6. What do I do?

Aurel

I push off the bed, ignoring the faint wheeze in my head. I’m not even listening to whatever Treyvon is saying.

But then… what am I even going to say to him?

I walk down the hallway and see Harper approaching.

“Hey, why are you up and bouncing like you’re heading into a wrestling ring?”

I ignore her question. “Is that asshole Neylan there?”

“No…? He left an hour ago with his fiancée.” The word twists my guts.

Oh really? He’s living his perfect life, engaged to the woman he fucking loves, and here I am bearing the consequences of his recklessness.

I clench my hand tight enough for my nails to dig into my skin. But I can’t show any emotion. I don’t mind Harper knowing, but Treyvon and the team?

The familiar sound of my phone rings out. I touch my pockets for it, only to look up and see Harper stretching it out to me.

“I took it from your locker earlier…” she says.

Coach Jace flashes across the screen. I take the phone from her.

“Laurentis, what kind of recklessness was that?” he snaps. “You should have told me about your condition. And the money for your mother’s surgery, as you requested, has been sent to the hospital. You should come see me.”

The call ends.

Hah. At least not everything is going against me.

Mother… I’ll be fine.

But then… what the hell am I supposed to do with the baby inside me?

My knees give out and I drop into a squat on the floor. Only then do I realize Harper is still there, staring at me with expectation.

“Out with it. No cuts, no buts, no coconut.” Her hand rests on her waist as she shifts her weight.

Before I can answer, Treyvon steps in.

“What is it?”

Yeah, there’s no way I’m letting this jerk know.

“At least I’m not dying,” I say, getting up and walking toward the reception.

“Yeah, the doctor said you can go home.”

I let Treyvon drive me to the hospital first. Gabriel had already called the nanny I asked him to get. We’re both too busy with school and everything else to stay with Mum every day.

As we walk in, Aunt Linda, Mum’s nanny, is feeding her. According to the doctor, the tumor in her head hasn’t gotten that bad, but surgery is needed to remove it.

Actually, Mum found out years ago, but since Dad died from illness too, she didn’t want to pass that burden of caring for a sick person onto us. So she kept it a secret and stayed on medication.

Gabriel is sixteen, and at this age… all I want him to worry about is school. I wanted to use my hockey skills to provide everything for us, but looking at Mum now, and considering the pathetic situation I’m in…

Fuck… I don’t know how life is going to turn out anymore. What do I even do?

I turn to the doctor. “Thank you, doctor. I guess she’s ready for it. I’ll be back before the time,” I say.

Mum will be having the surgery tonight.

But first, I need to talk to Harper.

“Treyvon, you can go change. I heard there’s a team dinner tonight. You should go. I’ll have Harper stay with me.”

His red hair is already a mess. I can tell he hasn’t taken a bath, probably because he rushed down here after hearing I collapsed.

I give him a look. He gets it. No argument.

“Fine, damn it. I’ll be back immediately after the dinner. I hope the surgery goes well.”

“Tch. Worry about yourself. You haven’t slept in days because of the game, so go get some rest. Our little angel is safe with me.” Harper smacks his ass and winks.

I glare at her. She immediately turns away. “Hey… I’m three years older than you. Show some respect.”

“Yes, ma’am… such an old woman,” I tease.

She laughs at my dry joke. Harper is a twenty-five-year-old Beta, and Treyvon and I are the same age, just two months apart. He’s older. The three of us have always been close. Treyvon became my best friend because we’ve been through everything together since school.

“Sooo… what is it that has my baby all messed up inside?” she finally asks as we walk to get a taxi back to my dorm.

Soon, the car arrives, and we lose track of time as I tell her everything that’s happened over the past three months.

“Oh dear… this is a big problem,” she says, throwing her head back against the seat. I just hope the driver isn’t paying attention.

“I want to abort it,” I conclude, looking out the window. That has to be the only option.

“Are you fucking crazy?” she yells suddenly. The driver startles and turns his head sharply.

“I… is there a problem?”

She quickly apologizes. We reach our stop and get out.

“Don’t ever say that again. Do you realize the risk?” She grabs my shoulder, but I turn my head away. “First, you’re a recessive male Omega. Your body isn’t as stable as a female recessive or a dominant Omega,” she grits out.

“It would require them to mess with your womb.”

“But I can’t carry this child to term. I’d be risking my career and my life too. And there’s no way in hell I’m telling that asshole Neylan about this just because I need his pheromones for me and the baby to survive.”

Veins line my forehead as the thought of this whole mess tears through my head.

“What other option do I have, Harper? None.” I wave my hands in frustration.

“Jeez… I can’t even think right now. But first, you need to calm down. Let’s figure it out.”

“My patience is already gone. The finals are in a week, and I’ll be up against my baby daddy on the ice.” I pause, a humorless laugh slipping out.

“What a ridiculous situation, Harper… I’m losing my fucking mind.”