A/N: This was supposed to be a short 1500-word count with Landon and Wade's conversation regarding the whole ordeal. But I got carried away. By the way, this is a necessary chapter to complete Landon's decision-making. Also, it involves more dialogue than usual. Enjoy!

Sometimes Landon made California seem like a distant hellscape, but truth be told, it wasn't all that terrible. Sure, he couldn't walk past Skid Roe unless he wanted to get mugged or stabbed for simply looking put-together. Or the godawful traffic whenever he wanted to go to Southern Cali-and let's not forget about the shitty air quality when compared to Texas, and the yearly danger of wildfire threatening to destroy his property. Other than that, Cali was his second home, and there were quite a few places he enjoyed spending his free time at. One of those places was the Pacific Park from where Route 66 End of the Trail started, down to the Santa Monica Pier itself, by the ledge overlooking the ocean.

Having the afternoon breeze combed through his hair and dissolved into his face, while listening to the ocean waves-even if it came from a distance-always calmed him down in ways he couldn't explain. It was peaceful there, calm and refreshing. It was why he decided to bring Wade there instead of taking them both to another restaurant, where the atmosphere had always been tight and quiet. Here he could talk his worries away, and no one would even bother to look in his direction. He had an amazing view, too, and a warm sun beating down on his face and back-what more could he ask for?

Not much, Landon reckoned as he took a last bite at the bacon sandwich he had bought from a cart vendor on the pier, before greedily drinking down his lemonade; his focus never leaving the ocean, where bright blue water breached the sand. "It's nice out here, ain't it?" he said a moment later when he felt Wade's eyes on him.

The older man stood next to him, where they were both leaning by the ledge of the pier. Wade shrugged. "I reckon," he answered, biting into the last of five tocos Landon had bought him.

Landon's fingers went to the paper towel he had tucked away to wipe his oily hands, only to realize it was missing before he gave up and wiped his palms on his khaki shorts. When done, his attention went back to the ocean, and he smiled, enjoying the feel of the cool ocean breeze mingled with the warm afternoon sun; unfortunately, Texas could never. He closed his eyes and said, "I dunno know why I don't come here more often. It's peaceful."

When Wade finally finished, his attention followed Landon's, and he gazed out into the ocean. A minute later, he replied, "Well, if you ignore them loud mouths behind us, I reckon it is peaceful."

There were a lot of people on the pier, mostly visitors from elsewhere. They spoke loudly, but Landon had grown accustomed to it.

Wade twisted to look at him; he eyed Landon for a good minute-studying his facial expression before he said, "Now tell me... why you drag me 'way from home for? There's somethin' on your mind... and am guessin' you need to talk 'bout it?"

There it was; the big question.

Landon sighed and leaned against the ledge, his eyes went to Wade but his thoughts wandered elsewhere, back to what happened with himself and Jackson, back to the realization that he, an Alpha-a traditional one at that-was walking around with a child in his stomach.

It had been a hot week since his discovery of the strangeness growing inside of him, and since he had beaten the living daylight out of his supposed blackmailer-turned-boyfriend after said boyfriend hid that he was a bloody Enigma instead of an Alpha, turning both of their lives into a one-eighty with little options. He was so darn angry at Jackson that he contemplated if would've just killed him back then if it would've been a justified killing when he gets sent to jail for manslaughter. Jackson lied to him, and although the youngster seemed to have had a valid reason for his lie-it was still a lie, and Landon didn't know how to feel about liars.

He had been ignoring Jackson's calls, too. He couldn't talk to him; hell, he couldn't look at him. It was why he had decided to stay at a hotel to calm himself in the meantime instead of his home while waiting for Wade's arrival. It wasn't like he was running away from Jackson, though-he wasn't hiding. Why should he? He wasn't a pussy-and he wasn't afraid of Jackson. But he was afraid of making rash decisions, so he decided not to talk to Jackson until he got Wade's advice. Now that his best friend was here, Landon felt at ease. Only Wade could come up with the solutions whenever Landon found himself in hot water, and he was definitely in some deep shit.

