The oven door opened and I was hit with the amazing smell of garlic bread. Suddenly, my mouth was watering and I was ravenous. We’d eaten during the heat, but I could still consume an entire restaurant by myself.

“Food’s ready,” Rylan called.

Ben finally set me beside him on my own chair, kissing me on the cheek before he let me go.

Kade brought the pot of pasta, Rylan brought the sauce, and Avery was the bearer of the garlic bread which currently had a hold on my soul.

“Let’s eat,” Kade said, but looked at me. “Don’t worry, Esme. We’ve got you, no matter if there are photographers. We knew who you were before we started this, and some photos or bad headlines aren’t enough to make us change our mind.”

The way he said it, so matter of fact, flattened any remaining worry in my chest. They’d decided, and that’s the way it was. Just like when I’d told Luke I liked to let go, it didn’t have to be sex. This blissful, worry-free space I was existing in was new, but I loved it.

So I took a breath, put all the thoughts about tomorrow aside, and we ate.

Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

________

BENNETT

Bergman’s was wild.

The nine-story department store had been around forever, almost taking up an entire city block. It also had a reputation for being exclusive and for the wealthy. All five of us knew Esme would be perfectly happy going somewhere else for the things we needed, but this trip wasn’t only about furnishing her bedroom.

It was about showing her she was worth everything,

We had more than enough money. I hadn’t lied to her. My family was nearly as wealthy as hers, and both Addison and I had healthy trust funds on top of our inheritance. We were lucky. When my parents passed I inherited a disgusting amount of money, which we’d used for the house, and continued to ensure all five of us could continue our careers without any pressure.

But even without that, we’d worked hard to get to where we were. Nautilus was a world renowned studio, and people traveled from everywhere to be tattooed by us. We were well aware of our status, though we tried to keep our lives as normal as we could.

Thankfully, being a tattoo artist didn’t come with the level of scrutiny Esme was used to.

But regardless, I agreed with Avery’s rule. Our little Omega wasn’t allowed to look at prices, and she wasn’t allowed to ask how much we’d spent at the end of it. It wasn’t about the number. We were taking care of her, and it didn’t matter what the cost was.