Page 112 of Bully for Sale

“These babies. I love them already, but not as much as I love you. If I had to trade their lives for yours, I’d choose you.”

“We don’t have to choose, do we?” Ezer asked, his voice wavering.

“The doctors are concerned.” He took hold of Ezer’s hand. “I don’t want to, but if the time comes, I need you to know that I’m choosing you.” He glanced down. “You can call me selfish and cowardly, but it’s not about that. It’s not to make my life easier. It’s to save yours.”

“Ned, is it really that dire?”

“The doctors say you’re stable now, but they aren’t sure how long that’ll last. You’re a small omega, and the twins are big.”

“They have their father’s build,” Ezer said, a dry laugh on his lips.

That didn’t seem to reassure Ned or strike him as funny at all.

“Ezer, this isn’t the life you wanted for yourself. You never wanted these babies. Why should you die for them?”

“Am I going to die?” His voice shook.

“What I’m saying is that if it comes down to it, if your life is at risk, I’m choosing you.”

Inside Ezer, there came a firm kick. It was true he’d never wanted this, that he’d done all this against his will in many ways, but now he was carrying these new lives, and it was his instinct to want to protect them. But at what cost? His own life?

“You’d choose me?”

“I don’t know if you realize it, but I chose you from the start. I was misled but I wasn’t coerced the way you were. I wanted to have you as my omega from the moment I saw you. I wanted you, but not the way I’ve had you. I wanted you to choose me. I wanted you safe and happy.”

“I know.”

“That’s not what we’ve been allowed to share.” Ned put his hands on Ezer’s stomach. “These lives aren’t more precious than yours. Do you understand? Not to me. And they shouldn’t be to you either. You don’t even know them.”

“I feel them,” Ezer murmured. “I feel who they could be.”

“I need you to tell me now. If things get worse, and if I choose you, then how bad will it be? I’d rather you lived and left me for this choice, than have you die. You deserve to have a chance to live out some of your dreams. The ones you had before so many choices were made for you that led to all this.”

“Shh, stop.”

“What? I’m telling you now, so you’ll understand why I intend to betray you if I must, in order to save your life.”

“It’s not betrayal if you’ve told me it’s coming.” Ezer took Ned’s hands in his own and squeezed. His throat tightened and tears filled his eyes. “I’m scared.”

“Me too.”

“I can’t imagine going through all of this and not coming out the other side with both these babes alive and well.”

“I know. Me either.”

Ezer swallowed against the painful lump. “But we’re too young to be parents, aren’t we?”

Ned nodded. “I think we might be.”

Silence hung between them, and they breathed in and out, both trying to find calm in the mess they dwelled in.

“Ned?”

“Yes, baby?”

“If we make it through this—me and the twins, I mean—we’re going to need help. It can’t just be me, you, and Earl. We need people in our lives we can rely on and trust.”

“Flo? Yissan?”