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Chapter 41

Author: Lauren Smith
last update Last Updated: 2022-06-15 14:04:36
It was raining when their flight landed in Chicago, and Felicity couldn't help but think the dreary cold wet matched her mood. The entire flight back, Jared had been immersed in work, with his laptop on with contracts and spreadsheets on his lap. Part of her had wished she'd changed her mind and stayed in Nebraska a few more days. She could have talked to her mother about the baby, the dos and don'ts, and everything else a newly-pregnant woman needed to know.

Now here she was, back in a city with hundreds of thousands of people, and she felt more isolated and alone than she'd ever been in her life. A whole other human now depended on her, was growing inside of her, and she was terrified that she wouldn't do all the right things to give the baby the life it deserved.

"I've got to go to the office for a few hours. I'll have a cab come pick you up and bring you to my place for a movie, among other things." Jared leaned over and kissed her. For the first time in three hours he was paying
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    After ten minutes of hiding in the bathroom, Felicity heard footsteps and a click followed by fast chatter on a police radio."Ma'am, it's the police. We've entered the premises. Remain in the bathroom until we knock.""Okay." She pressed a hand to her stomach.It seemed to take years before somebody knocked on the door."It's all clear, ma'am. It's safe to come out. I'm Officer Winston, and my partner Officer Bowen is standing beside me.""Ma'am, the officers are at your location. It's safe to hang up," the 911 dispatcher said."Thank you," Felicity breathed and disconnected the call. Then she got to her feet, her knees knocking together as she unlocked the door.Two uniformed officers stood there, frowning."Ms. Hart?" the older one asked. He looked to be in his midforties."That's me." She stepped out of the bathroom."Whoever was here when you arrived is long gone. We need you to file a report and list anything that's missing."She nodded numbly."Do you have anyone you can call?"

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15
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    "I'm keeping it, Jared. I don't expect anything from you if you don't want to""What?" He froze and stared at her, mouth agape. "Of course I want to be a part of this. I just need a minute to adjust." He stopped pacing and faced her, his eyes heavy with concern and shock. "You've known for days," he muttered.She flinched at his tone and backed up, giving him space if he needed to pace again."I wanted to tell you at the hospital, but it was all too much, and then I didn't want to ruin the holiday. And then it all made sensethe throwing up because of morning sickness, not bad plane food or altitude. And I just needed to process and think and figure things out­" God, she was rambling. Felicity wrung her hands together.Jared slowly walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of scotch from the cabinet. He poured one glass and glanced her way. "Sorry, princess, but I really need this." He downed the glass and rubbed his closed eyes with his thumb and forefinger. She collapsed on the

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    I'm going to be a father.Jared stared at the stack of papers in front of him, not really focusing on his work. He'd come into the office early since he hadn't returned last night. The whole baby-bomb-dropping had been a huge distraction. He couldn't stop thinking about the ultrasound video he'd seen last night. The little shape that vaguely looked like a gummy bear and the fluttering heart, that rapid sound. It had changed everything. Just like the night he'd walked into his room and seen Felicity asleep in his bed.I'm having a kid.Sure, it was years before he'd planned to be a dad, but now he couldn't stop smiling. The woman he loved like crazy was having a baby­with him. He couldn't wait to tell his parents and Tanner."Jared."He glanced up from the Worthington closing documents and found his boss staring at him."Mr. Pimms. I was just reviewing""Jared, I need to see you in my office." Pimms's no-nonsense tone knocked the breath out of him.Whatever it was, he didn't thi

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    Felicity stared at the screen of her cell phone long after it went dark. Jared was going to get fired because of her relationship with him.It's my fault.Tears stung her eyes, but she held them at bay. She'd been a fool to think she and Jared were ready to become something more permanent. His career needed his full-time commitment, and a pregnant girlfriend was an unnecessary burden. She loved him with all of her heart, and she knew how much he cared about his job at the firm. It wasn't fair to destroy his future by staying here and complicating his life.She touched her belly, her heart shattering as she faced the only real option left. She needed to stay away from him long enough to let things cool between them. He could and would be a part of the baby's life, but he couldn't be a part of hers, not in the way she'd dreamed about."I have to fix this," she told the baby, even knowing it couldn't hear her, not yet.She texted Thad telling him she needed his help. He called her a

