I woke up tired, with lower back pain and swollen eyes. I kept holding Matt's jacket, still impregnated with the pheromones of the only alpha for me.

To soak in the pheromones of the jacket, I took a deep breath. Then I stood up and folded it, placing it in the second drawer of the nightstand.

I sighed.

Doing it with someone other than Matt and enjoying it was too much. 

The worst part was that I pretended it was Matt to I had done it with, when clearly it wasn't. I felt ashamed that I'd accepted his proposal.

I felt someone move next to me, so I turned around and there was the dominant alpha I had sex with the night before, pretending to be my previous partner.

My hand went directly to my face, as I frowned. Of all the existing alphas, it had to be the son of the owners of the place where I work. 

I grabbed my phone to check the time. It was six in the morning. We had less than thirty minutes to take a shower and go to the cafe. 

When I tried to get up, I felt an arm wrap around me.

– Mmm... – He muttered. 

I waited to check if he was awake, but since there was no reaction from him, I pushed his arm away and stood up. 

I went to take a shower, changed, and went back to the room, but was still sleeping.

I sighed. I couldn't wait any longer.

I left the room and headed to the cafeteria.

– Good morning. – I greeted as I entered.

– Oh, good morning, darling. – The omega replied, looking worried. 

– Is something wrong? – I already had an idea of why they were like that. 

– We haven't been able to contact our son, I hope nothing has happened to him. – She said, looking at her phone and dialing the number again.

It occurred to me that maybe I should have woken him up.

– Maybe he's late, he might have fallen asleep. – I said, avoiding their gazes. –  Just wait a little longer.

– Yes, darling, don't worry. – Her husband reassured her. 

– He's not like that, he doesn't usually just leave and spend the night somewhere else. Besides, he said he had ideas to win customers after seeing the other coffee shop, remember? – She said to her husband with concern.

Seeing them like that, I decided to intervene.

– Then he might have been thinking or making some presentation and hadn't noticed the time. – I gave them a smile.

I still felt broken inside, but I could put on fake smiles that looked real.

Her husband nodded vigorously.

– Yes, sweetheart. The boy's right! You already know him, he often exaggerate. – The owner caressed her hair.

But his wife just stared at me. I dropped my smile and turned around, getting ready to start cleaning.

– Honey, can you give us a moment alone? – She said, catching me off guard. Did she already know?

– Sure thing, I'll go and make some tea then. – He agreed, looking back and forth between his wife and me.

When her husband went up the stairs and entered his house, she approached me and took my hands in hers. She didn't say a word, she just held them there with a kind smile.

– Everything will be okay. – She suddenly said, making me open my eyes in surprise.

Had she seen through me?

‘Everything will be okay.’

Would it really be like that?

Will it ever stop hurting?

Will I ever be able to heal?

I looked into her eyes. Her eyes were sincere and gave me peace. I felt like she was answering me with just that.

When I realized it, a tear had fallen down my cheek. She hugged me and we stayed like that for a long time.

I had cried in the night, and now a tear had escaped in front of a person I had known for just over two months. But her hands around my back felt so comforting that I wanted to wrap myself in them and stay there forever.

I brought my hands to her back and held her clothes tightly.

I didn't care anymore, I just wanted to let it all out, but it was never enough. I started sobbing uncontrollably. The pain I felt wouldn't go away overnight, but at some point, it would stop hurting like that.

– Oh, darling. – The sweetness of her voice was comforting, caressing my back and head, bringing me closer to her.

We spent a moment like that, until I decided it was time to stop. I walked away with my head down and the omega dropped her hands.

She raised one up and brought it to my head, stirring it lovingly.

– That's it. – She simply said. She lowered her hand to my face and wiped away my tears.

– You're not going to… Ask me anything? – I asked weakly.

– Of course not. But if you want to talk, I'd listen. – She replied calmly.

I gave her a smile. A real one. 

– Thank you. 

