Chapter 163

Olivia

Another two weeks flew by since my yoga class with Nathan.

Our lives were separate now, but as intertwined as they could be; when Nathan wasn’t busy with his Alpha business, he was stopping by the villa to check on me, help with chores and yard work, and take me to appointments.

It seemed as though he really was keeping true to his word to be there for me, and it was nice. I was happy to have him back, even just so I could see him.

But more than once, I found him sleeping on my front porch, his head lolling onto his chest.

“You’re going to get yourself killed,” I said one day, handing him a cup of iced tea when I found him sleeping on the porch on a particularly hot afternoon. “You’re burning the candle at both ends.”

“I’m fine,” Nathan said, gratefully sipping the tea I gave him. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.”

However, despite Nathan’s words of reassurance, I wasn’t convinced. All I could picture was him falling asleep at the wheel from all of his running around. He wasn’t getting enough rest, and it showed.

Therefore, I decided on one fateful day to drive myself to my doctor’s appointment.

Over the past few months, it felt as though I had been to more doctor’s appointments than I could possibly count. My due date was near, and anxiety clawed at me every waking moment.

The complications that had arisen were manageable but required careful monitoring. During every appointment, there seemed to be some new and contradictory pointer from the doctor: rest more, rest less, stretch more, stretch less, eat more, eat less… It just kept going and never stopped.

However, there was one piece of advice that I truly refused to listen to: I didn’t want to know anything about the baby other than whether it was healthy or not. Despite the doctor’s urges, I firmly told her each time that I didn’t want to know a single thing.

The doctor wasn’t happy with me. She said I was being foolish, and not giving myself time to prepare.

But I had been determined to handle it on my own. I took each and every one of the doctor’s other pieces of advice in stride, and I felt ready to handle the upcoming delivery by myself, too.

However, it was on this solitary drive to the doctor’s office that it happened. A sharp, unexpected cramp seized me, causing me to wince in pain. Panic bubbled up inside me, and I had to pull over, my hands shaking on the steering wheel.

What was going on? Was the baby coming now?

My breath came in short gasps as I tried to calm myself, reaching for my phone to call Nathan. But before I could even dial his number, a familiar car pulled up behind me, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Nathan?” I whispered to myself, watching his tall figure emerge from the car.

He got out of the car and sidled up to my driver’s side window, a smirk on his face and his hands on his hips. He didn’t seem to notice my pain. Not yet, at least.

“Bet you thought you could get away with driving to your appointment without me, huh?” he teased. But upon seeing me and how my face was pale and coated with a fine layer of sweat, his eyes widened.

“Olivia?” he asked, concern etched across his face. “What happened? Are you okay?”

I fumbled with the door, finally getting it open after some struggle. Tears welled in my eyes as I looked up at him. Just then, another cramp seized me, and I let out a low, keening groan that caused him to take a stumbling step backwards out of surprise.

“Olivia, talk to me,” he said, crouching in front of me and cupping my face in his hands. “You’re scaring me.”

I swallowed, shaking my head. “Nathan, I think... I think the baby is coming,” I managed between gasps.

His eyes widened, and without hesitation, he scooped me up in his arms. I felt him lift me from the ground with ease and carry me over to his car.

“Okay, okay, it’s going to be alright,” he reassured me, his voice strong and calming. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

I felt safe in his arms, despite the situation, and as he gently settled me into his car, I knew everything would be okay.

Nathan sped to the hospital, expertly navigating the traffic while his hand found mine. “How did you find me?” I managed to ask through clenched teeth as another contraction hit.

“I went to the villa to check on you, and you weren’t there,” he said. “When I noticed that your car was gone, I figured you went off on your own. And I wanted to surprise you with… that.” He gestured at the back seat behind us, on which sat a giant bushel of fresh apples.

“You picked those for me?” I murmured, gritting my teeth against another cramp.

Nathan nodded, smiling slightly, although his face betrayed his worry. For the past two days, I had been seriously craving apple cobbler—but I only wanted fresh apples. It had become a pregnancy craving of mine, and I hadn’t shut up about it for two days.

A warm feeling washed over me despite the pain. “Thank you, Nathan,” I whispered, squeezing his hand.

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said softly, his eyes briefly meeting mine. “I'll always be there for you. Although, consider yourself lucky, because I only just happened to run across you here out of sheer coincidence.”

“Trust me, Nathan,” I groaned, nearly doubling over from another cramp. “I feel like the luckiest woman alive right now. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t shown up.”

Nathan said nothing. I wrenched my eyes shut against another cramp, letting out a low groan. In the darkness, I felt Nathan’s hand find mine.

“You’ve got this, Liv,” he murmured, squeezing my hand gently. “You’re gonna do great.”

His words were a soothing balm, and I focused on his presence, letting his strength guide me through the pain. By the time we reached the hospital, I was almost certain that the baby would be here any minute now.

Nathan, with worry in his eyes, came around to the passenger side of his car and scooped me up again. I felt weak in his arms as he carried me into the emergency room.

“Is everything alright?” the receptionist asked, her eyes widening as she stood up abruptly.

“We think the baby is coming,” Nathan said, settling me into a wheelchair as I groaned and writhed in pain. “It just started suddenly.”

The medical staff took over, rushing me to a room, and I could see the worry in Nathan’s eyes. But he was right beside me, never leaving my side. Even as they quickly wheeled me away, he jogged beside me, his hand never leaving mine.

“Stay with me,” I begged him, feeling a sudden fear grip me. All along, I had been so confident that I would get through this delivery all on my own. But now that it was here, I wasn’t so sure.

“Always,” he promised, his voice unwavering.