Don’t cry

RAINA

My fingers trembled as I stared at it… two pink lines.

I was still a virgin.

So what the hell was a pregnancy test doing in his wardrobe?

The box had been tucked behind a stack of shirts, hidden but not well enough. I’d only been looking for one of his hoodies when it fell out, and curiosity made me check. Now I wished I hadn’t.

My heart dropped hard, and before I could even process the betrayal, my watch started beeping fast.

“No. Not now,” I whispered, pressing my thumb to the monitor as the green light blinked wildly.

My chest tightened like a fist was squeezing my heart from the inside.

Breathe, Raina.

I sat on the edge of the bed, gripping my ribs. Crying wasn’t an option. Not for me.

Ever since the bone marrow transplant last year, my heart had been fragile. The doctors called it “complications.” They didn’t know the real reason: giving bone marrow as a werewolf was risky and unnatural. My wolf had fought to heal me, but it only damaged my heart more.

Now any strong emotion… fear, anger, heartbreak… could make me faint.

And right now the pain was already stabbing beneath my ribs.

My fiancé, Zane. The man I almost died for.

I'd risked everything to save him from a blood disease that was destroying his racing career. But that pregnancy test…

I stared at it, my fingers shaking. “You can’t cry,” I whispered. “Not now. Not today.”

I took a deep breath.

In… Out…Until the beeping slowed and the sharp pain faded into a dull ache.

It was already 5:30 p.m.

His race started at seven.

I stood, wiped my palms on my jeans, and forced myself to push the fear aside. This race meant everything to him. I was his coach, even if my world was falling apart, I couldn’t ruin his return.

When I heard the sound of his footsteps, my chest tightened again. I stood up quickly, forcing myself to breathe normally. My watch buzzed softly against my wrist, but I ignored it.

The bedroom door opened, and there he was- Zane, in his black tracksuit, his cap pulled low.

“Hey,” he said, his voice low and tired. He didn’t smile, didn’t even look me straight in the eyes. He dropped his phone on the bed and walked past me toward the bathroom.

I forced a small smile. “Hey. How are you doing?”

“Fine,” he said shortly, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge. He didn’t ask how my day was. Didn’t kiss me. Didn’t even notice that my hands were shaking a little.

It wasn’t like him.

At least, not the him I used to know.

“Are you ready?” I asked softly.

“Yeah,” he said, not looking at me. “Just trying to clear my head.”

I nodded, pretending I didn’t notice how cold he sounded. “You’ll do great. You always do.”

He gave a small nod and sat down to lace his shoes.

I took a deep breath and forced a small smile. “Do you want me to go over your strategy again?”

He shook his head. “No. I’ve got it.”

“Okay,” I said softly. “I’ll go take a quick shower so we can head to the field together.”

He looked up then, his eyes meeting mine for the first time since he came in. “You don’t have to come.”

I froze. “What?”

He tied his other shoe and straightened up. “I mean, you’ve been weak lately. You don’t look so good, Raina. You should stay home and rest. You can watch it on TV.”

For a second, I thought I’d misheard him.

Watch it on TV?

Zane never went to a race without me. Never. I’d been there for every single one, even when I was sick, even when I could barely stand. I was the one who helped him train, the one who kept him balanced when the pressure got too heavy.

And now he wanted me to stay home?

I tried to smile, but it came out shaky. “I’m fine, really. I’ll be there…”

“Raina,” he cut in, his voice louder this time. “You don’t have to force yourself, okay? I’ll be fine.”

I stared at him, my mouth slightly open.

He looked away, grabbing his car keys from the table. “I don’t want you passing out there again. Just… stay home tonight, alright?”

Again.

The word stung more than it should have.

He was right… I had fainted once at the track a few months ago when my heart acted up.

“Zane…” I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady. “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m coming, and that’s final.”

He didn’t hear me, or maybe he just didn’t care to.

I turned and walked to the bathroom before my voice could shake. I locked the door, turned on the shower, and sank into the empty tub.

Don’t cry.

You can’t.

My watch beeped faintly, warning me again. I pressed my palm against the monitor, breathing through the sharp pain spreading across my chest.

I wanted to scream. Instead, my fist slammed against the side of the tub twice. Hard enough to burn my knuckles.

“Just hold on,” I whispered. “Just a little longer.”

I pulled myself up, shut off the shower, and got ready. Because no matter what Zane said, I was going to that race.

Even if it shattered what little I had left.