Chapter 540

Olivia’s POV

I shook my head, crying harder.

“I don’t want anyone to feel unloved,” I sobbed. “I don’t—I don’t want to hurt you. I just… I don’t know how to stop my heart p>

Louis smiled sadly.

“You don’t have to stop it,” he said gently. “Just… let us find our place in it too p>

I looked up at him with watery eyes.

“Have I been failing you?” I whispered.

Louis let out a shaky breath, brushing my hair back gently.

“No,” he said.

“You are just human p>

My knees weakened.

He caught me before I could fall, his arms wrapping around me softly—carefully—like I was something fragile.

“Come here,” he whispered. “Let it out p>

And I did.

I cried into his chest again.

This time, not just from pain

—but from guilt.

From fear.

From love I didn’t know how to divide. To me, I love them equally… in my heart I love them equally, but it seems I didn’t know how to show them. Maybe that’s my fault… my fault was not being able to show Levi and Louis that I love them just as much as I love Lennox.

Louis held me like he’d hold something precious.

Like he had been waiting to hold me for a long time.

Sucking a deep breath, I pulled away from Louis’s grip.

“Louis I whispered, wiping my face weakly. “I just… I want to rest. I want to lie down. I want to sleep p>

Louis’s gentle expression shifted immediately.

Worried. Protective. Alert.

He shook his head before I even finished speaking.

“No,” he said firmly. “You’re not sleeping alone tonight p>

I frowned through my tears. “Louis, I’ll be fine p>

“No,” he repeated, stepping closer, his eyes soft but stubborn. “Olivia, you broke down twice today. Your emotions are everywhere. You almost burned the room earlier. You’re exhausted. And you’re not sleeping alone p>

I opened my mouth to argue again, but he dropped his voice—deep, gentle, serious.

“I’m not leaving you to cry by yourself. Not tonight p>

Something in my chest melted.

I swallowed and looked down, my voice small. “But Louis… I don’t want to burden you p>

He stepped forward and touched my chin, lifting my face.

“You’re not a burden,” he whispered. “You’re my mate p>

My eyes stung again.

I sighed softly and nodded because I knew I couldn’t win this argument—not with Louis looking at me like that.

“Fine I whispered.

Louis let out a breath of relief. “Thank you p>

I walked past him and stepped into my bathroom.

The moment the warm water hit my skin, Louis’s words replayed in my head:

“Just… let us find our place in your heart too p>

I pressed a hand to my chest and closed my eyes.

I did love them. All three. Equally. Deeply.

I just didn’t know how to show it.

Maybe that was my fault.

Maybe I had been holding onto the guilt of losing Lennox for so long that I forgot Louis and Levi needed reassurance too.

The shower washed some of the heaviness off my skin, but not off my heart.

When I stepped out, I wrapped myself in a towel and slipped into clean clothes—something simple, something comfortable.

I opened the bathroom door quietly.

Louis was already sitting on the bed.

Not lying down. Not relaxed.

Like he wanted to be sure I didn’t faint. Or cry again. Or disappear.

His eyes softened when he saw me.

“Come,” he said gently, patting the space beside him.

I walked over slowly and climbed into the bed.

He lay back against the pillows, and without thinking, I moved closer—resting my head on his chest.

His heartbeat was strong. Steady. Warm.

His arm slid around me instantly, pulling me close but softly… tenderly… as if he didn’t want to overwhelm me.

“Is this okay?” he whispered.

I nodded against him. “Yes p>

I closed my eyes, listening to his heartbeat.

Louis stayed still as he gently stroked my hair.

For the first time tonight, my body started to relax. My breathing steadied. My tears dried. My chest loosened.

Louis whispered into my hair, “I’ve got you p>

I nodded, not able to trust my words.

I closed my eyes and thought of Levi… Yes, I was angry at him… really angry at him for what he had done… and for what he did, but he was my mate. I carried his mark, and that means I can feel his pain… his emotions, and right now I was feeling it p>

Louis felt it immediately because his arm tightened around me protectively.

“Olivia?” he whispered. “Are you okay p>

I didn’t answer at first.

I couldn’t.

Because Levi’s emotions were overwhelming me.

I could feel his pain. Anger. Guilt. Fear.

And beneath everything I felt a deep, deep heartbreak.

My own chest tightened so hard I had to grip Louis’s shirt.

Louis stroked my hair again. “Hey… talk to me p>

A tear slipped from my eye before I could stop it.

“I’m feeling him I whispered. “Levi. I’m feeling Levi’s emotions p>

Louis’s hand froze for a moment.

Then he sighed—soft but heavy—as if he expected this.

I pressed my face into his chest, shaking slightly.

“He’s hurting so much,” I breathed. “He’s angry and sad and broken… and I can feel all of it. It’s… it’s too much p>

Louis didn’t get irritated.

He didn’t get jealous.

He didn’t even tense.

Instead, he held me tighter.

“Of course he is hurting,” Louis whispered gently. “He said too much today. He let his feelings explode. And he feels guilty for it. Levi loves you too hard… sometimes more than he knows how to handle p>

I shook my head, wiping my tears.

“But Louis… he thinks I don’t love him. He thinks I only want Lennox p>

Louis hesitated.

Then, very softly, he said, “He is scared, Olivia. He’s scared he will lose you now that Lennox is back. Scared he will be forgotten. Scared he is not enough p>

His voice cracked a little.

“And… he’s not the only one who feels that way p>

That made my heart twist again.

I rested my hand on Louis’s chest, breathing shakily.

“I don’t want any of you to feel that,” I whispered. “I don’t want to lose any of you p>

Louis kissed the top of my head gently.

“You won’t lose me,” he whispered. “Not ever p>

My tears soaked his shirt again.

But in the middle of all that—

Levi’s emotions hit me even harder.

A sudden spike of regret.

Then self-hatred.

Then a heavy, painful feeling that made my stomach drop.

“Louis I whispered shakily. “I think he’s crying p>

Louis stiffened.

His jaw clenched.

He didn’t need to ask who I meant.

He closed his eyes and whispered, “He needs time. He said things he shouldn’t have said p>

“Yes,” I whispered. “But he’s still my mate… and he’s hurting alone p>

Louis opened his eyes and looked down at me.

His expression wasn’t angry or jealous.

It was soft.

Understanding.

“He will be okay,” Louis murmured, brushing my hair behind my ear. “But right now… you need to rest. You need to breathe. You need to calm your heart p>

He pulled me closer against his chest again.

My body relaxed into him, even with the storm of emotions I felt from Levi echoing inside me.

Louis continued in a soothing voice, “You can check on Levi in the morning. I’ll go with you. For tonight… just let me hold you p>

My eyes drifted closed, tears still slipping out slowly.

Louis’s heartbeat was steady beneath my cheek.

Warm.

Safe.

Comforting.

Eventually p>

my breathing matched his.

And even though Levi’s pain kept brushing against my heart, Louis’s warmth slowly pulled me into sleep.