Page 7 of Temporary Omega

It reminded him of the color of the Mediterranean Sea that could be seen outside of his family’s vacation villa on the Greek island of Mykonos. A blue so pure it was breathtaking.

He recognized the man as one of the guests from the wedding, one of Riley’s only friends.

The man stared into Linc’s eyes for a moment, then at his hand, then back to his eyes. Linc could see the debate the man was having with himself and waited patiently to see what decision he would make.

He didn’t have to wait long before he felt a smaller hand in his. Linc didn’t have to exert much effort pulling the man up.

As soon as he did, however, the man pulled his hand out of Linc’s. And for some inexplicable reason, he felt the loss.

Rubbish, he thought and shook off the feeling.

“Thank you,” the omega before him murmured.

“You’re welcome,” Linc replied amicably.

“Is it too much to hope that you just stepped outside?” The omega met his eyes quickly and looked away.

But not in time for Linc to miss the flash of embarrassment at the realization that his private moment hadn’t been quite as private as he’d initially believed.

“I was… it was nothing really, just a misunderstanding,” the omega started, but his lips began quivering, probably him replaying the conversation in his mind.

“Mmmm…” Linc replied, deciding not to push, although, he thought he may not have to since the omega looked like he needed a shoulder to cry on.

“I’ll be fine. Fine…” the man repeated. Then bit down on his bottom lip, drawing Linc’s attention to its plumpness.

What was wrong with him? Here was a clearly distressed man, and Linc was noticing things that he shouldn’t be noticing. Especially knowing that the omega was clearly pregnant, from what he’d overheard. Pregnant equaled alpha, Linc would do well to remember that.

The omega began speaking again, “I’ll be fine even though I just lost my apartment.” A harsh laugh escaped the omegas lips. “If you can call the rundown, practically a closet, space an apartment. But it was a place to sleep, you know, and now I have nothing.”

The sobbing began again, and Linc was unsure of what to do. Did he pull the man into his arms, tap him on his back and go there, there?

He wasn’t exactly equipped or accustomed with soothing emotional omegas.

“Uhhh….” Linc began, but shut his mouth when nothing helpful came to mind. He was experiencing something he hadn’t felt in a long time, since Asher––inadequate; it wasn’t a feeling he relished or cared to experience again.

He dug deep, looking for words of comfort but before he could say something stupid, the omega began speaking. Thank fuck… he’d had nothing.

“It was bad enough he cheated, you know… I wasn’t fine with it but, I don’t know, I figured it would get better. He blamed the drugs… fuck, I’m so stupid,” the man in front of him sobbed and Linc couldn’t take it anymore, he pulled the man into his arms.

Linc figured since he had no words, a hug would help… maybe.

Fuck. When had he become this person? Had he closed himself off to the point he couldn’t even…? His thought was interrupted by the omega talking again. His tear-filled voice, the pain in his eyes doing something to Linc’s chest region… it couldn’t be his heart, that had been in cold storage for…

“So stupid, so fucking stupid. My parents warned me this would happen, you know,” the tearful man said, although Linc didn’t think the man expected an answer.

“They told me that Frankie was no good. Too slick they said. No substance. Told me he would hurt me. But I thought we were in love, thought we would get married. Didn’t want an arranged marriage, I thought I knew it all. Figured it all out. So fucking stupid.”

The distraught man went on to call himself stupid a couple more times before he had another crying jag.

Linc tightened his arms around the man, who wasn’t as short as Linc had initially thought. Nowhere near Linc’s height but definitely closer to five five than the five two, or so, of his friend Grayson’s omega.

Linc repeated over and over, “you’re not stupid,” but he could tell they fell on deaf ears.

“My parents froze my trust fund, told me that Frankie would leave once he realized there would be no free ride. I told them they didn’t know anything. But it was me that didn’t know anything, even though I thought…” The omega hiccupped, but continued speaking, “I thought I did. Didn’t know anything. So stupid…” The omega sounded defeated and was repeating everything he said, for emphasis.

Linc knew what was coming next, another bout of berating himself while he cried. It gave Linc a moment to piece a couple of things together. The trust fund, arranged marriage… that was something of their world.

Linc wasn’t elitist but it was the truth. It was the norm between the wealthy of their world… marrying their own to keep the wealth within.