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Suddenly feeling three pairs of curious eyes on him, he sat on the couch. Realizing just then he was the only one standing. He wasn't used to having others in his home.
“So, what do you want to watch?” he asked, leaning back and sipping his whiskey. Looking over at Allison. Her eyes went wide as she stared hard at him, contemplating.
“Do you have the Little Mermaid?” she said excitedly, clutching her bunny so hard he wondered if the thing would still have ears by the end of the night. The seams were splitting rather alarmingly. He was happy that there was a fresh victim upstairs just waiting for her to mangle it.
“Do I? I don’t know…let’s see,” he mused out loud, pulling up the Disney app and hurriedly creating an account, making quick work of it as he’d had his credit card memorized. He looked over at Vanessa and leaned forward. “Can you get the pizza and pasta out of the oven and the plates and napkins? They’re in the kitchen in the warming drawer in the island, to the left.”
She nodded and got up gracefully, padding to the kitchen.
Colin heard a bunch of rustling before she appeared with the two pizza boxes. She thoughtfully spread a huge kitchen towel on his wood table before laying the pizza boxes and spaghetti down. He looked at her and nodded in thanks, locating the movie, and pushing play.
Allison got on her knees in front of the table as the opening of the movie started. He watched her reach in the box for a cheese pizza before carefully placing it on a plate with the help of her mother. She took a bite before turning and offering it to Olivia to have. Everyone smiled. Colin chuckled, thinking kids were cute. He'd never really thought about having one of his own.
His eyes slid slowly to Olivia. Knowing Johnathan was right to assume he was crazy, because he couldn’t help imagining her pregnant. With his child. Children he’d never thought about having, until he met her. This stranger who really didn’t feel like a stranger. He felt like he’d known her his whole life.
“No sweety thank you,” Olivia shook her head before leaning back once more and sighing. Colin contemplated her for a second before reaching forward to unscrew her medicine bottle and dumping out two pills in his hands. Handing it to her with some water.
“You need to take this. Before the pain starts to take over,” he encouraged, placing the tablets on her tongue, and watching her sip the water carefully. She shakily smiled her thanks before leaning back and settling deeper into the pillows.
They watched the mermaid movie and ate all the pizza.
Colin assumed his usual position, ankle over his knee, propping his head against his fist. Finding himself ironically thinking that this was the most red-head action he’d ever had in his house. He watched with interest as the purple sea witch rose out of the sea ominously. Her stolen crown separating the Princess and the Prince, forcing them to plunge into the sea separately. Only to come together in the end.
He rather enjoyed it.
He’d gotten a tremendous thrill from hearing Allison yell with excitement when he took her and Vanessa up the elevator to their ensuite, showing them their bedroom and bidding them goodnight. He paused outside of the guest bedroom to text his good friend and business associate Johnathan that he needed a new car delivered tomorrow. Worried about the engine knocking on Vanessa’s vehicle.
Going back downstairs, he rubbed his eyes. Beginning to feel pangs of fatigue from constantly going since three in the morning.
Colin scooped up Olivia’s sleeping form and took her to their bedroom. Laying her in the bed and covering her up gently. He went out in the hallway and looked at the guest bedroom and saw their light was turned off. Activating the house alarm on the phone, he showered and brushed his teeth before donning a pair of silk pajama pants and crawled into bed next to Olivia.
Making sure to place an extra pillow under her arm so she wouldn't jostle it in her sleep, he leaned in and kissed her lips goodnight. Softly as to not disturb her.
He settled in close and drifted to sleep, facing her, his hand on her belly.
Adequate Math
The next morning, Olivia woke up and noticed she was alone in the bedroom. Looking over, she saw the bedroom door cracked open slightly. Taking stock of her body, she’d noticed her arm was sore, but this was now more of a dull burning pain than a sharp stabbing pain.
She looked at the nightstand and saw her pain medicine and birth control already thoughtfully popped out of the package, next to a glass of water. The glass was sitting in some sort of holder, to keep the drink cold for her, the condensation on the glass suddenly making her parched.
Taking the medicine and checking her phone, she winced, seeing that it was almost nine thirty in the morning. She never slept in that late.
Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she’d made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth, wash her face, and comb her hair. She undressed carefully and started the shower. Keeping her sling from the spray, she washed quickly, scrubbing herself, not liking the post hospital feel. She made an astronomical mess as she didn’t have the use of her right hand.
Stepping out and drying off one handed, Olivia assessed herself in the mirror. Seeing she looked better already, the pinched, pained look lessening on her face.
She noticed between the days of rest, her eating full meals, and now the sharp pain gone her features were softer, fuller, more youthful.
Making a face at the sling, Olivia went into the closet and grabbed her preferred sweats and tank top, pulling them on before leaving the room.
She slowly meandered down the hallway to find the guest bedroom empty and pivoted, taking the elevator downstairs. Walking through the door, she sniffed appreciatively, promptly comforted by the smell of sausage and biscuits and gravy. She heard Allison talking and smiled, listening to the little girl lisp.
Appearing around the corner, she saw Colin leaning against the sink with his arms folded in his usual relaxed stance, talking quietly to Allison.
Olivia sucked in a deep breath when his eyes turned to hers, freezing her in place. She blinked, feeling the sharp sexual tension between them. She turned her face away to focus on Allison, trying to still the sudden butterflies in her tummy.
Her niece was sitting at the vast island and was currently devouring a big bowl of sausage biscuits and gravy with a side of scrambled eggs. She crossed the space to her.
