Game Over No Second Chances novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9

LAUREN’S POV

“How did you get here?” Tessa asked, her voice sharp with concern as her eyes darted across my body, scanning me from head to toe like she was afraid I’d vanish if she blinked.

I shifted slightly on the hospital bed, trying to sit up despite the dull ache that pulsed behind my eyes. The IV line tugged gently at my arm, reminding me I wasn’t going anywhere soon. “I… I passed out,” I said softly, the words barely making it past the dryness in my throat. “On the road. It was because of

stress.”

“What?!” she gasped, the pitch of her voice rising with alarm. “Lauren, when did this happen?”

“Just… a few moments ago,” I murmured, blinking rapidly as I felt the sting of unshed tears. My throat tightened. I sniffled, trying to hold myself together, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

Tessa’s face paled. “Oh my God,” she whispered. She leaned in immediately, her fingers moving over my arms, checking for bruises or signs of injury. Gently, she pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and scanned my forehead like she was checking for wounds. “Are you sure you’re okay? Did you hit your head? Your knees? Anything?”

I gave a small shake of my head. “Thankfully, no. I could have, but…someone caught me right before I collapsed. A good Samaritan.” My voice trembled, but I forced myself to finish. “I don’t know who he was. He didn’t say his name. But he helped me”

Tessa froze for a moment. Her hands, which had been fussing with my blanket, wen’t still. She blinked, then slowly looked around the room, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Wait,” she said hesitantly. “Did Ethan step out to get something? Coffee or maybe… something to eat?”

I stiffened at the sound of his name.

Just hearing it made my chest tighten painfully. The lump in my throat swelled

I looked away, pretending to adjust the blanket over my lap, just to avoid her gaze. She didn’t know. Of course, she didn’t. How could she?

Ethan was supposed to be here. He was supposed to be the one pacing beside my bed, his fingers laced with mine, telling me not to worry, promising me that everything would be fine. He was my husband. The man I’d shared my life with. The man who should have been the first person I called.

But he wasn’t.

He didn’t answer.

He didn’t call back.

He didn’t even know 1 was here.

A

“That’s why I called you, Tess,” I whispered, the words tasting like shame. “I couldn’t get through to Ethan. I’ve tried calling him six times now.”

–

She blinked at me, confused. “Is he really that busy with work? I mean, I get it – meetings, clients, all that but six missed calls, Lauren? That doesn’t sound like him,”

I let out a hollow laugh, one that didn’t reach my eyes. “That’s not the reason he isn’t answering.”

She caught the tremble in my voice immediately. Her brows knit together, and a crease formed between them. “Then what is?”

I stared at the ceiling for a long moment. I didn’t want to say it. Saying it would make it more real than it already was. But I couldn’t carry the weight of it alone anymore. I needed someone

anyone to understand what I was going through.

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My fingers tightened around the edge of the blanket. “Do you remember the photo you sent me yesterday?” I asked, my voice barely audible. “The one

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Chapter 9

with him and… that woman?”

I didn’t need to say more.

Tessa’s expression changed in an instant. The confusion melted away, quickly replaced by realization. Her jaw tightened, and then her nostrils flared as the pieces connected.

“Don’t tell me it’s actually what I am thinking,” Tessa said quietly, her voice trembling between disbelief and heartbreak.

I didn’t say a word. I just nodded, my eyes dropping to my palms as if I could somehow hide the shame and pain burning beneath my skin. The silence between us grew heavy

Before I could force out another word, she reached forward and pulled me into a tight hug.

She didn’t need me to explain. She already knew.

Her arms wrapped around me, warm and firm, grounding me when everything inside me felt like it was falling apart.

“This must be such a hard time for you,” she whispered, her voice soft near my ear. “It’s okay, Lauren. It’s okay to let it out. Let the pain out.”

She gave my back a few gentle taps, and with that simple reassurance, the dam broke again.

I didn’t try to hold it in this time. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face in her shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. The tears came harder than before, as if the floodgates had finally opened wide.

The kind of crying that makes your chest ache. That leaves your throat raw. That drains you.

My tears soaked through her shirt, but she never pulled away. She just held me like the world could crash around us and she wouldn’t let go.

I don’t know how long we stayed that way – maybe a few minutes, maybe longer. Time didn’t matter when your world had already stopped.

Eventually, my sobs slowed down. My body stopped shaking. I leaned back, wiping my face with my sleeve, embarrassed by how much I had cried.

Tessa didn’t say anything right away. She just reached over and grabbed another tissue from the box, handing it to me with that familiar look of quiet strength in her eyes.

I took it and dabbed my eyes, trying to compose myself.

“At first,” she began, her tone more serious now, “I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even after seeing that photo… I told myself maybe it wasn’t what it looked like. Maybe he had a reason. Maybe it wasn’t what we thought.”

I let out a bitter laugh. It was dry, empty.

She gave me a questioning look.

I sighed. “That’s not even the worst part, Tess,”

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? What could be worse than cheating on his wife?”

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