"Ah Wade, I ain't know how to start," Landon finally said with a sigh, booting the tip of his shoe against the bottom of the ledge.

"Is this 'bout Blaze? Or the races you got comin' up?" Wade questioned, eyeing Landon sharply.

Landon shrugged. "It's 'bout everythin'. And... I ain't know-am embarrassed."

Landon's face turned flush afterward. How was he supposed to tell his best friend that he, Alpha Landon McCoy, who drank cheap beers on the weekend, rode horses and shot deer for fun, and drove fast cars for a living was pregnant? It was embarrassing, he couldn't even look at himself in the mirror now that he knew what was stretching his stomach. He was a man, damnit!

Wade stared out into the ocean for a moment before he responded with a deep sigh, "You know am always here for you, buddy. Ain't nothin' to be embarrassed 'bout." Then he turned to look at Landon, smiled, and added, "Now tell me what's on your mind. You dragged me all the way out here, might as well say it."

"Wade..." Landon bit his lower lip and groaned. He gripped the ledge in a tight grasp, contemplating how he should go about spilling the beans. "Remember when I first told you 'bout me and Jackson bein' together? I ain't tell you the whole truth-I ain't think I gon' ever tell you the whole truth as yet, but there's somethin' else you need to know."

"Am listenin'."

"Am pregnant and the kid's Jackson's," Landon blurted out. His face turned beet red the second those words left his mouth, while he avoided Wade's shocked face at his confession. The minute stretched on, though, and so did his curiosity and patience. When his eyes slowly met Wade, he mentally groaned, wanting to dig a hole and die in it. Wade looked like he'd just heard a mule start preachin'. His eyes were wide as saucers, and his face turned pale-he seemed frozen in confusion. This time Landon did groan out loud. "Damnit Wade-don't look at me like that. Am already uncomfortable jus' sayin' it."

Wade snapped out of whatever he was in, and voiced a little bit too loud, "How in tarnination did that happen?"

Landon swallowed. Suddenly, his throat went as dry as a desert. His jittery eyes went to the iced tea in Wade's hand; still halfway full. "Can I have that?" he asked, gesturing to the drink. However, before Wade could hand it to him, Landon had already taken it away and chugged it down with a relieved refreshed sigh. He wiped his mouth with the back of his palm and said, "Jackson's an Enigma. I don't know-I jus' don't know what to do. I need your help. I need... I need your advice more than ever, Wade. I feel like am goin' down a road of uncertainty and I ain't know how to feel 'bout it, damnit."

"Okay, buddy?" Wade placed a hand on Landon's shoulder. "First you need to calm down." Landon didn't realize he wasn't calm, so he nodded and took a deep breath. "Good," Wade nodded alongside him. "Now... does Blaze know?"

Landon wanted to laugh at him. And he did, a slight chuckle escaped his mouth before he could stop himself. "Yeah. He's... ecstatic."

Wade still seemed conflicted and confused about the whole ordeal, but Landon could tell his best friend was trying his best to understand, though he didn't say. "Let me ask you somethin'... you wanna keep this kid?" Wade asked a moment later.

Landon made a face-a scrunched-up expression. "No... yeah... I ain't know."

Wade tsked. "Then you better make up your blasted mind 'cause this ain't no simple ride 'round the tracks, this gon' be your whole life. Is Jackson gon' spend it with you?"

"Yeah," Landon muttered. "He wants to take care of me, Wade. Me. Can you believe that? He'd be up on that wagon so fast if I told him we should get married tomorrow... boy's crazy." Jackson was truly... something. Landon couldn't put a word to it, but he had never met anybody like the younger man before. Now, though, he was starting to think that Jackson's behavior might stem from his Enigma subgender. He had read up on it; Enigmas were naturally more dominant than an Alpha, they think they were better-no wonder Jackson was a little shitstain at times. And forget about Jackson, Landon couldn't even grasp the impact this would have on his career. "And... you know how this gon' affect my racing. They'd kick me out so fast; I'd blink and it'd all be gone," he added with a worried expression.

