Protecting Olivia

CHAPTER THIRTY

LIVY

Matthew and I had both gotten into Ethan's car when we left the cabin. I was grateful there was a second car to take us all home. The last part of the drive to the cabin was squished with four adults and a child in the sedan.

Matthew sat in the back, chattering away about school and his friends, his plans to play a sport when he returned which he previously couldn't really do and how he couldn't wait for Ethan to do random things with him, like fishing and playing catch. Ethan listened intently, chuckling softly to himself as Matthew continued to ramble with excitement.

"Hey, Dad?" Matthew asks from the backseat. Ethan's eyes flick to him in the rear vision mirror, a large smile forming on his face I'd noticed was reserved for the times that Matthew called him dad.

"Yes, son?" Ethan responds, making my heart flutter and my own smile form from the sound. This is what I wanted for Matthew, for him to have his father in his life, and hearing Ethan call him son brings tears to my eyes as I'm overwhelmed with emotion. I look away quickly, so neither Ethan nor Matthew can see.

"How did you get all of those scars?" Matthew asks

"Matthew..." I warn, but it is ignored as Matthew continues.

"Was it from war?" he asks. I look back to Ethan, watching his knuckles turn white against the steering wheel. He releases a long breath before putting on a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

"Yeah, Matty, it's from the war." Ethan says softly. My heart flutters at the nickname he gave him. Though I had every intention of calling Matthew, Matt, when he was born it never stuck for me. Which is odd, considering I hate when people call me Olivia. It reminds me of my parents and how everything had to be so proper for them, but I guess some things are inherent, and giving a nickname to my own child just wasn't in my genes.

Still, I liked that Ethan could have that with him. Matthew drops the subject pretty quickly, though my own curiosity plagues my mind. The scars on Ethan's torso cover his front and back, they all differ in size and severity, but there isn't an inch of skin that I've seen that isn't covered, except for the bird tattoo over his heart, though I don't doubt that it is just hiding more scars.

Over the few days in the cabin, I'd seen Jordan shirtless a number of times and he didn't hold the number of scars that Ethan did and I can't help but wonder how he could have gotten them.

I push the thoughts from my mind as we start to see the city in the distance. We have only been driving for about an hour, so I wasn't expecting it to come up so quickly.

"I knew Jordan was driving in circles," I mumble as I stare at the buildings ahead of us earning a chuckle from Ethan.

"He had to make sure you weren't followed by anyone." Ethan states, glancing in my direction before his eyes return to the road.

"What about Jordan's car?" I ask, remembering that we had left it in that secluded place when we had met up with Brad and Nicole. I can see Brad's car up ahead of us so I know that they didn't stop to pick it up.

"Seb would have organised someone to go and get it." I nod my head in understanding, realising just how organised these men have been, as if they were prepared for something disastrous to happen and knew exactly what to do when it did.

It doesn't take long before we are navigating the familiar neighbourhood to Jane and Jordan's place. Well, Ethan's place too, I guess. And for the time being, mine and Matthew's as well. I wasn't sure how we would go in the small 3-bedroom suburban house with four adults and a child, but I was grateful that Matthew had something semi stable until I could find a new place, one that didn't have memories of gun shots and blood.

We pulled up in the driveway behind Jordan's car. Seb's and Kaley's cars where parked on the road in front of the house. As soon as we opened the car door, we could hear the familiar squeals and giggles of kids in the back yard.

Ethan grabbed our bags from the boot of the car, not at all impressed when I grabbed them from him. I gave him a pointed expression to remind him of his stomach wound in which he raised his hands in defence.

Smiling in victory, I carried our two bags behind Ethan as we made our way into the house, placing them in the spare bedroom before moving towards the back yard where we could hear the others.

Both Brad and Nicole were hugging their kids to them when we stepped into the back yard. My heart panged with guilt as I realised, they had left their own kids to look after mine. They showered them both with kisses before putting them back on the ground and letting them run off to play. Well, Natalie more stumbled along the ground, still quite unsteady on her tiny feet, her arms up at her sides to try and keep balanced.

Hayley ran towards Matthew as soon as she saw him. The two children had clicked immediately, and although they didn't spend much time together, when they did, they were like two peas in a pod. She wrapped him in a hug which Matthew returned, a big grin on his face as she pulled away and grabbed his hand, tugging him further into the back yard.

I chuckled when I looked up and saw the scowl on Seb's face. Obviously not liking his little girl being so taken with a boy. He looked to Ethan, raised his hand with two fingers and pointed at his own eyes before Ethan's. A warning to Ethan to watch his son around Seb's daughter. Ethan just chuckled in response and moved further into the yard, getting wrapped in hugs from everyone before they approached me and did the same.

I was shocked when Mia popped up out of nowhere, immediately feeling guilty for leaving her alone in Perth, though I know it was outside of my control.

"I'm sorry," I whisper into her long brown hair as she squeezes me tighter.

"Don't. You. Dare." She enunciates each word clearly to get her point across. "I'm just glad you are all safe." Mia pulls back and gives me a large smile before wiggling her eyebrows at me

"How's Ethan?" she asks quietly. I roll my eyes and pull further away from her, not wanting to engage in her banter. She pouts when she realises, I'm not going to take the bait. "Fine, I'll give you a few days and then I'll start teasing you."

I roll my eyes again and walk away, earning a laugh from Mia as she skips to catch up, bumping her shoulder against mine. There is honestly nothing to tell, but I hate what she is insinuating. I'm still trying to get my head around all of this and I find it odd that last week, Ethan was enemy number one for both Mia and I, and now Mia is back to teasing me about him just like in high school. Even though I know the truth now, it doesn't just erase eleven years. I don't even know him anymore.

We settle in with everyone as they catch up on what has happened over the past few days. I'm curious when Lance and Ethan exchange a few concerned glances between themselves, obviously keeping something from the rest of the group. I let it slide though, as the conversation turns to random subjects and away from the drama that had unfolded. Instead, I settle in, a smile permanently etched on my face as I watch Ethan and the rest of my group of friends. For the first time in months, I feel completely at ease with all of them. I feel at ease with Ethan being back in my life. I feel at home.