Chapter 46
Andilyn
Iwake early, not having slept very well.
Thankfully, today is one of the Fridays that Hudson doesn’t have therapy.
I toss and turn for several hours, trying to get comfortable, but it’s no use.
Finally admitting defeat, I heave myself from the bed before the sun has even risen.
My lower back has been aching since the middle of the night, and my coveted pregnancy pillow has done absolutely nothing to alleviate the pressure in my pelvic area.
Tiptoeing through the apartment, I head to the kitchen for a bottle of water, then to the ensuite to run myself a bath.
We came back to Raiden’s last night, since there was no longer a need to keep everyone under the same roof, but I’ve grown accustomed to having them all so close these past two weeks.
It feels strange now, and it makes me wonder how we’re going to navigate our relationship once the baby arrives.
It’s not much of a hassle to go back and forth between the two apartments right now, but adding a newborn to the mix will certainly make it more difficult.
Lugging around an arsenal of supplies will grow tiresome very quickly.
As the tub begins to fill, I double-check the temperature of the water, knowing that Briggs will have a coronary if it’s even slightly too warm.
Peeling off my shirt, I bite back a groan when my back twinges painfully.
I might’ve overestimated my ability to participate in such strenuous activities yesterday afternoon, and I’ll never hear the end of it if Dayton catches wind of how sore and miserable I am.
He’ll definitely blame himself and think he pushed me too far.
I release a heavy sigh as I sink beneath the water and my muscles start to loosen.
“Minha luz?” Raiden voices quietly, peeking his head through the door. “Are you feeling okay?” His gaze scans me from head to toe, looking for any outward sign that something’s amiss.
“I’m fine,” I reply sheepishly, feeling bad that I woke him. “Just couldn’t sleep, and my back is bothering me a little.”
“Let me help, then,” he insists, stepping inside the bathroom and quietly closing the door.
He grabs a claw-clip from the counter and gathers my hair, securing it to the top of my head.
Taking a seat on the edge of the tub, Raiden dips his hands in the water to warm them up and begins massaging my shoulders.
A groan escapes me from how good it feels.
He takes his time, working out every kink and knot that has my body strung tight.
“If I haven’t told you recently, I sure do love you, Raiden Cortés,” I tell him playfully, but it’s the absolute truth.
He might call me his light, but he’s my north star.
I’d be completely lost without him. There were many moving parts that facilitated our rescue, but if Raiden hadn’t believed me to begin with, none of it would’ve been possible.
He’s changed my life in ways I’ll never be able to articulate, but I’ll never let a day pass without showing him how much he means to me.
“And I love you, minha luz,” he replies, dropping a kiss to the back of my neck. “I think Mia and Rita have a surprise for you today, but if you aren’t feeling up to it, I have no problem telling them we need to reschedule.”
“What surprise?” I question, trying to think back over our last few interactions and if I’ve managed to forget either of them mentioning something. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve fallen victim to pregnancy brain recently.
“Nice try,” he laughs, working his thumbs along my spine.
“I’ve already said more than I was supposed to.
” I make a noncommittal noise in response, my eyes closing as sleep tries to claim me once again, but I know if I attempted to lie back down, I wouldn’t be able to recreate this level of comfort.
When the water starts to cool, I pull the plug and let Raiden help me to my feet.
He grabs a towel and gently dries me off, then grabs me a lounge set from the closet.
He insists the casual outfit will be fine for whatever the girls have planned, which only leaves me more confused.
By the time I’m dressed, Briggs and Hudson are already up and making breakfast. I smile at the two of them, taking a seat at the island as a plate of blueberry pancakes is placed in front of me.
I smile in appreciation, but only manage to eat a few bites before I’m full.
My appetite is nonexistent, but I figure that’s par for the course this late in my pregnancy.
“Knock, knock,” Dayton calls out as he waltzes through the front door.
“Ya know, simply saying it doesn’t equate to actually knocking,” Briggs teases. “You should learn some boundaries, man. I could’ve been naked.” I shake my head in amusement, wondering what alternate universe I’ve woken up in where Briggs, of all people, is lecturing someone about boundaries.
