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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

GWEN POVCole draped his arm around April’s shoulders. "Yeah, we should probably go say hi to your dad. I mean, Mr. Douglas," he corrected himself quickly.I definitely felt that Cole was only interested in the money and power April had because of her father. Aaron’s frown told me he was probably thinking the exact same thing."We don't want to bother them," I said. Honestly, the last thing I wanted was to see Nolan right now. Just the thought made my stomach twist."We will just quickly say hello. We won't stay and party with them," Cole insisted, though I was sure he secretly hoped to join their group once we were inside the private room."Yeah, sure, we can say hello," April agreed easily.I tried hard to think of a good excuse to avoid going with them, but I couldn't. I was swept up by the group as we started walking towards another part of the club.Watt opened a heavy-looking door to a private room and stepped inside first. He held the door open and announced loudly, "Hey, look

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

GWEN POV"Well, that's not good for you, is it?" I said, trying to sound unaffected and offended. But inside, I felt hot and shaky, and it wasn't from anger.He took a step closer, his eyes intense. "Are you really saying that you wouldn't rather have my dck?"I crossed my arms. "I'm telling you that your behavior is rude. You were annoyed that I'm even here, and now you're talking about that?"He let out a sigh, a heavy rush of air. Then, in a move that surprised me and made him seem weak, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine. "It's that wanting again, Gwen. That feeling of wanting something that I absolutely know I should not have."I closed my eyes tightly, trying to stop myself from believing his words, trying not to let his closeness affect me."Well, I guess it's a good thing we're not at the cabin anymore," I whispered. "We are in the real world now. April is right in the other room."He shifted his weight. I heard a quiet click that sounded like a lock turnin

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

NOLAN POVWhen I was done pumping in my last shot, the irritation returned. I hated how weak I was to resist Gwen. I hated the strong pull she had on me, like a chain.I quickly pulled out and yanked my pants up. The anger twisted deep inside me. She had stolen my control and made me a slave to my need for sex. I blamed her for it.Just like my need for sex, my anger took over. "You got what you wanted, now get the hell away from me." I didn't need to look at her to know my words were cruel. I knew her eyes would show shock and hurt. I hated how mean I could be, and I decided it was her fault for that, too.She slid off the table and straightened her dress. "Right back at you, Nolan." She laughed, but it was a cold, empty sound. That put me even more on edge. Was she really laughing at me?"And you called me childish and immature," she said. She started walking toward the door, but stopped right next to me. She looked up and glared. Her eyes were sharp, like glass. "You're acting like

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

GWEN POVOnce I was inside my apartment, I walked straight to my bathroom. I ripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower, turning the water to be as hot as I could stand. I scrubbed and scrubbed, trying to wash Nolan right off my skin. I wished it was just as easy to wash him out of my thoughts.If only I could forget him like soap down a drain.I hoped that as time passed, he would just become a memory—a mistake I regretted from a long time ago. I hoped the embarrassment would fade. Then, I could look back and just say it was the silly mistake of a young, foolish person.After the shower, I put on my softest pajamas and climbed into my bed. Only then did I let myself cry. I felt a deep sadness for giving myself to a man like Nolan. I cried for the hurt and the shame that I was feeling.I decided I would let myself feel sorry for myself just for this one night. Tomorrow would be a new day, a new year, in a way. Tomorrow, I would push Nolan into the past and put all my attention

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

GWEN POVI took a deep breath. I tried to slow down my hands, which were shaking badly. This was the moment of truth.I held the pregnancy test stick and did exactly what the paper instructions told me to do. Then, I put the test stick down on the counter next to the sink. The instructions were very clear: I had to wait for three full minutes.Three minutes. It felt like a lifetime.I stared at the little window on the stick. Nothing was happening yet.To keep myself busy, I grabbed the second test kit. I read the instructions again, word for word, just to take my mind off the waiting. I used the second test, placed it right next to the first one, and started staring at both of them.“Come on,” I whispered to the two plastic sticks. My voice sounded weak. “Just be negative. Please be negative.”The first minute crawled by so slowly. Then the second one. I felt a tight, cold knot forming deep in my stomach. I was holding my breath, watching the empty, white windows on the sticks.Final

