Page 35 of Scheme
Nico’s eyes widened a fraction while Violet clapped her hands over her mouth in horror.
“The omega?” Nico asked gruffly.
“Long gone by the time Calum was found in some seedy back alleyway. My parents are trying to track them down.” I swallowed thickly as Violet’s eyes flashed dangerously. “I’ll protect them. Somehow.”
I hadn’t worked out precisely how I was going to do that, but I’d come up with something.
“When did all this happen?” Violet whispered.
“A couple of weeks ago.”
“That explains why you were so reserved at the party,” Nico observed.
Violet grabbed my hands, giving them a squeeze, her eyes shining with tears. “You’re so independent, Margot. So brave, so fiercely determined to face life on your own terms, and I admire you for that so much. But this is a big burden for you to carry on your own, and you don’t have to. You never have to.”
I nodded, giving her hands a quick squeeze. The close, loving, supportive relationship I had with Violet was what I’d envisioned myself having with Layla back when we were teenagers. I didn’t mourn the loss of it anymore. Violet was the sister I’dchosen.
“I wasn’t carrying it entirely alone,” I admitted. “Kit knows. I told him that night we met. I’m not even entirely sure why.”
And I could begrudgingly admire the fact that he hadn’t immediately told Nico and Violet after I’d asked him not to. Whatever faults he had, he’d kept my secret until I was ready to share it on my own terms.
Nico blew out a long breath. “That’s what you were talking about that night? I kind of thought that you two were hitting it off. That maybe there was somethingthere.”
“Nico,” I chastised. “You know that neither Kit nor I is interested in mating.”
“What I know is that you’re two of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met,” he replied with a pointed look.
“Sounds like the makings of a terrible, dysfunctional relationship,” I shot back with a syrupy sweet smile. Nico snorted.
“You’re sure you won’t join us for dinner?” Violet asked. In all honesty, I was a little tempted now—Nico and Violet were comforting company when I felt down, but I’d already made plans.
“Michelle is really relying on me to help with the kids tonight—”
Violet sighed. “You’re always there for everyone else, Margot. When is it your turn? When are you going to put yourself first?”
“Hey Margot,” Luna whispered in my ear, pressing a sticky hand to the side of my face to hide our conversation. Why were kids always so sticky? She’d only just come out of the shower, surely she should manage to stay unsticky for longer than five minutes.
“Yes, Luna?”
“Remember when Archie threw a bean at me at dinner?”
“Half an hour ago? Yes, I do remember.”
“Well,” Luna began conspiratorially. “I peed on his dinosaur loofah.”
“Youwhat?” I choked out, keeping my voice low so I didn’t wake the sleeping baby in my arms. “He’s in the shower right now, Luna!” I whisper-shouted.
“I know.” I’d never seen a six-year-old look so smug. I’d mostly come to terms with the fact that children weren’t in my future, and I didn’t mourn the life I thought I’d have in the way I used to, but sometimes being around children could make that old wound ache a little.
And then they went and told me that they peed on their brother’s shower loofah in an act of diabolical vengeance, and I wondered if maybe the universe knew what it was doing.
“Kid, that is super gross. Go tell your mum so she can… I don’t know. Dispose of the loofah, at least.” Maybe set it on fire.
Luna groaned, throwing her arms up dramatically before stomping toward the kitchen. I guessed she confessed, since there were some muffled raised voices from the kitchen before Michelle thundered up the stairs.
Little Freya let out an adorable baby snore, cradled in the crook of my elbow with her mouth wide open. She was a terror when she was awake—one years old and already an accomplished escape artist who had an aversion to wearing any kind of clothing no matter how cold it was—but asleep, she was a perfect little angel, and I was more than a little impressed that I’d managed to rock her to sleep on my own.
My phone buzzed, and I quickly silenced it before Freya woke up and started taking her clothes off again.
