Page 54 of Temporary Omega

Luca

“Did I mention that I’m kind of mad that you made us wait this late to throw the shower? If you had just told me,” Riley complained for the millionth time.

“You’ve made your displeasure well known,” Luca snorted.

“Like, dude, seriously, you’re about to pop and I didn’t even have time to do this properly,” Riley started again on the whining.

Thankfully, Jai walked up to them and plopped down beside Luca, “Is he still complaining?”

“Yup,” Luca said, and they both burst out laughing at the major pout Riley was sporting.

“Chill out, hun,” Jai said as he reached for one of the cupcakes on the mini cupcake tower Riley had on every table.

It wasn’t a huge shower. There was Grayson and Riley, who were hosting the party at their home. Jai and Nickolas; Luca had gotten to know Jai the last month or so, and couldn’t wait to spend more time with the spirited red-headed omega. He’d also met another omega from Jai and Riley’s omega and toddler group— Morgan.

Luca found he didn’t have a lot of friends from his old life... pre, post and during Frankie. But he had Riley, and he was another blessing. Luca had ample reason to count them of late.

Not only was Riley an amazing friend who’d listened to everything Luca had told him without judgment, but he was also part of the road that led Luca to his forever: Lincoln.

If someone had said a day would come when he wouldn’t curse Frankie, he would have told them they were delusional. But the day had come. And Frankie was just a blip on his road to Lincoln, nothing more.

Lincoln, gosh the man had given him more than he could have ever imagined. Not only did he love Luca in a way he’d never been loved but he brought Luca’s parents back to him.

There had been tears, words of regrets, from Luca and his parents. But there was mainly a lot of love. His parents told him there was nothing to forgive. But Luca still felt guilty for not only the grief he’d caused, but also the arguments he’d had when he’d wished them dead. Now he saw clearly just how childish and stubborn he’d been. He’d mistaken their attempts to protect him, as them trying to control.

When he’d tried apologizing, his papa had simply hugged him tightly and said he was happy Luca was home. When they’d found out how bad things had gotten, they’d scolded him, his papa tearing up at the thought of him out there all alone, his papa had looked so sad, that Luca hadn’t thought he could come home.

They’d made him realize he’d never been disowned, they’d simply wanted Frankie out of his life.

He never even got an “I told you so.”

Luca looked over to where his papa was sitting with Jules, chattering away. The two of them got along like a house on fire.

And the same could be said for his dad and Lincoln, who apparently had more than just Luca in common. It seemed they both had a few investments too. Who knew?

Luca felt like it was almost too perfect, like the other shoe would drop and steal his joy, but he was working on that.

Riley nudged him, “Did you hear what I asked?”

Luca looked away toward Lincoln, where his eyes had settled instinctively.

“Sorry, nope, could you repeat that? Pregnancy brain,” Luca said.

“I think he means stupid-in-love, and completely-besotted-with-his-alpha brain,” Jai snorted.

“Takes one to know one,” Riley said and stuck his tongue out playfully.

“Proudly,” Jai sighed, his eyes seeking out his alpha.

“What was the question again?” Luca snickered, drawing both Riley and Jai’s attentions from their alphas, who they both seemed to be focused on.

Luca could remember being envious of Riley at his wedding and reception, especially when Grayson looked at him like he was everything good in the world.

But now he saw that look in Lincoln’s eyes and he was both humbled and awed by it.

He’d come a long way and he was a completely different person from the one that had left home thinking he knew it all, to the one that had cried himself to sleep almost nightly after Frankie’s desertion. Even to the guy that moved in with Linc, what felt like forever ago, but was really just—Luca had to do the math in his head: forty-one minus fourteen weeks. Twenty-seven weeks, five months.

He had Lincoln, his love. He had his parents back. He had Jules, the papa of his heart. Luca was just amazed by all the supportive people he had in his life. Almost everyone in the room, he considered like family. Or well on the way to it, in any case.