Chapter_296
Tyler’s grip on Olivia tightened for a moment, but he didn’t protest. His heart seemed to waver between frustration and understanding. He had always been used to having control, but with Olivia—especially now, with her pregnancy—it was different. He knew she needed space, yet the pull to stay close to her felt almost magnetic.
“Alright,” Tyler said softly, his voice laced with a hint of resignation. “If that’s what you need.”
Olivia didn’t respond right away. She simply shifted, slowly inching away from him as she tried to find a more comfortable position, trying to create the distance she felt she needed. Tyler didn’t move to stop her, though his eyes lingered on her for a long time.
In the stillness of the room, Olivia’s breaths grew steadier as she finally settled into her side of the bed. The coolness of the night air had started to seep in, but the warmth left by Tyler’s embrace remained, a lingering reminder of his presence.
Tyler turned onto his side, staring into the dark for a long while. Despite her words, he couldn’t shake the feeling of longing. He had been so patient with her, allowing her to dictate the pace of their relationship, but part of him couldn’t help but wonder if she was slowly building walls that would be hard to tear down.
After several moments of silence, Olivia broke it.
“You’re not mad, are you?” she asked, her voice soft, almost unsure.
Tyler’s gaze softened as he turned his head toward her. “No, I’m not mad, Olivia. I just want you to be comfortable. You’re carrying our child… I know how important it is for you to feel safe.”
The sincerity in his voice made her heart flutter, but she quickly tried to suppress it. She was afraid of getting attached to him, especially given the complicated dynamics that existed between them, with Naomi still looming over their lives.
Olivia slowly turned her head to look at him. “I just… I need to be careful,” she whispered, “for the baby. And for me.”
Tyler nodded, his face turning toward her, the moonlight casting soft shadows across his features. “I understand. We’ll take it slow.”
He didn’t push, didn’t try to close the distance she had carefully created. He just stayed there, his breathing deepening as he fell into a peaceful silence.
For a long while, neither of them spoke, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. Olivia’s mind raced with thoughts of what their future might hold, but she couldn’t let herself dwell on it. She had enough to worry about with the pregnancy and the complicated relationships surrounding her.
In the quiet, Tyler’s breathing finally evened out, signaling that he had drifted off to sleep. Olivia, however, lay wide awake, her mind still unsettled by the emotional turbulence that had defined the past few days. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was teetering on the edge of something she wasn’t fully ready for.
And yet, in the dark, with Tyler asleep beside her, she felt a strange sense of safety—something she hadn’t felt in a long time. She closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing thoughts, but sleep didn’t come easily. Not yet.