Page 24 of Such a Sweet Omega (His Alpha Desires #5)

Theo

“Long night?” the sitter asked when I came in. He was a young man familiar with the club. The other owners let me come in as late as possible so the sitter only had to watch my son while he slept, but that meant I didn’t return home until almost three in the morning.

Bringing Abel to school after that was murder, but I would do anything for my son. Being more involved meant I had a say in what happened at the club. With so many alphas having families now, they needed more owners who could work late. Made sense.

“You have no idea.”

“Thank you for the payment. You are the only one who pays a week in advance.”

I scoffed and grabbed some cashews from the pantry. “You show up every night I need you, and I don’t have to worry about my son while I’m at work. It’s worth it to pay you in advance. I don’t want you finding another job.”

He grunted. “I get to study while Abel sleeps and you get to work. Finding a job that’s this flexible is hard when you’re in school.”

My babysitter was a college kid, which was why I always gave him a little bonus.

“I know. I remember.”

The sitter packed up his books and headed out, locking the door on his way. I could count on him, and that was important.

Not only for my son but in life.

Counting on someone, I’d learned, didn’t come easy for me after my husband left us. All my trust in omegas, humanity, and life itself died the moment he told me he was leaving us.

How he could walk away from our son was still a mystery to me.

I went to bed and went through the motions the next day, but though I still had resentment in my heart, I was lonely. The other owners at the club had found love and trust with their omegas.

Perhaps there was a part of me that could trust again, but mostly, I wanted another father for Abel.

He didn’t understand where his papa went. It took him three months not to cry every night for him.

It broke my heart and hardened it against loving ever again.