“Addison? Kristoff? There’s breakfast in the kitchen if you want some,” Caleb said, leaning into the room. I woke up and flung the covers over my half-naked body. Addison simply groaned.

“Hi, Mr. Matthews. I’ll be right out,” I said. My morning wood was poking against the bed sheets. I was so fucking embarrassed.

Caleb chuckled to himself and said, “Okay, dear.”

I flung on some clothes and shook Addison awake, but he was much too tired to give a shit. He threw a second pillow over his head, which was my cue to leave his butt, which was just barely poking out of the covers.

I waved at the two loving parents. I felt so awkward. I was twenty-eight years old and sleeping over at their house again. “Hey, guys,” I said, groggily.

Dill was reading the newspaper. He peeked his head above the grey headlines and smiled. “Hiya! There is coffee and oatmeal. I can make some eggs too if you want,” he said.

“Oh, it’s fine. I’m good on the oatmeal and coffee, I think,” I said.

I walked like a zombie toward the coffee machine. “Long night?” Caleb asked me.

I laughed and felt my cheeks turn hot. “No. I mean, not really. We just threw the football around the backyard, like old times,” I said.

Dill laughed to himself. Caleb smiled and glanced at his alpha. “Are you sure you weren’t kissing in the backyard?” he asked.

I frowned as I took a sip of the rich coffee. “Aw, come on. Are you grilling me already? You have to give me some time to wake up first, guys,” I said.

I was close to his family, so they knew they could give me crap whenever they wanted to. It was all in good fun. I sat down and eyed the two very carefully. “Okay,” I said. “We might have kissed.”

“Yes!” Caleb clapped his hands. “I knew it! I knew you’d get back together.”

“Honey, don’t get overexcited in front of Kristoff. They’re just having fun,” Dill said.

The honor of mating was a privilege among the alphas and omegas. The betas never understood it. For us, it was a definite right of passage, and it wasn’t as scary or weird as the betas made it out to be. However, an omega couldn’t take his fate lightly. Finding the right alpha was of the utmost importance.

“Are you guys…?” Caleb asked. “You’re in heat, right?”

My eyes darted open. I spit out my coffee all over the table. “Oh, shoot. I’m so sorry!” I grabbed the nearest napkin and awkwardly dabbed at my mess.

“Caleb, enough with the questions, love. Kristoff doesn’t want to talk about this at the table,” Dill said.

“Sorry,” Caleb muttered, avoiding eye contact with me.

“No, it’s fine,” I managed to say. “Um. Well, I don’t know what our plans are. We’re taking it one day at a time.”

“He’s definitely in heat, though.” Addison walked into the kitchen, scratching his shirtless chest. He winked in the cockiest way possible.

“Addison, come on,” I said, smiling.

He leaned forward and kissed my temple. “I’m only joking,” he said. “Oh, man. I’m starving.”

Both parents looked at each other through their peripheral. They both tried their hardest not to laugh, but it quickly became impossible not to let it all out.

“What are you planning?” Caleb asked the two of us.

“Nothing,” Addison said. He glanced over at me. I didn’t know how to react, so I just rolled my eyes.

“He’s just riling you up,” I said.

But as I spoke, I knew that the possibility of being pregnant was there. And if we decided to go through with the decision, it would change our lives forever.

“And I’d never have a baby with someone who doesn’t even have a job,” I said. “That’s a big no-no.”

Addison walked carefully with his steaming coffee. He sat down next to me. Under the table, his hand moved against my inner thigh. I drew my leg closer to him and grinned.

“I don’t need a job. I’ve got all the money I need,” Addison said.

“That’s not the point,” Caleb said. “An omega needs to know that his alpha is responsible.”

Addison stopped joking around. His voice turned honest and rough. “I know, dad. I’m working on it, okay?” he asked.

“I hope so, son,” Caleb said. “I’m proud of you for talking to Holloway’s family. That was a big first step.”

“Oh yeah!” I exclaimed. “I forgot. You said it went well?”

