Chapter 48 Nova
nova
“I really liked Charlie,” I whispered as we tucked Scarlette into bed, her little face peaceful in the glow of the night-light.
I smoothed her blanket over her and turned to Ollie, keeping my voice low.
“They were really lovely.” Ollie squeezed my hand gently.
We walked out of the room, closing the door. It was well past midnight by the time we’d gotten home.
I had expected the day to feel heavier, to be a constant reminder of the complexities of this new dynamic, but to my surprise, it hadn’t. Watching everyone together, laughing and talking, wasn’t as painful as I’d imagined.
“Was it really okay?” I asked hesitantly, glancing at him.
Ollie stopped outside the door, turning to face me fully. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “It was okay, love. You made it okay.”
“Tell me the truth.” I hoped he knew I was asking because I could handle it.
“Did I enjoy seeing the man who hurt you, really hurt you, when you were married to him? No. Could I tell that he was trying and probably a different person than when you were together? Yes.”
I nodded, understanding what he meant.
“That type of hurt doesn’t go away quickly, but I’m here, and I’m willing to work on it.”
“Thank you,” I murmured.
We walked into our room, and I sat at the edge of the bed, watching as Ollie unclasped his watch and set it down.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” I twisted my fingers in my lap.
Ollie glanced over, his brow lifting slightly.
“Can I tell you something illogical?”
“I don’t mind illogical. Tell me,” he said as he came to sit beside me.
“Sometimes I think Mami sent you to me,” I admitted. “When she died, she knew I needed a guardian angel, and you walked into my life.”
He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. “Maybe she did.”
I leaned over, unable to resist the pull of his words, and kissed him softly. He slid his hand to the back of my neck, deepening the kiss, and before I knew it, he lifted me into his lap like I weighed nothing.
“I love you,” I murmured against his lips, my voice trembling with emotion.
“I love you, too.”
His hands moved with purpose, slipping to the waistband of my pants as his lips stayed firmly on mine. Slowly, he tugged them down, his fingertips brushing against my skin. He didn’t rush, savoring every second as he peeled them off.
He pulled back slightly, his breath warm against my lips, and I saw the glint of desire in his eyes before he reached for the hem of my jumper. He slid his hands under it and pulled it up and over my head.
I didn’t hesitate. My fingers found his shirt, tugging it off without breaking the kiss. Next, I moved to his belt, fumbling slightly, but determined to remove every barrier between us. He helped me, his movements quick but never rushed, until his clothes joined mine in a pile on the floor.
His mouth found mine again as he guided me onto the bed. The mattress sank beneath us as he leaned over me, trailing kisses from my lips to my neck, down to my collarbone.
He paused long enough to pull down the straps of my bra, freeing me to his touch. He latched onto my nipple, and a gasp escaped me as he kissed and teased, his tongue warm against my skin. He moved to the other, holding me steady before continuing his descent.
“Keep your legs open for me,” he ordered.
I obeyed instantly, and he grinned as he hooked his fingers under my panties, pulling them down achingly slowly. His lips followed their path, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin along the way until he had me bare before him.
He slid his fingers through my slick folds. “You’re already dripping. Such a pretty little pussy, all ready for me.”
He leaned in and replaced his fingers with his mouth. The first flick of his tongue made me cry out, his hands holding my thighs apart as he devoured me with unrelenting hunger.
Finally, he pulled back, his lips slick and swollen as he kissed his way up my body, his hands steadying me as I trembled beneath him.
“I love you,” he murmured.
He lined himself up against my entrance and pulled me close as he slid inside, each thrust stealing the air from my lungs. There was no rush between us. I roamed my hands over his back, the muscles shifting with every movement as his mouth found mine again.
“I love you so much,” he murmured against my lips, his voice breaking as he thrust deeper, his hands gripping me like he was afraid to let go.
This wasn’t just about desire. It was something deeper, something that made my heart ache with the need to be closer to him.
I cried out and begged for more. He groaned, sliding his hands to my waist, and with one swift motion, he flipped us so I was on top.
“Take what you need, love,” he rasped. “I’m yours.”
He gripped my waist as I lowered myself onto him, inch by inch, until he was buried deep inside me.
“You feel incredible.”
His grip tightened, guiding me to move. I started slowly by rolling my hips. He slid his hands up my sides, then to my hips, encouraging me to take more, to take him deeper.
“Like that, love,” he rasped, his head falling back slightly as I quickened my pace.
I braced my hands on his chest, leaning forward, and his eyes fell to where we were connected. His fingers dug into my hips, his lips parting as he watched me.
“You’re so perfect.” His voice was strained as I rode him harder.
Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to his, cutting off his words as I moved faster. His hands roamed up my back, then down again, gripping me as he thrust up to meet me.
I moaned, the sensation overwhelming as the pressure inside me built higher and higher. He gripped me harder, helping me find the perfect rhythm as his name tumbled from my lips.
“Come for me,” he whispered.
His words sent me over the edge, my body shuddering as I cried out, my release spilling over him. He groaned loudly, his hands keeping me steady as he thrust deeply one last time, finding his own release.
I collapsed onto his chest, trembling, his arms wrapping tightly around me. His lips pressed against my forehead, soft and warm.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
His eyes were scanning my face, and I couldn’t read what they were conveying.
“Tell me something heavy.” I used the joke from when we’d first gotten together.
“Marry me,” he murmured.
My eyes went wide as I lifted my head to look at him.
“Marry me. In the countryside.” He slid his hands up my back and pressed me close.
I blinked, my heart pounding.
“Scarlette has a break in March. I looked it up already. Marry me then. Please.”
I propped myself up on my arms, staring at him. “That’s only a few months away. You’ll be mid-season.”
“I have a five-day break.” He countered without hesitation. “I’ll have the assistant coach run training. Marry me, Nova. Please, do me the honor of being mine.”
His voice cracked slightly, the vulnerability in his words slicing through me. I reached out, cupping his face and brushing my thumb against his cheek.
I thought of the first time he found me in the bathroom, throwing up after another endless day.
How he hadn’t flinched or looked at me like I was broken.
Instead, he sat with me, held my hair back, rubbed my back, and waited until I could breathe again.
He didn’t ask for explanations or try to fix me. He was there.
I remembered how he’d started as my friend before anything else. How he’d offer me light in places I thought would stay dark forever. His jokes, his quiet support, the way he knew when I needed someone to remind me that life didn’t have to feel so heavy.
I thought of the day I told him I was pregnant. The fear that had gripped me, certain it would be too much, that I’d lose him before we’d even really started. He hadn’t blinked.
He gave me more than support—he gave me hope.
Ollie was there, unshakable, through every tear, every misstep, every moment I thought I was too much for anyone to handle. With him, I didn’t feel broken. With him, I felt seen.
He wasn’t asking me to marry him—he was asking me to let him continue being the light he’d always been, to trust him with the next chapter of a life we’d built together.
“Yes,” I whispered, my voice trembling but sure. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
His smile broke the tension, and he pulled me tightly against him. For the first time in so long, I felt the sadness fully lift. No matter what we faced, with Ollie, I knew I’d never face it alone.