Chapter 30 Ollie
ollie
I was so nervous that I thought I might actually puke before getting her to the car. The hospital had kept Nova for two days to monitor her after the panic attack, ensuring she and the baby were stable before clearing her to leave.
Luna and I came to pick her up. I’d told Luna I could manage on my own, but she insisted, so here we were, rolling Nova out of the hospital.
“I can walk,” Nova huffed, arms crossed as she shifted in the wheelchair. “This is completely unnecessary.”
Luna snorted from beside me, clearly enjoying herself. “It’s protocol. Let the man push the wheelchair and enjoy your moment of being chauffeured, princess.”
Nova shot her a glare, but I caught the small smile tugging at her lips. My grip on the wheelchair handles tightened slightly as nerves twisted my stomach into knots.
When I pulled out of the hospital lot, instead of heading south, I turned north.
“Where are we going?” Nova asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
“Oh, I love a good road trip,” Luna chimed in from the back seat, already settling in.
“Speaking of road trips,” I said, keeping my tone casual as I drove. “Luna, are you still coming to the Cotswolds tomorrow?”
“For the holidays?” she asked, leaning forward slightly.
“Yeah. Though”—I glanced at Nova quickly—“I bumped the trip up a couple of days. Figured she could use the rest—and some quiet—after the hospital.”
Nova turned to look at me. Her arms were still crossed, but her expression softened slightly.
“Oh, absolutely,” Luna said, throwing her hands up. “Does your mom have a room for me? If not, it’s okay—I can snuggle with you guys.”
“Absolutely not,” Nova muttered, though her voice lacked any real bite.
We pulled up to my house, and Nova shot me a confused look. Before I could say anything, the front door opened, and Mum came running out, her excitement clear as she waved us down. Will followed behind her, looking far less enthusiastic.
“What the fuck?” Luna said as she popped out of the car, glancing between them and me.
“I thought we were meeting them there,” Nova added, her confusion deepening.
“Mum took the train in. We’re all driving back together tomorrow.”
“Why is Will here?” Nova asked, her gaze bouncing between me and my mum, confusion etched on her face.
I grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and nodded toward Luna. “Come on. Both of you. Follow me.”
Will clapped me on the back as we walked.
“Good to see you up and about, Nova.” He grinned. “We missed you at work. Some of the players were waiting for their chance to go viral.”
Nova chuckled. Mum leaned over and whispered something to her, and I caught a glimpse of a smile on Nova’s face as we rounded the side of the house.
“Oh, you painted the garden apartment?” Nova asked.
I laughed, the tension in my chest loosening slightly. “Yeah. Will and I did it.”
“Cool,” Luna said, already moving forward. “Let’s see it.”
She pushed open the door, and we followed her inside.
Nova’s eyes widened as she took in the clean, modern design.
“This is incredible.” Nova ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the kitchen counter.
Luna, meanwhile, made a beeline for the bedroom. “Oh my god,” she squealed, throwing her arms out dramatically. “This green wall is perfect.”
Will leaned casually against the doorway, smirking. “Handywork by yours truly. You’re welcome.”
Luna rolled her eyes, though her grin didn’t waver. “You did one wall.”
“Exactly,” Will shot back. “The most important one.”
I turned to Luna, my heart hammering. “So . . . Do you like the space?”
“Like?” she said, spinning around to face me with a wide grin. “Love. Someone is going to absolutely love being here.”
I paused, the question perched on my tongue as I turned to Luna. “Do you want to move in? Here?”
Nova shot me a sharp look from the other side of the room, narrowing her eyes slightly. Mum chuckled, her arms crossed as she watched the scene unfold, while Will leaned casually against the counter, clearly entertained.
Luna laughed nervously, brushing her hair back. “That’s a weird question to ask, Ollie. I mean, I know you and Nova are . . . whatever, but shouldn’t you be asking her to move in here?”
