Bottom At Heart
Chapter 17

TWs: Brief assault; derogatory language

Heart bit his straw as he watched the front of the café. It’d been a while, but his and Kailee’s schedules had finally aligned long enough for them to meet for coffee. He hadn’t seen her since his sudden Heat, but they’d been texting most days. She had been more than supportive of him swiping Clar. Heart had initially felt bad, but the pop star had laughingly waved away his concerns.

Just as he was checking his watch, he saw her breeze through the doors of the café. Instantly, her sweet scent mingled with the coffee aroma, and it was intoxicating. She slid into the seat across from him, grinning. “Sorry, I had to finish up a shoot. What’s good here?” She squinted at the menu board.

Heart sat back, grinning at her. “Did someone forget their Scent Blockers this morning?” He teased.

She shot him a smug look. “I’m on the hunt, since someone,” she winked at him, “stole my last boyfriend, I’m sadly single and alone.” She tossed a thick blond curl over her shoulder.

“So that’s why you’re meeting me,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Because you know that the second anyone smells my scent on you, they’ll crawl into your bed.”

Kailee snapped her fingers at him. “Exactly. I have to use every resource I can. And if that means giving you a great, big hug, well,” she spread her hands in a ‘what can you do’ gesture.

Heart threw his head back, laughing out loud. The other patrons had been alternating between ignoring the two stars and staring, but at their laughter, all eyes were drawn to them.

Heart slurped on his smoothie as a waiter came up to take Kailee’s order. After she was done, he asked, “So, how’s the music video editing going?”

Kailee rolled her eyes. “Slowly. I love having the best, but good Lord. It takes a million years. How’s your ambassador thing? I saw your commercial yesterday.” Her gaze turned a little gold as she sighed appreciatively. “You look good in everything. It’s hardly fair.”

Heart remembered that commercial. He’d been wearing red scraps of lace and posing on a couch in the center of other models who were dressed in complementary lace. He’d taken Clar in the studio bathroom afterwards. He smiled at the memory, dropping his gaze a to the table so Kailee wouldn’t see his gaze turn gold. She saw anyway, and leaned forward.

“Oh my God. Don’t tell me…” she trailed off as Heart’s lips quirked in a smirk. She reached out, taking his hands. “Heart.”

He looked up at the serious note in her voice. “Hmm?” He curled his fingers around hers.

She studied him. “This is the happiest I’ve ever seen you. Before, sure, you smiled, were happy, whatever. But there was something missing.” She reached up, cupping his cheek. “But now, you have this glow, this something about you.” She smiled softly.

Heart felt his lips curling in a small smile as he thought about Clar. “I love him,” he murmured. Kailee’s eyes widened. He looked up at her again. “I think, no.” He exhaled. “I know he’s my Mate, Kailee.”

Kailee parted her lips in surprise. She tightened her grip on his hands. “Oh, Heart,” she gushed, her eyes shining. “Oh, I’m so happy for you! If anyone deserves to replace their Mate, it’s you. That’s amazing.”

Heart looked down at their entwined fingers again. “Kailee,” he paused, looking up at her. He narrowed his eyes at her thoughtfully. “You know, don’t you?” He asked quietly.

She tightened her grip on him until both their knuckles were white. She gave him a soft smile. “Takes one to know one, love.” She murmured, her fingers stroking his skin softly.

Heart flushed, stiffening a little. “I’m sorry, I-”

“Shhh. Don’t apologize. I get it. If anyone does, it would be me, love. Your safety is paramount.” Kailee interrupted, leaning closer, her voice dropping even softer. “I’ve known for a few years, but I didn’t say anything, because I know why. And I never, never blamed you. We gotta stick together, you know?” She smiled.

Heart smiled back, exhaling. “Thank you,” he said, the words catching in the lump in his throat.

Kailee nodded, bringing their hands up, kissing his. She let go, and leaned back, fixing him with a considering stare. Then she grinned mischievously. “So, now the question is: who tops?” She teased.

Heart raised a brow at her. “Me, of course,” he replied, before taking a deep swallow of his smoothie.

Again, Kailee’s laugh rang through the coffee shop. “Oh, God! I love it! Who would have thought that Mr. Womanizer himself… God, this is perfect!” She laughed again.

The waiter came, dropping off their food. As he set down Kailee’s orange juice, it got upset, spilling over the table, dripping into Heart’s lap.

“Oh! I’m so sorry! Are you okay? Here, let me.” The waiter leapt into action, whipping out a cloth napkin, pressing it into Heart’s lap.

“No worries, no worries. It’s just juice. Kailee, excuse me a moment?” He smiled at the waiter, and stood, mopping the juice up a little.

He moved through the café, going into the men’s room. He grimaced at the huge wet stain. At least it was juice and not something hot like coffee.

As he dampened the cloth, he heard the door open. The waiter slipped in. Heart smiled at him, before looking back at the sink. “Don’t worry about it, lover. It was an accident. And I’m not that much of an asshole to stick you with the laundry bill.” He joked.

“Hartley.”

Heart froze at the sound of a name he hadn’t heard in thirteen years. The snick of the restroom lock echoed in the now silent room. He slowly lifted his head, looking into the mirror, meeting the dark, now cruel, gaze of the waiter. The waiter’s handsome face was twisted into a triumphant sneer. “How do you know that name?” Heart asked slowly, trying to ignore the nausea and fear boiling in his stomach.

