Page 14 of Omega’s Oath

The doorbell went again, and she remembered it had already gone off twice. “Oh, shit, the door.”

She went to move but he shook his head, silently telling her to stay put. It was amazing to her how much they could communicate without actually speaking. She moved onto the bottom step while he went and answered, tipping the take-out driver as he handed the bag over. She could already smell the wonderful aromas coming from the bag.

Aide placed the bag, on the kitchen side. “Let’s get you back to bed and I’ll dish up and join you.”

Rose buried the huff and told herself he was just being kind, which she knew deep down. “Okay. I can manage though.”

“I know, Rose, but I want to make sure there’s no more oil or anything you can slip on.”

She didn’t point out that she’d already made her way down the stairs, knowing it would just earn her a raised eyebrow and do her no good at all. Aide was a good man, but he was also stubborn as fuck. “Fine.”

When she was tucked back in bed, she selected a few movies for him to choose from, all lighthearted and fun. She couldn’t take gruesome or bloody anymore. Since her pregnancy, she’d been averse to certain violence on TV which, considering her job, was laughable.

Aide glanced at the TV as he joined her on the bed, handing her a plate with her Chicken Massaman and coconut rice piled high. She wouldn’t finish half of that but that was okay because Aide could eat like a horse.

“What do you want to watch?”

“Don’t care.”

He forked a piece of Thai green chicken into his mouth.

“Fine, I pick The Kissing Booth.” She was trying to get a reaction out of him, but failed.

“Yeah fine.”

Rose gave a mental shrug and hit play as she ate her food.

Balancing her plate, she was halfway through her food when she decided she’d had enough and turned to Aide. His eyes were already on her, the intense heat in them making her want to look away but she seemed trapped in his gaze.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” She wiped at her cheek as he shook his head and took the plate from her hand and placed it on the little table he’d set up in her room.

“You’re going to be such a good mom, Rose.”

His words caught her off guard and she rubbed a hand over her bump. “You think so?”

“I know so.” He shifted so he was facing her, his hand braced between them. “You get this look in your eye when you touch your belly, as if even without thinking about it he’s on your mind, or in the back of it. Your son is the center of your universe. Do you know how precious that is?”

Rose was captivated by the passion in his voice, the fire in his eyes holding her captive. “I think all parents feel that way or at least they start off that way.”

Aide shook his head. “We both know that isn’t true, Rose. We see it every day.”

“Yeah, maybe but those are sick, evil people.”

“Not always. Sometimes even normal people, who are otherwise considered by society as good people, can be horrible parents.”

Rose got the distinct feeling that Aide was talking from personal experience. “Talk to me Aide.”

She watched him look away and wondered if he was going to answer her, the ache in her chest at the feeling of wanting to know more about this man who had come to mean so much to her.

Aide turned his face away as if he wouldn’t answer but stopped and seemed to pause before looking back. Rose could see the pain he kept hidden from the world and wondered if it was the cause of his fear of commitment or if she was looking for reasons where there were none.

“My parents weren’t bad people, Rose. I don’t want you to think they were, but they weren’t good parents. They had me at a time in their lives when they were ready to enjoy all the hard work they’d put into their careers. They’d had their children, my sisters, and I was a surprise. It wasn’t a welcome one and I was never allowed to forget it.”

Rose felt her throat clog up with emotion and reached out to touch his forearm, hoping he wouldn’t pull away. His skin was warm at her touch. She swept her fingers over his pulse, feeling the way his heart beat faster at this admission. Everything in her wanted to comfort him, to wrap her arms around him and soothe the little boy who had never felt love, and the man who is still suffering from it.

“Don’t get me wrong, Rose. They weren’t cruel, but they were cold and unaffectionate. For years I tried everything to make them proud, to make them look at me like they did my sisters but eventually I realized they never would. The only way for me to survive was to put up walls to hide behind barriers. Every day I pretended that it didn’t hurt but in reality, it did. It hurt so much.”

“Oh, Aide, I’m so sorry you went through that. No child should ever be made to feel they are not loved. Children are the greatest gift of all, even the surprise ones or maybe especially the surprise ones.”