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    Jared was on top of the world. The executed release of the lease sat on Pimms's desk, and the older attorney had conceded that his reaction that morning to Jared's news had been overly harsh."You are a damned sight better at your job than most people, and I don't want to lose you." His words had been music to Jared's ears.It was almost nine o'clock by the time Jared rode the elevator up to his apartment. He was going to order pizza, and he and Felicity were going to cuddle together on the couch and watch a movie, even a sappy one if she wanted to. There was still a tightness in his chest at the thought that he'd missed the doctor's appointment, but he vowed he wouldn't miss the next one. Felicity and the baby were his worldhe wasn't going to let either of them down.Humming softly, he unlocked his door and walked inside. The apartment was quiet. His briefcase slid off his shoulder, and he let it drop quietly onto the kitchen table. She must be asleep, the poor darling. He was goin

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    Felicity stood at the foot of the large bed in the hotel suite, a towel wrapped around her body and hair wet. Her skin was warm from the shower, but it hadn't erased the chill from within. She opened her bag on the bed and sifted through her clothes until she found underwear and slipped them on. Her hands paused as they touched the black T-shirt of Jared's. She lifted it to her face, burying her nose in the soft cotton again. It carried a hint of him, just enough to make her heart shudder. She slipped the shirt over her body and let the towel drop to the floor.A small flashing green dot on her cell phone caught her eye from where it lay a few inches away from her bag on the bed. She flipped it open and saw three missed calls from Layla and one from Jared­and a voicemail.I shouldn't­She pressed the Play button and lifted it to her ear.Jared's voice, rough with pain that came through as he spoke and ripped her heart into even tinier pieces. "Princess, you need to come home to me,

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    Two weeks. Somehow Felicity had survived fourteen long days without Jared. She timed her work at the gallery to avoid any meetings with the Worthingtons in case Jared was there. She'd not gone back to her old apartment, either. Thad had sent men to pack her things up and put most of them in a storage facility until she found a permanent place to live for the rest of the semester. Since then, she'd hidden from the world except to go to classes. At first she'd expected Jared to be there, waiting to see her. It was something she feared and hoped for at the same time. But he was never there.Part of her knew logically that she should be grateful he'd accepted the breakup and that he was leaving her alone so she could adjust. But her heart protested. It wanted him to fight for her, to seek her out, and it demanded that she give in, not push him away.The door chime on the hotel suite broke her loose from her dark thoughts. She rushed to the door, knowing who would be there.Layla stood i

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15

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    "I can do this," Felicity whispered as she stood at the foot of the steps leading up to the Art Institute of Chicago. The bronze lion, now tinted green, stood a few feet from her, staring stoically out at the street before it. She climbed the steps, her heart pounding.She couldn't believe she was herewell, at least here as a worker of sorts and not a visitor here to admire the pieces. Sabine had called her early this morning, asking if she wanted to spend a few hours giving tours to exclusive art patrons who were interested in private viewings of some of the currently closed European galleries. Felicity had jumped at the chance. It was huge to get asked to provide tours to these upper-end donors who gave money to the major museums. It would part of her duties if she ever became a curator. Donors liked to have face time with the top staff at museums and institutes and get special treatment, since they donated a lot of money to keep the exhibits open. And it was a joy for the staff to