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

NOLAN POVJanuary was always a busy month for both of my businesses. People made New Year's resolutions to get healthier, so the gyms and healthy food places were full. But by February, everything always went back to normal. Most people gave up their goals.Now it was the middle of February. Life was calm again, or as calm as it could be after meeting Gwen. I couldn't stop thinking about her. The worst part was the guilt. I felt terrible about how I acted and what I said to her on New Year's Eve. I really wanted to say sorry, but seeing her was a bad idea. She left without telling April where she went, and that told me she didn't want to be found.Anyway, things were mostly back to normal. Even my daughter, April, had time to visit tonight. I was making her fried rice. Of course, that brought back memories of Christmas at the cabin... with Gwen.The front door opened and then closed quickly. "Dad?”"I'm in the kitchen, sweetie."She walked in. She was carrying a bottle of red wine. Sh

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

NOLAN POVThe question about Gwen whereabouts kept bothering me for a whole week. It wouldn't leave my mind. Because of this, I decided to hire a private investigator—a PI—to find Gwen and see what she was doing now.The man I hired was named Mr. Davis. He sat across from me, ready to take notes."Are you looking for anything special, Mr. Douglas?" he asked. "Like, are you worried about her cheating or stealing? Is there trouble?""No, nothing like that," I said quickly. I leaned forward in my chair. "I just want to know that she is okay. I need to know her life is good. Is she still studying? Does she have a job? Where is she living these days?"Mr. Davis looked a little confused by my simple request. Most people hire him to find secrets. But he took the job anyway.Two weeks later, Mr. Davis came back. He had a written report and a few photos."She is living with her father," he said. He gave me a photo of a house and told me the address. The house looked old and needed a lot of fix

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

GWEN POVI sat in my car, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles were white. I could feel anger and deep shame burned inside me. I felt like such a fool for coming here—to Nolan’s big, fancy corporate office—just to try and talk to him.I had already decided to raise this baby all by myself. But then, I went to the doctor. We talked about possible health problems for the baby, things that could cost a fortune I simply didn't have. Because of that, I had to think about telling Nolan.I was sure he would be furious. He would say cruel things. And he would definitely, absolutely demand that I keep the baby’s father a secret from everyone, especially April. But maybe, just maybe, he would offer some financial help if I needed it badly.I couldn't lie, though. A tiny, stupid part of me hoped he would be different this time. That he would actually want to be a father to our child. That he would even want me. It was a joke how foolish that hope was, especially after the

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

GWEN POV“It’s your father.”I didn’t say those words out loud, but the thought was loud enough in my head. My dad was looking at April, and I could tell he liked her. He smiled, then turned back to me, his eyes on the shopping bag in my hand.“Is that dinner? Thank goodness, I’m starving,” he said, rubbing his stomach.“Yes, it is,” I replied simply.He got up from his chair. “April, will you stay and eat with us?”I quickly shook my head, hoping April wouldn’t agree. “No, Dad, you won’t want it. It’s just stuff I grabbed from the hot bar at the grocery store. It’s nothing special.”April’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love hot bar food! It’s the best kind of quick dinner.” She stood up right away and picked up the bag from the counter.I stood too, and she linked her arm through mine. We walked together toward the dining room.My dad went to the kitchen and came back with plates, forks, and napkins. I just sat there, eating my small salad, watching my dad and April start a very quick and sur

CHAPTER FORTY

NOLAN POVI was just about to walk into a charity event at the art gallery when my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw it was April, my daughter. The only thing I could think of was that she might be calling to tell me she had seen Gwen. I really wanted to ignore the call, but at the same time, I needed to know. Was my secret out? Did she know I had fucked her bestfriend?I thought about it more. I didn't think she knew, because April would usually talk to me face-to-face about something that big, especially if it was about me sleeping with her friend. Maybe I was worrying too much about her call. She probably just needed money for something.Even though it was almost spring, it was still cold outside. But I decided to go outside to take her call anyway. I didn't want anyone inside the gallery to hear what we were talking about."April. Is everything okay?" I asked."Oh, my goodness, Dad, everything's great. I saw Gweneth, and you won't believe it."Her excitement was a big rel

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