Chapter 153
15 Bonus
One hundred and fifty five
Lisa POV
My eyes snapped open as my body shoved me out of sleep. A sharp pressure in my belly told me I had to pee. I sat up, feet on the cool floor, waiting for my balance before standing.
Halfway to the bathroom, something inside shifted, pressed outward, then stopped, like testing the waters. It made me stop moving. My hand flew to my stomach. I waited, and at the same time, my mind raced to worst-case scenarios.
Was the baby okay?
It came again, clearer this time. A little push from inside.
I needed backup. Waking Mom felt bad, considering she slept late, but it was better than lying awake spiraling. I padded into the hall, past the dim wall lights, to her door.
Her voice cut through. “Lisa?
“I’m coming in,” I said, pushing the door open.
She sat up, eyes sharp on me. “What happened?” I could hear the nervousness in her voice.
“I felt something move low in my belly, like a push. It wasn’t painful p>
The nervous look disappeared, followed by a tired smile. She patted the bed by her side. “Sounds like the baby p>
“Are you sure something isn’t wrong p>
“It’s normal at this stage, honey,” she said, lifting my shirt and placing a hand on my growing stomach. “It starts small, then gets clearer. Your body’s just tuning in p>
I sank onto her bed, and I suddenly felt a steady urge for Cameron to be the one rubbing my stomach. I didn’t need to explore further, but the connection formed on its own in my head, as though my body had found a rhythm it recognized. I needed him, but more than ever, I needed to keep my head clear. This situation was already complicated to add more layers to it.
“Lie beside me,” she said. “You need rest p>
I lay back and pulled the pillow close. In minutes, Mom was fast asleep. My hand moved to my stomach, and I waited.
Nothing.
Dr. Harry arrived earlier than I expected because he had a surgery to attend to at noon and needed to be at the hospital before ten a.m. for prep. Everything felt slightly sharper, like my body had decided to keep reminding me of what had happened the night before.
He had informed me the previous day, so I was already downstairs when he came in, the living room quiet except for the faint sound of movement from the kitchen where my mother was. He greeted her first, then turned to me, his attention settling in a way that felt familiar now.
I mentioned the movement from last night and adjusted on the couch, pulling my shirt up slightly. The room stayed quiet as he set things up.
1/4
I let out a small breath. “I thought something was wrong at first p>
“That makes sense, given what you’ve been through. Your body is responding. The baby is active, and that’s a good thing. It confirms stability. The strong chap survived whatever toxin was ingested into your blood p>
“That’s good,” I said, even though I wasn’t fully listening anymore.
The rest of the conversation felt routine until I became aware of how close we were sitting. It didn’t make me uncomfortable, but I was aware.
The reminder sat there quietly.
He fumbled with his stethoscope and then looked squarely at me, making me a tad uncomfortable.
“Is there something on my face p>
He shook his head. “There are boundaries in situations like this.” He paused. “And I’m aware of them p>
“You’re doing that thing again p>
“What thing p>
“Saying things I don’t understand p>
He seemed like he was holding himself back but eventually spoke. “Alright. Let me be clear. I like you,” he said. ” That’s the simplest version of it.” 1
No surprise there.
“And this is the part where you tell me you’re still going to behave professionally,” I said.
“Yes,” he replied. “That doesn’t change. But it doesn’t erase the fact either p>
The silence that followed sat there, waiting to see what either of us would do with it.
“You picked a complicated situation,” I said.
“I didn’t pick it,” he replied. “It was already here p>
“You know this doesn’t go anywhere,” I said.
“I know it doesn’t go anywhere right now,” he corrected.
I let out a small laugh. “That sounds like you’re negotiating with the future p>
“I’m being honest, Lisa,” he said.
I looked at him. “You’re a doctor. You should know better than to wait on something uncertain p>
He was a good option. He made sense. He was stable, and that should have been a good thing. But it wasn’t enough.
“If this was simple, this would work,” I managed to say.
