Chapter 175

Olivia

My baby shower, the wonderful display of friendship, love, and family was shattered by the fight. Now, all that was left in its wake was the sound of Ryan’s car receding down the street. That was when the murmurs began.

I could hear Janet, one of our neighbors, whispering to another mother.

“This isn’t right,” she hissed, clutching her child’s hand tightly, drawing him away. “It’s not safe here. And the nerve of her, entertaining two men!”

The comments were insinuations, cloaked in feigned concern. I could feel the weight of their stares, like stones being cast at me. I wanted to scream, to explain that this wasn’t at all what it looked like. That Ryan had disappeared on me, never once showing concern for our unborn child.

And now, he just showed up out of nowhere, expecting… what, exactly?

A surge of anger welled up inside of me as I watched the other guests filter out and heard their murmurs of disapproval, but I forced it down. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break down.

They didn’t know my story, didn’t know the struggles I faced. Yet, they were so quick to pass judgment.

“Olivia,” Levi’s voice broke through my thoughts, his usually calm demeanor clouded with concern. “Are you okay?”

I tried to respond, but my throat felt tight.

Beside Levi, Clint stood, the lines on his face rutted deeply with concern. “You don’t need to deal with this right now,” Clint muttered, his eyes darting towards the judgmental mothers. “They don’t know anything.”

Once again, I opened my mouth to respond and no words would come.

Suddenly, a blur of fiery determination—Angela—rushed up to my side, practically shoving both Levi and Clint out of her path. “Back off,” she snapped. “Give her some space. Both of you.”

Levi and Clint looked taken aback but complied, stepping back. Angela, wrapping an arm around me, glared at the remaining onlookers until they, too, disappeared.

The last remnants of the sunset were reflected in Angela’s concerned eyes as she looked down at me. Her fingers quickly found their way to my wrist, checking my pulse.

“Olivia, are you okay? You look pale.”

I tried to speak, but my voice came out as a whisper, “Yeah, just... a little overwhelmed, I guess.” I wasn’t lying; I did feel light-headed, a faint buzzing ringing in my ears.

Angela’s hand reached up to brush a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “He really knows how to push buttons, doesn’t he?” she remarked, referring to Ryan’s unexpected arrival.

I nodded. “Between Ryan and Nathan’s outburst, it’s been... a lot,” I said quietly. “And I guess that was your first formal introduction to the father of my baby, too.”

She frowned, her lips pressing together. “He’s just as awful as I expected,” she said with a grimace. “But you need to talk to Nathan. Avoiding him isn’t going to solve anything.”

My eyes instinctively scanned the horizon, finding Nathan’s solitary silhouette against the setting sun. He was walking slowly along the shoreline, the gentle waves lapping at his feet. I felt an inexplicable pull towards him but hesitated.

“I can’t,” I said quietly, holding my belly even more tightly as though that would somehow protect the little life—or lives—growing inside of me. “I’ll talk to him later. I should give him some space.”

“Space?” Angela chuckled. “He doesn’t need space. He needs you.”

I shook my head. “No, he doesn’t,” I murmured. “I’ve only caused problems for him.”

My words seemed to anger Angela. “Do you really think that, Olivia?” she asked.

I shrugged and sank down onto a chair behind me, passing my hand over my weary face. “Maybe I’m the one who needs space,” I murmured. “I’m sick of men right now. I just want peace, and yet it’s always something. First, it was Alvin. Then, it was Colin. And now, it’s Ryan and Nathan fighting over… over…”

“Over you?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

I shook my head. “Not me. Over a right to my body. To my baby.”

Angela scoffed. “That’s the case with Ryan, maybe,” she said. “But not Nathan. He’s just protecting you. Don’t lump him in with Ryan like that, like you did when they were fighting. It clearly hurt him.”

At Angela’s words, I looked up and found Nathan on the beach again. He was still walking back and forth across the sand, his head bowed and his hands stuffed in his pockets. I watched as he stopped for a moment, bent down to pick up a rock, and skipped it into the water.

Angela, noticing my gaze, shot me an almost teasing smile. “Remember that kiss?” she asked.

A rush of warmth spread across my cheeks. Of course I remembered. It was one of those moments that would forever remain etched in my memory, refusing to fade away.

It was in the kitchen. The quiet hum of the refrigerator, the aroma of freshly baked cookies lingering in the air. Our fingers had brushed against each other’s, and then, without any warning, our lips met.

“It was... unexpected,” I admitted, feeling a pang in my heart.

Angela raised an eyebrow. “You can’t tell me you didn’t feel anything when it happened.”

I took a deep breath. “I did feel something. I felt my wolf. But Angela, I want it to be more than just that. I want to know that when I kiss Nathan, it’s not just about the wolf inside me. It’s about me, Olivia, wanting to be close to him.”

A knowing smile crept onto Angela’s face. “Oh, honey, I know I’ve only known you like this for a few months, but it feels like I’ve known you for years. And trust me when I say this; it wasn’t just your wolf in that moment.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, looking up to meet her stern, fiery gaze.

Angela shrugged. “What do you think it means?” she asked. “Have you wanted to kiss him again since then?”

“I do want to kiss him again, Angela,” I whispered, my voice barely audible against the evening breeze. “Not to prove a theory or to test some kind of bond, but because... I want to. It’s just... complicated.”

“Life is complicated, Olivia,” Angela replied, her voice soft yet assertive. “But there are moments, moments like that kiss, that make it all worthwhile. Don’t let fear hold you back.”

The crashing waves in the distance seemed to echo Angela’s sentiments. I felt a surge of determination.

“Fine,” I muttered, pushing myself back up to a standing position. “I’ll go.”

Angela smirked and patted me on the shoulder. “There’s my girl,” she said gently. “Everything will be okay. Trust me.”

I nodded, breaking her gaze to look back out at Nathan. He was standing still as a statue, looking out at the water.

“I hope you’re right, Angela,” I murmured, more to myself than to her. “I hope you’re right.”

Wrapping my arms around myself, I realized how chilly the evening had become. Remembering a cozy blanket left on one of the deck chairs, I grabbed it and started making my way towards the beach, towards Nathan.