“Says the man-child who picked the lock during Andi’s first few weeks in the apartment and made yourself at home.
You attached yourself to her like a fucking barnacle and haven’t left her alone since.
Not to mention, I saw you naked yesterday.
Against my will, I might add,” Dayton retorts, giving me a sheepish smile for his language, but thankfully, Hudson is hyper-focused on his tablet, watching one of the learning videos his speech pathologist recommended.
“It’s called initiative, O’Rourke. I knew what I wanted and went after it.
I didn’t pussyfoot around like you idiots.
You should take some pointers,” Briggs snarks, but it’s such a relief to hear them bickering without any hostility behind it.
Dayton smacks the back of his head and steals the plate he’d just made for himself, grinning as he shoves a forkful of pancakes in his mouth.
“Mornin’, Sunshine,” Colsen greets, taking the seat beside me while flashing me a smile.
“You feeling okay after yesterday?” He drops his voice, keeping the question between the two of us.
I’m not sure if he’s asking in regard to Cantmeir’s arrest, or the insanely hot sex we had. Either way, the answer is the same.
“I feel good,” I reply, giving him a partial truth. I’d like a repeat of the threesome we had at some point in the future, and that won’t happen if either of them thinks it was too much for me to handle.
“Okay, children,” Raiden interrupts, forcibly putting space between Dayton and Briggs as they continue to rib each other.
“Now that we’re all accounted for, I say it’s time we show Andi that thing we’ve been working on in secret.
” He gives them all a pointed look, lifting Hudson from his highchair and moving towards the staircase we rarely use, as there’s only a loft on the second story.
Raiden opens the baby gate we installed at the base, taking the steps two at a time and making Hudson giggle from being jostled around.
Briggs takes my hand and guides me in the same direction, a pleased smile stretching across his handsome face.
Dayton and Col are right behind us, so I force my face to remain carefully neutral as I ascend the stairs, even though it feels excruciating on my tender body.
When we reach the top and the loft comes into view, I gasp in disbelief, my eyes pinging from one thing to the next as I attempt to wrap my head around what I’m seeing.
“When?” I ask aloud, stroking a finger along the smooth, pale wood of the crib that’s positioned against the back wall. “How?” I’ve been reduced to one-word questions, but I’m genuinely baffled at how they’ve managed to pull this off.
“Remember that day we left your doctor’s appointment and I dropped you off to have lunch with Col?” Dayton asks. I nod, remembering the tense moment between the two of them.
“You said you couldn’t stay because you needed to meet Briggs,” I state, belatedly realizing he never explained why he needed to meet him.
“Well, the two of us took it upon ourselves to go shopping. We knew you’d never ask for anything, so we figured it’d be best to take some of the pressure off and make a few decisions on your behalf.
We tried to keep everything gender neutral, but if there’s something you don’t like, we can exchange it,” Dayton admits, biting his lip nervously as he waits to see what my reaction will be.
“Don’t check the closet, though,” Briggs adds. “We definitely didn’t keep the clothes gender neutral.”
“And not wanting to be outdone by these two, Col and I felt it was necessary that we contribute as well. So the bassinet, stroller, and car seat are from us,” he tells me sweetly, but I know he’s only teasing.
They didn’t buy this stuff out of obligation or fear of being one-upped; they did it because they wanted to.
I stare at the pale yellow walls that are blank of any decor, at the cream colored rocker in the corner of the room, and try to envision what it’ll be like to have a tiny baby in my arms, pacing the floor in the middle of the night as I try in vain to get them back to sleep.
Or the emotions I’ll feel when seated in the rocker and nursing.
Most prominently, I think I’ll have a sense of safety and stability.
This is more than I could’ve ever hoped for, and I would have happily made do with far less.
My parents certainly didn’t go the extra mile when it came to taking care of me, if the little they did can even be called that, so I know for a fact that most of this isn’t a necessity.
They’re luxuries that the guys wanted me to have on the off-chance of them making my life a bit easier.
“I can’t believe you guys did this,” I choke out, my eyes filling with tears, which is becoming a frequent occurrence as of late. “It’s too much.”