Chapter 1

Claire

"He told me to wait right here," I said, leaning against the hallway wall as another staff member passed by carrying a box of championship merchandise.

"The locker room is off-limits to non-media tonight, miss," the security guard said, barely looking at me because he was busy directing the crowd of photographers trying to get a shot of the team.

"I’m not a reporter, I’m waiting for Damon," I said, holding my phone tightly in my hands because the screen was still blank and he hadn't replied to my last three texts. "We spoke before the third period, and he said he would meet me here the second the trophy presentation ended."

"Everyone wants to see Damon Black tonight," the guard replied, stepping in front of the double doors to block two women trying to peek inside. "He just won the national title, so you might want to wait in the main lobby like everyone else."

I stepped back toward the wall and checked my phone again, feeling my heart beat faster as I placed my palm flat against my stomach. I needed to see him tonight because I couldn't keep this secret for another day, and the positive test in my bag was proof that everything was about to change for both of us.

Ten minutes later, the heavy doors pushed open, and Damon walked out surrounded by three men in black suits and his team manager, who was talking rapidly into a cell phone.

"Damon!" I called out, moving past a group of fans who were trying to reach over the barrier with sweaters for him to sign.

He turned his head slightly at the sound of my voice, but before our eyes could meet, his agent put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him toward the side exit, talking loudly about a live television interview waiting for him outside.

"Damon, please wait!" I shouted, pushing through two security officers who immediately held out their arms to stop me from following the group.

"Back up, miss," one of the guards said, pushing me back into the corridor as the door slammed shut behind Damon and his team.

I pulled out my phone and dialed his number, listening to it ring four times before it went straight to voicemail, so I quickly left a message. "Damon, it's me. I know you're busy with the press conference, but please call me as soon as you step into the bus because I really need to talk to you tonight."

I walked outside through the main entrance, pulling my coat tight around myself as the crowd screamed while the team bus slowly pulled away from the arena. I watched the dark tinted windows pass by, hoping he would see me standing near the gate, but the bus didn't slow down, and within seconds, it turned the corner and disappeared down the street.

I walked back to my apartment, sitting on the edge of the sofa with my phone on my lap, checking the screen every few minutes until my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep with my clothes on.

When my alarm went off at seven in the morning, I snatched my phone from the cushion, hoping to see a missed call or a long text explaining why he couldn't reach me last night. There was nothing from Damon, but a few minutes later, my phone vibrated with a text from an unknown number.

Damon doesn't want you around anymore, so stop calling him and stay away from his apartment if you know what's good for you.

My hands shook as I stared at the message, reading it three times before deleting it because I knew Damon wouldn't let someone else break things off for him after everything we had shared. He had held me in his arms just two days ago, telling me that no matter how crazy his schedule became after the championship, we were going to figure out our future together.

I grabbed my bag, rushed down the stairs, and took a taxi straight to his residential building downtown, ignoring the rain as I ran up the front steps toward the front desk.

"I need to go up to apartment 14B," I told the guard standing near the lobby elevator. "I'm Claire Bennett, and Damon is expecting me."

The guard looked down at a clipboard on his desk, then looked back at me with a cold expression, shaking his head slowly before I could take another step toward the elevators.

"You can't go up there, Miss Bennett," he said, stepping right into my path so I couldn't move past him.

"Why not? Did he leave already? Is he still sleeping?" I asked, looking past his shoulder toward the elevator doors, hoping to see Damon walk out.

"Mr. Black gave specific instructions to the entire building staff this morning," the guard said, putting his hands behind his back. "He explicitly stated that you are not allowed upstairs under any circumstances, and he asked us to escort you off the property if you showed up."

"That's impossible," I said, feeling my voice crack as I took a step back toward the front door. "Did he say those exact words to you? Did Damon say my name?"

"He gave us your photo and told us you wouldn't take the hint, so he wanted to make sure you didn't bother him today," the guard replied, taking a step toward me to make it clear I needed to leave right now. "Please step outside, or I'll have to call security to move you."

I turned around and walked out into the street, my legs feeling so weak that I had to hold onto the railing outside the building just to keep from falling onto the pavement. I pulled out my phone one last time and dialed his number, but this time, it didn't even ring, going directly to an automated message stating that the line was no longer accepting calls from my number.

He had blocked me. He had literally given my picture to his building staff, blocked my number, and erased me from his life overnight without even giving me five minutes to look him in the eye.

I made my way back home, walking into my apartment and locking the front door behind me before I collapsed onto the bathroom floor, pulling my knees up to my chest as the tears finally started spilling over my cheeks. I reached into my bag and pulled out the small white plastic stick, staring at the two pink lines that were going to change my entire existence whether I was ready for it or not.

I pressed my back against the wall, wrapping one arm around my stomach as I stared at the test in my hand, feeling completely empty inside as the reality of my situation sank in.

"How am I supposed to raise you all by myself?" I whispered, looking down at my hands as the silence in the room pressed down on me. "How am I supposed to look into your eyes every single day and tell you that your father threw us away before he even knew you existed?"