12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
Ali
“How have you been feeling?” The woman in a crisp white top and dark slacks turned to Ali with a notepad in her hand.
“Good,” Ali replied. And for the first time in a long while, it was true. Things were going great with Nik. She’d mended her friendship with Eli, and they were both moving forward with their respective relationships. She had a job and a home.
And she was pregnant.
She smiled at the thought, placing a hand on her stomach. She wasn’t showing yet, but she felt the magic of life growing inside her.
When she’d realized she was late, Nik had insisted that she see a medic before she got too excited. But a test had confirmed it, and she’d never forget the smile on his face when she told him with certainty that they would be adding a tiny member to their family.
“That’s good news. If that changes, if you feel any discomfort, nausea, exhaustion, you can always come see me. I can’t guarantee that I can alleviate the symptoms—it’s pretty normal to feel those things—but I am here to support you and make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.”
The woman held up a bottle that rattled when she gently shook it. “These are some vitamins to make sure you’re getting your nutrients throughout your pregnancy. You should take one a day. Do you have any questions for me or any other concerns?”
Ali shrugged. Her head spun with excitement and dreams for the future.
It was hard to think straight these days.
She was certain she would have questions, but right now she just wanted to find Nik and kiss him till she was breathless.
And eat. Her appetite had increased exponentially in the past few days.
When the medic finished her exam, Ali was dismissed, and she left the sterile chamber with baby blankets and biscuits on her mind. She was supposed to meet Grace in the meadow where Nik and Eli were training for the second round, but she could be a few minutes late.
She stopped at a sweets shop first, drawn by the tantalizing scent of vanilla and cinnamon. The daily special featured cookies that were larger than her palm. She had a hard time deciding between the salted caramel or the shortbread with lemon icing, so she bought one of each.
Breaking off a piece of the lemon cookie, she popped it into her mouth and stepped into the town’s largest clothing store. All of it was secondhand, but they had the biggest variety, and the stock was constantly changing as the townsfolk got rid of old items and traded for something different.
Ali broke off another piece of her cookie and stood on her tiptoes, searching for the section of the store that held the baby items. When she spotted a sea of pastels, she knew she’d found what she was looking for.
The store wasn’t very busy this morning.
In fact, there was only one other woman browsing the baby section.
Ali smiled and began to sift through the racks of onesies, T-shirts, and sweatpants.
She almost melted into a puddle at the sight of socks that fit in the palm of her hand.
Each item she held up brought tears to her eyes as she thought about what her own child might look like in them.
There were so many items to sort through, but in the end, she picked out a gray onesie with a purple sleeping owl on it. There’d be time to shop more in the coming months, but she couldn’t stop herself from purchasing one item. That tiny onesie made it feel real.
Morning dew glistened on the grass lining the pathway to the training field. Ali finished eating the first cookie and brushed her hands off. She’d meant to save some for Nik to try, but her cravings had gotten the best of her.
The onesie was safely tucked inside her bag.
She wasn’t sure if she was quite ready to share the news with the rest of their friends.
In fact, she was a little nervous to tell Eli at all.
The tension between him and Nik may have been easing, but their situation was delicate.
Something like this might set Eli off again, and that was the last thing she wanted to deal with.
Still, it would be better to tell him first and preferably not in a group. Like the one gathered around a fallen tree trunk.
Ali approached her group of friends. Sam, Grace, Amaya, and Heather sat casually on the tree trunk, laughing at whatever story Theo was telling. Eli chuckled and spat out his water, which he drank from a canteen. Nik crossed his arms but did a terrible job hiding his amusement.
“What did I miss?” Ali asked.
“Just Theo trying his hardest to embarrass me. Little does he know, that’s not possible,” Grace said.
Theo laughed and ruffled his sister’s hair. “It’s true. No matter what story I tell from our childhood, she shows no shame. You just missed the story of Grace’s first ball.”
Amaya looked beside herself, struggling to breathe.
Heather clapped her on the back. “If you tell the story again, I think you might kill Amaya.”
“Condensed version it is, then,” Theo said. “She was, what…eight or nine years old?”
He looked at Grace for confirmation, and she nodded.