Addison breathed in a breath of fresh air. “It’s a huge weight off my shoulders. Holloway wasn’t against me at all. He bore no ill feelings. It was the complete opposite of what I expected,” Addison said.

I scooped my spoon into my oatmeal. “Was his wife mad?” I asked him, taking a bite.

“No. They were both so sweet,” Addison said.

“Then, I’m confused. I’ve been watching Sports Network with Frank all week long. They said there was a possible lawsuit happening,” I said.

Addison shook his head, also confused by the news. “That’s what I don’t get. Andy told me that too. I asked his wife Kelly about it, but she told me that they knew the risks of the game,” he said.

“So, that means that someone is spreading rumors,” I said. Andy’s face came to mind, but I didn’t want to be the one who said it. I didn’t know who else could be behind it.

“Oh, come on. Don’t give me that look, Kristoff,” Addison said, as soon as our eyes met. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“Well, who else could it be?” I asked.

Addison searched his memory but came up empty-handed. “It wasn’t Andy. He’s trying to get me back on the field. Why would he mess with me like that? It doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

“I don’t know, Addison. But Andy hasn’t been faithful to players in the past. He loves a good news headline,” I said.

Andy was a snake in the grass. He was always so nice to Addison, and he even tried to be nice toward me in the beginning. However, after some time passed, it became more and more obvious that he didn’t care about friendship.

“Talk to him about it. See what he says,” Dill said, who had been patiently watching us since the beginning of the conversation.

Addison sat back in his chair. He ran his palms over his face. He was clearly stressed out. “What does it matter? I’m not going back on the field either way, so why should I care what he does?”

I knew better than to accept that regurgitated line of not wanting to play football again. It was a lie. When I walked into this house last night, I saw the way he looked at his old jersey.

Addison glared at the table, waiting for us to give him a million reasons why he should play again, but no one did. At that point, it was up to him to decide on what he wanted for his life.

Addison cleared his throat anxiously. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I still have a lot of soul-searching left to do. I’m not sure what I want yet.”

“I support you,” I said. My hand fell over his. I squeezed and tried to be comforting for him.

I wanted him to know that things were different from the last time. We were so young and impressionable back then. But I knew it would take time for him to realize what he wanted, and that was okay.

I glanced down at my thin stomach. I quickly looked back up at the table, in case his parents saw me. I hadn’t made an appointment to see a doctor to get the pill. And when Addison interlocked his fingers with mine, I decided to wait a day.

But was Addison really father material? I glanced back at him. He was lightly stabbing his spoon inside of his oatmeal. I did my best to hide my frown.

“I do miss the game, though,” Addison admitted after a few minutes. “Playing it, I mean. But do I miss the rest that went along with it? Hell no.”

I pulled out my phone to look at the news. “I’m checking the headlines,” I warned Addison. “Maybe the Holloway thing has blown over.”

Addison couldn’t sit still. He leaned over my shoulder and watched as I scrolled down to the sports gossip column. “A New Beginning,” he said, pointing at an older picture of himself. “That one, right there. Click it.”

“Maybe I should read this first,” I said, shielding the screen.

“Oh, come on. How bad can it be?” Addison asked.

Addison and I silently skimmed the article together. Addison whispered the words so that his fathers could hear. “Sources tell us that Addison has met with Holloway’s family to settle outside of court? Settle? There wasn’t going to be a lawsuit in the first place,” Addison groaned.

“There’s always a spin,” Dill said.

Addison went on, trailing his eyes along the screen. “And as the seasons change, we have received word that Addison Matthews, former quarterback of the Omega Wolves, is seriously considering a new team to join,” he read. “This is insane. I don’t even have a PR agency anymore. Who is running this?”

“Andy,” I repeated.

But then we scrolled even further and my jaw dropped down to the table. “Is there a possible romance in the works too? Our favorite QB was spotted with an ex-lover at his mansion in Los Angeles…” Addison trailed off.

“There are paparazzi stalking your house?” I asked him.

