Beta Complex

Chapter 77: With the Intention to Screw

Zander is getting married.

Ethan scoffs and rubs his left eye as he stares at the computer screen. Focus, he scolds himself. Only it’s become difficult because no matter how hard he tries, his mind refuses to process whatever is in front of him. After hours of staring at reports, all he can see now is a jumbled mess of letters and numbers.

"It’s pretty late." Roxanne murmurs from behind him. Eyebrows raising, he spins around in his office chair to find his mother standing in the doorway to the manager’s office. She’s no longer in her formal uniform, but in her casual clothes, her new leather handbag clutched in one hand.

A gift for herself, she called it after their successful launch of her reopening. Ethan doesn’t care what she calls it, she more than deserves it.

"Is it?" He asks before muffling a yawn. He glances at the time and frowns when he sees it’s almost one in the morning. He sighs and rubs a hand through his hair. It’s been hours since Leo left, hours since he found out that Zander is -

Nope. Ethan clears his throat and presses random keys to cut off his current thought.

"Why don’t you finish that tomorrow?" A familiar voice asks from behind him. His mother sounds just as tired as he feels, and if he’s honest, he didn’t realize she was also staying this late into the night as well.

Every time he gets a proper look at her face, he can’t help but compare her to her past self. Before this luck found them and they ended up with everything they have now. The circles beneath her eyes are less dark, and there’s a spark in her that didn’t used to be there.

While she seems better than before, Ethan wonders if it’s the same case for him. Did he look like a better person than before? He resists the urge to look at his reflection in the window nearby. He knows for sure he doesn’t.

"Ethan?" Roxanne frowns and steps further into the room. "Why don’t you take this weekend off, instead? I can have Jessie take care of the rest of the papers."

Ethan takes a deep breath and nods. He organizes the desk, shuts off the computer and gathers his things. Maybe a few days off will let him unwind.

Roxanne smiles, links her arm through his, and together they lock up the restaurant to head home. The beta family no longer lives above their restaurant, but in a small two bedroom house a few blocks away.

During the ride there, they don’t speak, and Ethan is grateful that his mother seems to understand that socializing is the last thing he wants to do right now.

Once at home, they say goodnight and head to their separate rooms. However, now that Ethan is alone with nothing to distract him or keep his mind occupied, he finds himself thinking about things he doesn’t want to think about.

Zander is getting married. It shouldn’t bother him. He shouldn’t be offended, or hurt, and yet the tightening in his chest and the heavy lead ball that falls into the pit of his stomach doesn’t seem to care.

It’s already been two years of no contact with the alpha who suddenly fell into his life before falling right back out without a care in the world. Two years of avoiding any and all news of him, of plowing through life like they’ve never met before.

Was that time not long enough? Or is Ethan just this pathetic?

Ethan isn’t usually an emotional man. He didn’t get emotional when he fell off his bycicle when he was learning to ride. He didn’t get emotional when his father up and left them to pursue greater things. Instead, he picked himself up and he did what he had to do. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for this one.

Ethan sniffles, his eyebrows furrowing when he reaches up to wipe his cheek. Oh, he’s crying.

The chuckle he lets out is soft and depreciating. He has half the mind to call Leo back and tell him to go through with his plan; to ruin the engagement party. The other half knows he’s not that petty, though.

Using the collar of his shirt to wipe his eyes, he pulls out his phone and opens up the search engine to look Zander up. It’s probably not the best thing he can do right now, but no one’s there to tell him that and he’s not listening to the smart voice in his head at the moment.

Zander’s public profile shows up first, along with hundreds of photos of his face and figure. Ethan’s breath catches when he meets emerald green eyes, twinkling at the camera. His thick dark lashes frame his glowing irises, his sharp and angular features prominent with a bit of natural make up.

He doesn’t dare admit to himself that he misses the kind and pushy alpha.

Ethan drops the phone beside him and stares up at the ceiling. "Maybe I should just get laid." He mutters. He blinks, and instead of giving himself time to think about it, he dials up Leo’s number.

"Well, hello there." Leo chuckles as he answers. In the background, Ethan can hear Max talking with another person.

"You’re still at his parents?" Ethan asks, his finger catching on a loose thread of his comforter. He glances at the time and notices it’s almost two in the morning.

"Mm, we’re about to leave." Leo answers. The speaker crackles before Leo’s muffled voice could be heard saying goodbye.

"Seems like it went well," Ethan muses, but if he’s honest, he couldn’t care less about Max’s parents. "If your not doing anything tomorrow night, want to go out?" Ethan gets straight to the point.

"Go out?" Leo asks.

Ethan nods despite his friend not being able to see him, and then he elaborates. "To a bar, or a club, or something." He shrugs.

There’s a too quiet pause, and Ethan rolls his eyes, "It’s not that big of a deal. If you cant-"

"No!" Leo screams, making Ethan wince as he pulls his phone away from his ear. "No, I can. I can go, definitely. Max isn’t the boss of me." He scoffs at the end.

Ethan raises his eyebrows but laughs, "Okay-"

"Does this mean-" Leo cuts him off, his voice high in pitch with his excitement.

"Yes." Ethan sits up and ruffles his hair. He hunches over, his elbows on his knees like he’s already regretting what he’s about to say. "Yes. I’m with the intention to screw and forget."

Leo snorts over the phone before Max takes over.

"Intention to screw and forget? You finally going to live your life?" The alpha snarks at him. There’s an audible smack before Leo starts speaking.

"Ignore him. Don’t worry, I won’t bring him with us." The omega giggles before he hangs up.