Pregnant With Alpha’s Genius Twins

#Chapter 251 – Bridgette’s Choices

Ian and I are sitting at the kitchen table that morning, going through some of the books that his tutor

sent for he and Alvin to explore this upcoming week.

“I hate these books,” Ian grumbles, pushing them away from him and frowning petulantly at the pile.

“What?!” I cry, genuinely surprised. “What are you talking about, kid? These books are on some of your

favorite subjects.” It’s true – I’m genuinely impressed with what the tutor has come up with here. It’s not

an easy task to engage two kids who are at once six years old and geniuses who have read every book

in this house and what feels like most of Wikipedia.

Still, the tutor has sent a great mix – books on dinosaurs, and famous historical battles, and

engineering. Honestly, I’m kind of jealous of my kids – I want to sit around learning this stuff all day.

“No.” Ian retorts, stubborn. “I hate it. I’m not going to school anymore. We don’t need it – we know

everything anyway.”

“School is about more than knowing everything, kiddo,” I say quietly, stacking the books neatly so that

Alvin can look through them too. I anticipate a more positive reaction from him. “You also have to learn

about logic, and how to think critically about the information that you read so that you can decide how

to move ethically in this world.”

“See?” Ian says, looking up at me with plaintive eyes. Then he throws his head back in agony. “That’s

so borrrrrrrrrring.”

I laugh, running a hand over his hair. “Sorry kid, you have to learn.” I move over to the coffee pot, intent

on my second cup of coffee. I pause as I arrive at it, wondering if…well, if I should. I decide on a half

cup.

“Can’t I just go with dad all day? And do Alpha stuff? I’ll get lots of education that way!”

I turn and grimace at my son, not really feeling sorry for him but pretending I do. “Sorry kid,” I say. “You

can’t be an Alpha if you aren’t well educated. It’s in the rules.”

That’s a lie, but…well, who cares.

Ian looks at me aghast but then calls my bluff, narrowing his eyes at me. “Where is this rule book,” he

demands, tapping an angry finger on the table. “I want to see it.”

“Thought you didn’t like books anymore,” I tease, leaning forward and wrinkling my nose at him.

Ian opens his mouth to retort, but we both turn to the stairs instead when we hear a creak and see a

pair of pink slippers coming down.

“Good morning, aunt Bridgette!” Ian calls, friendly.

A little pulse of happiness travels through me as I see my friend appear.

“Hello, you two,” Bridgette says, looking between us with a big smile. She looks around the house, a

little wary. “Um…”

“He’s not here,” I inform her, moving again to the coffee machine. “Do you want a cup?”

“Sure,” she breathes, sitting down at the table. I can see the relief on her face, that Rafe is – at least for

the moment – out of the house.

I pour a cup and carry it over to the table to hand it to Bridgette I sit down across from her, wrapping my

hands around my warm mug just as she does. Ian, looking between us and clearly wanting to be part of

the group, runs to the counter to grab his own mug. When he comes back to the table, he pours his

glass of orange juice into the mug and then holds it between his two hands, leaning in towards the

table just like Bridgette and I are doing.

The two of us laugh at him, our little gossip. But, knowing that he already probably knows everything, I

don’t shoo him away.

“So what happened last night,” I say eager, leaning in to hear everything. “Victor…made me go to bed.

So I didn’t get to eavesdrop, like I wanted to.”

“Oh yes, it looked like he really forced you against your will,” Bridgette laughs, rolling her eyes a little.

“I felt bad, though,” I say, giving her a little smile. “I wanted to be here in case you needed me. Backup

and everything.”

“Well, I had my little knights to protect me,” Bridgette says, smiling at Ian. “I was very safe.”

“Yes!” Ian says, beaming up at her. Then he turns to glare at me a little. “Knights don’t need to go to

school.”

I roll my eyes a little, smirking at him and turning my attention back to Bridgette. “So, did you two…

decide anything?”

“No,” she says, sighing and looking down at her coffee. “It’s just so…complicated. I mean, I want to be

with him – I think…I think that I love him, but…”

“But…” I prompt, eager.

“But…” Ian echoes, his eyes likewise wide and curious.

“All right,” I say, leaning forward to give his arm a little smack. “Enough of you – this is girl talk. Take

Archie outside and go break sticks or something. Boy stuff.”

“Mommmm –“ Ian whines, wanting to be part of the gossip, but I give him a stern look and he sighs,

getting up and heading for the back door.

Bridgette watches him go fondly, but then turns back to me when my son and the dog disappear out the

back door. “I just…” she continues, hesitating, putting her thoughts together. “I just really don’t know if

I’ll ever be able to trust him.”

“I understand,” I say softly, nodding to her. “Trust is so important, and when you break it as severely as

Rafe has…” I shake my head.

“Well, what did you and Victor do?” Bridgette asks, looking up to meet my eyes, her face innocent.

“What?” I ask, a little surprised.

“When you betrayed him like that?” She says, blinking at me softly.

“Wha – how do you know about that?” I gasp, aghast.

“Doesn’t everyone know about it?” She asks, wrinkling her nose up.

“About the secret phone in my closet that I was using to give him secret anonymous therapy?” I ask,

appalled. How the hell did that get out? Did Amelia leak it to the press?

“Um,” Bridgette says, her eyes going wide now. “I was talking about…when you had his children and

kept them away from him for five years.”

I turn beat red as I realize my mistake. “Um,” I say, laughing awkwardly and looking down at the table.

“Okay. My bad.”

And then, staring at the table, I come to a rather horrible realization.

That…that I’m Rafe.

In my relationship with Victor, the one who has lied to the other, kept things from the other, and actively

manipulated the other for their own gain was…me.

And of course I’d had my reasons – I’d justified everything to myself. Quite frankly, I’d do most of it

again, with perhaps some minor changes. But it’s also possible that Rafe likewise had his reasons,

which in the moment felt just as strong as mine.

“Oh my god,” I murmur, shocked and appalled and feeling a wave of guilt for a thousand reasons. Then

I look up into Bridgette’s eyes. “I’m Rafe. I did to Victor what he did to you –“

“No, it’s okay!” She says quickly, reaching out and taking my hand, holding it tightly. “You are so great,

Evelyn – so nice and supportive! And it’s different, of course – Rafe had all the power in our

relationship, Alphas always do, so what you did to Victor was from a different position of powerlessness

–“

I blink at her, shocked. When the hell did Bridgette get so smart?

“Still,” I say, shaking my head a little. “I’ve been…” I sigh, sitting back in my chair. “I’ve been really hard

on Rafe throughout all of this. And you’re right, we’re coming from different positions, and my reasons

for doing what I did were about scraping together what little power was available to me, but…” I look

out the window, sighing. “Maybe I’m so mad at him because what I hate in him is part of what I hate in

myself.”

“But what did you and Victor do? To overcome it?” Bridgette pushes, still curious and seeking answers.

I sigh and shrug, looking at her honestly. “We just…loved each other, I guess. Did our best to decide to

make a change and treat each other right, and then lived up to those promises. After all of it…I can’t

say that I regret it. And I’m so glad he forgave me.”

Bridgette nods, looking out the window pensively herself now. I give her hand a little squeeze, knowing

she’s got big decisions coming up.