The First Omega || NaNoWriMo 2019

Chapter 25

"Okay spill." Michael plopped down in the seat across from me, a cup of one of his ghastly concoctions in his hand. The smell made me wrinkle my nose, my stomach whirling as memories of the one time I tried his 'special blend' rose to the surface.

"God how can you drink that shit? It smells even worse than it tastes." The drink was a blend of black coffee, matcha powder, protein powder and spinach.

"What? It's not that bad, plus it's better for me than the sugary blended drinks you used to enjoy. You know before you went on that health kick." His words made me wince, remembering my attempt to please Nathan by choosing to walk to the nearby juice bar. Those drinks hadn't been the greatest idea.

"Okay fair enough, but do you have to drink that around me? I only got my ability to keep food down back a little over a month ago." The morning sickness had lingered, even as the cravings popped up weirder and weirder by the week.

"Sure whatever, you're avoiding my demand though. Spill the beans," my expression must have screamed confusion as Michael gave a dramatic sigh before elaborating. "What happened between you and Rhett yesterday? I mean I know he took you home, but what else went down!"

"Aren't you on the clock?" I grumbled softly dipping my head to look at the cover of my pregnancy book, my cheeks burning brightly.

"Oh come on Ryan. I'm the owner and boss here, you know I can take a seat whenever I want." Michael teased before snagging the book from the table before me and closing it. "Eyes up here, come on... don't make me beg. You know it isn't pretty when I do."

A grin pulled up the corners of my lips.

"The only time I've ever seen you beg is with Lucas when he won't reach something off a high shelf for you."

"Ugh you are the worst! Why do I even put up with you some days!" Michael threw up his hands, but remained firmly in his seat. "Look I know something happened because Rhett was peppering me with questions about you and the baby. Which by the way, when did he find out about that!?"

"Oh hush you. Nothing happened." Well nothing but a mind blowing kiss that had me almost begging him for more. "And he found out when my car died a few days ago. His shop was the nearest one to where it died at."

"Ah well that makes me feel better. I hated not being able to talk to him about that. He's like my older brother as I'm sure you know." Michael smiled and relaxed before looking down at the book. "Baby names? I thought you weren't finding out the gender?"

"I'm not..." my cheeks were even brighter at that, wondering if I should tell him that the baby was most likely a boy. "I just need something better than Merfington which Dreece is insisting I name it."

"Merfington? Where the hell did they get that name?" Micheal chuckled, no longer concerned about myself and his cousin.

"It's a bit embarrassing, but it's the name I called their cat when we were kids. His name was Merhpy, but I hated that so I started calling him different variations until I found one that Dreece despised and stuck to it. " I chuckled remembering a younger Dreece with their natural brown hair glaring at me as I called for Merfington and he ran straight for me. "The cat seemed to like the name I gave him more than Murphy anyway."

"Oh my god! I can just about imagine that. Dreece can have such a temper even now, I can only imagine what they were like as a kid." Michael laughed softly before taking a drink from their mug. "Well I better get back to it before the lunch crowd comes in. You planning to hang around?"

"Nah, Dreece wanted to take me shopping after they get off so I'm guessing I'll be enduring the next few hours on my throbbing feet." Michael winced in sympathy, patting my arm lightly before he made his way back to the counter, and started to prepare for the lunch hour chaos.

Smiling I shook my head and turned back to the book, not really reading it as memories fluttered through my mind. Most were about Dreece and the shenanigans we'd gotten up to as kids; running around barefoot in the park, feeding birds bits of our picnic lunch. There were so many good memories, but eventually my mind slipped into the darker ones.

The horror on Dreece's face the first time they saw the shack my mother and I lived in, paid for by her selling her body on the street. The effort they put in to help me keep that shame a secret. I could still taste the cream cheese and jelly sandwiches Dreece used to share with me for lunch.

A hot tear splashed against my hand, surprising me. I hadn't realized I'd gotten so lost in my memories. Shaking myself I stood up, I had about an hour before Dreece was coming to get me, so I made my way outside. There was a small park just down the block, and with spring finally in full swing I wanted to take advantage of the nice weather.

My feet throbbed even from such a short walk, making me curse just how inactive I'd let myself become since finding out I was pregnant. It didn't help that most of my friends had been treating me like glass.

I settled in at the first bench I found, sending a text to Dreece so they knew where to find me. The last thing I wanted was to make my best friend/ roomie worry that something bad had happened.

Opening the book I moved to the D's. I was playing with the idea of giving my baby a name started with D to honor Dreece and their undying loyalty to me after all these years. After all, any name was better than Merfington.

Warmth slowly spread through me, easing the aches and pains from both the stress of defending my serum, and the pregnancy. My eyes started to close, the temptation to sleep growing stronger by the minute when my phone pinged.

Frowning I straightened up, only to see a text from a blocked number. I knew Lucas said he would be in contact, but I had his number so this couldn't have come from him. Curious, I opened the message. All it contained was a link to Science Weekly magazine.

Dread slowly formed in my stomach, a rock weighing me down as I hovered my finger over the link. Lightly tapping it, a page opened the headline large and bold:

Dr. Andrew Creates Miracle Serum Allowing Males to Become Pregnant. Possible Solution to World Wide Fertility Issue?

The air seemed to be knocked from my lungs as I scanned the article. It stated that he'd already begun human trials and that the results looked to be successful. All of his subjects had supposedly become pregnant within a month of the initial injection.

My mind whirled at that, in order for him to have been able to accomplish this, he would have had to start the process within weeks of me walking out on him. Angrily I closed the article, planning to delete the text when another one came through.

'I told you you were nothing without me. Anything you try to claim I will take from you. Including your baby.'

My arms wrapped tightly around my stomach, fear making me nauseous. There was no doubt in my mind that the message had to come from Andrew. Part of me yearned for this to be a bluff, but after ten years, I knew that he always meant business when he made a threat.

My mind skipped back to not long after I'd moved in with him. There had been another scientist working with us, and he'd been on the brink of something huge. I don't remember what the fought about, but he walked out, forgetting to take his notes with him. Andrew and I had spent the better part of the next week deciphering the notes and finishing enough of the work to publish it.

Our associate had come in the next day livid, but before he could say or do anything, Andrew had pulled him away to talk. The next time I saw him, he looked defeated as he packed up the rest of his things. I never asked what became of him. I also never saw his name on a single published item.

My phone buzzed again, making me jump, terrified that I'd have yet another harassing message from my ex. Instead it was merely Dreece, telling me to get off my pregnant ass because they were here and had been sitting in their car for at least ten minutes waiting for me to notice them.

Turning my phone off, I stood and waddle ran to their car. The feeling of being watched hurrying me along with each step.