Hailey's POV "When were you planning to tell us you were married, Hailey?" Is the first thing my mother says after picking up the call. No greeting. No small talk. Just straight to interrogation. "I'm doing fine, mum. Thanks for asking." She rolls her eyes, though a small smile tugs at her lips. "Are you okay? Were you forced into it?" She asks, her expression shifting into concern. "I know you just broke up with Jake, you couldn't have just gotten married out of the blue. If someone is blackmailing you, you can tell me, you know that, right?" I almost laugh at that. Mum can be so extra sometimes. What made her think that I'm being blackmailed? Although, it’s tempting to say yes - just to see Levi panic when my mother starts making threats. "I'm not being blackmailed, mum. Getting married was a decision I made consciously." While I was expecting questions - actually, I wasn't. I still hoped that my parents hadn't heard the news - but I didn't expect that she'd be more conc
Hailey's POV It's confirmed. Levi hates me.Why else would he announce something like that without letting me know? He should have at least hinted at it or something. But no. He just dropped the bomb, leaving me as speechless as my parents, who are hearing the news for the first time."What?!" Mum is the first to break the silence."When - how did that happen?" Dad follows. "How long have you guys known? Is that why you both got married?" Yes "How far along is it? Oh my goodness. I'm gonna be a grandma!" The questions tumble out of Mum's mouth so fast I struggle to register them. I sigh, massaging my temple. I wish I'd been more prepared for this."To answer your questions, Mum," I begin, carefully choosing my words. "We found out a few days ago, after we got married," I emphasize the last part of my statement, hoping to make the lie stick. "And I'm one month pregnant."Dad's face darkens. "One month?!" His voice booms, and the screen shakes slightly. He must have hit the table.
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
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 The day had been going so much better—until now. I’d been enjoying the little bubble of self-deception Levi and I had created for ourselves. But of course, his dad had to burst it.From his explanations, I couldn't quite tell if his intentions were as noble as he claimed. What I could tell was why Levi resented him so much. The man doesn't know where to draw the line between business and family. He thinks business logic works for family matters. I hope Levi doesn't turn out like him. Still, in those brief moments, I caught a glimpse of their similarities—their knack for claiming good intentions while their actions suggested otherwise.As I step back into the main hall, a hand slips into mine."Come on, they're waiting," Levi says, tugging me toward the tables.He doesn’t ask what I talked about with his dad, or how the conversation went. Part of me feels relieved. Another part feels... a little hurt by his lack of concern.I stop, holding onto his hand. "What's the rus
Levi's POV I leave Hailey for a moment to grab her a cup of apple juice from the buffet, but a hand claps down on my shoulder, halting me. I follow the hand up to find Elliot grinning at me. "Lev," he says, pulling back. "We haven’t talked since you got here. What's up with you?" A stab of guilt hits me. He’s the groom—he should be basking in attention, not chasing me down. I should’ve swallowed my pride and congratulated him first. I sigh, resisting the urge to rub the back of my neck. "Not much," I reply. "Congratulations, man. I should’ve said it earlier." He waves it off. "It's fine." Typical Elliot. Never holds a grudge, never takes things too personally. I’ve always admired that about him. If the roles were reversed, I'd still be keeping score. Hell, I am still keeping score—and he doesn’t even seem to notice. And even if he notices my reservations toward him, he still plays it easy—even sent a congratulatory email for my wedding, despite the way everyone found out. He’
Hailey's POV I feel like I'm on cloud-fucking-nine, and as much as I hate to admit, it's all because of Levi. He's been all over me today, and I love it so much. I guess Chloe was right... but that's not the point. The kiss at the lake? It felt magical, like a scene straight out of a romance novel. I loved it. And I hate that I loved it, and am still loving it. Ugh... This trip has my feelings mixed up. We’re at the after-party now, in the hotel’s event room. Levi’s been glued to my side most of the night—except for now. He went to grab me a drink. Can you believe that? The hall is decorated beautifully. Midnight blue streamers drape the walls and ceiling, glinting under the soft party lights and flashing cameras. Yes, cameras. Feels like this party was thrown more for the paparazzi than for the couple. Honestly, I had more fun in the other events that took place during the day. "I still can't believe Levi's actually in love," Christina says with a chuckle. For some
