Page 29 of Alpha & Omega (Alpha's Rejects #4)

To say I’d been pissed that Kingston went back to the hospital because he fell, and Cueball didn’t fucking tell me right away, was an understatement. He claimed he didn’t want to disrupt business and that he was telling me then. He should’ve told me immediately, dammit! That was the last time I left him alone with Kingston.

At least he hadn’t damaged his leg so much that it required another surgery. They just had to clean him up and give him some new sutures. The inner sutures were still intact.

Hudson was over at Oliver’s place as I got dinner ready for Kingston. Finally, he forced himself out of his bedroom and sat at the kitchen table, going over his finances while I cooked. The pain in his leg was clearly etched on his face, but he didn’t complain.

“How does Moqueca sound, which is a Brazilian fish stew? I got the fish from Stone, who kindly brought some over for us.”

“Sounds good.”

What he sounded was distracted. I looked over my shoulder as I sautéed the onions. Kingston looked stressed out beyond his pain. I wished he wouldn’t go over business, but I also understood it was important to understand your finances as a business owner. He needed to know where he stood.

Ajax had taken over inventory and supply orders, while Stix kept bank records of money coming in and out. They’d proven to be very responsible and insightful young men.

“We can go over that tonight after dinner if you want.”

“I need to get this done. I’m late on rent for the bar and my apartment. They’re getting tired of it. God, at least I’ve kept up with my loan.”

“Have you told the owners what’s going on?”

“Yeah, and it’s probably why they haven’t given me the boot yet. My insurance is covering most of my medical bills only after I’ve paid them my deductible, which is five fucking thousand dollars I don’t currently have, but I’ve been paying on what I can. Business isn’t bad, but I can’t get caught up to save my life.”

“Once the insurance companies finish battling things out, I’m sure you’ll be compensated for everything.”

“Yeah, but not soon enough. No matter how much I work it out in my head, it always comes back to me losing Alpha’s. God, what is my crew going to do if that happens?”

I turned off the stove for a second, came over to him, and squatted. “We’re not going to let that happen, but if it does, they’ll be fine. They’re intelligent young people.

He looked at me full of red-rimmed, pleading eyes. “Maybe you should buy the bar. Do you want it? It might be the only way to save my place and allow my family to keep their jobs. ”

“I do not want it. That would not only cause a rift between us, but I’m sure there are other ways to save it. If worse comes to worse, I’ll invest in Alpha’s, but I’m not taking it from you. Never. Besides, your Rejects and I are working on a plan, so put away your files and try to relax tonight. Tomorrow, we’re going to the skatepark.”

“Can you hold me for a minute, Chef?”

“God, you don’t need to ask, baby.”

“I forgot to thank you for giving Tony a job, too.”

“He’s very good at serving and the customers like him. I was more than happy to.”

I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head against his chest as he held me back, fingering my hair.

“I’m trying to do better and be positive, but it’s so fucking hard,” he said. “Between the physical therapy and occupational therapy, I’m going to have to squeeze in therapy for my mental state. These feelings aren’t sustainable. Maybe if I feel better mentally, I won’t feel like I’m constantly about to lose everything.”

“I think that’s a good plan.”

“And I still feel bad using up all your time to help me.”

“Don’t.” I looked up at him. “Hudson understands and is encouraging me. Look at it this way. I’m teaching my son what it means to help others in need. He’s also helping where he can. He’s fine, and I’m so proud of him. My restaurant is doing well, too, and I have a lot of amazing help over there when I need it. If it becomes too much, you have other family members who are ready to help take over for me, but right now, I’ve got them focused on keeping the bar open.”

“You’re an amazing man, Chef.”

“As are you, Skaterboy.”

Kingston ran a hand along my cheek, then cupped it. “I know I haven’t told you this since that first time, but I really do love you. I’m so lucky you’re in my life.”

“And I’m lucky you’ re in mine.”

“I feel weird using crutches,” he said as we walked toward his family, sitting in the sun waiting for us at the skatepark. “I haven’t trained long enough with them, but at least I don’t have to use that stupid walker. That was the worst.”

I chuckled. “This is just another step forward toward normalcy.”

While Kingston complained, I could tell he was actually excited to be here. He had worried it would feel too nostalgic and painful, but the look of love on his face at his crew said it all.

When they came rushing forward to greet him, I held out my hand. “Easy. Don’t go in all at once and knock him over, guys.”

They all circled Kingston and held him, even the more surly ones like Stone and Aiden. There would be no falling then. Each of them surrounded and protected him. It was the first time he’d been reunited with his entire crew since the accident. Sure, they’d helped out with his care, and he’d seen them, but not all at once.