Right in that moment, my gaze shifted to the entrance, where her son was looking at me with surprise. I immediately turned around and straightened up. 

– I'll go to the bathroom, I can't attend like this. – I excused with the omega.

– Of course, go. – She accepted with her loving smile.

As soon as I started to walk, the doorbell rang. 

– Oh, god. You-! I was so worried! – Her mother said, walking towards him, while I went into the bathroom and locked the door.

I sighed, tired. 

Too much had happened overnight, and I needed time to process it.

And above all, I wanted to avoid being alone with the owners' son, out of shame.

I had used him and had sex with him using the excuse that I was thinking about Matt.

I felt the worst. He was the second person I had sex with in my life, and it had been at the worst time.

I sat on the toilet lid and took a breath. Then I got up and saw my face on the mirror. My eyes were still swollen, but at least they looked better. 

I took a deep breath and opened the door. 

– Ah, so good to see you out of there! – The owner said. - Here, our son is going to give us the details to get more people in the cafeteria. - His excitement was pretty obvious.

– No, I don't... Think I should be hearing that, since I'm not part of the cafe, I just... Work here. – I replied, heading behind the counter.

– You're from the family since you started working here, darling. – The omega insisted, making me smile her back as a response.

– You can listen. – The son intervened, staring at me with a toothless grin.

I looked away and felt a small blush on my face.

I took my elbow with my other hand and stood still.

– I'll clean the tables. – I stated, heading towards the drawer where the cleaning supplies were.

– This boy. – The owner sighed.

Both parents turned their attention back to their son, who started explaining the new ideas he had to win more customers. 

Meanwhile, I tried to listen as little as possible while I cleaned the counter and tables. When I finished, they were still in a meeting.

I looked at the time and it was five minutes before opening, so I decided to intervene for a second. 

– Excuse me. – I spoke, making them to turn their attention to me. – It's almost time to open, so, I think you could continue your conversation about it inside… Maybe? – I blushed. It was their cafe, and what I had just said sounded like an order as if I was the owner. 

I looked to the side and nervously squeezed the broomstick.

– Sorry about that... – I apologized quietly.

Instead of hearing screams or angry voices, they started laughing.

– You're even more responsible than the owners themselves! – The owner said with a laugh. – I think we found an heir who do wants this place! – He added. 

'Who do want the place?' I thought. 

I glanced at the son, who was just shaking his head from side to side.

– Hey, I never said I didn't want it. – He defended as he arranged his sheets of paper to take them inside.

– You didn't say you want it either. – The omega replied. 

– And you shouldn't have opened that company there. – His father added.

I had more and more questions, but at the same time I felt that I had no right to interfere in their affairs, since I was just an employee.

I headed to the entrance and turned the sign from closed to open as the three of them entered their house. 

A few minutes later, the son appeared and sat down on a chair that he had taken as his chair for a few days now, which he had placed behind the counter and near me.

I tensed and thought about apologizing, but I didn't know how to do it. 

– I'm sorry. – I suddenly heard. 

I turned back to look at him, surprised. 

– Why are you... Apologizing? 

He looked at me for a moment and lowered his gaze. 

– Cause' I took advantage of your state. I knew you were feeling down cause of an alpha, but I still forced you to... do it. 

His hands were clasped together, and he was moving his fingers nervously.

I took a moment before answering. 

– How did you...? – I left the phrase incomplete.

– How did I know? – He completed it. – The jacket you had, it was impregnated with alpha pheromones. And you snuggled up to that, not letting go for a second, remember?

– Oh. – It was the only thing I could answer.

– Anyway, I'm very sorry I forced you. – He repeated.

– It wasn't like that. – He looked up at me. – I spread the pheromones, I provoked it. And I used you, so I'm sorry about that. 

I saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why.

He opened his mouth and closed it again. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip.

– Please, let... let me-

 Right in that moment, the bell at the entrance rang and I turned around to greet the customers.

