Page 8 of Mate Matched: Xavier & Brady
There came a shuddering sigh. “Would you believe me if I told you I only found out about Candice today? That the clinic was all an act?” I scoffed. There was no way I was buying what he was selling. “I’m serious, Brady. They only told me today.”
“How could you not know?” I burst out, utterly stunned.
“How did you know?” he shot back. “I’ve been wracking my brain for hours, going over and over in my mind. There were signs he was having an affair. I was working up the courage—”
“Hold on,” I paused, trying to wrap my head around it. “You weren’t with her?”
“Yes, well, no.” His words stumbled over each other in his haste to get them out. “Months ago. Before you.”
“Not since then?”
“No. There hasn’t been anyone other than Gio since you. I swear it, Brady. What I said about your heat, about the plans we were making, I meant it.”
My heart softened fractionally at the pain and honesty he infused into every word. “Explain.”
So he did. Xavier told me how they took turns bringing in a third, usually from a hookup app that favored polyamorous people. Candice was Gio’s pick. They were with her together for a weekend, but ultimately, they decided not to take her through her heat. Xavier said he didn’t mesh well with her and he preferred male omegas. Exactly as I thought.
Eventually, they decided to reach out to me as Xavier’s pick. We clicked, or at least he and I thought we did. After our initial few dates, Xavier asked Gio if they could keep seeing me. At no point did Gio communicate that he was still seeing Candice. Xavier wasn’t with her again.
It was only in the last few weeks, as Gio distanced himself from both of us, that Xavier realized something was really wrong in his marriage. He spoke to his friends and was getting ready to confront Gio about the late nights and business meetings. Except Gio and Candice ambushed him and laid out their plan for all three of them to raise the babies just before the appointment.
“Twins?”
“Yeah. I was as shocked as you were. I think Gio would have waited until she gave birth if it wasn’t for Candice losing her job. She lost her insurance and Gio needed to use ours—”
“And you would have found out when you saw the bill.”
“Right. I swear I didn’t know. Those babies aren’t mine, but Malik told me I’d have to get a paternity test as part of the divorce.” I knew about his best friend, Malik, and how the omega lawyer was in family law and was also pregnant. “I still don’t know how you knew.”
“The clinic appointment was on Gio’s calendar. I think he knew I was onto him, so he had to confess. Probably figured out I knew, so he set you up at the clinic,” I grumbled. Xavier made a noise of agreement.
“How did you miss the pregnancy vitamins and the underwear? Seriously, there were traces of her all over the apartment!”
Xavier gave a humourless chuckle. “I’ve been so wrapped up in you, in worrying about my marriage, and cases at work, I think I just had the blinders on. We pay a service to clean, and I thought the hair ties were from them. I didn’t know those were for pregnancy. It didn’t occur to me to read the damn bottle.”
I could tell Xavier was beating himself up over it. Xavier had been painfully, brutally honest with me. I had no doubt that he had spoken the truth. “Are you okay?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Not really. I’m living with my moms. My marriage is over, and the thing I’m most worried about is losing you. Tell me I’m not going to lose you.”
My heart throbbed, my instincts pushed me to soothe my alpha. “I can’t tell you that. It’s not a good idea for us to be together right now.” I poured it all out. The secret worries I held close to my chest. “There’s too much for you to work through. Is it really over between you and Gio? How can I trust that you won’t ditch me for them? She can give you a family. There’s no guarantee that I can.”
“If I have you, then I don’t need that! Please, Brady!” I heard a choked sob.
My eyes filled with more tears. “Not just now. I can’t be your omega for a while. Maybe once the divorce is final and you’ve had time to think—”
“I don’t need time to think. It’s you I want.”
“You say that now, but will you say that once those babies are here and when you miss your husband?” I demanded in a hardtone. “I’m not a toy for you to play with and throw away when something better comes along.”
“Brady… that’s not how I see you. What can I do to make you see—?”
“Give me space. Get your life together. Get your divorce and then heal. Maybe get some therapy. I dunno, Xavi.” My sigh was long and loud. “I’m exhausted. I’m sad. You and Gio were special to me, but I don’t know if we can work just as us two. Just leave me alone for a bit, okay?”
I ended the call, then blocked his number, then Gio’s for good measure.
When I returned to my apartment, there was a note on the door. Xavier asked me to wait for him, then apologized for asking that at all. The letter made me smile, the first genuine smile in a day. He promised to get his life in order, but wanted us to at least stay friends.
“I don’t think I can do this without knowing you are there in my corner. I need your friendship.”
