All Chapters of One Careless Night : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The house felt impossibly quiet after my mother and Jack left for their trip. It had only been a few hours, but the silence weighed heavily on me, reminding me constantly that they were together, far away from here. Together in ways I couldn’t bear to think about. I sat on the couch in the living room, staring at the blank TV screen. The ticking of the clock on the wall was the only sound, each second stretching endlessly. My thoughts drifted, no matter how hard I tried to stop them, back to Jack. I thought about where they might be right now—maybe holding hands on a beach somewhere, laughing together, sharing private moments. The thought alone made my heart ache.But beneath the ache, there was something else—something that scared me. I missed him. Not just as my mother’s partner, but as the man I’d been close to in ways I never should’ve been.I let out a shaky breath, leaning back into the couch cushions as memories of him flooded my mind. The times whe

When I finally regained consciousness, the world was a blur of sterile white lights and soft beeping sounds. My body ached in ways I never thought possible, and it took a moment for me to remember what had happened.The car.Rachel and Alex.It all came flooding back, and with it, a wave of pain that was far deeper than the physical injuries. I groaned softly, my throat dry, and blinked, trying to make sense of my surroundings. I was in a hospital room, the faint scent of antiseptic in the air. My body felt weighed down, and I realized there were bandages wrapped around my arms and legs, a dull throbbing in my side.I tried to sit up, but the pain flared, and I fell back against the pillows, letting out a small cry. Almost immediately, the door to my room creaked open, and a nurse stepped in, her face soft with concern."You're awake," she said gently, moving to my side. "You've been through quite an ordeal, but you're going to be okay."I tried to nod, but it felt like even the small

As I sat there, the reality of my situation settled in, heavier than I had imagined. The thought of being a mother was terrifying. I didn’t feel ready, especially not now, when my whole world seemed to be crumbling. My mind drifted to Jack and my mother, their happiness, and how I had been left behind. My fingers instinctively brushed against my stomach, and I wondered what kind of future this baby would have, what kind of mother I would become, and most especially how Jack would react to all of this when he finds out. What would he say? Would he want to be involved?The elderly man cleared his throat softly, pulling me back to the present. "I know it's overwhelming," he said, his voice gentle. "But you'll figure it out. You don’t have to have all the answers right now."I nodded, appreciating his words. He was right—everything didn’t have to be decided today. But the thought of telling Jack about the pregnancy, or even my mother, filled me with dread. What would they say? How would t

As I lay on the bed, exhaustion tugging at my body, my mind continued racing. The pieces of this strange puzzle were falling into place, but too slowly. I closed my eyes, willing myself to rest, but sleep felt impossible with so many questions swirling in my head.Who was Jefferson really to my mother? Why had she kept him a secret for so long? What did it mean that I was here, in his house, at this very moment? The timing felt too coincidental, almost like some unseen force had guided me here to discover this long-buried truth.After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, I decided to get up and walk around the house. The moonlight filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor. The silence of the house felt both comforting and eerie, as though it held secrets it wasn’t yet ready to reveal.I made my way back to the living room, where the photograph still sat on the mantel. I couldn’t resist looking at it again. My mother’s smiling face stared back at me, s

My mother’s eyes met mine, and for a split second, I saw the fear in her expression—the fear of truths she had buried for years finally coming to light. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Jefferson stood there, silent, giving her the space to respond. He seemed to know that this moment wasn’t his to control, that it was between her and me now.“I…” My mother faltered, glancing at Jack as if unsure how much to say in front of him.“Mom,” I urged, my voice firmer. “Why didn’t you tell me about him? Who is Jefferson to you?”She shook her head slowly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I… I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want to dredge up the past.”Jack took a step back, his hand falling from her shoulder. “Karen, what’s going on?” His voice had softened, but the confusion was still clear. “What does this man have to do with our family?”My mother turned to Jack, her expression pained. “Jefferson… he’s someone I knew a long time ago, before I met you.”H