Beta Complex

Chapter 84: It was a Mistake

Ethan pushes Zander away, and this time the alpha actually steps back. He watches with a frown as Ethan fumbles to put his dick away and zip up his pants. He reaches down to do the same, his head tilting up to get a glimpse of the beta as he does.

Ethan steps away from the wall, away from Zander, and walks a wide berth around him to get to Leo. All the while he can feel the alpha burning a hole into the side of his face. Oh god, what has he done? Why would he give in like that, all because Zander licked and sucked - No! No. It was a mistake, a one time thing that will never ever happen again. It can’t happen again.

Ethan isn’t the type of person to come between two people. He’s not some homewrecker. Shame settles deep inside his belly.

The blonde omega is frowning, his pale eyebrows narrowed as he crosses his arms over his chest. He openly glares at Zander, but the alpha isn’t the least bit intimidated. Besides, it doesn’t matter to him what he thinks. Leo could call him the biggest scum on earth and he wouldn’t blink an eye. However if it came from a certain beta, well, things would be different.

"Beau is waiting for you inside. You should go." Leo says as Ethan only shows his back towards Zander. The alpha doesn’t acknowledge him. His friend could be hanging off of a cliff right now for all he cared about. He’d hang there until he was done. Luckily for Beau, it’s just a hypothetical.

"Ethan." Zander’s voice is small and unsure. He reaches up to ruffle his black hair, and he opens his mouth to say something more but no words come out.

Ethan doesn’t stop. He links arms with Leo and continues towards the main street.

"Ethan!" He sounds desperate now.

Finally the beta pauses, his gaze on Leo as the omega stares at him with sad blue eyes. His friend shakes his head at him, but Ethan can’t find it in himself to walk away without a word. He should, he has the right too, if anything. However seeing him in person is so different from seeing him on a screen.

He sighs and turns around, ignoring the way Leo huffs behind him. Ethan takes in every inch of his handsome face before looking at him in his dazzling green eyes lined with violet.

If Ethan had been anyone else when he found Zander in that alleyway, beaten to a pulp, would things have gone the same way? Did Zander mean anything that happened between them, or was he just there at the right time, to entertain him? He suddenly remembers the night Zander came to the restaurant while they were celebrating his mom getting an investor. How he took Zander up to his room and how they had touched each other, much like they just did.

Would he have done that with anyone?

They’re painful questions, yet useless ones, but he can’t help torturing himself with it.

"I hear you’re engaged now." Ethan clears his throat when his voice cracks. He swears he sees Zander flinch, but the reaction is gone just as quickly. "Congratulations." He forces a smile, but he hopes it looks the littlest bit genuine. Even if he doesn’t mean it. Before Zander can say anything else, he turns, grabs Leo’s hand, and walks out of the alleyway like he can’t get away fast enough.

He doesn’t look back once. He fears if he does, then everything he wants to shout and scream about will slip away and he would only make a bigger fool out of himself. He can’t give Zander that satisfaction.

"You say that but you just nutted in his hand two seconds ago." Leo mutters. Ethan stops and Leo bumps into his back. The beta turns around and he glares at him.

"Can you just stop? Please?" Ethan groans, he reaches up to rub his temples. "I know. I-I shouldn’t have done it. And I wasn’t going to but-" He clenches his jaw and looks down at his shoes, hating the feeling lodged into his chest and throat.

"Do you love him?" Leo whispers so low that Ethan almost doesn’t hear him.

"What?" The beta asks, his head snapping up. "Of course not. I know nothing about him." He scoffs, but his vision begins to blur and his voice grows thick with emotion. "Besides." His voice drops to something pitiful. "It’s not like what I feel matters. He-" his voice cracks and he wipes at his eyes, refusing to let the tears fall. "He made it clear what he wants."

Leo sighs and pulls his friend into a hug. "Come on, let’s go home."

***

Ethan doesn’t ever hear from Zander again after that night. In fact, the meeting completely slips his mind as the restaurant booms with reservations.

Today is his day off, and he spent it lounging around at home with his mom as her manager takes care of things. He’s in the kitchen making some soup, because making anything else takes too much effort, effort Ethan doesn’t want to give right now. Besides, who doesn’t like soup?

"Ethan!" Roxanne suddenly screams from the living room of their house. "Come here quick!"

The beta trips as he runs into the room, catching himself against the wall as he holds up an iron label that drips with broth. "What?! What is it?!" He shouts as he looks for an intruder or a bug to bang his ladle against. Anything that could make his mother shriek the way she is. Only she’s by herself, her phone in hand and a wide smile on her face.

He raises his eyebrows, "What is it?" He asks.

She rushes to him, her hair swinging in the high ponytail she put it in, and grabs a handful of his shirt. She looks up at him with sparkling eyes. "He’s coming." She whispers. "He’s coming!" She squeals, as she starts to bounce on the tips of her toes. "He made a reservation and he’s going to have dinner at our restaurant!"

"Who? The president?" Ethan asks, which seems skeptical because they’re not exactly his biggest fan, but he’d rather not get into politics.

"No!" She smacks his arm with a scowl. "Dont be such a smart ass!" Ethan chuckles. "No, the investor!" She continues.