Chapter 161

Olivia

As I set up my yoga mat in my usual spot at the studio, my heart was pounding with anticipation. Nathan had said he would come to my next prenatal yoga class, but would he really? I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The past few days had been a whirlwind of emotions. After hardly speaking to each other for months, Nathan was suddenly back in my life; and the reasons behind it were questionable.

“I am happy to have Nathan back,” I told Angela over tea the morning after our first yoga class together. “But it just feels… I don’t know. It hurts that he only decided to come back because he clearly got jealous over Levi.”

Angela nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing as she thought about my words. “I think he just needed to realize how much you meant to him, that’s all,” she said after a while. “And I guess seeing you with Levi made him realize that.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit concerning, though?” I asked, feeling my shoulders sag a bit. “I mean, he basically ditched me—”

“He didn’t ditch you, Olivia,” Angela interrupted. “He was giving both of you some space. Everything that happened between the two of you was confusing, and you both have things that you need to focus on. You have your baby, and he has his Alpha duties.”

Maybe Angela was right; maybe Nathan didn’t really mean anything by his absence. He was busy, after all—and so was I.

But still, I couldn’t get the bad taste out of my mouth. Therefore, when I arrived at the yoga studio two days later and didn’t see him there yet, I wondered if he would show at all. Maybe something came up.

Maybe he decided he didn’t want to get involved after all.

The class was about to begin, and Nathan still didn’t show. It was like watching a pot of water that was just refusing to boil. I must have glanced at the door for the twentieth time when Lucy, one of the other expecting mothers, noticed my distraction.

“Waiting for your man?” she asked, nudging me with her elbow, her eyes twinkling.

I blushed furiously. “Nathan isn’t my ‘man’,” I corrected her. “He’s just a friend.”

Lucy just smirked, her gaze knowing. “Oh, honey, we all saw the way you two looked at each other last class. You’re clearly smitten.”

“Smitten?” I repeated, feeling flustered. “It’s not like that.”

“Mm-hmm,” Lucy hummed, clearly not buying it. I watched as she walked back over to her mat, and noticed how the other expecting mothers and their husbands smirked and whispered to each other. It seemed as though they had some sort of bet going on about Nathan and me.

However, as the minutes ticked by, my hope began to dwindle. I found myself checking the clock repeatedly, a sinking feeling in my stomach. Maybe I did care more than I was letting on.

Eventually, time ran out, and Nathan still didn’t show. ‘I guess he decided not to come after all,’ I thought to myself, trying to fight the disappointment that was blossoming inside of me.

When it was time to begin the class, I reluctantly took my place at the front of the room, feeling a lump in my throat. The stretches and poses that usually brought me joy only emphasized the emptiness I felt.

As I moved through the routine, I couldn’t help but hold back tears. My mind was filled with thoughts of Nathan, and I wondered if I had somehow misread the situation. Had I imagined the connection between us? Had I been too forward in inviting him here?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear the door open. It wasn’t until I felt a tap on my shoulder that I looked up to see Nathan standing there, his face flushed and apologetic.

“You came after all,” I whispered, relief washing over me.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” he stammered, looking genuinely distressed. “Something came up, but I couldn’t miss this.”

My heart soared, and I felt a smile tugging at my lips. Nathan’s presence filled the room, and suddenly everything felt right again. The connection between us was undeniable, and I knew in that moment that Lucy had been right. We were smitten, even if we weren’t ready to admit it to ourselves.

The rest of the class flew by, and I found myself stealing glances at Nathan whenever I could. He followed along with the poses, his concentration endearing, and I couldn’t help but admire the way he threw himself into the experience.

As we moved through the final stretches, I caught Nathan’s eye, and we shared a smile. It was a moment of understanding, a silent acknowledgment of the bond between us.

The class ended, and I found myself lingering, wanting to savor the time with Nathan.

As the other moms began to leave, Lucy winked at me, her smile knowing. I blushed again, but this time I didn’t deny it. Nathan and I were clearly drawn to each other, and I couldn’t wait to see where this new chapter in our lives would take us.

“Thanks for coming,” I said as Nathan and I gathered up our mats and headed out of the studio, back into the warm sunshine. “I hope you didn’t drop anything too important for this, though.”

Nathan shrugged and waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it,” he said gently. “It was just Council stuff. Some misfiled paperwork; far less important than coming with you to yoga.”

I felt my face flush a deep shade of red, and I quickly looked away, chewing my lip nervously. “Thanks, Nathan,” I murmured. “It means a lot.”

There was a silence between us. When I looked up, I suddenly came to the realization that Nathan was looking right at me, his blue-green eyes steady and calm. And he was standing far closer to me than I had realized.

“Olivia…” He took a step forward, and our hands brushed for a moment. In that moment, my heart began to pound. I could feel the heat of his body as he leaned in. Was he… going to kiss me?

Instinctively, my lips parted, and I found myself tilting my head back to look up at him. I wanted this. I wanted him to kiss me.

But just as I felt the warmth of his breath on his face, a wave of dizziness washed over me, and I stumbled back. My hand flew to my head while my other hand reached out for the wall to steady myself, but there was nothing there. I began to stagger, and Nathan quickly caught me, lowering me onto a bench behind me.

“Olivia?” Nathan asked, his voice sounding far away through all of my dizziness. “Are you alright?”

I swallowed, resisting the urge to vomit. “I’m... I’m not sure,” I stammered, feeling the world spin around me. “Just a little dizzy.”

“I’ll be right back,” he said, his eyes filled with concern. “Stay here.”

He sprinted away, leaving me with a mixture of confusion and warmth.

When he returned a few minutes later, slightly out of breath, he had two smoothies in hand and a determined look in his eyes.

“You need nourishment,” he insisted, handing me a smoothie.

I took a sip, and the taste of mango danced on my tongue. “You remembered!”

“Of course,” he said, sitting beside me. “Mango was always your favorite.”

“How did you even find a place that sells smoothies this quickly?” I asked, touched by his thoughtfulness.

“I saw a place down the street when I was walking here,” he explained. “I just ran there.”

We satb for a long time, sipping our smoothies and reminiscing about old times. The laughter and warmth between us felt so natural, so right. Soon, I completely forgot all about my dizziness—and the kiss we almost shared before it happened.

“I really missed this, Nathan,” I confessed, resting my head on his shoulder for a brief moment.

His arm wrapped around me, and I felt a pang of longing. But then, I looked up at him, a sudden realization hitting me. My conversation with Angela, my trepidation over Nathan’s sudden return, lingered heavily in my mind. Yoga and smoothies had dampened some of my nerves, but it was still there, festering.

“But admit it. You only came here because you were jealous,” I accused, my voice turning stern.

Nathan’s eyes widened, and his face blanched.