Hailey's POVThey couldn't have chosen a better day, time or venue for the wedding. Everything's just so beautiful. The weather's cool, the sun mild, and there are no signs of coming rainfall either. The time for the reception is perfect. Three o'clock in the afternoon, giving everyone time to celebrate with them, probably go home and change up for the after party at the hotel later. And they couldn't have chosen a better spot for an outdoor reception. In front of a private lake house, owned by one of Elliot's associates. If the couple wants, they can listen to an impulsive urge to go swimming. The church wedding was also perfect. Alicia's only nephew was the little groom. He arrived with his mum last night, a few hours after the picnic. And little Daisy, Levi's niece, was the little bride. The couple's vows were sweet and genuine, I even shed a few tears.Everyone had happy smiles on their faces, and the happiness is still very much present. It's been a good day so far, and I alm
Hailey's POV After I put on my dress, the make-up artist adds finishing touches to my makeup and then leaves the room to go to someone else. We'd decided on using just three rooms for the preparations, so no one had to go around to different rooms just to get what they needed. About five of us are in a room - mine and Levi's room, precisely - and I haven't had time to calculate how many are in the other. But since Alicia's the bride, she gets to do her own makeup and dress separately. "Oh my," Chloe gushes, coming over to me. "You look breathtaking." I smile at her reflection in the mirror. "So do you," I say. And I mean it. The women in Levi's family are really beautiful. They all have their own unique, striking features that make them stand out. Chloe's hair is immaculately styled in a high ponytail, the blonde highlights peeking out. Her makeup is done to perfection and the green eyeshadow brings out the color of her green eyes. She looks perfect. The door clicks ope
Levi's POV Hailey lets her robe fall, sending it pooling around her legs. She's completely naked. Her hair tousled, her skin glowing with sweat, her eyes wild. My heart skips a beat. So many surprises in one day... my heart can't take it. She's gone from giving me the silent treatment to flirting, to stripping for me - all in one day. I take my time to admire her body. Her perky breasts and hard nipples, calling for my attention. Then my eyes trail down to her stomach. I've always been with models and actresses, and their flat stomachs seemed like the deal for me. But seeing the beautiful woman in front of me, the curve of her belly—soft, real, perfect. I immediately rethink any kink I thought I had. A low groan escapes me. I wish I could take a picture, just to make the moment last longer. She starts to shrink back, her confidence dissolving. She's misread my silence. Before she can do anything crazy - like put her robe back on - I get up quickly and catch her han
The women stumble into the lobby, laughter and chatter lighting up the place. We'd been hanging around, waiting for them, and contrary to what I told Hailey, there was no bachelor party. Just a group of family men sitting around, talking about business and reminiscing. Though I hadn't stayed down here for long. I left when Hailey called and began sex talking to me. I knew it was part of a silly game they were playing, but it didn't stop the blood from flowing down to my crotch. I had to excuse myself to...handle the situation she caused. As if on cue, Hailey walks in behind the others, looking as stunning as ever. She still seems as sober now as she did when I last saw her earlier in the day. I doubt she joined them in drinking... she couldn't have, for not-so-obvious reasons. She's deep in a conversation with Jess and doesn’t even notice me watching her. Seeing her blend in so easily with my family does something to me. It makes me feel like she really belongs here, like all
Hailey's POV She covers the speakers again, so her voice comes out muffled. "They're coming. I'm scared, please send help quickly," Sam cries into the phone and ends the call without waiting for the officer's reply. She puts down her phone and begins laughing. We don't waste a moment in joining her, going into a laughing fit. "Okay, that was really good acting," Cindy chuckles. "Could've fooled anyone." "The station's probably in panic mode by now," Alicia adds. Samantha makes a mock bow. "Thank you, thank you." "Where did you learn to act so well?" Cindy asks. "Mum made us take acting lessons when we were younger," Samantha replies, glancing at Aunt Rose, who has a smug grin on her face. "You hated it, but see how well it's worked out for you," Aunt Rose says. Sam rolls her eyes. She rubs her hands together, leaning forward excitedly. "So, my turn to spin the bottle." Christina passes it to her, and she spins. I watch in anticipation and dread, praying th
Hailey's POV Most of the ladies cheer in excitement, while I just watch them, smiling to myself. I hear the sound of a car approaching where we are, and I turn in its direction. It soon comes to a stop close to our picnic spot, where the limos had been earlier. Three women come out of the car and begin walking toward us, each wearing smiles on their faces. Alicia notices this and stands immediately, running toward them with an excited grin on her face. They must be her friends. I'd wondered why they hadn't shown up yet, because Levi mentioned something about the picnic being for her friends and family too. They hug her back with equal excitement, but I don't miss how one of the lady's expression darkens when she glances my way. 'weird.' Alicia happily drags them over to the cloth, and they take their places beside her. "I know you all have met my friends - well, aside from Hailey," Alicia says to the other women, before turning to me. "Hailey, these are my best fr