It was two girls. As soon as they got closer, I knew they were omegas.

I greeted them with a smile.

– So, it was true. – One of them said. 

I looked at her for a minute, intrigued. 

– Oh, it's just that this coffee shop appeared on a website, and it said that there was a very handsome omega serving it. – She explained while observing me. – I can see it was true. 

 – Thank you. – I replied, blushing slightly.

Her friend looked behind me and blushed. 

– It didn't say anything about a handsome alpha. – Whispered to her friend, although I could hear clearly.

– Oh. – The owner's son stood up and smiled at the girls. 

I glanced at him. 

– Hello. – He said humming. – I'm like, this guy's guardian. – He pointed at me casually.

I frowned. 

– Not only betas and cute omegas like you come to this place. – He added.

The girls blushed and laughed nervously. 

I removed my frown and returned to my businesslike smile.

– What would you like to order? – I asked.

The owner's son sat back down in his chair, watching as always what I was doing.

I placed the order, charged, and told them to wait. As soon as I finished washing my hands and making the drinks, I called them over.

– Number one, your order it's ready. – I said out loud.

– Oh, were we the first? – One of them asked, somewhat surprised as she stood up.

– Yeah. – I answered bluntly.

They grabbed their drinks and waved goodbye.

I gave them my business smile until they walked out the door.

I heard the owner's son sigh, and I glanced at him again.

– Okay, we'll practice that later. – He suddenly said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

'Practice what?' I thought but decided to keep my mouth shut at the end. 

The rest of the day went by normally, with the owners' son helping me with the arriving alphas.

It was the same for about two more days. As soon as we closed the shop, the owner's son stopped me.

– Okay, let's practice. 

I looked at him, confused. 

– Serving. – He said, raising an eyebrow.

– … I'm not doing it that bad. – I replied dryly.

He laughed, as if I had made a joke. 

Seeing that I was still serious, he cleared his throat, took me by the shoulders and pushed me behind the counter again.

– Let's pretend I'm a customer, alright? 

– ... Fine. – I replied. 

He had already seen me do it every day, so I didn't see any point. However, it wasn't my problem.

– Great! – His spirit was quite noticeable.

He walked out the door and came back in.

– Welcome. – I spoke without smiling, making him grimace.

– I'm supposed to be a real customer. Say hello to me! Cheerful!

– Shouldn't you be the one-? 

– Let's do it again. – He ignored me, going out again to re-enter, making me sigh.

– Welcome. – This time, I showed him my business smile.

He smiled back at me.

– What'd you like to order? 

– I'll have a cappuccino to go, thanks. 

I told him the price and he pretended to pay without leaving anything on the table.

I glanced at him. So obvious.

So, I also pretended to give him a receipt and prepare a drink.

– There you go. – I said, giving him an empty cup. 

– No. – He replied. – Call me. 

– Okay. Number twenty, your order is ready. – I replied without emotion.

– Thank you. – He came over and smiled.

He grabbed the cup and walked out the door, with me waving goodbye with my fake business smile.

He stood outside for a few seconds, thinking.

When he came back in, I was already taking off my apron.

– Okay, I got it. – He said suddenly. – The new training starts tomorrow.

– … Understood.

I left the apron in the usual place with the cleaning products, walked to the back where the house was accessed and shouted, ‘I’m leaving now, thanks for everything.’ Like I did when the owners weren’t here and headed for the door.

– Wait! – The owner's son called me before I could leave.

I turned around and he motioned for me to wait for him while he ran to his house. When he returned, he had two jackets in his hand.

– Here. – He handed me one. – It's cold.

– Thanks. – I thanked, taking it. 

I put it on and, just like the previous one, it was huge on me.

– I'm leaving. – I said again. – Good job today. – I added, turning around and leaning slightly in his direction, one of my hands on the latch and the other near my mouth, warming it.

– I’ll go with you. – He offered, smiling.

– No, thank you. – I replied and walked out the door, closing it behind me.