Page 228 of One Winter Knight
“Then don’t work. Focus on your research. Also, having your place there is good, because sometimes you might need an extra day to lock yourself in the library somewhere, so you can study without me there to distract you.” She gave me an alluring look.
That was very true. I did better cramming for tests and writing papers at the last minute.
I kissed her. “You? A distraction? Never.”
“Don’t listen to them, okay? We have this. And given you’re going to keep your place there, we should probably do more clothes shopping. I will pay for things if I get to choose and you have to model.” Her lips curved into a grin. “We can go later today.”
“That sounds frightening, Puddin’. Can I pick the store at least?” I offered, unsure about all that, knowing the brands she liked.
She thought for a moment. “We’ll see.”
“Okay.” I held her tight, drinking in her touch, her scent–and the fact she’d brought me into her nest, in what was obviously an attempt to comfort me.
“We have you. And when we need you, you’ll have us back,” she assured. “You are enough, Hale. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” A rumble filled the little room.
Wait. Was she purring for me? I hadn’t heard an omega purr outside of a recording in alpha class in a long time.
My omega was purring for me. In her nest. And she wanted to buy me clothes, which was her love language.
I was going to fucking do this. For me. For them.
What had Mercy said? Something about their opinions not being indicative of our self-worth.
No. That wasn’t it.
Fuck the parents.Yeah. That was it.
Yeah, fuck that noise. I’d do this without their approval or support.
I wasn’t going anywhere. Because Carlos and Fiona loved meand they deserved me to fucking try.
And I was going to fucking try.
This time my best was going to be fucking enough. I was going to be fucking enough.
I was enough.
Because Fiona said so.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Saoirse
The nausea rose up again as I unpacked the last box of things. I didn’t like how long it had taken me to do this. But there was a lot more to unpack and get situated than just my room. Also, I’d been so tired.
I ran to the toilet and vomited up the little I was able to eat for breakfast.
What was wrong with me? This didn’t feel like some simple cold or flu, considering it had been over a week. I didn’t have a fever or a cough, or any sort of congestion or sniffles. Just nauseous and fatigued.
I’d actually fallen asleep while making out with Fiona last night. Getting up to take my morning run took effort.
Rinsing my mouth out with water, I flushed the toilet, glad I had my own bathroom.
Maybe later Dusty could make me more soup? Though Carlos had a home game tonight that we were all going to.
Dusty had been helping me set up the home gym. We got wooden floors installed, the walls painted, mirrors hung, equipment set up, and a punching bag suspended. He’d also carried boxes, puttogether furniture, and moved things.
The work in the basement to set up the office for Fiona and I had also started, complete with a heavy-duty weapons safe. At some point I need to coordinate with my cousins to get my things. I brought over some of it, but not all of it.
