Page 26 of Temporary Omega
Linc raised an eyebrow, “So you bought enough stuff to last more than a day?”
“I’m fine, you have a washer and dryer here, I’m sure I can make do with…” Luca trailed off.
“With what, the clothes on your back and your pride?” Linc snorted.
“I don’t need handouts from anyone, I’ve been doing just fine on my own,” Luca retorted.
Linc could see the stubbornness in the way Luca’s jaw was tensed.
Linc snorted. “I’d say being kicked out from an apartment that is barely worthy of the title and would make a hovel feel insulted, your clothes ransacked, all while pregnant and might I add very alone if the significant lack of alpha is anything to go by, isn’t doing ‘fine,’” Linc used air quotes on the word.
Luca flinched like he’d been struck and hung his head defeated, “You’re right, I’m a failure and a disappointment and…”
It was Linc’s turn to flinch, he wasn’t sure why he’d said those things but he hadn’t meant to… push Luca away? That was exactly what he’d been trying to do.
Luca had him feeling off kilter. Fine, he knew Luca came from money, but he was technically cut off. If he didn’t spend Linc’s money than Linc wasn’t sure where he fit.
So far since Asher, he’d had relationships that were no better than transactions. Granted he didn’t pay anyone for sex, but a diamond here, and a shopping trip there, seemed to be the going rate for non-emotional, no strings attached sex. And if Luca didn’t spend his money Linc wasn’t sure what box he fit into.
Luca pushed his chair back and stood. “If you want me to leave…” he began.
Linc stood quickly, “What no… why would you think that?”
“You said…”
Linc interrupted, “I was being a jerk, I should have said you need more than one set of clothing in general, and I guess you took me off guard. Most people would have charged up a storm on the card.”
Luca laughed, although the sound wasn’t so much amused as weary. “Trust me it’s tempting, was tempting… but it felt very much like taking advantage.”
“How can it be taking advantage when you’re helping out? My papa called today and he can’t wait to meet you.”
“And I got something to meet him in, that was the deal,” Luca sighed. “Since I don’t have to pay rent, with my jobs I should be abIe to save more.”
“Your jobs? I thought we talked about you quitting,” Linc reminded Luca about their earlier conversation.
“Well I didn’t. I thought it best I don’t do anything rash. Besides you declared, I didn’t exactly agree,” Luca pointed out. Then pushed his plate away and his chair back, putting his head between his knees.
Linc stood and moved so he was standing beside Luca, “Is everything okay? Tell me, tell me what’s wrong. Tell me where it hurts.”
Luca leaned back and grimaced, “I don’t feel so well. I think I need to lie down.”
Linc didn’t wait for Luca to get on his feet, he simply picked the omega up and walked out of the kitchen towards the elevator.
Luca struggled in his hold when he noticed Linc going for the elevator instead of stairs. Linc paused a moment so he didn’t drop the man in his arms.
“Where do you think you’re going? I said I needed to lie down,” Luca asked, his head lifting from where it had rested on Linc’s chest.
“The hospital of course,” Linc replied, his gaze sweeping over Luca’s face taking in the omega’s pallor. “You look like death.”
“Well aren’t you the charmer,” Luca replied, having stopped struggling to be set free. “I don’t need a hospital, just my bed, some water and another full night of sleep.”
Linc frowned and moved a step towards the elevator again, he didn’t like the way Luca looked, but the omega began the wiggling to be set free movement again.
“Put me down now,” Luca said, his voice trying for insistent but missing the mark.
“I think you should get checked out by a doctor,” Linc replied.
“And I think I need a bed and rest and since it’s my body, I win,” Luca replied, his jaw set.