Hailey's POV A dull pounding echoes in my skull, dragging me out of unconsciousness. My vision swims before settling on unfamiliar surroundings, sending a jolt of unease through me. I sit up in bed, and that's when the events of yesterday come back to me. The call with both Levi and my parents, the pregnancy announcement, and the fight with Levi. Shit. His words hit me so hard that after I ran back to the room, I sat up in bed thinking about it for hours. I don't even remember falling asleep. What he'd said left a pang of guilt in my chest - not even because of how he said those things, but because they were true. Even if they aren't aware of it, I've disappointed my parents in so many ways by doing this. After thinking it over, I'm not sure lying to them is worth it. Why did I think I had to lie to them to keep their love? The momentary relief I felt yesterday now feels like a chain tightening around my chest. I made a huge mistake The faint smell of coffee seeps i
Levi's POV I return to the living room to find Hailey by the door, slipping on a pair of vans. She is dressed in simple brown cargo shorts and a white tank top that hugs her body perfectly, highlighting the volume of her supple breasts. I force my gaze away when she straightens up. 'Focus, Levi.' "You ready?" I ask. "Yeah," she responds, then pauses. "Are you okay?" I raise a brow. "I mean, you seemed tense when you got the phone call earlier..." Realization dawns on me. The call had been from my Dad. The call had been from my dad, letting me know that my cousin's wedding was moved up to this weekend. Since he knows I’m married, he skipped the usual, “I expect you to bring a girlfriend,” speech. Small blessings, I guess. Still, it stung that even after doing what he always wanted, it didn’t seem to matter. The call yesterday should have been enough, but it wasn’t. I expected at least a word of acknowledgment - some sign that I’d done the right thing. But no. Nothi
Levi's POV The only sound that fills the small, nondescript, cream-colored office is the relentless ticking of the clock on the desk. It's so loud and grating that I'm starting to think that it was put here specifically to test patients' patience. The room itself is sterile, designed to feel welcoming but failing miserably. Everything is white, except for the desk, chairs, and bookshelf. Technically, the bookshelf is also white, but I don’t count it - at least the books add some color. "So you claim you don't have any feelings for her?" My therapist asks, breaking the silence. 'Why does she keep asking me that?'She's been fixated on my relationship with Hailey ever since I slipped up and unintentionally blurted out how insufferable she is. What she doesn’t seem to grasp is - why would I use that word if I actually had feelings for her? She watches me over the rim of her tiny wire-framed glasses, waiting. I lean into the arm of the chair, meeting her stare. She sighs, removin
Hailey's POV "Uhm..." Levi hesitates. "How do I say this?" He exhales. "I want both of us to go out for dinner," he pauses, then his gaze sweeps over me. "Together." I sit up so fast that I nearly choke on my water, coughing violently. "What?!" Why the fuck would he startle me like that? I expected a heads-up or something. He'd come back from his outing a few minutes ago, while I lay on the couch, scrolling through my phone. Then he said he had something to tell me, but I wasn't expecting... this! Levi scratches the back of his neck. "I want us to go out for dinner." "Like a date?" I ask, my voice still raspy. His expression turns awkward. "Not really... But if you want it to be, you can think of it that." I raise an eyebrow. "Why would I want that?" "I just thought that's what you wanted to call it," he shrugs. "No. Why do you actually want us to go out?" Levi sighs. "I want us to get to know each other. My family would probably ask a lot of questions.
