章節 8: Why do they call it crush?
When Dr. Medina asks to speak to Damon alone, Kaiden is once again left in the empty room. Five minutes have passed since he wore his clothes instead of the hospital gown, and another five minutes trickles by but he isn't anxious this time; his head is preoccupied with the bomb the doctor dropped.
It turns out having a partner is all the cure he needs. If he knew earlier, he would've searched for one, but how easy is it to find his fated mate? Certainly not this easy, he supposes.
Kaiden feels giddy at the thought of already having spent a night at his fated mate's place. Lots of omegas spend their whole life without finding their destined person, it can only be his fortune that he was at the right place, at the right time.
Who will believe in this kind of coincidence?
As another five minutes go by, Kaiden's patience runs out. He heads to the door to look for the Alpha but is met with the Beta woman instead.
What's her name again? Oh, right, Lucy.
Lucy has platinum blonde hair pulled into a neat ponytail and dark, brown eyes behind cat-framed glasses. Kaiden takes a moment to admire how professional she looks with the white, long-sleeve, bow blouse and black, pencil skirt. Her pale pink pumps are worth more than a year of Kaiden's food expenses combined, he knows because he recognizes the brand.
"Hello," he greets the Beta with a shy smile.
"Hello, Mr. Wester," she greets back. "How may I be of assistance?"
"You can just call me Kaiden." Being addressed by his last name makes him feel awkward, especially when his 'family' doesn't welcome him anymore.
"Okay, Kaiden," she responds with a smile that reaches her eyes, instantly putting him at ease. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm just wondering where Da—" he corrects himself, "where Mr. Lin went."
"President Lin is still with Dr. Medina. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them for you."
"Ah, no, I don't. I guess I'll just wait for him to finish." Damon didn't tell him to wait, but he feels like he now understands why he was brought here.
He slowly makes his way towards one of the benches in the hallway. Forgetting his injured ankle, he staggers when he makes the wrong step. An arm catches him before he falls, and when he turns his head, he sees Lucy's concerned face.
"Let's get that properly treated, shall we?"
Kaiden can only nod as the Beta woman more or less drags him away.
--
As the doctor is reminding Kaiden not to put his weight when walking on the side of his body where he sprained his ankle, Damon steps into the room.
Lucy slightly bows her head in greeting, a neutral expression on her face, while Kaiden tries not to have his attention stolen away by the dashing Alpha.
The doctor is saying something about how the injury isn't serious and to be careful next time when he hears Damon ask Lucy, "Is his ankle better?"
"Yes. Thankfully, he won't need crutches, only a few days of rest," Lucy repeats what the doctor told them.
"Good." Damon's eyes sweep once over Kaiden, making the Omega turn red under his gaze.
So it's the Alpha who told Lucy to have his ankle checked out?
Kaiden feels ashamed at thinking that Damon's personality changed overnight. How can the man who was so warm and kind to him, even covering him from the wind, become so cold the next day? Kaiden is definitely mistaken, it's the same person after all.
Maybe he's just shy that they did something intimate before getting to know each other, Kaiden assumes. He still can't recount everything perfectly but the hickeys on his body are enough proof. Did they go all the way? Surely not since he feels perfectly fine, but he's not convinced since his memories are unreliable.
Stuck in his thoughts, Kaiden is out of it and only comes back to Earth when he's inside the Alpha's car once again, his address unconsciously spilling from his mouth when asked.
They spend most of the car ride in silence, with one ignorant of the other's thoughts. Kaiden doesn't know how to start a conversation with him and Damon simply ignores the Omega's presence.
With about ten minutes left before they arrive, it is Damon who speaks first. "You said you're unemployed," he states more of a fact rather than a question.
Kaiden wonders if Damon is talking to him, especially since he never looks in his direction, but other than the obviously employed driver and the president of a large group, it's only him in there. "Yes," he responds after several minutes of hesitation.
"I'll deliver a contract to your house. Don't take too long to sign." Damon scrolls through the tablet, unconcerned over whether the Omega will reject his offer or not.
"Contract? What contract?" A big question mark appears on Kaiden's expression but no one is looking at him to notice that.
"Employment contract. Settle the things on your side as well since it's better for you to live at my residence. If you need further arrangements, contact Uriel, the butler. I'm sure you've met this morning." It's the most Damon has spoken to him since they met, and Kaiden struggles not to get seduced by that deep voice.
"You're hiring me at Lin Finance Group?" He points to himself in disbelief.
"No, I'm hiring you directly under my employment as a pheromone partner. It has nothing to do with the company." The words 'don't be mistaken' dangle in the air, implied but not outspoken.
"Oh," he says, the shame hitting him like a speeding truck on a slippery highway. "Okay." For a second, he thought that their compatibility will lead to something romantic, but of course, /of course/, it's nothing but his delusion.
Unaware of the Omega's broken expectations, Damon continues in a cold tone, "You can state your terms once you've read it through, but I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the pay. Be mindful of the conditions stated."
With Damon clearly dividing a line between them, Kaiden's tiny crush wilts before having a chance to bloom. He's disappointed but it's to be expected. Who is he anyway? He's a Wester in name only, a Wester who was on the brink of homelessness several hours ago.
The old building housing his cheap apartment slowly comes into view as Kaiden reminds himself not to get greedy—that it's better for him to have a job than be in a relationship.
If anything, he must use this opportunity to take advantage of whatever benefits come his way. He shouldn't be sad, but what can he do? He is.
The car parks in front and Kaiden exits the vehicle without needing prompting. His feet itch to bolt out of sight as fast as possible, but upon remembering that the man in the car is the source of his future paychecks, he forces a smile on his face that he hopes looks natural. It's useless since Damon doesn't look at him when he says, "Thank you for the ride."
He softly closes the door without even hearing anything back from Damon, but not before he sees an undeniably doting expression surface on Damon's face as he picks up his ringing phone.
If his inner omega whimpers in dejection at the Alpha's difference in treatment between him and the person on the other side of that call, that is his secret to keep.
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