As I pulled into my spot at Cafe Om, I was hit with just how pissed my father was going to be for walking out they way I had and under false pretenses at that. Not that Cafe Om was the best choice for places to hide, not by a long shot, but it was better than going back to work.

Guilt was weighing on me. I needed to either confess to Marcus that he was a reminder of my past and I was using him to try to hold onto any of the goodness from that time that I could salvage or I needed to leave the poor guy alone. It wasn’t fair to him. I knew this. It was just that seeing him brought back so many feels. The hurt of losing my son would never go away. This I knew. But the feels over Parker? How were those still so raw?

What I wanted to do was find out if Marcus was related to Parker, as sick as that was. What good could come of it? None. If he wasn’t related all I did was look crazy and worse--if he was, I would find out how amazingly perfect Parker’s life was now that he was no longer in my life, after having left me in my darkest hour.

Screw that.

I didn’t need to hold onto a past that had thrown me away. Except I was, and it manifested as hanging out with my ex-alpha’s doppleganger.

I was just getting out of my junker when a car worth more than than my college debt pulled in beside me. I stared, trying to figure out what it was, unable to see the emblem on the back. Foreign for sure and a good distraction from my woes. Taking a deep breath, I shut my door behind me, ready to get some sadistic time with my former alpha’s look alike when Marcus climbed out of the car beside me. Holy cow. Omega night must’ve worked for him if he was able to borrow a car that nice.

“Hey, Marcus! You clean up...,” I called out as he turned to face me. No. Not Marcus. It was Parker. My Parker. Fuck.

He came over, dressed in what I assumed was his work attire, his suit hanging off him in the most delicious way and his scent enveloping me. For a half a second, I allowed myself to believe all the bad was a dream and here he was, my Parker. Not the one who never came the only time I needed him, the one before that. The real Parker. My Parker.

The dream shattered instantly when he held out his hand to me as if I were a freaking client.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as if years hadn’t been between us. As if life hadn’t been between us. As if death… no I couldn’t allow my brain to go there. I couldn’t. I put on my attorney face, hiding behind the facade that I put on when I couldn’t allow my emotions through.

"Grabbing coffee on my way home. You?" He acted as if he wasn’t seeing me, the omega he completely abandoned in his darkest hour.

Did he think I would forget how I had asked for him repeatedly, only to have my mom finally confess that she’d talked to him and that he wanted no part of my life anymore?

"Same," I autoreplied, not allowing an inkling of emotions through.

"Oh. Want to have coffee together? "Was he freaking insane, or just insensitive? Not that it mattered, because turning him down wasn’t an option. I felt a sick sense of completeness being near him, even though he was the one who left me, abandoned me. Something that he seemed to bug him since we were about to have coffee.

"I don't have much time, but a quick cup shouldn't hurt."

I walked in, assuming he’d follow. Or not. I wasn’t sure which I wanted more until I reached the counter and witnessed the first time Marcus saw Parker. Of all things that mattered in that moment, I was focused on the bit that was least connected to me. To my emotions. To the wound in me that was once again raw.

"Marcus! Stop making out with the newbie." I called, teasing him in a way that was all too common for us. He never was making out with anyone, not here, anyway. He had his eyes set on an alpha, not the omegas and betas that filled the Cafe Om staff, at least at this location.

There was a crash in back, followed by some creative cursing. Oh, Marcus.

"Miles, if you want a piece of this you know you're going to--whoa whoa whoa." He came barreling out in true form until his eyes hit Parker. He froze briefly before becoming all Marcus the barista again.

Was it possible Parker was doing the same thing Marcus and I were? Were all three of us hiding behind facades? If so, what was he feeling about all of this?

"So, I wasn't wrong? You two are brothers?" Instant regret slammed into me as I caught the looks in their eyes. I shouldn't have set them up like this Marching Parker in here unannounced served no purpose other than to make me feel like I had some control. I was an ass.

"Twins," Parker confirmed, his voice low and quaking slightly. I had messed up a lot in my life, but I had a feeling this was a close second to the decisions I made that night, and this one couldn’t be blamed on anyone other than myself. "Hey, Zeke."

Marcus flipped his bleached hair and placed a hand on his hip, cocking an elbow out. "It's Marcus."

"Yeah, okay. How you been?"

"Living." Marcus was in full on barista mode, text-book model, but I knew better. I’d seen it before when a customer came in all anti-omega. He held it together perfectly until they left and then boom, he crumbled. "Can I get you drinks?"

"My usual.” Because there was no way I could think to order anything else. If this were a nightmare, waking up would be the best of all options.

"Americano," Parker ordered as his brother did all he could not so much as glance at him before turning to me and adding, "My treat."

I’d already put my money and frequent buyer card on the counter on autopilot, and momentarily regretted it. Not that I wanted him to buy my drink, but the omega in me liked the fact that he offered after all this time. It was official, I was a hot mess and the emotions buzzing around were destroying any sense of rationality I’d been holding onto. "Thanks, but no need."

"Take a seat. I'll bring the drinks out when they're ready."

I mouth an apology to Marcus as he finished the coffee and made my way to a table in the back corner. I should leave. I knew this. No good could come from any of this. But I kept walking, sitting in the seat I first sat in when I met Marcus.

“Sorry about that.” I spy out before Parker sat down. There was so much needed saying, but at least I could start there.