Entangled

Chapter 22

This might be my last post before Camp NaNoWriMo, because I'm really behind in planning. (And my carpal tunnel's acting up, so I want to see if I can get that under control before CN.)

"Let him see your belly, Becks!" Sasha turns and beams up at Roman, who's looking down at her phone with a mixture of affection and amusement. "It's so adorable, I swear!" Then she looks back at the scree, where Becky's rolling her eyes. "I'll show him the ultrasound after, but—"

"Sasha." Roman's chuckle draws out her own laugh, and she leans into his hug when he wraps an arm around her shoulder. "Trust me, I've seen a few pregnant bellies. Becks looks like she needs a nap, so let's leave her be. She can show me another time if she wants to."

Sasha looks back at her phone and to her Becky looks nothing but radiant, but she knows she's biased. "I need a nap pretty much twenty minutes after I wake up lately," Becky grouses, propping her phone up and stepping back so she can lift the hem of her shirt to show her belly to the camera. She's almost four months pregnant now and within the last week, her baby bump seemed to double in size. "Probably because I can only have one coffee a day. You better appreciate my sacrifice, little one," she adds, patting her belly gently.

Roman laughs again. "Just think: you've only got about five more months, right?"

"Yeah, something like that." Becky busies herself with smoothing her shirt back into place.

"We'll let you go get some rest, Becks." Sasha hopes Roman doesn't ask her for too many details. Everyone—or nearly everyone—backstage is always checking in with her or Seth for updates on Becky, and the two of them have to be very careful to leave out all the werewolf-specific details. As far as their human friends know, Becky won't be giving birth for around five months, when in actuality the baby will likely arrive in less than three. "Love you, get lots of rest, and drink your water!" Once she disconnects, she starts scrolling through her photo gallery—the one friends are allowed to see, at least. When she finds the ultrasound, she holds the phone out to Roman. "I know you've probably seen your fair share of these too, but...."

Roman just smiles. "Doesn't make this one any less beautiful, trust me. They're all incredible." Then he squeezes Sasha's shoulders again. "I'm glad they have you," he says, and the stark honesty in his tone almost makes Sasha tear up. "You're going to be a great auntie."

"Yeah, well...." Sasha clears her throat. "God knows those two need all the help they can get. If it weren't for me, they probably wouldn't even be making eye contact yet." She knows Roman meant the comment in the best possible way, but she can't help but feel a bit wistful. Between being a werewolf and everything her family went through, she grew up fast, missing out on a lot of the memories and milestones her peers take for granted. She's younger than both Becky and Seth and yet in some ways, she feels so much older. "Want to see all the shoes I bought for him?" She starts swiping through the gallery that's filled with all her baby purchases, hoping it will hold the impending tears at bay.

"You're having way too much fun with this auntie thing. I'm happy for you." Roman kisses the top of her head and lowers his voice. "Seriously, Sasha, I'm glad you three are sticking together. It must mean the world to Becks, especially when her so-called best friend doesn't seem to give a damn."

He doesn't even have to say Charlotte's name to make Sasha's blood boil. Ungrateful bitch, she thinks. It's unkind and she knows it, but she stopped caring long ago; if Charlotte can't properly appreciate Becky's friendship, then she didn't deserve it in the first place. "Her loss," Sasha says, trying to keep her voice level. She meets Roman's smile with one of her own. "I should get going. I want to show Naomi the shoes before her match. I know she'll love the ones with the wings."

Roman rolls his eyes as he steps back. "Oh god. Between the two of you," he quips, "that boy is going to be better dressed than half the roster."

"Excuse me?" The laughter helps buoy Sasha's spirits. "I think you mean all the roster." Gesturing down at her ring gear, she amends, "Except me, of course. And Naomi."

"Of course. Thanks for showing me the pictures, Auntie Sasha. Give Becks my love." Roman gives her another quick hug before setting off to Catering.

Sasha's been wrestling for years, so the backstage environment should be like a second home, but it feels different without Becky there. Quieter for sure, but emptier in other ways. Becky would chat with anyone from interns to lighting technicians to Make-a-Wish kids who were there to see other superstars. Nearly everyone Sasha's talked to has mentioned missing Becky's presence, and each time she and Seth are done for the week, they're inevitably loaded down with cards and small gifts for Becky and the baby. She's even started bringing an extra bag to accommodate all the cute toys and clothes—though they aren't as adorable as what she's already picked out, of course.

She's just finished rearranging her gallery of baby clothes photos when she reaches the women's locker room, and naturally the person she least wants to see steps out. Charlotte's adjusting the clasp on her robe when she notices Sasha. "Still fucking Seth?" she asks flatly.

Well, that makes things easier. For Becky's sake, she was prepared to play nice, but if Charlotte is going to be petty, Sasha's a champion of that game too. "Just got back from riding him in Vince's office chair. Thanks for asking."

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "Get over yourself, Sasha. If Becky's actually pregnant, doesn't that make you feel the slightest bit shitty?"

"If?" A sliver of disbelief slices through Sasha's anger. Does this bitch actually think Becky is faking? She squares her shoulders and tries to stay calm, but her fingers are already itching to make fists. "I've gone to appointments with her, Charlotte. I've seen the ultrasound—and you would have too, if you'd bothered to be a halfway decent friend." She seems to have struck a nerve, but now Sasha's to upset to back down. "Envy's bad for your skin, you know," she smirks. "I mean, I know you're jealous of Becks because she has two lovers and you can rarely keep one around for a year. Now you have baby envy too? Sad. Looks like being an entitled little princess doesn't get you everything you want after all."

"Sasha!" Naomi's voice, so friendly and upbeat, is like a sunbeam after a thunderstorm, and Sasha turns to see her friend approaching from a side corridor. "Roman said you had some pic—" Sasha's not sure if it's the sight of Charlotte that makes Naomi stop or the bitter tension between the Horsewomen. "It's cool. You can show me later."

"No, it's fine." Sasha treats Charlotte to her sharpest, snidest smile. "I'm done here anyway. Let's go." She turns on her heel, hooks her arm around Naomi's elbow, and strides away.

Naomi glances back only once. "I don't want to know what that was about, do I?"

"Not worth the breath," Sasha replies, reaching for her necklace. Becky's already used one full-moon amulet and given it to her when it was drained, and Sasha always feels comforted when she toys with it. It's not the same as having Becky there, of course, but it keeps a little part of her with the pack when they're on the road. "You know what is? These shoes!" She opens the gallery again and starts to show Naomi all of her most recent purchases for her future nephew. There's still almost three months until he enters the world—and even more before they can introduce him to their human friends—but he's already become a huge part of Sasha's life. Whenever Becky has an appointment, Sasha does her best to go—unless only one partner can attend, and then Seth gets first dibs—and she and Seth have both booked off time around the due date. Nothing will compare, however, to when she can hold him and put on his little shoes. When she thinks of it that way, she almost feels bad for what Charlotte's missing. Almost, but not quite. Now that she's going to have another pack member soon, another person to love, she's not about to waste her affection on those who don't deserve it.