I shook my head, keeping my tone steady. “She’ll be in the main house.”
My gaze locked on Nova’s, and the rest of the room seemed to fade away. Everything—everyone—disappeared but her.
“I was so scared when Luna called me. I was so far away. I want you to move in with me. I wanted to make sure Luna was included, so I spruced this space up for her.”
Luna cleared her throat, her nervous laugh returning. “That’s nice and all, but I can’t afford an apartment like this. Look at it—it’s way out of my budget.”
“I’ll charge you the same rent you’re paying for your flat now,” I replied, not missing a beat.
“That’s, like, half the price.” Nova’s voice was incredulous as she folded her arms.
I turned to her, holding her gaze. “Before you decide to run away, come to the main house and see it.”
“I’ve already seen it.”
“We fixed some things up,” Will chimed in.
Luna nudged Nova. “We should at least see it. You know, give the man a chance.”
Nova sighed, her lips twitching slightly as if she was fighting a smile. “Fine. Show me.”
I led them back toward the garden, gesturing to the separate entrance of the apartment. “This way, you’d have complete privacy. The yard is shared. We’d bump into each other here, especially if you’re out sunbathing or whatever it is you do, Luna.”
Luna laughed. “A shared yard? That’s fine by me. As long as you’re okay running into ball gags and naked men here, we’re golden.” She looked back at Mum. “Sorry, Mom.”
I ignored her comment and motioned for them to follow me up the back steps into the main house. “The only downside is laundry. It’s all in the main house, so you’d have to come up here for that.”
Luna waved it off. “Totally fine. I’ll steal some detergent while I’m at it.”
The downstairs looked the same—comfortable, warm, familiar—but I kept the tour moving, heading straight upstairs. The loft area at the top was cleared out, a blank slate of possibilities. Nova glanced at me, her brow raising slightly, but I only smiled and walked to the first guest room.
“This is your room.” I pushed the door open and stepped aside.
Nova’s brow furrowed, and she turned to me, clearly about to argue.
“I knew convincing you to move into my room would be harder, so this is for you.”
The room was painted a dark blue. Dark black furniture lined the space, and a massive bed sat in the center.
“Or a guest room.” I teased lightly, but Nova shot me a look that silenced any further suggestions. I raised my hands in surrender. “Your room.”
She didn’t say anything, just looked around, her expression unreadable.
“One more space,” I said, leading them back into the hall.
We stopped at the second guest room. I opened the door briefly to show them. “This one’s the same. It’ll be for guests. Mum or whoever stays over.”
I closed the door and gestured for Luna, Will, and Mum to hang back. “This one’s for Nova,” I mumbled quietly, catching Luna’s curious glance before nodding toward the door.
I turned to Nova, stepping aside. “You go in first.”
She hesitated, resting her hand on the doorframe for a moment.
Nova pushed open the door and stepped inside, only to freeze. Her hand hovered over the doorframe as she swept her gaze over the room. I held my breath, unsure if this was her style, but I’d poured every bit of care I could into it.
The walls were painted a soft beige, the kind of color that felt like a hug.
Mum had helped me with the furniture, and together we’d chosen a modern white crib that sat perfectly against the far wall.
A fluffy cream-colored rug covered most of the floor, and in the corner, a changing table stood ready to be stocked.
I didn’t want to think about how much we’d overpaid to have it all delivered and assembled within a few days, but the moment didn’t make me regret it.
There was an oversized rocking chair in another corner, and on the crib lay the scarlet-colored blanket, carefully folded.
“What?” Nova’s voice cracked slightly, incredulous as she turned to look at me.
“For the baby.” I gestured around the room, keeping my tone simple.
Her gaze landed on the blanket, and I pointed to it. “We got that at the market.”
Her eyes were wide, her voice trembling as she asked, “What did you do?”
I stepped closer, unsure how to explain it all without overwhelming her. “We got ready,” I said softly. “For you. For her. For both of you.”