I tried my best not to get mad, but as I scrolled to the bottom of the article, I counted five different pictures of us together. In the bottom center was a picture of me in his pool.

In the picture, my hair is slicked back and wet. I’m kissing him. The words paint the picture: “Possible pregnancy coming for his omega?”

“I can’t believe this!” Addison shouted.

Whoever leaked those photos had gone too far. They had invaded my privacy. “You can’t believe this? What about me?”

“I know,” Addison said. He stood up from the breakfast table and slumped down onto the couch. He threw a pillow over his face and screamed.

Both of Addison’s parents shared a short glance with each other. They silently took their plates and set them in the sink before sneaking out the backyard.

I sat down next to Addison. “What’s going on? Why are they saying this? We didn’t even have sex that night,” I said.

“I’m going to try my best to avoid Andy from now on,” I said. “I didn’t say or leak anything. I’m in the dark on this as much as you are.”

I believed my alpha. Even though has pulled some stupid things in his lifetime, he wouldn’t throw me under the bus like this. When Addison quit the league, Andy must have lost a good chunk of his income and influence.

“Just call him,” I whispered.

Addison carefully took out his phone. He dialed his number and hit the green send button. I watched him as the phone rang. “Buddy!” Andy exclaimed. “I’m just about to head into a meeting. What’s up?”

“Skip the meeting, Andy. We need to talk. What’s going on with you?” Addison asked.

“What’re you talking about, buddy? Am I on speakerphone?” Andy asked.

I rolled my eyes. Andy knew he was caught, but he wasn’t going to admit it to him without proof. Of course, that was impossible to get, and he probably knew that.

“Relax, Andy. You’re on speaker phone,” Addison said.

“Hey, Andy,” I reluctantly muttered into the receiver.

“You guys, I have no idea who leaked those photos, or what their angle is. There is no reason for me to want that out there,” Andy said.

Addison groaned and took a deep breath. “Look, I’m not going to fight with you, Andy. There are a million reasons why you’d want to leak that, and you know it. I just wanted to ask you for myself. At the very least, I have your answer,” Addison said.

“Addi, there’s nothing to worry about between us. We’ve always been brothers, right?” Andy asked.

I looked at Addison and shook my head. I leaned cheek against his shoulder. “I have to run, Andy. If you want to patch things up, we can talk in person. Text me your schedule,” Addison said. Before Andy could respond, Addison hung up the phone.

“Fuck. I’m sorry to put you in this position,” Addison said.

I placed my hand on his thigh and squeezed. “It’s okay. I don’t really care what the world thinks. I just don’t want the world questioning whether or not I’m pregnant,” I said.

“Well, you are.” Addison’s lips curled upward. I smirked and looked away.

“We don’t know that,” I said.

Addison took me into his arms and gave me a big hug. “I know. And I respect your decision, whatever that may be,” he said.

“Same to you, Addi,” I said, mocking Andy’s nickname.

Addison pounced on top of me, tickling my sides. “Hey!” I yelled. “You know I hate being tickled!”

“I just love you too much,” Addison said. He didn’t realize what he said until the words lingered in front of us. “Shit. I didn’t mean that,” he groaned.

I squinted my eyes and kept my grin fixed in place. “You just said—”

Addison held his hand in front of my mouth. His face was bright red and his hands were shaking. “I didn’t, I didn’t, I didn’t,” he repeated three times. “And if you say that I did, I’ll deny it to the grave.”

I winked and bit the inside of his palm. He took his hand away from my mouth and kissed me. “We both know what you said,” I whispered, as our lips disconnected.

“I really like you,” Addison said.

“Me too, Addison. I’ve missed being around you and your family. I love them so much,” I said.

“My parents are great,” Addison said. “But I feel like they’re disappointed in me.”

I laid against his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. I closed my eyes and kissed the edge of his clavicle. “I think they just want you to be happy. They don’t care what you’re doing, as long as you’re doing something,” I said.

