Home / Romance / Ex-Hockey Star Regret / Chapter 83 — The noise I can’t outrun.

Share

Chapter 83 — The noise I can’t outrun.

last update Last Updated: 2025-11-25 00:47:16

Nicole’s POV

Walking into my department that morning felt like stepping into a room already set on fire. Nobody looked at me directly at first, but I could feel it — the shift in the air, that ugly, prickling awareness you get when you know your name has been chewed and swallowed in places you weren’t present.

But then, I tried to breathe normally, act normal, pretend like I didn’t hear the low hum of voices from the left corner of the hall. But it didn’t take long before the whispers sharpened into words loud enough for me to catch.

“Look at her,” one girl muttered to her friend as they both turned slightly, not hiding it at all. “Still forming a strong girlfriend. If I were her, I’d be ashamed.”

The other girl snorted. “Ashamed? She doesn’t even know how to read the room. The guy has a baby somewhere with this lady in question and she’s here acting like she owns him.”

My chest tightened. I lowered my gaze and walked deeper into the hall, hoping they would stop but they didn’t.

Anoth
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • Ex-Hockey Star Regret   Chapter 114 — Private session with the therapist.

    Brad’s POV“How are you doing today, Mr. Brad Jasper?” the therapist asked the moment he walked in for the morning session in my room at the hospital.I shifted slightly on the chair, adjusting myself the way they’d taught me to do that in a slow movement and nothing rushed. I noticed I still did things carefully, like my body didn’t trust itself fully yet. Honestly, not being able to remember from my past tends to give me so much concern but then, I just need to live with it, knowing that it won't last forever like the doctors always said to me.“I’m… okay,” I finally answered. “At least, I think I am.”He smiled, the easy kind that didn’t feel forced. Dr. Reynolds had that effect on people. He never rushed his questions or filled silence with noise. He let things sit until you were ready to talk.“That’s a fair answer,” he said, settling into the chair opposite me. “Better than pretending you’re great when you’re not.”I gave a small nod. “Some days feel clearer than others.”“And t

  • Ex-Hockey Star Regret   Chapter 113 — I Deserve some level of peace.

    Nicole’s POVBy the time I was almost home, my chest felt tight in a way that had nothing to do with the walk and everything to do with what I’d just left behind.The hospital doors had barely closed behind me before the noise in my head started again. Bianca’s voice. Mrs Jasper’s sharp tone. The look on Brad’s face—confused, caught between people who seemed to know more about his life than he did.I pulled my phone out of my bag and called Mellisa before I could overthink it.I couldn’t afford to be alone with my thoughts tonight.She picked up on the second ring. “Nicole?”“I’m on my way home,” I said, trying to sound steady. “Can you… can you come over?”There was a pause, short but telling. “Of course. I just got back from work. I’ll be there in a bit.”By the time I got home, kicked off my shoes, and dropped my bag on the couch, my head was already throbbing. I barely had time to change before I heard a knock at the door.Mellisa walked in with that familiar look of concern she w

  • Ex-Hockey Star Regret   Chapter 112 — Hypocrisy in the highest order.

    Mrs. Jasper’s POVI couldn’t hide the shock that washed through me the moment I walked into Brad’s hospital room and the first person my eyes settled on was Bianca.For a second, I honestly thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.She stood there too comfortably for someone who had avoided this place for two whole months. Her posture was straight, her hair neat and her expression arranged — not the look of a lady who had rushed here out of concern, but one who had rehearsed her entrance.Brad was awake, leaning slightly against the pillows, his gaze shifting between faces like someone still trying to piece together a puzzle with missing parts. And there she was, right in front of him, claiming space she had not earned.My voice cut through the tension, interrupting whatever was happening right there. “Oh! Who do we have here?” I said, unable to stop myself. “So, you finally decided to come see Brad, right?”After a little while, Bianca turned slowly, like she had been expecting tha

  • Ex-Hockey Star Regret   Chapter 111 — At the Hospital to See Brad

    Bianca’s POVI didn’t expect my chest to tighten the moment I stepped into the hospital.Although not necessarily because I cared.But the fact that the hospitals had a way of stripping pretenses bare. You know…the silence, the smell and the way everything felt like it was waiting on bad news.I squared my shoulders anyway.This was not the time to feel anything.At the receptionist desk, I said Brad’s name calmly, confidently — like someone who belonged there. A nurse glanced up, checked a screen, then nodded and pointed me toward the ward without asking questions.Good!That was exactly how this was supposed to go.When I pushed the door open, the first thing I noticed was the machines. The soft beeping and the low hum. The bed in the center of the room where Brad was lying.And then I saw Nicole.She was seated beside the bed, slightly leaned forward, her hand resting near Brad’s arm like it had always been there. Not dramatic…not theatrical. But it all felt all present.Something

  • Ex-Hockey Star Regret   Chapter 110 — You get the gist.

    Bianca’s POVJust as the call came in, interrupting my moment with my man friend, Josh, I rolled my eyes in annoyance. I had just settled into the comfort of distraction — the kind that made me forget that Brad Jasper even existed, not alone he was battling with coma at the hospital or whatever they call it.But the moment I glanced at the screen and saw Mrs. Jasper's number flashing back at me right on my phone's screen, I almost hissed. My first instinct was to ignore it completely.Then another thought slid in my head immediately.What if she's calling because of the money?I straightened slightly and waved a warning finger at Josh.“I need to take this call,” I said under my breath. “Please don’t say a word till I’m done. I don’t want the caller to know that I’m with someone.”He raised a brow but nodded anyway, leaning back like he was settling in to watch a show.I picked the call quickly and placed it to my ear.“Is the money ready?” I asked immediately, without a preamble.The

  • Ex-Hockey Star Regret   Chapter 109 — Agreement is Agreement

    Mrs. Jasper’s POV“Doctor, you mean Brad went into amnesia as a result of the coma?” I said, unable to hide the crack that slipped into my voice despite my best efforts.I had returned to the hospital with relief still sitting heavy in my chest after hearing that Brad had finally opened his eyes. That alone had felt like a miracle. But standing in the doctor’s office now, listening to the rest of the explanation, the relief slowly unraveled into something colder and sharper.“Yes,” the doctor replied calmly. “Some cases present like this. Post-traumatic amnesia is not unusual after a prolonged coma, especially when there has been head trauma.”I lowered myself into the chair opposite him, suddenly unsure of my legs.He continued, reading my silence. “Like it’s proven medically, there are still chances that he will regain his memories. This isn’t permanent in most cases. But recovery will depend on several factors.”I leaned forward slightly. “Factors like what?”“Consistency. Emotiona

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status