Omega. You’ve got your whole life to find the right Alpha. I’d hate for you to finally meet the right one and have him pass you by because of mistakes in your past.”
“Hollis is not a mistake.”
“He is, Eddie. I wish you could see that.”
“Mama, with all due respect, I don’t think you know what you’re talking about, and I’m surprised that you’re listening to town gossip over your own son.”
“That town gossip affects Ted and I too, you know. Ted’s overheard staff and teachers at the high school whispering about how he shouldn’t be in charge of educating teenagers when he can’t even keep his stepson in line.”
“That sucks, Mama. It really does, but I’m not going to base my life decisions around the gossip at Ted’s job.”
“I was hoping you’d see reason.” Mama’s voice turned to ice. “I guess you can’t do that. I’m not going to let you put Ted’s job in jeopardy over a fling with the town pariah.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
She swallowed hard. “It means that either you quit the job and break things off with Hollis, or you can’t live here anymore.”
Mama left the room without saying another word. I’m sure she thought that settled it and that I’d call Hollis and break things off. Instead, I packed my things.
Ted and Mama were still in the living room when I came down the stairs with my bags. They looked shocked, and I could tell they regretted giving me an ultimatum, but it didn’t change my mind about leaving. I needed them to know that shit like that wasn’t okay, and it had become apparent to me that it was past time for me to move out.
“Eddie, wait,” Mama said as I opened the front door.
“No, Mama. You made yourself perfectly clear. It’s time for me to go. I’ll call you soon. I think it’s best for everyone if there’s a cooling off period,” I said and made a beeline for my car.
Hollis looked a bit surprised when he opened the door and I was standing there on his porch with my bags. I knew I had a key, but it seemed like an occasion where I should wait to be invited in.
“What happened?” he asked and stepped out of the way so I could go into the house.
“I need a place to stay. My parents wanted me to quit the job or move out. It doesn’t have to be long-term. I’ve got some savings. I just didn’t want to go to a hotel alone.”
“Of course you can stay here,” Hollis said and took two of my bags. “You can stay here for as long as you want. My home is your home too.”