Hailey's POV Levi holds the car door open for me as we arrive at a modest-looking restaurant. I step out, still irritated about the compliment he'd given me earlier. I don’t thank him, maintaining the same silence we had on the drive over. The valet takes his keys, and as we approach, the doorman pulls the entrance open for us. For somewhere Levi has described as "not too fancy," the place certainly gives off that extremely fancy vibe. With tables set for two, a live band playing soft music in the corner, and guests who look like they each have at least one yacht to their name. The men wear tailored suits, while the women glide through the room in elegant dresses, their hair styled to perfection like they’ve just stepped off a magazine cover. Gold balloons fill the empty spaces on the floor and walls, making it clear there's something else happening here... like a celebration of some sort. My stomach tightens.And once again, I find myself facing the consequences of trusting
Hailey's POV I stay silent, staring out at the passing cars until a new waiter brings our food. As soon as the waiter leaves, Levi exhales. "Hailey, I planned this so we could get to know each other. If we can't even talk, what's the point?" He pushes back his chair, getting ready to stand. "We should just go back. I'll pay for the food." Before he can move, I stop him. "Quit being so dramatic, Levi," I roll my eyes. "Just sit, and I will try to be more civil." He hesitates, watching me carefully, then sighs and lowers himself to his seat. "I'm sorry for the way I acted," he mutters. "It's fine." A beat passes. "I'm also sorry for blaming you," I admit. "I was just upset with how you handled things. I wish you'd found a better way to control the situation instead of trying to intimidate the poor waiter. He was only doing his job." "I'll do better next time." I shake my head. "Oh, no. Let's hope there's no next time." An unreadable look crosses his face. "Why? You do
Levi's POVI pull into the garage and step out to open the door for Hailey. She fell asleep almost as soon as we started driving back. I’d expected the conversation to continue, maybe even get to know each other a little more. Instead, things ended abruptly, and I let myself get too comfortable - making things awkward in the process. I sigh and shake her shoulder lightly. "Hey, we’re here. Wake up." She mumbles something incoherent, shifting to her side - then promptly smacks me in the face. I huff, rubbing my jaw. "Hailey, we're home." 'Home.' Sounds kinda nice. I've never seriously considered settling down - outside the pressure from my father - but I guess the thought of starting a family and having a home with someone I love, is strangely appealing. She stirs slightly, her lashes fluttering open before her eyes squeeze shut again. "Go away, Jake," she mumbles, swatting at my hand. I freeze. 'Jake.' If I remember correctly, her mum mentioned the name the other da
Hailey's POV The room swims into focus moments after I open my eyes. With a groan, I roll out of bed but immediately regret it as the now-familiar ache pounds in my head.Not long after, a wave of nausea hits me, sending me rushing to the bathroom. I barely make it in time before emptying the remnants of last night's dinner into the toilet. 'I really need to start accepting that my meals won’t last long these days.'Even when it seems like there's nothing left, I stay on the floor for two extra minutes —just in case. Eventually, I flush, freshen up, and head back to my room to get dressed.I slip into a short brown skirt and a black turtleneck, layering the matching jacket over it. A black purse and loafers complete the look. One habit I've developed over the years is ensuring my outfits always match in color and shade. My love for coordinating colors once made me consider a career in interior decorating, but I had to put my family's business first.Once I’ve gathered everything I ne
Hailey's POV The room swims into focus moments after I open my eyes. With a groan, I roll out of bed but immediately regret it as the now-familiar ache pounds in my head.Not long after, a wave of nausea hits me, sending me rushing to the bathroom. I barely make it in time before emptying the remnants of last night's dinner into the toilet. 'I really need to start accepting that my meals won’t last long these days.'Even when it seems like there's nothing left, I stay on the floor for two extra minutes —just in case. Eventually, I flush, freshen up, and head back to my room to get dressed.I slip into a short brown skirt and a black turtleneck, layering the matching jacket over it. A black purse and loafers complete the look. One habit I've developed over the years is ensuring my outfits always match in color and shade. My love for coordinating colors once made me consider a career in interior decorating, but I had to put my family's business first.Once I’ve gathered everything I ne
Levi's POVI pull into the garage and step out to open the door for Hailey. She fell asleep almost as soon as we started driving back. I’d expected the conversation to continue, maybe even get to know each other a little more. Instead, things ended abruptly, and I let myself get too comfortable - making things awkward in the process. I sigh and shake her shoulder lightly. "Hey, we’re here. Wake up." She mumbles something incoherent, shifting to her side - then promptly smacks me in the face. I huff, rubbing my jaw. "Hailey, we're home." 'Home.' Sounds kinda nice. I've never seriously considered settling down - outside the pressure from my father - but I guess the thought of starting a family and having a home with someone I love, is strangely appealing. She stirs slightly, her lashes fluttering open before her eyes squeeze shut again. "Go away, Jake," she mumbles, swatting at my hand. I freeze. 'Jake.' If I remember correctly, her mum mentioned the name the other da
