Chapter 2

"Because you were scared, I ended up leaving Azalea alone at the restaurant." Bentley's words echoed in my mind.

"If you don't come with me now, are you just going to wait until I get back, then call me up in tears, begging me to come over? Why not just come with me now and spare yourself the drama?" he said.

I bit my lip and stayed silent.

I used to call him because I knew he was the only one I had.

But now he had someone he truly cared about. No matter how tangled my feelings were, I wasn't about to get in the way of his happiness.

I turned and headed for the bedroom. "I'm not going. Go back to your girlfriend. I'll be fine on my own."

Before I could even finish speaking, Bentley grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward the door.

He was gripping my wrist so hard it hurt, and I fought back, thrashing around. "Bentley, what are you doing? I said I'm not going!"

He frowned, his face twisted in annoyance.

As I kept struggling, Bentley finally lost his patience. He just picked me up, cradling me in his arms so I couldn't move at all.

Bentley carried me out the front door, grabbing a blanket as we left. The wind and snow were raging outside, and he wrapped me up snug in the blanket, while snowflakes started piling up on his coat.

Suddenly, I started to worry about him.

'What if he ends up catching a cold because of this?' I wondered.

I stopped struggling and just nestled quietly in his arms.

But after just a few steps, Bentley suddenly stopped, his whole body going rigid.

I turned my head and saw Azalea Bruce standing not far away.

The umbrella slipped from Azalea's hand, and her tears mixed with the snowflakes, blurring her vision.

She swayed a little, her voice trembling. "What are you two doing?"

Bentley let go of me and set me down.

Before I could even steady myself, he rushed over to Azalea and wrapped the blanket I'd just used tightly around her shaking shoulders.

I hit the icy ground, watching Bentley fuss over Azalea, getting ready to take her home.

Before they left, he shot me a look. "Angela, you'll have to find somewhere else to stay tonight. Azalea and I are heading back."

With that, the two of them left without even looking back.

I clutched my stomach, pain shooting through me, and stared in shock as the snow beneath me turned crimson with blood.

I had no idea when I blacked out.

When I finally came to, I was lying in a hospital bed. The doctor broke the news. I'd been pregnant, and now the baby was gone.

I ran my hand over my belly, still as flat as ever, and felt absolutely nothing.

I'd never looked forward to this baby, so when it left, I felt nothing at all.

Life sure had a twisted sense of humor.

As I was lost in thought, the nurse came in to do her rounds.

She looked me over. "You're awake? Your attending doctor fronted the bill for you.

"You didn't have your phone on you when you got here, so we couldn't reach your family."

She pulled her own phone out of her pocket and handed it to me. "Now that you're up, you can call someone yourself."

I knew Bentley's number by heart.

I dialed his number, and the call was answered quickly, but it wasn't Bentley. Instead, a playful, flirty voice came through. "Hi, Bentley's busy right now. If you need something, call back later."

A bitter taste filled my mouth, and I just said, "Okay."

Azalea must've recognized my voice, because she let out a mocking little laugh. "Angela, right? Bentley told me he's done picking up your calls. So do us both a favor and stop bothering us, okay?"

Just as she was about to hang up, I blurted out, "Wait, please. I just need to say a few words to him."

Before I could finish, Azalea started sobbing, her voice trembling. "Bentley, does Angela like you or something? She knows we're in love, but she keeps trying to come between us. If she really wants you, I can back off."

Bentley let out a sigh, his tone steady. "Azalea, don't be ridiculous. Angela is my friend's fiancée."

The nurse shot me a complicated look, cleared her throat, and turned away, pretending she hadn't heard a thing.

I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, biting back the pain that flared with every breath.

He hung up on me before I could even say anything.

I froze for a moment, completely thrown off.

The surgery after my miscarriage wasn't considered major, so they let me go home that same day.

Back at my place, I slipped the medical paperwork into the drawer of my nightstand.

That drawer was where I kept everything that meant something to me.