Chapter 164

Olivia

“It was a false alarm,” the doctor, a pleasant older woman with gray hair and smile lines around her eyes, said as she finished her examination. “It happens this late in the game.”

I was both relieved and somewhat embarrassed as the doctor confirmed that it wasn’t time for the baby to come. After hours of uncertainty, it turned out that the cramps I had been having were perfectly normal. I felt a little silly for getting so worked up and acting as though the world was ending.

Sheepishly, I glanced over at Nathan, wondering if he would be annoyed by my overreaction.

Yet, the look on Nathan’s face was of sheer concern, not amusement or annoyance. His eyes met mine, and I could see he was just as shaken as I was.

“Olivia,” the doctor began, her voice stern but gentle, “I know this was a scare, but it’s a sign that your body needs to rest. A lot. You're pushing yourself too hard, and it’s not healthy for you or the… pregnancy.”

The doctor’s pause before saying ‘pregnancy’ was something that I had become used to. I was fairly certain at this point that it wasn’t just one baby, but was twins.

More than once the doctor had accidentally used the plural form when referring to my pregnancy, but even without that, I could tell just from the sheer size of my belly that there had to either be two babies in there or the biggest baby in the entire world.

Nathan’s hand tightened around mine, and he nodded at the doctor’s words, oblivious to her implication.

“I understand, Doctor,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’ll take it easy from now on. I promise.”

The doctor shot me a wary look before her gaze shifted over to Nathan. “And you, young man, you need to make sure she does just that. I want you to take care of her until this baby comes,” she said. “She shouldn’t be alone.”

Nathan’s chest puffed out a bit at this, as though her demand activated the Alpha energy inside of him. “I’ll do whatever it takes, Doctor,” he said, his voice full of confidence.

“Good.” The doctor looked pleased, and nodded with a smile. I watched for a moment as she peeled her blue latex gloves off of her hands and walked over to the trash can, tossing them away as she spoke. “You can go home now, Olivia. But keep Nathan close. If anything happens, I expect you to come right back here.”

I couldn’t help but blush a bit at both Nathan’s eagerness and the doctor’s implications. “Nathan’s just a friend, Doctor. He doesn’t live with me,” I said.

Nathan's eyes widened slightly, and he looked at me with a challenging glint in his eyes. “I’ll move back in if I have to, Liv,” he said. “I don’t want to leave you and the baby alone.”

“Nathan, that's not necessary,” I protested, feeling my cheeks heat up further.

The doctor watched our exchange with an amused smile, and then she left the room, leaving us to sort things out on our own.

“Olivia, you know it’s the right thing to do,” Nathan said, his voice soft but firm. “You need someone to take care of you, and I want to be that person. Unless you want to stay in the hospital until the baby is born.”

“Nathan,” I began, struggling to find the words. “You know we can’t get too close again. I’m not in the right state of mind for the emotional games that would go on between us if we lived together. This isn’t about us, it’s about the baby.”

“I know that,” he replied, his eyes serious. “I promise I’ll keep my distance. I’ll be there to help you, nothing more. No emotional games, just friendship.”

I searched his eyes, looking for any sign of insincerity, but all I found was genuine concern and care.

After a moment of silence, I sighed and nodded. “Alright, Nathan. You can stay. But we have to set clear boundaries. I can’t afford to get caught up in emotions right now.”

“I understand,” he said, smiling gently. “Thank you, Olivia. I promise you won’t regret it.”

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of doubt at his words, but I pushed it aside. This was about the baby’s health, not our complicated relationship.

The ride home was quiet, filled with unspoken thoughts and lingering tension. Nathan’s hand would occasionally find mine, and he’d give it a reassuring squeeze, but we kept our conversation to a minimum.

Upon reaching the villa, he helped me out of the car and into the house, all the while maintaining a respectful distance.

“I’ll make you some dinner,” he said, heading toward the kitchen. “You just rest on the couch.”

“Nathan, you don’t have to do all this,” I said, feeling a little overwhelmed by his attentiveness.

He turned to look at me, his eyes warm. “I want to, Liv. Let me take care of you.”

His words made my heart flutter, but I quickly pushed the feeling away. I had to remember our agreement, our boundaries.

“Alright,” I said, settling down on the couch. “But just as friends, okay?”

“Just as friends,” he agreed, smiling as he went about preparing the meal.

As the evening wore on, I found myself watching Nathan, marveling at how easily he slipped back into the routine of caring for me. It was comforting and unsettling at the same time.

After dinner, we sat on the porch, watching the sunset. The warmth of the day gave way to a cool, peaceful night, and I felt a contentment I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Nathan,” I said softly, breaking the silence, “thank you for being here for me. I know it’s not easy, but I appreciate it more than you know.”

He looked at me, his eyes filled with a tenderness that took my breath away. “It’s my pleasure, Liv. I’ll always be here for you. No matter what.”

His words hung in the air, a promise and a reminder of what we once had. But I knew that things were different now. We had to be careful, mindful of our emotions. For the baby’s sake.

I leaned my head on his shoulder, allowing myself this small comfort. “Just as friends,” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

“Just as friends,” he echoed, his voice soft and full of understanding.

And as the sun dipped below the horizon, I allowed myself to believe that we could make this work, that we could be there for each other without crossing the lines we had drawn.

But truthfully, I didn’t know how long that would actually last. How long would it really be before we inevitably fell back into our old routine of the push and pull?

That night, as Nathan fell limp beside me and began to snore softly, I gently pulled away and stood. I found a blanket for him and gently laid it over him, watching as he slept peacefully on the couch.

“Looks like you’re back now,” I whispered, watching as his chest gently rose and fell, noticing how his long eyelashes brushed his cheeks as his eyes twitched in a dream. “For good, or just for the time being?”