“Yeah, but what if I don’t know what it is that I’m supposed to be doing?” Addison asked.

I kissed him firmly and ran my hand across his strong stomach. “You will,” I said.

I knew Addison would find his courage again. And it was just a matter of time before he stepped back onto the field. When he did, I was going to make sure he was going to keep me by his side.

I gave him my hand and lifted him off of the couch. “I have to see Frank,” I said. “Do you want to come?”

“The elderly man you’ve been attending to?” he asked.

I nodded with a smile. “He’s a big fan,” I sang.

Addison smiled. “Sure. I’ll come. I’d love to meet your other boyfriend,” he said.

“Other boyfriend? He’s my only boyfriend!” I said. Addison burst out laughing. “Okay, let’s say goodbye to the family and get on the road.”

* * *

As I pulled up to Frank’s house, I slowed the car down. Frank was sitting near his open window. He was smoking a cigar with a big smile on his face. He waved.

“Dammit,” I sighed. “He’s not supposed to be smoking those things.”

Addison laughed and waved back. “I already like him,” he said.

I parked and stepped out of the vehicle. “Of course you do. You are trouble, boy,” I said. Then, as I walked up to the front door, I said to Frank, “You better put that cigar out! I’ve told you a million times. You’re going to hurt yourself from smoking.” Frank merely laughed.

I unlocked the door and peered in the hallway. Smoke hung like cobwebs. Addison and I both held our breath as we made our way to Frank’s office.

“You’re twenty minutes late,” Frank said. “So, that means I get a cigar.” Frank proudly bit down against the end of the cigar.

“I just want to say that I like your style, sir,” Addison said with beaming eyes.

Frank frowned. “So, you’re this alpha I’ve heard so much about. Are you treating this omega right?” he asked.

Addison was shocked. “Frank, stop it,” I said. “He’s been great. Don’t get in his head.”

“I’m only kidding. Can’t an old man joke?” Frank coughed wildly, holding the cigar in front of his face. I ran to grab his emergency oxygen tank. “No, I’m fine. Some smoke went down the wrong pipe.”

I side-eyed him, very slowly. “Okay. You got me. I’ll put it out,” Frank said.

I held out the used ashtray in front of him. He smashed the cigar into the ceramic center. Addison sat down in the corner of the room.

“You know, I have some respect for what you did,” Frank said, his attention directed at Addison.

“Ruining my future career?” Addison joked. “Yeah, that might have been the worst decision of my life.”

Frank waved his hand at Addison. “I’m old, so you better listen up. Your career isn’t ruined. In fact, I think you made it better,” he said.

Addison leaned forward. He creased his brow with interest. “How so?” Addison asked.

“The world is easy now. It’s all about what’s buzzworthy.” Frank looked at me and waved me over. “What’s that word again? Mem…”

“Meme, Frank. It’s a picture that relates to the archetypal nature of our–” Frank yawned.

“Yes! The kids are all about the meme,” Frank said.

“You’re saying that I’m a meme?” Addison asked, looking defeated.

“I’m saying that you’re all over the sports headlines right now,” Frank said.

“The gossip columns, you mean,” Addison said.

“What’s the difference? Son, I can see it in your eyes. You want to play again. So what’s holding you back?” Frank asked.

I sat down next to Addison. I wanted to know as much as Frank. Addison hesitated before speaking. It was hard for him to be honest about this. “I don’t want to make the same mistakes as last time,” Addison said.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Frank said. “Injuries happen in football.”

But Addison wasn’t talking about Holloway’s injury. “I don’t want to hurt this person next to me again,” Addison said, glancing in my direction. “I feel like the world is giving me a second chance. I get to spend time with the person I’ve been missing all these years. I don’t want to have to choose between the two again.”

Frank leaned forward and lowered his voice. “You don’t have to choose, son. I’ve got a secret to tell you. You can have your cake and eat it too,” he said.

“He’s right, Addison,” I said. I wrapped my arm around his back. He was tense, but he gave into my kneading fingers. “We’re not the same people we were back then. You don’t need to worry about choosing. I’m here, aren’t I?”

