Page 309 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus

“Dick, way to ruin the surprise,” Nik growls, taking a step toward Carver. His frustration is clear in the bond, but mostly he’s nervous.

My head tilts up to study his face as I wrap my hand in his. “I promise to be extremely surprised even though I’ve been able to smell the fresh paint since we walked into the house.”

I give him a goofy smile, trying to lighten the mood and help relax him.

“Well shit.” Nik chuckles. “All right, gorgeous. Pretend to be amazed by my sneakiness.”

I laugh and let him guide me into the bedroom.

It’s the only other bedroom on the top floor that’s on this side of the house. There are four or five other bedrooms, but they’re on the opposite hallway.

My eyes widen as we step inside. The wall directly in front of us is the same cream color it started. There are two wide windows, and between them is a glider with a footrest. The cloth is light gray and the wood is white. On the left are two white dressers, and painted shapes of stars, moons, planets, and clouds line the wall. They’re all very bubbly and could fit any decor, depending on what the ultrasound reveals. The floor has a light gray rug that’s extremely thick and fluffy.

Immediately after walking in, the wall to the right has a tall five-drawer dresser and a wide changing table. It’s white like the dressers, but the changing cushion is light gray. The far wall is taken up with a beautiful sleigh crib, but it’s the wall behind it that draws my attention. It has two cloud lamps that are lit up. They glow a warm yellow glow and match the celestial shapes that are on this wall too.

“Check this out,” Nik says, guiding me over to the closet. He yanks it open, and a sound of disbelief escapes my lips.

The entire top rack is stacked with boxes of diapers. They’re kind of arranged by size... I think. There are numbers on the boxes, a few with “N” for newborn, but the majority are size one, two, and three.

The shelves have baby blankets in neutral colors folded over tiny baby hangers, onesies, and so much more. The floor has several clear plastic dressers. They’re small, maybe three feet tall at most.

I step forward, pulling open one of the drawers, and it’s filled with bibs. The one under that is socks. The next dresser has a bunch of items it takes me a few seconds to recognize. There’s a hairbrush, baby nail clippers, several types of thermometers.

“Thank you,” I whisper, chucking myself at Nik.

“Aww, gorgeous. You’re very welcome,” he murmurs, kissing me deeply. “Consider this my preemptive apology for the fact that my moms are coming to visit in a few weeks.”

He gives a smile that might be considered a grimace, and I laugh against his shoulder.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Oliver

When I wake up on the morning of Mel’s gender reveal ultrasound, she’s missing. Carver and Miller slept in their own rooms last night, and Nik is still snoring, so I go searching.

I make it downstairs and take several steps toward the kitchen. My nose twitches with the smell of burning food. I pick up my pace.

Melody gags into the trash can.

I skirt behind her carefully and head over to the stove to flip off the element.

I slide the pan to the back burner and turn to face Mel. She’s using the kitchen counter as an armrest, and she looks miserable.

My chest pounds uncomfortably as I watch her cough and gag. Spinning around, I grab a water from the fridge and bring it over to her. I set it next to her hand and head for the sink. Pulling out a fresh hand towel, I run it under the cool water and bring it over to her.

I lay it over her forearm and she jumps.

“Thank you, Oli,” she says as her eyes meet mine. I give her a nod, shoving up my glasses. She looks exhausted. I was reallyhoping the constant vomiting was a thing of the past. Traveling was one thing, but at home, she’s been doing pretty well.

“Are you okay? What happened? Are you hungry?” I ask as my brain files through another twenty questions. I need to know so I can figure out how to fix this.

“Yeah, I mean I was,” she says, snorting a laugh. “I’ve learned I can’t do eggs. Probably ever again. All I’ve wanted for two days is fluffy scrambled cheesy goodness. But when I cracked them, all I could think about was baby chicken embryos...”

She gags, turning her head.

“I don’t think—” I start, but she cuts me off.

“Listen, you saw where I grew up. I understand how farm life works. I know it’s not logical, but...” She shrugs. “I don’t think I can do it.”