Chapter 15 Chapter 15
Hailey’s POV
Benita stepped out of the room, and I pressed my ear against the door, straining to hear the muffled conversation in the hallway.
My heart was still racing, each beat a painful reminder of the secret growing inside me. I felt sick, not from the pregnancy but from the sheer weight of it all pressing down on my chest like concrete.
After what felt like an eternity, I heard footsteps fading away. I waited a few more seconds before cracking the door open just enough to peek through.
Benita was standing near the reception desk, talking to someone whose broad, tattooed frame I recognized immediately.
Kai.
My stomach dropped, a cold sweat breaking out across my forehead.
I ducked back inside and quickly asked the nurse if I could be discharged. She hesitated, clearly wanting me to rest longer, but I insisted with a desperation that must have convinced her because she finally nodded and signed the paperwork.
The moment I was free, I slipped out through a side exit, keeping my head down and moving fast.
By the time I reached my dorm, I was breathless and trembling. I locked the door behind me and collapsed onto my bed, burying my face in my pillow as the tears came again, hot and unrelenting.
Pregnant.
The word echoed in my mind over and over, each repetition making it feel more real and more terrifying.
What was I going to do? How could I possibly handle this? I was barely keeping my life together as it was, and now there was a baby, Damien’s baby, growing inside me.
I cried until my throat was raw and my eyes burned, until exhaustion finally pulled me under into a restless, dreamless sleep.
———
I woke to the sound of the door opening.
Benita’s voice drifted into the room, cheerful and light, and I quickly squeezed my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. I couldn’t face her right now, couldn’t answer the questions I knew she’d ask.
I heard her move around the room, the soft rustle of her setting down her bag, the creak of her bed as she sat. Then silence.
She must have realized I was “sleeping” because she didn’t try to wake me.
I lay there for what felt like hours, listening to the sounds of her scrolling through her phone, occasionally sighing or laughing quietly at something.
Eventually, I must have actually fallen asleep again because when I opened my eyes, the room was darker. The sun had set, casting long shadows across the walls, and a dull ache throbbed behind my temples.
“Hey,” Benita’s soft voice startled me. “You’re awake.”
I turned to see her sitting on her bed, her expression gentle but concerned. The worry in her eyes made my chest tighten with guilt.
“Yeah,” I croaked, my voice hoarse.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Like I got hit by a truck,” I admitted, sitting up slowly. My head spun slightly, and I pressed a hand to my forehead.
Benita got up and sat on the edge of my bed, her hand resting on my arm. “Hailey, I need to ask you something.”
My stomach clenched. “What?”
“Why didn’t you pick up any of my calls yesterday?” Her tone was calm, but there was an edge of hurt underneath. “I was so worried. You just disappeared from the party, and then you didn’t come home. I thought something happened to you.”
The guilt twisted deeper, sharp and painful. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“So where were you?”
I hesitated, the lie already forming on my tongue, but then I realized I was too tired to keep lying. “Damien took me home.”
Benita’s eyes widened, a flicker of excitement breaking through her concern. “Wait, seriously? You spent the night with him?”
I nodded, unable to meet her gaze.
“Oh my God, Hailey, that’s….” She stopped mid-sentence, her excitement fading as she studied my face more closely. “Why do you look so pale? Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It’s just a fever,” I said quickly, the lie slipping out easily now. “I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
She frowned, clearly unconvinced, but before she could press further, she reached into her bag and pulled out a sleek black phone.
“Here,” she said, holding it out to me. “This is for you.”
I stared at it, confusion washing over me. “Why? I already have a phone.”
“That guy I talked to at the infirmary, Kai? He asked me to give this to you. He also said to expect a call tomorrow morning.”
The moment she said his name, anger flared hot and sharp in my chest. I snatched the phone from her hand and threw it away.
“I don’t want anything to do with him,” I said, my voice shaking with emotion.
Benita stared at me, shocked. “Hailey, what the hell?”
“I mean it,” I said firmly. “I don’t want his phone. I don’t want his calls. I don’t want anything from him.”
“Okay, but why?” she asked, her voice rising slightly. “What happened?”
I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t tell her about the warehouse, about the man tied to the chair, about the blood on Damien’s hands. I couldn’t tell her about the baby.
So I just shook my head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It clearly does matter,” she argued. “You’re acting like he did something terrible.”
“He did,” I said quietly, my voice breaking.
Benita reached out, gripping my shoulders gently. “Hailey, talk to me. Please.”
But I couldn’t. The words were trapped in my throat, heavy and suffocating.
After a long moment, Benita sighed and let go. “Fine. But can I at least say one thing?”
I nodded reluctantly.
“With someone as rich and powerful as Damien,” she said carefully, “Sophia would really stop messing with you. You’d have protection. Security. You wouldn’t have to be scared anymore.”
The words rang in my head, she just said the fact but I couldn't bring myself to accept it.