Addison nodded and leaned his head against me. “It’s just hard. We’re at a transition in our life, clearly. What if you end up not liking me? What if we have this baby?” he asked.

“Baby?” Frank’s eyes widened. “Back it up here for a second. I had a feeling those rumors were true.”

“Oh, gosh. The rumors. Nothing is set in stone yet, Frank,” I said.

“But you’re in heat. Well, now it’s obvious. You have little pink hearts instead of pupils,” Frank said.

I blushed and swiped my hair back. “I’m not pregnant, but if I was, why would that matter? Wouldn’t our child want a father with a strong work ethic?”

“You’re totally pregnant,” Addison whispered with a smile. I chuckled and squeezed his hand. There was something about the idea that was exciting to me, even if it did make me nervous.

Addison’s voice lowered in volume. “I want to be around. I don’t want to have to leave you to play for a whole season.”

“Families travel with their husbands all of the time,” I said.

“It sounds like you’re making a thousand and one excuses,” Frank growled. “So what’s it going to be? What exactly do you want?”

Well, Frank put him in a tough position, but I knew that Addison wanted me. If I asked him never to play a game again, he’d probably never play again. But I wasn’t that kind of an omega. I wanted him to be happy with his life.

“I want Kristoff, first and foremost,” Addison said.

“We got that,” Frank snapped.

Addison laughed at the senior man’s intensity, but ultimately, he turned serious again. “You’re right. I want to play,” he said. “But I’ll only do it if it’s on my conditions.”

Frank clapped his hands and tried to stand up out of his chair on his own. He always did that when he got excited, and I always had to remind him that he needed me to assist him. “Dammit. It’s my kneecaps again,” Frank groaned. He sat back down, exhausted.

“I can’t bring Addison to your house, Frank. He’s a bad influence on you,” I joked. Of course, Frank waved me away.

Addison stood up and hugged me. It was time for him to go. “I’m going to grab an Uber home, but I’d love to see you tonight,” he whispered in my ear. His lips brushed against my lobe, sending shivers throughout my body.

I wanted to scream to the world that I loved Addison, but I knew how simplistic and naïve I’d come off as. It was a rare life occurrence, but when things felt good with someone, it was like being in heaven.

I hoped I wouldn’t feel different in a month’s time. Was it too soon to tell? Were we going to have this baby and regret it six months into the pregnancy? If he left me like that, I’d lose everything.

The fact remained: there was still a hell of a lot to discuss. “You really want to see me tonight?” I asked. “That’s the third day in a row. You’re not getting sick of me yet?”

I wasn’t the one to feel jealousy, but I knew how abandonment felt like. Though we had experienced a lot of joy and discovery together, I still felt some worry. But Addison tried his best to put my fears at ease.

Addison leaned forward. His handsome face seemed to shine against the sunlight that poured through the window. “Hell no. You’re the only thing keeping me going, Kristoff. I…” He trailed off before he could say those three magic words. “I like being around you, omega.”

I nearly fell over from laughing. Even Frank let out a deafening cackle. “You’re so damn cute,” I said. “Okay. We can hang out tonight. But you’re coming over to my house this time. No fancy mansion, okay?”

“Thank God. I hate that place. It’s eerie at night,” Addison muttered.

“And you have to bring me some caramel ice cream,” I said.

“And whip cream, right?” Addison asked.

I made a faux grimace. “I don’t like whip cream that much, actually,” I said.

“Well, I do. And I’m going to lick it all—” That time, I was the one to wave a hand at Addison.

“Not here,” I whispered, gritting my teeth.

I kissed him one more time, leaning on my toes. Addison left, and I sat down, next to Frank. I was completely flustered.

“Sorry, Frank,” I said. “I just can’t seem to shake him, can I?”

Frank looked at me warmly. “You’re in love, dear. And it fills my heart with warmth.”

At that moment, I felt sure. The past could take a backseat. Addison was my man.