Darcy opened his eyes to stare at the ornate ceiling above him. He didn't have to look to know that he was alone in his room. In typical Darcy fashion, he relished the sensation of aloneness after a night of sex. And then, with a suddenness he did not anticipate, a feeling of remorse flooded through him.

Darcy rolled to his right side. There, on the pillow Eliot had slept on, was an indent marking the position of his head. Something cracked inside him, leaving him feeling sick.

Why did he care?

The night’s encounter began to play through his mind. The look in Eliot's eyes when Darcy ripped his shirt off. Eliot’s moan. Eliot going to his knees in front of him. Eliot’s lips around him.

Alone, Darcy felt no inhibitions and rolled over, reaching down to stroke himself. That immaculate blowjob had been just the beginning. As he replayed the rest of the night, he stroked himself harder and faster until he came in a glorious explosion of frustrated relief on his chest.

Darcy growled as he rolled onto his back. He’d fulfilled his fantasies, and they’d been more than he’d imagined. Hopefully now, Eliot would fade from his mind. Nothing had changed. He still couldn’t manage a relationship right now, even if he wanted one.

Darcy rubbed his eyes. The languid satisfaction that release normally brought him did not arrive. The sexual energy had dissipated, but something still buzzed under his skin. A feeling he didn’t want to name, but did anyway: loneliness.

He opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling once more. It was only a matter of time. A day or two. maybe three, and this would just be a memory. Eliot wasn’t important. The pain would fade. It always had before.

And that was why Darcy didn’t believe in forever.

Dressed in his usual business attire of slim pants and a button down shirt, Darcy walked down the stairs toward the breakfast room, the usual soft morning noises carrying to him. He caught himself almost skipping down the steps and had to remind himself that what had happened between him and Eliot was a one time thing. He needed to take care not to display emotion. It would be inconsiderate to give Eliot the idea that there was any future between them.

Darcy straightened his shoulders and adjusted the sleeves of his shirt before walking in to the breakfast room like nothing had happened.

“Hello,” Bing said. His shoulders hunched in uncharacteristic poor posture as he stared at his oatmeal. Bing never ate oatmeal. The scene before him should have been familiar. Bing. Carter. Himself. The way it used to be.

The room felt empty.

The need to ask where Jane and Eliot were burned in him, but Darcy would not let the words out. He went to the coffee machine and got himself his usual. He leaned against the sideboard rather than sit at the table, uncertain that he would be able to keep himself from fidgeting.

Carter answered his unasked question. “They snuck out this morning before anybody was up.”

Darcy nodded. Carter’s words unleashed the wall of emotions Darcy had been repressing all morning, yet still he managed to keep them locked in his mind, his face a blank canvas.

Bing stabbed at the egg on his plate.

Carter lifted his tea cup to his lips with an affected smirk and pinched eyes. "I ran into Eliot this morning on his way out.”

Darcy gave no reaction, a fact which irritated Carter. Eyes narrowing slightly, Carter continued, "He seemed to have had a good night."

Immediately, Darcy started wondering what Carter had said that had chased Eliot away, but he quickly dismissed that line of thought. The plan had been for the siblings to leave today, and Eliot wasn’t the kind to be intimidated by Carter. If he left, it was because he had wanted to. If anyone had chased him away early, it was Darcy himself.

“So they've gone back to their apartment?” Darcy asked.

Bing answered. “I suppose so.”

Darcy’s eyes did raise at that. Had something gone wrong between him and Jane? "Well, I wish them the best,” Darcy said.

Carter picked up his own drink, holding it close so that the cup masked his lips. “Do you? Do you really?"

Darcy sent Carter a level stare, doing his best not to actually glare at the man. “Of course I do. I rarely wish anyone harm."

“I was simply thinking you might have other wishes for them.” Carter affected innocence, but Darcy was done with his insinuations and the insecurities they were stirring, when combined with Eliot’s early morning departure. Darcy straightened away from the sideboard. “I've got a busy day ahead of me. Need to head into the office.” He’d had no intention of going into the city until that moment, but right now, getting out of this house seemed the best course of action.

Bing jumped up, welcoming the excuse to leave the others. “I’ll go with you.”

Darcy felt his own eyes go round but didn't question his friend.

The two men exited the breakfast room, heading out back to where Darcy's car was parked.

"I slept with her,” Bing announced as the car doors closed them in.

Darcy didn't look at his friend. "I thought that might have happened."

Bing pushed his hands through his hair. “I’m falling for her, you know.”

Darcy's jaw tightened. “Yes, I do know."

“I’m not sure that she feels the same way about me."

Bing’s normally open and carefree expression was torn and ragged. Darcy's heart fluttered at the sight of his friend’s unhappiness. “What are you going to do?"

Bing shrugged. His feet tapped on the floor which always meant he was thinking of doing something foolish. “I don’t know. Go on as we are? I’m terrified of losing her, Darcy. She’s just… perfect." He said the last word in a sigh. “I should text her. It feels so strange that they slipped out so quietly after… after.”

“May I offer a suggestion?” Darcy said hesitantly.

“Of course! You know I value your input.”

Darcy hesitated to express his feelings fully about Jane. Instead he said, “Why don’t you wait for her to contact you instead of continuing to pursue her? Just give it a week or two. You’ve only been dating for a couple months, and you're moving pretty fast. Maybe taking some room to breathe would be a good idea.”

“You think she needs to breathe?” Bing asked.

“I think you need to breathe,” Darcy said, speaking to himself as much as to Bing.

Bing gazed out over the tops of their cars at nothing. His eyes turned back to Darcy. “Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Darcy's hand dropped away from Bing’s arm. “Yeah. I think that's a good idea... for both of us."