“And it doesn’t feel that way p>
I shook my head. “Unfortunately not p>
The answer sat there, plain and unavoidable.
“What does it feel like, then?” he asked.
2/4
I searched for the right way to say it without saying too much.
+15 Bonus
“It feels like something is missing,” I said. “I’m not exactly in the right frame of mind for a relationship. At least not now p>
“I’m not asking you for anything now. I just didn’t want to pretend it wasn’t there p>
He picked up his case and closed it.
“For what it’s worth, you’re allowed to think about what happens after this situation with you and the alpha p>
That landed differently.
I looked away from him and back at the empty space in front of me.
“That’s not something I need to think about right now,” I said.
“It will happen,” he replied. “In five months, you will be free. You don’t have to answer me now. I’m not asking you to decide anything today p>
“That’s generous,” I mumbled. “You say that like this is something that can be scheduled p>
“It can’t, but it can be thought through p>
His words sat somewhere uncomfortable because he wasn’t forcing anything.
“Look, I know you must have had murky emotions with Alpha Cameron, but I know how situations like this usually go. It doesn’t end cleanly. Someone always takes the hit in situations like this p>
“Stop assuming there’s anything happening between the alpha and me p>
“You can keep saying that. It doesn’t make it true. You know what makes this worse? You already know the cost. You’re just not saying it out loud. An alpha doesn’t get to make quiet mistakes. Whatever he does doesn’t stay private. It spreads. People get involved. Lines get drawn. And by the time it’s obvious, it’s already too late to pull it back p>
I folded my thoughts inward, trying to keep them from spilling out in a way I couldn’t control. Before I could respond, the door opened without warning and Cameron walked in.
Franklin followed behind him, already scanning the room in that quiet way he always did. Cameron’s presence shifted the space immediately. His gaze moved from me to Harry, then back again.
“This setup is getting loose,” he said.
Harry straightened and met Cameron’s gaze.
“I’m doing my job, Alpha,” Harry replied.
“That depends on what you consider your job p>
“I consider it making sure she’s fine,” Harry said.
“And that requires this level of comfort?” Cameron asked.
Harry didn’t answer immediately. “It requires consistency p>
Cameron stepped further into the room. “It requires structure p>
I cut in before it stretched any further. “There is no problem, Alpha Cameron. Dr. Harry came as expected p>
3/4
d and fly fo
Both of them looked at me.
“That’s not your call,” Cameron said.
+15 Bonus
“It is when it concerns me. You’re trying to control him beyond what’s necessary. You don’t get to decide who interacts with me p>
The silence that followed shifted the balance of the room. Harry picked up his things, turned to Cameron. “Alpha p>
Cameron gave a short acknowledgment but said nothing else.
“You’re getting comfortable with him,” Cameron said, visible lines on his forehead.
“I’m getting used to people not treating me like a possession,” I replied.
“That’s not what this is p>
“It looks the same from where I’m standing p>
Franklin stepped in before it escalated further.
“There’s no need to argue,” he said.
That got Cameron’s attention. He looked between both of us, then turned and walked out.
“That could have gone worse,” Franklin said, as though scolding me. Then he leaned to whisper, as if it wasn’t just the two of us in the room.
“Lisa, please don’t push him away right now,” he said. “Not when he’s already shifting p>
I frowned. “Shifting into what p>
“You know what I mean. He’s struggling, and for some reason, you’re the one he settles around p>
“That doesn’t make sense p>
“It doesn’t have to. I’m asking you not to ruin something we might need. Just don’t fight him like that again. Not now. I don’t have the full picture, but I know enough to tell you that you matter to Cameron p>
The car honked outside.
Franklin glanced toward the door. “I have to go. He needs you p>
The door closed again, and this time the silence stayed. I stood there, replaying everything that had just happened, not because I didn’t understand it, but because I understood just enough for it to feel incomplete.
Harry made sense. Cameron complicated everything. Franklin made it worse. And somehow, I was in the middle of all of it, being told not to step away.
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.