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    Felicity stood at the foot of the large bed in the hotel suite, a towel wrapped around her body and hair wet. Her skin was warm from the shower, but it hadn't erased the chill from within. She opened her bag on the bed and sifted through her clothes until she found underwear and slipped them on. Her hands paused as they touched the black T-shirt of Jared's. She lifted it to her face, burying her nose in the soft cotton again. It carried a hint of him, just enough to make her heart shudder. She slipped the shirt over her body and let the towel drop to the floor.A small flashing green dot on her cell phone caught her eye from where it lay a few inches away from her bag on the bed. She flipped it open and saw three missed calls from Layla and one from Jared­and a voicemail.I shouldn't­She pressed the Play button and lifted it to her ear.Jared's voice, rough with pain that came through as he spoke and ripped her heart into even tinier pieces. "Princess, you need to come home to me,

  • Legally Charming   Chapter 46

    Jared was on top of the world. The executed release of the lease sat on Pimms's desk, and the older attorney had conceded that his reaction that morning to Jared's news had been overly harsh."You are a damned sight better at your job than most people, and I don't want to lose you." His words had been music to Jared's ears.It was almost nine o'clock by the time Jared rode the elevator up to his apartment. He was going to order pizza, and he and Felicity were going to cuddle together on the couch and watch a movie, even a sappy one if she wanted to. There was still a tightness in his chest at the thought that he'd missed the doctor's appointment, but he vowed he wouldn't miss the next one. Felicity and the baby were his worldhe wasn't going to let either of them down.Humming softly, he unlocked his door and walked inside. The apartment was quiet. His briefcase slid off his shoulder, and he let it drop quietly onto the kitchen table. She must be asleep, the poor darling. He was goin

  • Legally Charming   Chapter 45

    Felicity stared at the screen of her cell phone long after it went dark. Jared was going to get fired because of her relationship with him.It's my fault.Tears stung her eyes, but she held them at bay. She'd been a fool to think she and Jared were ready to become something more permanent. His career needed his full-time commitment, and a pregnant girlfriend was an unnecessary burden. She loved him with all of her heart, and she knew how much he cared about his job at the firm. It wasn't fair to destroy his future by staying here and complicating his life.She touched her belly, her heart shattering as she faced the only real option left. She needed to stay away from him long enough to let things cool between them. He could and would be a part of the baby's life, but he couldn't be a part of hers, not in the way she'd dreamed about."I have to fix this," she told the baby, even knowing it couldn't hear her, not yet.She texted Thad telling him she needed his help. He called her a

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    I'm going to be a father.Jared stared at the stack of papers in front of him, not really focusing on his work. He'd come into the office early since he hadn't returned last night. The whole baby-bomb-dropping had been a huge distraction. He couldn't stop thinking about the ultrasound video he'd seen last night. The little shape that vaguely looked like a gummy bear and the fluttering heart, that rapid sound. It had changed everything. Just like the night he'd walked into his room and seen Felicity asleep in his bed.I'm having a kid.Sure, it was years before he'd planned to be a dad, but now he couldn't stop smiling. The woman he loved like crazy was having a baby­with him. He couldn't wait to tell his parents and Tanner."Jared."He glanced up from the Worthington closing documents and found his boss staring at him."Mr. Pimms. I was just reviewing""Jared, I need to see you in my office." Pimms's no-nonsense tone knocked the breath out of him.Whatever it was, he didn't thi

  • Legally Charming   Chapter 43

    "I'm keeping it, Jared. I don't expect anything from you if you don't want to""What?" He froze and stared at her, mouth agape. "Of course I want to be a part of this. I just need a minute to adjust." He stopped pacing and faced her, his eyes heavy with concern and shock. "You've known for days," he muttered.She flinched at his tone and backed up, giving him space if he needed to pace again."I wanted to tell you at the hospital, but it was all too much, and then I didn't want to ruin the holiday. And then it all made sensethe throwing up because of morning sickness, not bad plane food or altitude. And I just needed to process and think and figure things out­" God, she was rambling. Felicity wrung her hands together.Jared slowly walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of scotch from the cabinet. He poured one glass and glanced her way. "Sorry, princess, but I really need this." He downed the glass and rubbed his closed eyes with his thumb and forefinger. She collapsed on the

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