Chapter 78
-BLAIR-
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I could not stay in the bathroom.
I walked out, came back, walked out again, then started pacing my bedroom while Olivia followed with the test held up like Exhibit A.
“I cannot breathe,” I announced.
“You are talking,” Olivia said. “That requires air.”
“Then I am breathing incorrectly.” I leaned against the wall, slid down an inch, then popped back up because sitting felt too difficult. “This is a medical emergency.”
“This is you being dramatic.”
Dramatic? How is this being dramatic?
“Oh yeah, you think so? Well, why don’t you get knocked up by a hockey captain after he divorces you and decides he wants to be with his childhood sweetheart and see how that feels? Maybe then you’ll see it as an emergency!”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Calm down. It isn’t good for the baby.”
I pointed at my own stomach, then at her, then at the ceiling. “I hope you don’t end up in my situation one day because I’ll be sure to return the remarks!”
I was freaking out. I needed to take a second to breathe. She was right. These kind of emotions were clearly not good for the baby.
The baby?
THE BABY?
How was this even possible?
My stomach did this funny thing. I bolted for the bathroom, heaved up what little was left in me, rinsed my mouth, and came back wiping my face.
Olivia winced. “Okay. Slightly less teasing. Slightly.”
“I cannot breathe,” I said again, dropping onto the bed.
I stared at the ceiling. “He asked for a divorce. He told me he loved Lily. He has not called in two weeks. And now I am pregnant. With his child.”
“Yes,” Olivia said. “That is the situation.”
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14:49 Thu, Sep 17
The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
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I sat up, immediately regretted it, and flopped back down. “This is Grayson’s fault. He said consummate and then he did consummate it. Repeatedly. With no condom. In a blackout. Against a wall. On the floor. He had one job besides hockey and he couldn’t use protection!”
“Wow. A little too much information there sister.”
“Then I also blame him for leaving before morning. And for the photos of him with Lily. And for believing I kissed Chase back. And for being so damn incredibly hot and irresistible. That last one is relevant.”
Olivia sat on the edge of the bed. “Are you finished with whatever this is?”
“No. Now I blame myself.” I covered my face. “I wanted him. I knew I wanted him. I prepared for that night. I could have said wait. I could have said use a condom. I could have said anything except yes in the dark like I had never heard of consequences.”
“Blair.”
“I cannot breathe.”
“You are doing that thing where you hyperventilate.” She poked my knee. “Come on, take small breaths.”
I tried. It sounded like a dying kettle.
Olivia demonstrated an exaggerated calm breath.
I copied it badly. Then I rolled onto my side and groaned into the pillow.
“I am going to be a single mom. A single Monroe who got pregnant during a marriage that the internet already decided I deserved to lose. The comments are going to accuse me of baby trapping him. Father is going to freak out and demand that I remarry Grayson for the sake of his grandchild.”
Olivia snorted, then tried to look serious and failed. “Okay. Practical thoughts. You are pregnant. You are not dying. You do not have to call him this second. You do not have to write a speech. You do not have to inform him of anything just yet. Do it when you’re ready. Take some time to adjust to this first and then consider telling him about the pregnancy.”
I peeked one eye out from the pillow. “What if he thinks I did it on purpose?”
“I doubt he will. Like I told you before, he’s the one that asked for sex.”
True.
Despite everything, a little laugh escaped me. It immediately turned into another wave of panic. I sat up, paced to the window, paced back, leaned against the wall again, and whispered, “my baby is going to be so disappointed in me.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Stop being so dramatic.”
She stood, put both hands on my shoulders, and shook me very gently. “Listen to me. You are allowed to freak out. We will get another test if you want confirmation. We will make an appointment. We will tell dad later, preferably when I am in another state. And you will stop saying you cannot breathe unless you are actually
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The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
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going to pass out, in which case aim away from the nightstand.”
I nodded, then shook my head, then nodded again.
“I blame him,” I said weakly.
“Noted.”
“I blame me.”
“Also noted.”
“I blame thunder.”
Olivia smiled. “Yes, I am aware thunder got you into this mess. Now breathe. Maybe you should name your baby thunder.”
I narrowed my eyes at her.
She laughed, “it’s just a joke.”
I sat down before my legs could continue their protest and put a hand over my stomach, still half-convinced the two lines had been a hallucination.
Pregnant.
By Grayson Shaw.
After he asked for a divorce and went silent.
I looked at my sister.
“Do not tell anyone else,” I warned, “I mean it.”
Olivia raised both hands. “Fine. If that’s what you want. Cancelling my message to the siblings group chat.”
I dragged in one more breath and stared at the bedroom wall, trying to imagine a version of the next nine months that did not include crazy headlines, Lily screaming that I ruined her life, Chase asking for another chance, Grayson hating me for ruining his future.
How wonderful for me.
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14:49 Thu, Sep 17
The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
going to pass out, in which case aim away from the nightstand.”
I nodded, then shook my head, then nodded again.
“I blame him,” I said weakly.
“Noted.”
“I blame me.”
“Also noted.”
“I blame thunder.”
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Olivia smiled. “Yes, I am aware thunder got you into this mess. Now breathe. Maybe you should name your baby thunder.”
I narrowed my eyes at her.
She laughed, “it’s just a joke.”
I sat down before my legs could continue their protest and put a hand over my stomach, still half-convinced the two lines had been a hallucination.
Pregnant.
By Grayson Shaw.
After he asked for a divorce and went silent.
I looked at my sister.
“Do not tell anyone else,” I warned, “I mean it.”
Olivia raised both hands. “Fine. If that’s what you want. Cancelling my message to the siblings group chat.”
I dragged in one more breath and stared at the bedroom wall, trying to imagine a version of the next nine months that did not include crazy headlines, Lily screaming that I ruined her life, Chase asking for another chance, Grayson hating me for ruining his future.
How wonderful for me.
3/4
14:49 Thu, Sep 17
The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
Dex Morgan
Dex works to elevate each story with clean writing, emotional balance, and thoughtful flow for readers.