Wade nodded. "There ain't no reason for them to kick you out because you havin' a kid. Ain't there plenty other Omegas racin'?"

"They already want me out."

"No. It's that Brandon who wants you out. The committee ain't never said hoot until he brought it up at the conference."

"Now come on, Wade. Don't talk 'bout Brandon that way. He's the reason am here, and he's been a good friend to me for fifteen years-he gave me my big break," Landon was quick to defend his sponsor. Wade was his best friend, but Brandon was also his friend-and they had known each other much longer, so Landon knew-despite Brandon's attitude at times-the man meant well to him. DriveEase was like a family to Landon; the company wasn't just another sponsor.

"Yeah well... I jus' ain't trust 'em is all. People change, you know."

A pause.

Landon's eyes wandered around the pier where passersby walked, enjoying themselves.

"I ain't ready to stop racin'. Am thinkin' of not lettin' them know until it starts showin'," he said after a beat.

"Now that's a stupid idea," Wade blurted. "You could get seriously hurt."

Landon shrugged. "Well... that's what am gonna do either way."

When Wade's disapproval flashed across his eyes, Landon didn't fail to miss it. He looked elsewhere, though, not to anything in particular. Wade folded his arms and said in a serious tone, "You gotta decide if that unborn kid's more important to you, or your racin'." Wade stupid his face some more before his gaze traveled from where Landon's gaze sat on: a young child-maybe three or four-holding both of his parents' hands while they strolled down the pier. Wade sighed. "I know you been want a family with Vanessa, buddy. Maybe... think 'bout that before puttin' your life on the line. It'll jus' be for-how long this been happenin'?"

Landon's head dropped and he rubbed his temples. "I... 'bout two months already I reckon."

"Then it's settled," Wade snacked his palms together. "You can stay 'way from racin' for another seven, can't you?"

"No. if I stay away, it's over, Wade. Am done," Landon argued. He thought he had buried his stubbornness long gone with his wayward attitude, but it was starting to show again. "Listen, I can do both, you know... I ain't done yet. I jus' need to keep winnin'. I jus' gon' be careful."

Wade nodded disapprovingly. "I think it's a bad idea. Besides, you have been winnin'. You always in the top ten, ain't you?"

"Ain't good enough."

"Landon, buddy... I love you-you know that, don't ya?" Wade said, and Landon nodded. "But you need to understand these rookies are gonna take over whether you like it or not. You can still race if you want, but you ain't gon' always win... and that's okay."

Bing.

Landon fished his phone out of his pocket and stared at the screen for a moment.

5:25 pm: Am about to lose it if you don't respond McCoy!!!😭🙏🏻

From Jackson Blaze to Landon McCoy | ✓Delivered | read

Jackson had been ringing down his phone with calls and texts throughout the week.

"Is that Blaze textin' you?" Wade questioned, his eyes on Landon's phone screen before the Alpha sighed and shoved the device back into his pocket.

"Yeah," Landon mumbled. "He's been beatin' down my phone ever since I left him a week ago."

"You mean to say-you havin' been talkin' to the fella?"

Landon folded his arms and made a stubborn expression. "No."

"Well hell," Wade sighed. He turned his back from the ocean view, braced it alongside the ledge, and folded his arms. "Lemme asks you somethin'," he said after a beat. "You love 'em? Blaze?"

Landon swallowed, his eyes flickered to his fingers fidgeting with each other. "I think so."

Wade hummed. "You want to spend the rest of your life with 'em?"

Reluctantly, Landon nodded a yes. He didn't come here to lie to Wade, he came for advice on what to do-so he might as well let out the bag.

