You’re ugly and useless, Kai’s father had said.
The hospital receptionist had stared at Micah, and Micah couldn’t imagine dragging Kai and Spike through all that with him. There was no way this thing between the three of them could last.
“I’m not leaving,” Spike muttered, brushing his fingers through Micah’s hair. “I’m your—”
“No, don’t say it.” Micah couldn’t breathe. He had to break up with Spike and Kai, and set them free. With no job, he was now a liability. The one thing Kai and Spike both hated to be. “Just go. I can’t afford to get hurt again.”
Spike froze, his face paling. That had struck a nerve. Micah felt terrible for it, the guilt almost choking him.
But if Spike joined Kai in Colorado... they could be happy together. Or they could find a younger omega, someone beautiful who could bear them children with no pregnancy risks, when they were actually ready for a baby.
And that bright future for them... It made Micah’s heart thump. Because he wanted the best for Spike and Kai, because he wanted them both to not have to struggle.
“I’ll call Kai,” Spike began. For the first time in a long while, he looked nervous. His eyes raked over Micah’s scars, and Micah knew Spike still felt guilty about them. And because of that, Spike couldn’t push Micah to hang on to their relationship. “I’ll call him and get him home so he can take care of you—”
“No,” Micah said, his heart cracking. “Don’t bother. Just... go. The both of you.”
“Go?” Spike stared at Micah, refusing to understand.
“Yes,” Micah said. “I’m breaking up with you.”
Spike made a soft, hurt sound, disbelief darting through his eyes. “I promised protection—”
“I can find it elsewhere.”
The hurt creeping through Spike’s face... it was difficult to watch. Micah turned away, clenching his fists so it wasn’t obvious that he was shaking. I can’t believe I’m hurting him. But it’ll be worth it in the end.
“But Kai—Kai loves you. You can’t...” Spike reached out for him.
Micah shook his head. They were so close to Spike and Kai finding a happier future. Micah had been selfish for months. It was time to let them go.
He pointed at the office door. “Take your things. I don’t want to see you in my home. This has gone on longer than it should have.”
“I love you,” Spike said quietly. “And I won’t stop loving you. You know that.”
Pain slid slow and deep through Micah’s chest. “Go,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Before I tell York to throw your things out.”
That seemed to break Spike. Spike trembled, blinking hard. He raked his gaze over Micah, as though he was trying to memorize what Micah looked like right then. But Micah was without makeup, he had bald spots on his head, and he felt rotten to the core.
Spike grabbed his satchel, crossing the few feet to the office door. Then he gave Micah a last lingering look, and stepped out, his gaze intent, as though Micah was still the most precious person he’d ever found.
The moment the door closed, Micah sank into his office chair, burying his face in his hands. The tears came then, and Micah was powerless to stop them.
He’d known he was living on borrowed time when he’d met Kai and Spike. He’d been pretending that he was worth something, that he was pretty enough. But with no job, with no erasing the scars on his body... It was inevitable that the illusion would end.
Micah wished he could return to yesterday, to before Kai had left, when he still had his alphas by his side. He wished he’d taken the time to savor their presence, he wished he’d known this would end so soon.
Those memories would have to be enough from now on.
33
Kai
Kai was toweling off his sweat when his phone rang. Along the side of the court, the rest of the team had scattered to make the most of their fifteen-minute break. Kai slung his towel over his shoulder, unzipping his satchel. Should’ve put it on silent mode.
A name flashed on the screen. Spike.
Kai frowned. Spike knew not to call during the day. Was it an emergency? “Spike?”
No answer. Just background noise, and a shaky breath. Fuck.
“Spike?” Kai asked again, stepping away from his teammates. “You there?”
“I fucked up,” Spike said, his voice hoarse. “Sorry.”
“What happened?” Kai’s stomach flipped. He could count on one hand the number of times Spike had sounded this way. “Tell me.”
“Micah broke up with us,” Spike said. “It’s my fault. I—I was kissing him and then Hastings stepped in and he just—he fired Micah, Kai. Gods. I don’t know what to do.”
Kai froze, the noise around them fading to nothing. “He... Hastings fired him.” That’s my bio dad. He fired Micah. “Why?”
“Because he caught us kissing.” Spike gave a low keen of frustration. “And I had my assignments on the desk. I was fighting with Micah and I threw them on the desk to tell him I didn’t need his help. Then I kissed him and—fuck. Gods. He wants us to move out. My heart hurts, Kai. I’m sorry.”
Kai ran his fingers through his hair, his pulse thudding. All this at once—it was too much to take in. “He broke up with us? Because he lost his job?”
“Because I lost him his job, yeah.” Spike’s voice broke. “I don’t know how to get it back.”
“But the law—”
“It wasn’t just the relationship. Apparently Micah slept with Hastings for the job.”
Jealousy rumbled through Kai’s chest. “He’s been a professor for years. That happened in the past.”
“Yeah, I know. I just...” Spike sucked in a deep breath, blowing it out. “He broke up with us. I thought... I thought we’d have him forever.”
After years of pining for the professor, after being with him for a blissful six months... This had to have hit Spike hard. Micah, too, with the way he’d craved attention. They were both hurting so much,