“God, I missed you all,” he said, his voice shaking as he held in his emotions.

We walked the rest of the way to the blankets, and they helped Kingston sit down as they chatted away about life.

“Who’s this?” Kingston asked.

That was when I noticed a new young man. He had curly hair like Nacho, but it was a lighter brown. He looked tall and had a septum piercing.

“This is Storm, Aiden’s friend from back in high school. They’re reconnecting,” Ajax explained.

Kingston and I shook his hand.

“Welcome to the group,” King said.

“Thanks.”

Blondie scooted close to the newcomer and batted his eyelashes at him, making it apparent to everyone but Storm that he was interested.

Jazz just looked pissed and tugged her brother away, but my main focus was on Kingston. I just loved watching him relax more and more. I knew being with his family after two weeks of isolation would help. And in a couple of weeks, he would feel hope again. That was the plan anyway—a plan I wasn’t going to share with him because it was a surprise.

“Something’s different,” Kingston said .

I sat behind him and spread my legs so he could tuck himself against me and give him a place to rest his back. “What is?”

He waved his hand at his family. “None of you are smoking. You all are always smoking. You’re fucking chimneys.”

They all looked at each other and shrugged.

“We’ve quit smoking in solidarity,” Stix said.

“It’s been a fucking bitch,” Aiden groused.

“A nightmare,” Jazz agreed.

“You quit… for me?” he asked in awe.

Ajax scowled. “Yep. And we’re suffering over here, so you better get healed and come back to work soon.”

Pippin and Nacho shrugged. “We didn’t smoke all that much, anyway,” Pippin said.

“You all are amazing. Thank you, but you didn’t have to.”

“Don’t discourage them, Skaterboy. Quitting is the best thing for them, not just for you. Smoking kills,” I said.

“Thanks,” he said to them. “Now stop hanging around. I want to watch you all skate.”

They grabbed their boards and showed off to Kingston, who clapped proudly. The only ones to sit out were Aiden, Cueball, and Storm.

“They’re fucking amazing,” he said again.

“They really are.”

“Thanks for talking me into coming today.”

“It wasn’t that hard. I can tell you miss them.”

Kingston craned his head back toward me, and I leaned forward to kiss him.

“I love you,” he said when we parted.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing that.”

It was mid-September, and Hudson had already started school. He’d missed the first few days so he could spend time with his mother, who had been in hospice care. I needed to leave Kingston during those times to take care of my son. Hudson handled things relatively well in retrospect. That bond he once had for her was severed the first time she left, and they never restored it with her return. But that he sat by her side when she died, holding her hand, showed his inner strength. It gave me hope for the future.

I recently bought him a car so he could drive back and forth without me worrying about carting him around, which also gave him independence. The car wasn’t new or expensive, but it allowed him to get from point A to point B.

Saturday was a special day, and I’d put my son, Oliver, and Alpha’s family to work to make it happen.

I went about my morning routine, making sure Kingston was fed and bathed, which was easier since his sutures had been removed and he was healing beautifully. He did much better with showering on his own, but I still loved bathing with him and washing his hair, which was finally growing out.

His stump was still really swollen, so he had a compression shrinker to help with it. Once the swelling was mostly gone, the prosthetist would fit him with a custom-made prosthetic. Insurance wouldn’t cover all of it, so the cost would take another bite financially, leaving Kingston more stressed. If that drunk driver’s insurance would hurry up and get Kingston’s claim done, that would be really helpful, but there had been other drivers involved in the accident, too.

Kingston had tried to kick me away a few more times during his lower moments, but then things would pick up for him when he felt better. Those days were happening more and more. He hadn’t started therapy yet, but he’d scheduled an appointment, thank god.

We sat on his couch, with him curled into me, watching a romance movie. I couldn’t focus on it because my eyes kept pinging on my phone to check the time.

When it turned noon, I said, “Let’s go for a walk. It’s a nice day. Tomorrow, we can head over to the farmers’ market and pick out our dinner.”

He stood on his crutches, made his way to the front door, and sat on a stool we’d placed there to help him put on his shoes. “That sounds good. Are we back to comparing gourd sizes?”

I chuckled, grateful his humor was slowly returning. “Definitely.”

He stood on one leg and grabbed his crutches, and then we walked down the stairs. Kingston had been practicing with his crutches daily now, and he was getting really good at it. His upper body also grew stronger, even more so than it already was.

When we reached the door to let us out, I took a deep and nervous breath. The crew said they had everything ready, so I hoped that it all worked out.