Hailey's POV I stay silent, staring out at the passing cars until a new waiter brings our food. As soon as the waiter leaves, Levi exhales. "Hailey, I planned this so we could get to know each other. If we can't even talk, what's the point?" He pushes back his chair, getting ready to stand. "We should just go back. I'll pay for the food." Before he can move, I stop him. "Quit being so dramatic, Levi," I roll my eyes. "Just sit, and I will try to be more civil." He hesitates, watching me carefully, then sighs and lowers himself to his seat. "I'm sorry for the way I acted," he mutters. "It's fine." A beat passes. "I'm also sorry for blaming you," I admit. "I was just upset with how you handled things. I wish you'd found a better way to control the situation instead of trying to intimidate the poor waiter. He was only doing his job." "I'll do better next time." I shake my head. "Oh, no. Let's hope there's no next time." An unreadable look crosses his face. "Why? You do
Hailey's POV Levi holds the car door open for me as we arrive at a modest-looking restaurant. I step out, still irritated about the compliment he'd given me earlier. I don’t thank him, maintaining the same silence we had on the drive over. The valet takes his keys, and as we approach, the doorman pulls the entrance open for us. For somewhere Levi has described as "not too fancy," the place certainly gives off that extremely fancy vibe. With tables set for two, a live band playing soft music in the corner, and guests who look like they each have at least one yacht to their name. The men wear tailored suits, while the women glide through the room in elegant dresses, their hair styled to perfection like they’ve just stepped off a magazine cover. Gold balloons fill the empty spaces on the floor and walls, making it clear there's something else happening here... like a celebration of some sort. My stomach tightens.And once again, I find myself facing the consequences of trusting
Hailey's POV "Uhm..." Levi hesitates. "How do I say this?" He exhales. "I want both of us to go out for dinner," he pauses, then his gaze sweeps over me. "Together." I sit up so fast that I nearly choke on my water, coughing violently. "What?!" Why the fuck would he startle me like that? I expected a heads-up or something. He'd come back from his outing a few minutes ago, while I lay on the couch, scrolling through my phone. Then he said he had something to tell me, but I wasn't expecting... this! Levi scratches the back of his neck. "I want us to go out for dinner." "Like a date?" I ask, my voice still raspy. His expression turns awkward. "Not really... But if you want it to be, you can think of it that." I raise an eyebrow. "Why would I want that?" "I just thought that's what you wanted to call it," he shrugs. "No. Why do you actually want us to go out?" Levi sighs. "I want us to get to know each other. My family would probably ask a lot of questions.
Levi's POV The only sound that fills the small, nondescript, cream-colored office is the relentless ticking of the clock on the desk. It's so loud and grating that I'm starting to think that it was put here specifically to test patients' patience. The room itself is sterile, designed to feel welcoming but failing miserably. Everything is white, except for the desk, chairs, and bookshelf. Technically, the bookshelf is also white, but I don’t count it - at least the books add some color. "So you claim you don't have any feelings for her?" My therapist asks, breaking the silence. 'Why does she keep asking me that?'She's been fixated on my relationship with Hailey ever since I slipped up and unintentionally blurted out how insufferable she is. What she doesn’t seem to grasp is - why would I use that word if I actually had feelings for her? She watches me over the rim of her tiny wire-framed glasses, waiting. I lean into the arm of the chair, meeting her stare. She sighs, removin
Levi's POV I return to the living room to find Hailey by the door, slipping on a pair of vans. She is dressed in simple brown cargo shorts and a white tank top that hugs her body perfectly, highlighting the volume of her supple breasts. I force my gaze away when she straightens up. 'Focus, Levi.' "You ready?" I ask. "Yeah," she responds, then pauses. "Are you okay?" I raise a brow. "I mean, you seemed tense when you got the phone call earlier..." Realization dawns on me. The call had been from my Dad. The call had been from my dad, letting me know that my cousin's wedding was moved up to this weekend. Since he knows I’m married, he skipped the usual, “I expect you to bring a girlfriend,” speech. Small blessings, I guess. Still, it stung that even after doing what he always wanted, it didn’t seem to matter. The call yesterday should have been enough, but it wasn’t. I expected at least a word of acknowledgment - some sign that I’d done the right thing. But no. Nothi
Hailey's POV A dull pounding echoes in my skull, dragging me out of unconsciousness. My vision swims before settling on unfamiliar surroundings, sending a jolt of unease through me. I sit up in bed, and that's when the events of yesterday come back to me. The call with both Levi and my parents, the pregnancy announcement, and the fight with Levi. Shit. His words hit me so hard that after I ran back to the room, I sat up in bed thinking about it for hours. I don't even remember falling asleep. What he'd said left a pang of guilt in my chest - not even because of how he said those things, but because they were true. Even if they aren't aware of it, I've disappointed my parents in so many ways by doing this. After thinking it over, I'm not sure lying to them is worth it. Why did I think I had to lie to them to keep their love? The momentary relief I felt yesterday now feels like a chain tightening around my chest. I made a huge mistake The faint smell of coffee seeps i
Levi's POV Of everything that happened today, at least the call with her parents went well. They were surprisingly cool - except for her father, who looked at me like he was mentally planning my execution. I get it, though. He’s protective. Must be nice, having parents who openly love you. I've walked around the neighborhood a few times now, and I've almost forgotten why I left my house in the first place. Oh, right. I wanted a drink. But I forgot my keys, and going back inside, only to see the look on Hailey’s face after my random exit, didn't exactly sound appealing. I sigh, rounding a corner and heading back in the direction of my house. I can't avoid going back any longer. Besides, it's late. Hopefully, she's asleep. I really needed this walk, and I'm thankful I forgot my keys. Because honestly? This walking-on-glass routine around her is already exhausting. I always have to be mindful of what I say or think all the time around her, and I don't know how long I can keep do