“I don’t know if you know this, Ali, but as a public figure, it’s expected that Grace politely accepts any invitation to dance unless she’s preoccupied with another partner already.
“So there was this kid, Brady. He had a reputation for picking his nose in class.”
The girls began to laugh again, and Theo shot them a quelling look.
“Well, he decides that he wants to dance with Grace. So we’re both standing with our parents, on our best behavior…
” He smirked and placed a hand on his chest, and Ali had the impression that they had been far from angels as children.
“Brady comes and asks Grace if he could have the next dance. And you know what she says, Ali?”
Ali shook her head, grinning as she waited for the part of the story that had everyone in shambles.
“She says ‘I’m not dancing with Boogie Brady!’”
Amaya began to wheeze again, but Sam urged him to continue. “It gets better.”
“Our mother looked like she’d had a heart attack and told Grace that she had to accept since she wasn’t currently dancing with anyone and that she would be kind and apologize to Brady.
“But that’s not our Gracie, here. No, Grace instead says that she does have a dance partner already—herself. She moves out to the middle of the dance floor and begins to twirl in circles as if she’s dancing with an imaginary friend.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen our mother so furious in public. Every time someone tried to dance with Grace after that, she simply told them she had a better offer.”
“I wonder if poor Boogie Brady ever thinks about his lost opportunity with Grace,” Heather said.
“Poor shmuck. He was absolutely humiliated that day.” Theo grinned, and it was clear he didn’t feel sorry for him at all.
Grace rolled her eyes. “You make it seem like I’m heartless. I did end up apologizing to him years later. And for your information, he’s happily married now with two kids and another on the way. So no permanent damage was done.”
“Fair enough,” Theo conceded. “It’s probably for the best anyway. You would’ve eaten him alive.”
“Speaking of…should we get back to work?” Eli asked, gesturing to the field.
Theo and Eli headed to the center of the clearing. After a quick greeting and a kiss on the cheek from Ali, Nik joined them. They briefly chatted, though she couldn’t make out their words. It appeared as though Nik was giving instructions while Eli listened attentively and Theo nodded.
Ali took a seat on the tree trunk between Sam and Grace. “You didn’t want to join them?” she asked Sam.
“It’s not really my thing.”
Grace leaned around Ali. “It’s not our thing either, Sam. No, our thing is this,” she said, gesturing toward the men.
“What is this?”
Amaya laughed. “Just watch.”
Ali looked straight ahead as Eli and Theo squared up. Upon Nik’s command, the two began to wrestle, shoving and pulling, dodging punches and blocking kicks. In less than a minute, they both hit the ground with a thud and a cloud of dirt.
They each struggled to claim their place on top, rolling around in the dirt while their sweaty backs glistened in the sunlight. Their muscles flexed and the sound of their grunts filled the air. Amaya whistled, and Grace cupped a hand over her mouth as she giggled.
“It’s a bit erotic, isn’t it?” Heather asked. “Whose idea was it for grown men to roll around half-naked?”
“Better yet, why didn’t they choose to do it fully nude?” Amaya added.
Ali’s shoulders shook from laughter, understanding now why the ladies wanted to hang out here for the day. Even Nik looked hot as hell standing with his shirt off and abs on display. When was it his turn to wrestle?
“Ms. Harper sure knew what she was doing when she devised the Rite,” Grace said.
Amaya raised the beverage in her hand. “Cheers to Ms. Harper.”
A round of cheers echoed her appreciation.
Theo was momentarily distracted by the hollers and clapping, leaving Eli the perfect opportunity to land him on his back with a forearm to his neck.
Theo tapped the ground, and Eli released his hold.
Too bad it wouldn’t be that easy during the actual event.
Ali doubted the contestants would be so easily distracted.
Rising to his feet, Theo waved at the girls and donned his most charming grin. Amaya and Heather both giggled as he wiped the sweat from his face and unnecessarily adjusted the waistband of his pants.
“Seriously though,” Amaya said. “Who do I have to speak to about seeing Theo fight in the nude? I bet he could put on quite the show with his—”
“Ugh, Amaya,” Grace said with a grimace. “That is disgusting. He is my brother.”
“Whatever. He’s hot. I know it, you know it, Sam knows it.”