We walked around the corner toward the main street, and Kingston suddenly stopped. “What’s going on? Is there an event or something? They closed off the road?”

I grinned at him and wrapped my arm around the crook of his elbow, kissing him on his cheek. “I know. We have a permit for it. This is all for you, baby. Your family and I all banged our heads together and came up with a fundraiser to help Alpha and his Rejects keep their bar and help with medical expenses. It took some time to get donors and contributors. I… hope this is okay.”

He stared at me with wide blue eyes. “W-what? You… did this for me?”

“We all did. Come on. I’ll show you.”

The street was already getting crowded with families and queer folk. We made it Pride-themed, though we’d missed Pride month, covering the place in rainbows. There was a bouncy house for the kids, and we had three bands playing for free throughout the day. Kingston’s family offered skateboarding lessons for cash, and my restaurant provided all the food. We also obtained a liquor license so Pippin could serve a fancy punch, and there was beer and wine, too. Jazz and Blondie had a table by the bar where they offered face painting and fake tattoos for the kiddos.

But our two businesses weren’t the only ones involved. Other businesses in the area helped out, and some donated to the cause. Two LGBTQ+ organizations also raised some money.

“What do you think, Skaterboy?”

“I-I think I’m going to cry again. I… don’t know what to say.”

I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and he held me back, resting his head on my shoulder. “You’re loved, baby. You’ve done a lot of good for the community, so they’re giving back and taking care of you this time.”

He buried his head deeper into my shoulder for a moment to gather himself, and then he stood tall and looked at me. “I love you, too. I’m not sure what I would’ve done without you.”

“You would’ve been fine. You have a wonderful and supportive family, and you’re strong.”

“I think my recovery would’ve been a lot slower without you.”

Who could say, but I truly believed he would’ve been fine without me.

“Come on. Let’s get some lunch and a drink. When’s the last time you’ve enjoyed an alcoholic beverage?”

“God, I can’t even remember now. A month? Longer?”

“Let’s try one of Pippin’s fancy punches.”

“Sounds great.”

We grabbed a punch and some food, and I sat Kingston down at one of the tables so he could stay off his leg. As we ate, Tony came up to us and hugged Kingston.

“How are you doing, little brother?” he said, winking.

Kingston laughed. “For the first time since my accident, I’m actually doing really good. How are you doing?”

“I’m the same. Justin has a hearing coming up, and I’m going to testify against him. Apparently, some others have come forward, so we’re certain he’ll get some jail time. I’m not afraid anymore.”

“God, Tony… I’m so proud of you.”

“You make me strong… or want to be, King.”

Tony kissed his head and ran off to help with the event.

Soon after, I watched Hudson and Oliver make their way toward us, holding hands. This would be the first time Kingston would meet my son’s best friend and now boyfriend.

Oliver was a good-looking kid with thick braids through his black hair and had a splash of freckles over his dusky skin. He was just a couple of inches shorter than Hudson, but my son was tall for his age. They were cute together, and I was so happy for Hudson that he finally dared to approach his feelings with Oliver.

“King, this is the infamous Oliver,” I said.

Hudson rolled his eyes, smiling as a rosy blush crossed his pale skin all the way up to his ears. “ Dad !”

Oliver laughed, unfazed, as he shook Kingston’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

“Sir?” Alpha laughed. “I’m not that old yet. It’s nice to meet you, Oliver. ”

He was much more outgoing than Hudson, which made them a good match. They balanced each other.

We talked with them for a while before they headed off to help out.

I leaned into Kingston and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Should I call you ‘ sir ’ the next time we fool around?”

He snorted a laugh, nearly choking on his punch. “Don’t you dare! Besides, you’re older than me.”

“Then you can call me ‘sir.’ I wouldn’t mind.”

He rolled his eyes as we both laughed.

The day was an absolute success. By five in the evening, it had wrapped up and shutdown. His Rejects gathered around Kingston, and they all held each other for a long time. They finally pulled away before it got overly emotional.

“I love you all,” Kingston said. Then he ruffled Aiden’s hair, who pretended to scowl. “You, too, Aiden.”

The young man turned around to hide his smile, but Ajax saw it and pulled him into a hug.

Between the fundraiser and donations, we raised eighteen thousand dollars. It didn’t cover everything, but it got Kingston caught up on rent with enough for next month, paid off some of his medical expenses, and there was enough left over to pay for his part of the prosthetic. It didn’t fix everything, but it allowed Kingston to relax and have some financial breathing room. Hopefully, the event would bring more people to his bar from now on.