Chapter 59 :
Chapter 59 :
\-WES MARTINS-
I let my emotions cloud my judgement. I let it detect my words and now I've said hurtful words to Zoey without thinking.
I know how hurt she is.. The fact that she's still healing, yet I said the most stupid words ever.
Hurt, disappointment and anger flashed through her eyes the moment I said she deserved what Chase did to her and called her Self-centered... that was too harsh.
There's nothing I can do. Really... She won't even hear me apologize.
I had a simple job.. Be there for her. This would have been my chance to prove how worthy I am, yet I ruined it with my rising temper.
A little more time, that's all I could have given her and I trust we would be back to being friends in no time.
I ran my fingers through my hair, wishing I could just punch a wall and vent my anger out on it but I can't hurt my knuckles.
Suddenly, my phone rang loudly and it's from a hospital I have been making inquiries in. When I picked up, I was informed that the doctor I inquired about is now available.
I sighed in relief as I ignited my car and zoomed off, heading straight to the hospital.
\-CHASE BLUE-
The meeting with the Resource Department didn’t take long—barely twenty minutes, and most of it was filled with numbers and people trying too hard to sound important. By the time I got back to my office, my head was buzzing, and all I wanted was silence.
I hadn’t even sat down for five minutes before Lucas walked in without knocking, as usual. His arms were full of files.
“Your favorite part of the day,” he said, dropping the pile on my desk.
I gave him a tired look.
“You know, one of these days, you could try saying ‘good morning’ first.”
He smirked.
“And miss your grumpy face? Not a chance.”
We spent the next half hour signing and checking through the last batch of documents. It was routine, but with Lucas, it never felt too heavy. He cracked dumb jokes between lines, laughed at his own handwriting, and somehow made paperwork tolerable. When we were finally done, I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my temples.
“Are you free tonight?” I asked casually.
Lucas paused mid-reach for his pen. “What?”
I looked up. “I said, are you free tonight? I thought we could grab a drink or something.”
He stared at me for a moment like I’d just said something scandalous.
“Wait—you want to go out drinking? Voluntarily?”
“Don’t make it sound like I’m asking you on a date,” I muttered.
He burst out laughing.
“Wow, this is rare. What’s the occasion?”
I ignored him and began gathering the documents into a neat stack.
“Just be there, Lucas.”
He grinned, still looking amused. “Alright, boss. I’ll meet you at the bar at eight.”
________________
By the time the clock hit eight-thirty, I was already sitting at the bar, half through my second glass of whiskey. The place wasn’t too loud—just the right kind of noise to drown out thoughts I didn’t want to have.
Lucas was late. No surprise there.
I kept my focus on the amber liquid in front of me, swirling it slowly, trying not to think about her—but it was useless. Every time I blinked, I saw Zoey’s face.
Her face and everything about her is imprinted in my head.. I can't get over it even if I try to.
“Mind if I join you?”
I turned to see a woman standing beside me, dressed like she knew what she wanted. She smiled. A practiced, confident smile...and leaned against the bar.
“I noticed you’ve been drinking alone. Thought maybe you could use some company.”
I took a sip of my drink and gave her a flat look. “I’m fine.”
She tilted her head, unfazed. “You sure? You don’t look fine.”
“I said I’m fine.” My tone came out sharper than I intended, but she got the message. Her expression faltered before she muttered something under her breath and walked away.
I'm not in the mood for any of these ladies who keep throwing themselves at every single man they find.
“Damn,” came a voice behind me. “Do you scare everyone off like that or just the pretty ones?”
I turned to see Lucas grinning as he slid onto the stool beside me.
“Shut up,” I said, signaling the bartender to bring him a drink.
He chuckled. “I swear, you’re allergic to friendliness. That poor woman probably thinks you hate humanity.”
I didn’t respond.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Okay… something’s up. You’re even more lifeless than usual.”
I leaned back and stared at my glass.
“It’s Zoey.”
Lucas frowned. “I thought things were settled with her. Didn’t you say she’s finally letting you and Wes take responsibility for the baby?”
“She is,” I said quietly. “But that’s not what bothers me.”
“Then what does?”
I exhaled slowly. “What if the baby isn’t mine, Lucas? What if it’s Wes’s?”
Lucas blinked, clearly caught off guard. “I thought you two"
“We don’t know,” I interrupted. “And that’s the problem. Wes has always been around. If it turns out to be his…” I trailed off, shaking my head. “He won’t let me near her. Not Zoey, not the baby.”
Lucas’s voice softened. “You’ve been thinking about this all day, haven’t you?”
“Every damn day,” I muttered. “I can’t stop.”
He sighed, lifting his glass.
“You worry too much, Chase. You don’t even have answers yet. For all you know, the baby could be yours.”
“But what if it’s not?”
“Then you’ll deal with it,” he said firmly. “You’re not the kind of guy who runs when things get hard. If it turns out the baby isn’t yours, you’ll still find a way to be there for Zoey. That’s just who you are.”
I looked at him, unsure whether to thank him or tell him to shut up.
He gave me a small smile. “Drink your whiskey and stop torturing yourself over possibilities. When the time comes, you’ll know what to do.”
I nodded faintly, though the knot in my chest didn’t loosen.
Lucas took a sip from his glass and then said,
“By the way, next time you decide to reject a woman that dramatically, at least do it with a smile. You looked like you were about to fire her.”
I shot him a side look. “Keep talking, and I’ll fire you instead.”
He grinned, raising his glass. “Now there’s the Chase I know.”
I couldn’t help but smirk, just a little. But as I stared back into my drink, Zoey’s face flashed through my mind again and the smile faded.