Page 121 of Awakening

“I am. This will all work out. Please don’t let this issue, which won’t even be an issue until years from now, overshadow your happiness. Because let me assure you, that while only one will receive the title, both will be of Sullivan Alpha blood, and both will probably give us plenty of other things to worry about in the meantime.”

“You’re right. I know. I just love them both so much already. I want them to be happy.”

“They’ll be happy, Olivia,” he says, and then kisses me. “We’ll take things one day at a time.”

I laugh and shake my head. “It just dawned on me that I’m going to have three Sullivan Alpha males running around my house. What am I going to do with all of you?”

With a grin, he takes my arm and pulls me onto his lap so I’m straddling him. “I know what you can do with me right now,” he says, and then kisses me passionately.

I giggle as he kisses his way down my neck. “Maybe you should show me how our love feels,” I whisper.

He lifts me into his arms as he stands and makes his way toward the stairs. “I’d be happy to give you a reminder.”

Now that I’m only a month out from the babies being born, there is absolutely no hiding that I’m pregnant. I have to say, they’ve been the sweetest boys so far, in utero anyway. They haven’t made me sick or overly tired, and my food cravings are actually for healthy foods like strawberries and sweet potatoes. Ethan is in heaven because there is rarely a day when I don’t demand sex from him at least twice a day.

Looking at the time on my phone, I sigh and glance into the store window behind me. Chloe and Vanessa insisted that we come to Denver to do some shopping for the babies, but they kicked me out of the store they’re currently shopping in so they could buy some gifts that they insist stay a surprise until the boys are born.

The good news is that I’m down to traveling with only my one personal guard, Ben, who is waiting for us in a car up the street. I don’t know that I feel it’s necessary now that Ian and Austin are both dead, but after everything we’ve been through, there’s just too much trauma in our past to take anything for granted.

As I’m reading a book on my phone to kill time, I hear a familiar man’s voice from behind me. “Olivia?”

I turn around and my mouth drops open when I see Anthony standing in front of me in his green scrubs. “Hey…uh, hi.”

His eyes widen when they fall to my stomach. “Wow.”

I smile and laugh a little, cradling my stomach. “Yeah.” He just stands in silence, staring at my stomach. “So, how are you?”

His eyes meet mine and he seems to shake off the shock of my pregnancy. “I’m doing okay. I’m just grabbing a decent cup of coffee before heading over to the hospital for my shift,” he says, holding up the paper cup from a nearby coffee shop.

“All the way over here?” I know this isn’t his neighborhood, or right by the hospital.

“I moved,” he says. “My parents bought that building right there.” He points to a high rise behind him. “Just needed a change of scenery, I guess.”

“Oh, it looks nice,” I say with a polite smile.

“Yeah.” He rubs the back of his neck. “So, I guess congratulations are in order,” he says, gesturing to my stomach. He blows out a deep breath. “Uh…when are you due?”

“I have four weeks to go,” I say with a big smile. I can’t talk about them and be anything other than deliriously happy. “Twin boys.”

His face softens a little. “That’s great, Liv. Really, I mean it. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“Hey, you know, I’ve wanted to reach out to you, but I didn’t know if you’d want to hear from me.” He looks down at the ground, and then back up at me. “I’m sorry, Liv. For the lies, for trying to keep you and Sullivan apart, for trying to keep you to myself…just…all of it. I let old feelings get to me, and I totally lost my head. I’m really sorry.”

Even after everything Anthony pulled to keep Ethan and me apart, there is still a part of me that knows he’s a good person at heart. I see it in his eyes today and I hear it in his voice. “I appreciate that. Thank you.”

“I know we probably can’t be friends because Sullivan still hates me, but do you think you can find it in your heart to forgive me?” he asks, awkwardly putting his free hand in his pocket.

I nod and smile at the fact that he still can’t seem to say Ethan’s first name. “You’re right, Ethan wouldn’t want us to be friends, and I have to respect that. As far as I’m concerned, though, you’re forgiven, Anthony.”

The door to the store swings open and Chloe and Vanessa come out chattering, loaded down with shopping bags. Chloe’s eyes widen when she looks up and sees Anthony.

“Oh. Anthony. Hello.”

“Hi, Chloe.”

“Anthony saw me standing here, and he took the opportunity to apologize and congratulate me,” I say with a smile.

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