The waiter leaned against the opposite wall, crossing his arms. “You think I’d forget your stink, Omega? Been years, but you still smell as disgusting as ever.” The waiter came forward, sniffing the air between them. His sneer got more pronounced. “You smell like him.”

Heart gritted his teeth, and turned slowly, fighting to keep his temper. He crossed his arms, mimicking the waiter’s posture. He looked him up and down, trying to place him. “You’re not one of the ones that hurt him. But you smell familiar…” Heart trailed off, narrowing his eyes. Then it came to him. “Todd. You were Liam’s younger brother.”

Todd smirked. “I’m flattered you remember me,” he said sarcastically. His smile took on an ugly dimension. “Do you recognize my scent from the day we strung up that abomination? I was there, you know. It was my idea to hang him in your room.”

Heart had to fight the urge to lunge and rip out Todd’s throat. He forced a smile onto his lips. “Really. Why are you here, Todd?” He asked softly.

Todd shrugged. “Honestly? I saw an ad you did a few months ago. Posing like the disgusting slut you are. And getting paid for it too. While I worked in the mines making barely enough to eat. It didn’t feel right, for a whore like you to be doing so well. So I came here, thought I’d strike a deal with you.”

Heart gritted his teeth. “What kind of deal?” But he already knew. He’d been terrified for this day. Some part of him had hoped he’d escaped it. His old life. Apparently not.

Todd came even closer, his overpowering Alpha scent making Heart’s Omega shiver in fear. He came so close that they were toe to toe. “The kind of deal where you give me whatever I want and I don’t tell the media that you’re lying Omega whore trash.” He reached out, gripping Heart’s chin in a too tight grip, lifting Heart’s face up. He suddenly smiled, and Heart felt fear, icy and nauseating, curl in his stomach. “Before I saw you, all I thought about was how much money I could get out of you. But damn, if you didn’t grow up pretty.” He swiped his thumb along Heart’s lips and Heart resisted to urge to bit it off. “The things I can make your mouth do, if I wanted to.”

Suddenly, he flipped Heart, pressing him against the counter. His hands went around Heart’s wrists, effectively caging Heart between Todd’s body and the cold counter. Todd erection was pressing against Heart, and he felt bile rising in his throat. Todd leaned forward, whispering in Heart’s ear as he gazed at Heart in the mirror, “The things I can do to this whore body of yours. Bet you’re already leaking, like the disgusting slut you are. Your brother leaked for us. You’re just like him.”

Heart saw red. He pushed off the counter, whirling around, catching Todd around the throat. He slammed Todd into the wall, his hand tightening around his throat. “You think you can come in here, threaten me, and get away with it?” He snarled, pressing harder into Todd’s throat. “I’m not a thirteen year old anymore, Todd. I’m a fucking superstar with armies of lawyers at my beck and call. I might be a whore, but I’m a very, very rich whore with a very, very powerful boyfriend. I could kill you, right here, right now, and I’d get away with it.” He underscored his words by curling his fingers into Todd’s throat. His nails, while still shorter than before, dug into the soft flesh of Todd’s neck. He growled, before shoving away from Todd.

Todd slid to the ground, coughing and gagging. Heart stepped away, and went to the restroom door. He unlocked it, and looked at Todd one more time. “You were nothing then, and you’re nothing now, Todd. So do us both a favor, and get the fuck out of my city, while I still am asking nicely,” he said softly, his gaze like ice.

He unlocked the door and left. He walked back out into the café, going to where Floris was standing by Kailee. “We have to go. Now.” He said, his body still humming with adrenaline. He glanced at Kailee. “Sorry, I need to leave.”

Floris took one look at him and nodded. Kailee reached out for him, but Heart’s skin was too raw from Todd. He shook his head, and her hand dropped. She leaned closer, inhaling. Her gaze flashed red in anger as she smelled the fear on his skin, as well as Todd’s threatening scent. Her head whipped around, her gaze trained on the restroom.

“Go. I’ll take care of this.” She said firmly, standing.

Heart nodded, and let Floris guide him to their car. He curled up in his seat. Floris drove in silence. Then, “Was it someone from before?”

“Yes.”

“Are you safe? Did they hurt you?”

“I don’t know, and yes.”

“How badly?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Floris fell silent. They drove for a little longer, until Floris stopped the car. Heart looked up, and saw they were at Desire. He looked over at Floris, who was rubbing the wheel. “I know I’m no longer the one you look to to take care of you, but I hope you know that I’m always here for you.” He said softly.

Heart’s heart broke, and he crawled over the console, into Floris’s warm embrace. He pressed his face into Floris’s neck, inhaling his scent. “Floris, you’re always the one I look to. I trust you more than anyone.”

He felt Floris’s arms tighten around him. “As I love you more than anyone. Come on. I’ll carry you.”

Heart heard the words Floris didn’t say: I’ll protect you. I’ll kill for you. I’ll die for you. He felt tears starting to slide down his cheeks as he buried his face deeper into Floris’s shoulder. Outside of Clar, Floris was the only one whom he felt completely safe with.

As Floris carried him up the back stair way towards Clar, Heart tightened his grip on Floris’s shirt. He had run away once. This time, he wouldn’t let anyone hurt him or those he loved ever again.