The last muttered words didn’t pierce Bing’s introspection. He drummed his arms on his thighs, his feet twitching. “Take a breather. Okay. I will."

"So you're not going to chase her down and try and see her right now?" Darcy asked.

Bing had the grace to blush, his cheeks going redder than Darcy anticipated. "Okay, yeah, that's what I was thinking about. But I think instead I'll go boating.”

Darcy patted his friend on the shoulder. “Taking the boat out sounds like a good idea to me. Do you want me to come along?"

Bing’s mouth popped open. “And not go into work? You?"

Darcy chuckled. “Hey, don't rub it in. I'm trying to be a friend here."

Bing threw back his head and laughed. When Darcy stopped at a red light, Bing leaned over and hugged Darcy, an unusual exchange for them. "Darce, you're always my friend even when you're working." Bing sat back. "But if you're willing to work on the boat, I'm more than willing to have you with me. In fact, I think today I'd really appreciate it."

Darcy nodded. "I’ve got my laptop and cell phone. We’ll go straight to the marina."

The lightening of Bing’s expression was the only thanks Darcy needed, but unease tightened around his shoulders. He wasn't sure how to tell Bing that he didn't think Jane was right for him, that she might be only with him for his position or money. But perhaps the situation would resolve itself. At least out on the boat, while they were ignoring the situation entirely, Darcy wouldn't have to.

Bing was uncharacteristically quiet on the boat, and normally that would suit Darcy just fine, but thoughts of Eliot continued to shatter his focus, so he accepted a call from his sister with even more enthusiasm than normal.

“You’ll never believe where I am,” he said.

“Tokyo,” she guessed.

“Do you really think I’d be answering the phone at three in the morning?”

“Yes,” Gina answered without hesitation. “You’d be working. Don’t even try to protest.”

Darcy closed his laptop and tucked it safely next to his side. “Okay, I won’t.”

“So where are you?”

“On Bing’s boat.”

“On a workday?”

“I’m turning over a new leaf, what can I say?” Darcy smiled, knowing she wouldn’t believe a word of it.

Bing shouted, “As if he doesn’t have his laptop right next to him.”

Gina giggled, which deepened his smile. “I would expect nothing less.” Darcy’s smile fell away as she sighed.

“What’s wrong, Gidget?”

“Don’t call me that,” she said automatically, but the sass normally present in her voice was missing.

“Come on, tell your big brother all about it.”

“It’s nothing, really. I wish I could take it all as easily as you are, though. You’ve surprised me. I expected you to go all stiff and dark, but you’ve been super zen about this whole thing.”

“About what whole thing?” For a moment, his heart stopped, thinking she was referring to him sleeping with Eliot, but that didn’t make sense. It didn’t fit in with the context of the conversation, even if she had somehow found out about last night.

“This whole wedding thing. I know I should be happy for her but… I mean, you know Mom. She can’t do anything like a normal person. It would be different if I felt like she actually cared about him, but—”

Darcy’s confusion grew as she continued. “Gina, what are you talking about?”

"You do know about mother, right, Darcy? You said you did, the other day when I asked you."

“All I know she's on vacation with you in France and that she’s currently insisting you dress alike and trying to be your sister."

Her sigh sounded like a wind in the void. "She's getting married, Darcy.”

“What?” The single word exploded from Darcy's lips.

Gina sighed again. "I can't believe she hasn't told you yet. Or that Will didn’t tell you. I mean, it’s all over the gossip sites. She made sure it was. Rupert proposed as soon as we got to France. Mother sent Collins back to hire a wedding planner to get started on the engagement party and everything else. They're getting married in October at The Sonora.”

Darcy sagged against the side of Bing's boat. He knew Bing was watching him, his outburst a moment ago insured he would have his attention. "She's getting married? Who’s Rupert?”

"Rupert Smilton, Darcy. She’s kept him the longest. He asked her on their sixth month anniversary."

Rupert did sound like the name of the man she’d mentioned a while ago. But he rarely kept track of his mother’s string of lovers. She rarely kept them around long enough for him to meet them twice.

He rubbed at the scruff lining his jaw. This wasn't the worst news Darcy had ever received. The worst had been when his father’s affairs had threatened the stability of the company. Well, and even that wasn't the worst of the worst. Everything regarding George… That had been the worst. But the news of his mother’s impending marriage was the current worst news.

"When do you get back?" Darcy asked Gina.

“Day after tomorrow. I’m flying into DC with Mother.”

“Call me when you get in, okay?" Darcy put down the phone and looked at Bing. "My mother is getting married again."

Bing nodded. "So I heard."

Had he seriously been the last one to know?

"Do you want to go back?"

Darcy considered it, then shook his head. “I think… I think I need to be away from everything right now.”

Darcy looked down at his computer, saving what he had been working on then closing it. There would be plenty of time and other hours to deal with business issues. He texted Will to let him know he’d be offline, then turned his phone off.

Thinking back over the last couple of weeks, Will and Gina had been dancing around his mother's impending new marriage. Maybe if Darcy’s thoughts hadn’t been focused elsewhere, on a pair of enchanting eyes and a glorious ass, he would have noticed.

If Eliot hadn't already made the situation between them clear by sneaking away this morning, this news would have put his head back on straight. Between managing his business and managing his family, he had no time in his life for a relationship. And even if he did, he needed someone who wanted more than one night of drunken fun. Certainly not someone who slipped away in the morning as if he’d done something shameful.

Eliot was not the right omega for him.

He slipped around to the front of the boat as Bing prepared to up their speed on the open water. The wind blasted his face and pushed his thoughts far to the back of his mind, though it didn’t have the strength to whisk them completely away.