"Well, it ain't gon' be easy, you see the way he rides them horses back home, the fella's a bit of a fruitcake," Wade chuckled, slicing the tension away as he slapped a hand on his thigh.

Landon couldn't help but chuckle, too. Jackson was a fruitcake when it came to the outdoors, though he'd never tell the youngster that.

Landon ruffled his fingers through his hair and sighed deeply. "I... I deeply care about Jackson. I like him a lot," he confessed. "I think I love him, but I ain't never been in love to know what is it. But... the more I think 'bout it. Jackson looks at me the way my Dad looks at my Mom... I always wanted someone to look at me like that. I can't stop thinkin' 'bout him, either." It was true. Jackson had constantly been on his mind, every minute he thought of the younger man: his smile, his flirty attitude-his obnoxious behavior. All the traits he had hated, he enjoyed watching them play out in Jackson. "I miss him, Wade. I like havin' him 'round me... I think he really does love me. But he's weird 'bout it... he's always on me like a leech. He ain't know what personal space means. But am startin' to like it-damnit, I ain't know." A pause, and then, "Do you think I should stay with him, Wade?"

Wade eyed him-studied him for a hot minute. "You know what I think? I think you findin' all the ways to be with him."

Landon arched a questioning eyebrow. "You talkin' 'bout now?"

"You circlin' back every time you say somethin' bad 'bout the boy... that alone tells me you want to be with him."

He didn't realize it before, but now that Wade pointed it out, it was true that he always made excuses for Jackson-even when he badmouthed the pompous youngster, he always added something nice to say, like he didn't have the heart to made Jackson out to be the bad guy-even though all he had ever done was bad things. He was a blackmailer, egotistical-a little bitch who always wanted his way, but whenever they were alone, he was calmer and more down-to-earth.

Landon groaned. "... But he's so immature-and the blasted boy can't see it."

A light laugh left Wade's mouth. He was no longer looking at Landon but at the passersby. "He's young and an Enigma, give 'em some time-he'll get better. Remember how you were in your early twenties? You were like an untamed horse yourself, no one couldn't stand you-always pickin' fights and goin' 'round like you own the place."

Landon tsked as he recalled the memories of his younger self; an unstoppable hotshot who always had his way. "I wasn't that bad," he defended.

"You were worse."

Landon rolled his eyes. "Wow, okay."

"But you know what, buddy?" Wade turned to look at him and his eyes softened. "You turned out alright."

Landon smiled. "That's because I had you."

"And Blaze got you. He'll turn out mighty fine if you ask me," Wade said, nudging Landon's shoulder. "Just ain't be afraid to give 'em a slap or two if needed be."

Landon hummed. "But I ain't think am ready to talk to him just yet, Wade. He did lie to me 'bout being an Alpha-and now look what happened," he gestured to his oversize shirt, hiding his growing stomach. "My life's gonna change."

"You know you can get rid of it," Wade said more seriously.

"Can't bring myself to do it, and I don't think Jackson would like that either."

Wade shrugged. "It's your body, buddy. Your choice."

"I ain't want to.

"Then take your time. If Blaze truly cares 'bout ya like you said, he'll understand. But maybe... let 'em know before you go all cold turkey. You ain't want the boy to be too worried."

Landon nodded. "Mm. I'll think 'bout it."

They stopped talking afterward, only for a moment as they took in the setting sun, and the lights slowly turned on from the booths, illuminating the way in a colorful glow. Landon pulled out his wallet from his back pocket as hunger coiled his stomach once again. He had been eating like a bloody mule every day, it was frightening to know he might lose his good looks. Nah, he blinked away the thought. Ain't gonna happen.

"So... where's it gonna come out from?" Wade asked before Landon could pull away to get something to eat.

Landon frowned and glanced over at his best friend. "What you talkin' 'bout now?"

Wade bit back a smile and said, "The babe."