Page 14 of Tinsel Time Treasure

“Ok.”

I returned to the room that was my designated massage room and collapsed into a chair, running my hands through my hair.

“Fuck…” I muttered. “What the hell is wrong with him?”

Chapter 6 - Max

“Hey man, long time no see.”

I gave my best friend, Annie, a side hug. “It wouldn’t have been so long if your sorry ass hadn’t decided to fuck off for several years.”

“I know, I know,” she laughed as we took a seat at the table. “It was worth it though. Grace finished her residency and she got the fellowship with the doctor here she wanted to work with.”

“That’s fantastic! I bet she’s happy.”

Annie nodded. “And I’m so proud of her.”

I looked around. “Speaking of Grace, where is she?”

Annie smiled. “She’ll be here soon. She called just as I got here and said she was almost done with her paperwork at the hospital.”

“I can’t wait to see her.”

“You’ll think you’re looking at an almost completely different woman. She’s blossomed in ways I would never have imagined when we first mated, and every day I can’t believe how lucky I am to have her.”

“She’s more confident?”

Annie nodded. “More confident, but also far more outspoken. It’s wonderful. She still struggles with the trauma, but she’s decided to channel it to help other omegas.”

I grinned. “Good for her. I bet she finds some catharsis in it.”

“I think it’s knowing that she might be helping somebody else avoid what she went through that fuels her.”

“Makes sense.”

I was about to ask Annie something else when I saw Grace walking in, sporting a healthy little bump.

A smile burst across my face. I rose to hug her, and kissed her cheek. “Annie didn’t tell me!” I exclaimed, motioning to the bump.

Grace blushed. “I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

I hugged her again. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” she sniffled. Then she let out a wet chuckle. “Sorry. Pregnancy hormones have me all weepy.”

I laughed. “Oh hun, don’t apologize for that. I know what this means to you.”

Another wet-sounding laugh as she both laughed and cried at the same time.

“Come sit down, sweetheart,” Annie urged.

Grace nodded and took a seat next to her alpha, curling into Annie’s side.

A waitress appeared to take our orders, then Annie turned her attention back to me.

“How are you handling the breakup?” she asked.

I sighed, squeezed some lemon into a glass of iced tea, and took a sip. “Well, I’m single.”