3 Paths to Love

Chapter 19

Taeyong sighed and looked over at the petit omega. Her hair was neatly tied back, and she had a nametag on her black blouse. Thank goodness it wasn't someone he knew.

"I'm okay," he said, chuckling nervously. "Just pregnant. It's true what they say about morning sickness. Except it's not just in the mornings."

Her eyes widened with childlike awe. "Ah, congratulations." When she didn't look away, Taeyong raised his eyebrow. "Um, if you're feeling unwell, perhaps this can help?" She set her purse on the counter and pulled out a packet of nausea medication. The same ones Taeyong had.

"Oh, thank goodness," Taeyong gasped. "Please, I'm in desperate need of one."

Taeyong held his hand out, and she shook out a tablet. He popped it into his mouth and swirled it around; the promise of relief was enough for him to relax.

"Thank you so much," Taeyong said and leaned down to read her name tag. "Thank you, Eunae. I'll put in a good word for you."

"Ah, no need," she said, shaking her head. "My shift's already over. In fact, I'll get in trouble if they know I'm using this bathroom," she said and chuckled. "But the lighting is much better here."

"Oh"–Taeyong smiled–"I can imagine."

Eunae smiled and dropped the meds back into her purse, and dug around. "Yup. So, it's no problem at all, really," she said and pulled out a crystal lipstick bullet.

Taeyong's smile faulted when she pulled off the cap and revealed the cherry red bullet inside. There was only one person he knew who had that colour in that case.

"T-That's a beautiful colour," Taeyong said, steadying his voice and plastering on a smile. "What brand is that?"

"Oh, this?" She giggled and closed it, handing it to him. "It's some brand from Paris. My boyfriend got it for me."

Taeyong tensed. "I see."

Boyfriend? He took the lipstick and read the top. His heart sank when he saw the embossed 'J' on the top.

"It's beautiful," he said, his voice wavering and handed it back. "You're very lucky."

"Thank you," she said and closed the tube, smacking her vibrant lips together. "He's flying to Tokyo tonight, so he's coming to pick me up to have dinner."

"Wow, sounds fun," Taeyong said. "I should get going now. It was nice meeting you," he said, and his body moved on its own.

As soon as he stepped out, he rushed back. His heart was hammering in his ears, the dots connecting in his mind into one big red flag.

He stopped at the edge of the sofa, frozen in place as the stylist knelt in front of Daehyun, and they were laughing over something. A knot formed in his stomach, and his scent trickled with distress.

Daehyun looked up first and sat up immediately. "Taeyong, are you okay?" he asked in a calm voice. The stylist slowly got up from where she was setting up his shoes.

His head was a mess and his chest constricted, but Taeyong forced a smile. He couldn't make a scene. "I'm okay. Just feeling a bit sick," he said, placing his hand on his stomach.

Daehyun eyed him for a moment before getting up. "Do you want to go home," he whispered.

Taeyong nodded, taking in Daehyun's comforting scent. "Yes, please," he said and turned to the stylist. "I'm so sorry to cut our appointment short."

"No, not at all," she said, shaking her head. "I completely understand. Will you change back, or should I pack your clothes as well?"

The thought of Taeyong spending the extra minutes changing back made his stomach knot tighter. "Please pack them."

She nodded and went off. Taeyong closed his eyes and stumbled back, falling against Daehyun's chest. He looked up at his husband and frowned, nuzzling his nose against him.

"Are you sure everything's okay," he whispered, wrapping his arm around him and pulling him close.

"Just feel really off," he breathed and hugged him around the waist. "Can we go home and cuddle? I don't want you leaving my side tonight."

Daehyun nuzzled the top of his head. "Of course."

Even safely in his alpha's arms, the encounter kept replaying in his head. Was he jumping to conclusions? There were a million reasons, good, innocent reasons she could've had that lipstick. Her boyfriend could've been anybody. Why didn't he ask who he was? He should've found out more. No, it wasn't his place. She wouldn't have even told him if he asked.

Taeyong took another deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. What was he going to do?