Chapter 83
-BLAIR-
My heart hurt.
My head hurt.
Everywhere hurt.
:
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Seeing Grayson again only reminded me how much I loved him. And the fact that I was carrying his baby and he knew nothing about it.
I was not sure how long I could keep the secret. The second he learned about our child, I was not sure how he would react. I truly did not want to enter a legal battle with him for our baby. And Grayson didn’t seem like a man who would watch his child grow up without him. He would want to be involved.
I did not want to imagine a life where I had to drop off my baby for Grayson and Lily to look after. I felt sick just thinking about it.
I had an appointment today.
The last-minute kind, booked after the charity cup because the pain in my lower abdomen had gotten sharp enough on the drive away from the arena that Olivia had pulled over and started searching clinics with both hands on the phone.
I think she was having a panic attack. Instead of me.
“You disappeared after the fight,” she said now, eyes on the road as she pulled into the hospital lot. “I turned around and you were gone. Please tell me you did not do what I think you did.”
I pressed a hand to my side. The ache had dulled but was still persistent. “I went to find him.”
Olivia’s head snapped toward me. “Grayson.”
“Yes.”
“Not Chase.”
“No.”
She let out a long breath that was half relief and half upset. “How bad was it?”
“He was bleeding.”
“Did he say why he attacked him?” she asked curiously.
I stared at the building. “No. He didn’t say much.”
“Tell me more,” Olivia muttered.
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The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
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“I asked him why he did it. Why they were still fighting if we were no longer married. My throat tightened. “Something in his face changed when I said that. Then I touched his bruise and he grabbed my hand, and then his coach walked in shouting and I left.”
Olivia watched me for a second. “Of course the coach had to spoil your moment.”
“I know. I feel like he was going to tell me something important before his coach walked in.”
Or maybe my body wanted me to think that way. He probably just wanted me to leave. Probably didn’t want Lily to see me there with him.
“Everything is going to be okay.” Olivia assured me. “But first, let’s check on my little niece or nephew. Make sure everything is okay. I am very worried.”
She saw something on our way to see the doctor and stopped so fast I bumped into her.
“Why did you stop?” I asked her, rubbing my belly.
“Oh, you have to be kidding me,” she whispered.
“What?”
She pointed at the screen, then at something down the hall. “This is where they brought him.”
“Him?” I asked her. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
She sighed, “Chase. He’s in this hospital.”
Oh hell no. Chase? Here? While I had an appointment to check on my baby?
My eyes widened. Out of everyone, why did it have to be him? I was trying to avoid him as much as possible especially after he’d kissed me and was part of the reason Grayson asked for a divorce.
“We can leave.”
“No. You were trying to hide your pain in the car. You’re still clearly in pain. My niece or nephew is more important than that arrogant asshole.”
She took my elbow. “We’ll go in quickly, then rush out. With any luck, he’s still unconscious. If you see him, you do not speak. Just ignore him or leave the talking to me.”
The exam came fast.
I watched the doctor’s face as she studied what I could not read.
Then she exhaled.
“Everything looks good,” she said. “Heartbeat is strong. Growth is right where we want it. The pain you described is uncomfortable, but I am not seeing anything that suggests the baby is in distress. Rest today. Hydrate. If the cramping gets worse or you bleed, you come back immediately. Otherwise I am happy with what I am seeing. You may be stressed out about something. If that is the case, you need to relax. Don’t let
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anything affect the baby.”
:
I stared at the printed image she handed me, dizzy with relief.
“Thank you.”
Don’t let anything affect the baby? I wished it was that easy to relax.
Olivia squeezed my hand, trying to reassure me that everything was going to be okay as she left me alone with the doctor.
90
We stepped into the corridor while the doctor finished telling me about warning signs and a follow-up. I was still holding the folder against my chest when I heard footsteps.
I knew it was him before I looked.
Chase.
His face was a wreck-swollen, stitched, one eye darkening under the lights. He should have been in a bed. He stopped when he heard the word pregnant.
I froze.
No no no.
The doctor nodded and walked off after finishing what she was saying.
Chase came closer.
My eyes went wide.
“Is it true?” he asked, voice rough. “You’re pregnant?”
“It isn’t any of your business.”
Where was Olivia? She was taking care of some paperwork but should have been back already.
Horror moved across his ruined face. “I can’t believe you got yourself knocked up.” He stared at my stomach. “Who’s the father?”
“Leave me the fuck alone.” I stepped back. “It isn’t any of your business.”
“I need to know.”
“No. You don’t.”
“Blair.” He looked frantic under the bruises. “If that baby is Shaw’s-if you let him-”
“Stop talking.”
“People are going to find out.” His voice dropped, and that was worse. “You think this stays quiet? You can’t
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hide it forever.”
“Chase. Do not.”
“Do not what? Tell him? Tell everyone?” He let out a broken breath. “Then go out with me. And I will be quiet about this. Just one date Blair. And I’ll keep it to myself.”
Olivia arrived just in time.
She planted herself in front of me. “You better walk away unless you want to end up unconscious again.”
A nurse glanced over. Chase’s jaw flexed, then winced.
“She is pregnant,” he said, as if he needed her confirmation.
“Get out of here before you regret it,” Olivia snapped. “Whatever you think you heard, you are going to forget it. You are not calling Grayson. You are not texting your wife. You are not leaking this so you can feel important after getting beaten on the ice. If a single word about this baby leaves your mouth, I will make sure Ethan and our father hear how you cornered her in a hospital hallway. Try me. You will lose your position so fast that you wouldn’t even have the chance to process it.”
Chase looked at the folder in my hands.
“This isn’t over.”
“It is for you,” Olivia said. “Go back to your bed.”
He limped away.
The second he was gone, my knees felt unreliable.
“He heard,” I whispered.
“I know.”
“He’s going to tell someone.” The fear came fast. “If he tells Grayson first…I don’t want him to find out from Chase.”
“Let’s hope that my threats are enough to keep him quiet.”
She took the folder and steered me toward the exit.
Grayson did not know.
Chase did.
Could this get any worse?
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Dex Morgan
Dex works to elevate each story with clean writing, emotional balance, and thoughtful flow for readers.