My heart was beating erratically, and I was stuck in my spot just staring at her. I was fucking scared that if I blinked, she’d be gone.
“Alpha,” Gamma Sebastian’s voice brought me back to the reality that my office was fucking too crowded at the moment. My Beta and Gamma were here, together with Jenny.
“Everyone out,” I ordered everyone without taking my gaze off of Nadia.
She was staring back at me, biting her bottom lip as she moved from her place to follow Jenny.
“Not you,” I extended my hand in her direction, motioning for her to stop. “Stay.”
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face me, not saying anything until the door closed.
“You came back.” I broke the silence between us.
She just nodded her head. She was biting her bottom lip so hard that I was sure she would end up cutting her lip soon.
“Nadia… I’m sorry.” I walked in front of her, as my eyes watered. I wanted to hug her, but I didn’t have the right.
Instead, I dropped to my knees in front of her, something I had never done to anyone in my whole life, but it felt like it was the right thing to do. And if she needed me to bow down to her, I would wholeheartedly do it.
“Riley, what are you doing?” She finally spoke, and my heart did a somersault in my chest. She was really here and not just a figment of my imagination.
“I’m sorry for…” I didn’t finish my words when my ears caught another sound.
It was fucking too loud and coming out of her stomach, which was directly in front of my face. “Nadia…”
I had no idea if she already knew, but I couldn’t contain the happiness I was feeling at the moment. I let the tears fall from my eyes as I grabbed her waist gently and let my forehead rest on her stomach as I closed my eyes.
A heartbeat.
I stayed still on my knees, holding her hips for a while longer, basking in the most beautiful sound I’ve heard in my entire life—the beating of two hearts, Nadia’s and our pup’s.
Nadia wasn’t saying anything. She wasn’t holding me either. She was just standing with her hands on her sides. But I understand, and I wasn’t complaining.
I slowly tilted my head and looked at her, and found her looking at me. “You’re pregnant.”
“We’re pregnant...” She corrected me before biting her lower lip.
A smile tugged on my mouth, loving the way she emphasized the word ‘we’.
“Is that the reason why you came back?” I asked in a low voice.
She nodded her head before she spoke, “Can you stand up? It’s so awkward looking at you kneeling there.” Her hands held my arms as she urged me to move, and the sparks became more explosive.
Her touch made everything in my body come back to life.
I rose to my feet and just stared at her. I wanted to touch her, but I didn’t want to be aggressive or cause her to move away from me.
I know I should be sad that the only reason she came back was that she was pregnant, but I didn’t give a fuck this time. The important thing was that she was back. I could start from here and make up for fucking up everything we had.
“Uhmm...” I smiled at her. I wanted her to speak because I didn’t want to say anything that would make her leave.
“I was wondering if the room I used before, at the far end of the hallway, is still available for me to use while I’m pregnant. And then after I give birth,...”
“Are you leaving after you give birth? Are you leaving the baby alone with me?” My voice broke as my jaw tightened and my chest heaved. I wasn’t sure if I could take it if she said yes.
“No, no...” She shook her head. “I would never do that. I will never abandon our baby or take the baby away from you.”
I let out the breath I was holding, and I couldn’t stop myself anymore this time. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my arms. “Nadia... Thank you.”