Sam smiled, nodding like even he could not deny how attractive Theo was. Something sparkled in his eye, and Ali’s curiosity hit a new height.
Theo had a reputation of being a flirt, but she’d never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at Sam.
Were they already more than friends but keeping it private?
Sam was such a shy person; she didn’t want to pry.
There would be a lot of disappointed people—including Amaya and Heather—if Theo ever decided to settle down.
Ali placed her hand on top of Sam’s and patted it, silently letting him know that she was there for him if he ever wanted to talk. He gave her a quick smile, and she knew he understood.
Her attention returned to the men and their training. Nik was demonstrating a move to Eli with Theo’s assistance.
“Does Theo have much experience in hand-to-hand combat?” Ali asked Grace.
“Not really. He had a few lessons growing up and he still practices now and then just in case they run into trouble on the road, but he’s not nearly as skilled as Nik or even Eli.”
“What about the other suitors?”
Grace shrugged. “Some of them are well trained, like Trevor, and some are just as amateur as Theo. The pairs are drawn randomly, so I truly hope Eli finds himself across from someone half his size.”
“You doubt him?” Ali asked, a bit surprised. Eli had been through more challenges than most in his lifetime, and he’d always risen to the occasion.
“Absolutely not! I just don’t want another close call like he had in the first round. I don’t think my nerves can handle it. I want a quick matchup and an easy win.”
Ali had to agree. Waiting for Eli to climb out of the mud pit with a medallion in his hand had been excruciating. It had probably been much worse for Grace to watch, wondering whether her dream of marrying Eli would come to an end.
The men tussled again and Eli easily outmaneuvered Theo this time. After a few more easy wins, Nik stepped in. The ladies taunted Theo from the sidelines after he was removed from the practice.
“You’ll get it them next time,” Heather shouted.
Amaya added, “You did your best, sweetie.”
The rest of their crew laughed as Theo headed toward them. He settled next to Sam. “I let him win,” he said with a wink. “I was bored.”
Nik dominated the subsequent contests, but he took time between each one to walk Eli through how he could improve.
Toward the end of their practice, the fight seemed much more balanced.
Eli even managed to beat Nik a time or two.
Each time he did, Grace cheered the loudest and even Ali danced on the inside.
She could watch Nik wrestle all day and beam with delight at every win, but Eli had a lot riding on this. She wanted to see him succeed.
After another hour, they called it quits. Eli needed to head to work while Grace and Ali had a council meeting to attend. They packed up their belongings and headed back toward the mountain, Heather and Amaya breaking off when they reached Heather’s family business.
Grace accompanied Ali and Nik back to their home. Nik needed a quick shower and since he was meant to be protecting Grace, she had to tag along.
Before he washed up, Nik quickly kissed Ali’s cheek, and she felt his hand graze her stomach, resting there longer than normal.
Her skin tingled and her belly fluttered with overwhelming joy.
She had been a little worried that he wouldn’t be too thrilled about having a baby.
That it was too soon. But every time he touched her or she caught his eyes lingering on her stomach, she knew he was just as deliriously happy as she was.
Ali pulled a few things from their cupboards and set a pot on the stove. She dropped the ingredients in and watched as the broth began to bubble. Behind her, she heard Grace pull out a chair at the small dining table.
Reaching for a couple glasses, she turned around and asked Grace, “Can I get you something to drink?”
Grace was studying her. Appraising her. She had a thin smile, and her eyes were narrowed in suspicion.
“What?” Ali asked. She looked down, uncertain what she was looking for. Guilt sprang to the surface as if she’d been caught committing a crime. “What is it?”
“Ali,” Grace said slowly. “Are you pregnant?”
“I… I didn’t… How?” Ali stuttered. No one else knew except Nik and her medic. Maybe her medic had broken her trust?
Grace chuckled. “If you wanted to keep it a secret, you probably shouldn’t hold your stomach like that. And tell Nik not to let his hands linger there either. You both look like you’re about to burst from the seams with love. It’s cute.”
“Oh.” Ali didn’t know what else to say. She hadn’t even realized her hand was resting on her stomach. In fact, it still was. She quickly dropped it to her side.
“So, you are then? Pregnant?”
Smiling, Ali tucked her hair behind her ear. “I am.”