Chapter 47
Audrey’s POV
One month ago. That was when Blake had started planning his engagement ceremony with Laurel Rose. One month
What had t been doing back then? Our baby. I remembered the desperate hope as I consulted doctor after doctor, trying to find a way to protect our chiễ despite my failing body. Now the memory just felt like a cruel joke. While I had been fighting to save the last piece of our relationship growing inside me, he had been preparing a grand proposal to another woman.
‘God, Audrey, I’m just glad you’re done with all that mess, Astrid’s voice cut through my dark thoughts. Her hand found mine, squeezing tight. Can you imagine how much worse this would hurt if you weren 17”
I turned to her with a practiced smile. “Right.”
Done with all that mess. The words tasted bitter in my mouth. After being hurt so many times, after having my hopes shattered again and again, perhaps I had finally grown numb. Was that the same as being done?
“Can we head back?” I said softly, staring out at the darkness beyond the car window.
Astrid nodded quickly, starting the engine. “Right, let’s not waste another second talking about those two jerks. She forced some cheer into her voice. “Besides, bet Snow’s going crazy waiting for you!”
The apartment felt colder than usual as Astrid walked me to the door. She lingered, pretending to play with Snow while secretly watching me from the corner of her eye.
“Look who’s getting chunky,” she cooed, dangling a toy just out of Snow’s reach. Her eyes kept darting to my face, checking my expression.
I maintained my composure, moving around the living room with deliberate normalcy. Only when I heard the door click shut behind her did I let the mask slip.
The pain hit immediately, doubling me over. I collapsed onto the sofa, clutching my stomach as waves of agony ripped through me. The spicy food I’d forced down at the restaurant to maintain my façade was taking its revenge.
Snow sensed my distress, pressing her warm body against mine. Her soft fur tickled my face as she tried to burrow closer, offering what comfort she could.
With trembling fingers, I found my phone. Muscle memory took over as I hit the emergency contact – a number I’d called so many times over the past three
years.
“Yeah?”
The familiar edge in Blake’s tone made my chest tighten. “Audrey.” A beat. “What is it?”
I tried to speak, but the pain stole my voice. The background noise from his end filled the silence – laughter, music, glasses clinking from the restaurant we’d left earlier.
“Seriously?” His impatience crackled through the line. “You couldn’t say whatever this is to my face earlier, but now you’re calling?”
As I could gather my strength to respond, “Blake, I…
Thalia’s voice cut through: “Hey, whose turn? Oh my god, Laurel’s up next!”
“Please…” Laurel’s voice sounded. “Can I skip this? I don’t want to kiss in public…”
I heard movement, then the background noise faded. Blake had stepped away from the party, his voice dropping lower with concern he couldn’t quite hide: ‘Audrey! Just… say something, will you?”
The use of my first name, the worry in his tone- once, those would have meant everything to me. Now they just made the pain worse. I ended the call, letting the phone slip from my fingers.
1/2
Chapter 47
The phone started ringing again, the ringtone filling the silence of my apartment. I knew it was Blake, but I just lay that on the cold i pressed against me, letting each ring fade into the next. The world was starting to blur around the edges, darknessgereeping in from the varare vision. Still, I didn’t answer.
I don’t know how long I stayed there, drifting in and out of consciousness as his calls went unanswered. Finally, the ringing stopped.
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