Against All Odds Ch. 02

And, I assure you, my choices were out of the need to survive, not greed. I wasn't looking to take advantage of anyone. I just wanted someone that could get me off the streets and give me a decent kind of life. The kind I would have had if my parents hadn't been killed." Riley took a deep breath then looked up, trying to gage Noah's reaction to his confession. Would he hate Riley now? Would he throw him out of his house? Riley's hands shook and his heart beat frantically in his chest but he did his best to maintain his composure. Whatever happened, at least he'd been honest about his intentions. If they did move forward then they could do so without any secrets between them.

"You probably think I'm a terrible person now. I wouldn't blame you if you did. I wasn't exactly up front with you when we started talking. I just want you to know that when I joined the survivors chat room, it wasn't with the intention of meeting anyone for anything romantic. At that point, I'd had enough of the singles and dating rooms. All the guys in those rooms were just looking for casual hook-ups. It was all about sex and that wasn't was I was looking for. I mean, yeah, maybe at some point. What I wanted was something long term. I wanted to get to know the guy first and then move on from there. None of the alpha in those rooms were interested in a long term relationship and I was just about ready to give up completely.

Seriously, I was about to log out and delete my account when I found the survivors chat and decided to check it out. I didn't even know if I belonged there, really. I've never survived a huge accident or personal tragedy. I've survived my parents death but I wasn't in the car with them or anything. I don't even remember much about that night. I was only five. I guess that kind of makes me a survivor, in a way. But anyway, I just went in there because I was feeling alone and wanted to connect with someone. And I met you. You were so sweet, so kind, and I felt we kind of had a connection. Whether I was an actual survivor or not, we've both had tragedy in our lives."

Riley kept his eyes focused on Noah now and waited, with bated breath, for Noah to speak. Noah's expression was soft and without judgment of any kind. In fact, he looked a little sad. Riley felt a pang of regret. He never wanted to be the one to make Noah sad. He never wanted to be the cause of the alpha's unhappiness. Seeing the sorrowful look in his eyes now broke Riley's heart. He just prayed that he hadn't been the one to break Noah's.

Noah let out a deep breath then looked deep into Riley's eyes. "You are a survivor, Riley." He said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "You've survived losing your parents, being moved from one foster home after another. You've survived a broken system, mistreatment by those meant to care for you, prejudice, homelessness, and probably so much more. In your life you've had to do things to survive that I don't think even I could have done. And no, I do not think you're a terrible person. I think you're a fighter. I think you're the strongest and bravest man that I have ever known because you endure. Whatever life throws at you, you endure. That takes a very strong will and great determination."

Riley's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and gratitude washing over his face. His breath caught in his throat, and his chest became tight with emotion. For the moment, he was left speechless as the weight of Noah's words sunk in. A single tear slipped down Riley's cheek and he quickly wiped it away as a soft smile formed on his lips. He couldn't believe what he had just heard, and coming from an alpha. Noah was so very different from any alpha that Riley had met before. He was caring, understanding, and patient in a way that Riley hadn't thought even possible.

The shame and uncertainty he'd felt only a moment ago was all but gone now. Noah understood Riley in a way that no one ever had before. He understood him, and accepted him for who he was.

"You forgive me then?" Riley asked, his voice shaky. "For not being up front with you?"

"Riley, there's nothing to forgive. Do you really think that I would fault you for trying to make a better life for yourself? If anything, I admire you more now. Your determination to control your own life is not something many omegas have. I love that you're your own man. Personally, I can't stand people who just blindly follow orders and do as they're told without question. Even Thomas questions me from time to time. That's why I trust him as much as I do."

"That's surprising." Riley grinned. "Don't most alphas prefer to be in charge?"

Noah shrugged. "You can be in charge without being an asshole."

"True." Riley agreed. "I Guess I've just met too many assholes in my life."

That made Noah chuckle. "Good thing you found me then," He said with a playful wink, making Riley blush.

"Yeah." Riley said, giving Noah a shy smile. "Maybe it was meant to be."

Noah raised an eyebrow, looking the smaller man over, he smiled warmly and nodded. "Maybe it was."