Page 37 of Bully for Sale

George whispered back, “He hasyou. And you were all he ever truly wanted. He wanted you enough to ruin everything.”

Ezer wiped at his eyes with his palms. “I love him, he’s my da, and I know some part of you must still love him, too.”

At that, George bristled. “Pete is my omega now.”

“I know. And he’s a good person. I like him. I do.”

George scoffed but said nothing.

“I also know da made a mistake, and that mistake led to me, and Iunderstandthat you don’t want…that you can’t…” Ezer shook his head, tears slipping over his cheeks again.

“I can’t what?”

“You can’t love me. Now that you know the truth.”

George leaned back and let out a slow breath. “He told you then.”

“Yes.”

He huffed, his lips curling up at the edges, ugly and harsh. “And you’re still siding with him?”

“What would siding with you look like, Father? You want to be rid of me. I get that, and I understand now why you do.” Ezer tossed his hands up. “I’m here to sign the contract. You can have me out of your sight once and for all. I just ask two things of you. One—keep your promise to give Da what he needs to make a new life. And two—make it so that I don’t have time to regret my choice. Let’s do this as soon as possible.”

George continued to stare at Ezer as if he were a madman. The sound of the clock over the dark fireplace permeated the room—tick-tock, tick-tock. Ezer took a deep breath; he couldn’t even smell the odor of his father’s cologne with the scent of smoke from the night before still stuck in his nostrils.

George’s expression softened as he opened a drawer to retrieve the paperwork from his desk. He pushed the pages and a pen over to Ezer. “I’ve flagged the places that need your signature.”

The words, as always, swam as Ezer’s gaze moved over them. He could make no sense of any of it, but he found the flags and started to sign his name as he’d been taught, but he hesitated. “Wait, I do have a third request. I know the ownership of the apartment by the lake won’t transfer to Da until I’ve borne a child—” He blinked, hurtful disbelief at his own words and their meaning shocking him silent for a moment. God help him.

Ezer calmed his wild heart. “But, please, add a sentence that allows him to stay in the lakeside apartment starting tonight. He has nowhere, Father. He has nothing.”

George pulled the paperwork over the desk and wrote a few lines. “There. I’ve added an immediate monthly stipend for him, too, so long as you stay with the alpha I’ve chosen for you.”

“Thank you.” Ezer wiped at his tears again.

George shrugged. “Ezer, you realize I’m not trying to hurt you. I do care about you, son, and I believe in this life for you. You’ll be happier this way. I know it.”

Ezer shuddered.

“Do you want to know what the contract says? Who the alpha is?” George asked, after Ezer signed by all the flags and the newly written additions. “I can read it to you.”

“What does it matter?” Ezer said. “I’ve signed it already. I’m officially his. It’s too late to back out now.”

George nodded and pulled the paperwork back across the desk. “It’s done then.”

Da sat onthe bench across the street from the ruined apartment, staring up at the smoking remains of the building. His shoulders shook, and when Ezer came around to grab him in a tight squeeze, Da’s eyes leaked tears.

“I don’t know what to do,” Da said, his voice quivering. “This shithole was all I had.”

Ezer swallowed hard. “Father said he’ll help you.”

Da wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. “That’s where you’ve been? With George?”

“Yes.”

Da snorted. “What’s the catch, Ezer? Why would he do that? He’s made it clear he doesn’t care what happens to me.”

“He does,” Ezer said with a strangled voice, remembering the expression on George’s face when he’d thought Amos might be dead. “He cares. And he’s going to give you back the apartment by the lake. He said so. He gave me the keycode to pass on to you.” Ezer pulled the paper out of his pocket and handed it to his da. “And some cash.”