Her eyes soften. “I get that,” she murmurs.
Silence settles for a beat before she shifts slightly. “After what you said to me,” she continues, her voice quieter now, “I did a test.” I look at her sharply. “I was in shock,” she adds quickly. “I didn’t expect it. Not really.”
My gaze drops briefly to her stomach before I look away again.
“Does Sebastian know you’re not his dad?” she asks.
I shake my head. “We thought it would confuse him,” I say. “He doesn’t ask about Luke. It’s like that part of his life just disappeared.” I pause, then glance back at her. “Do you think we should tell him?” I ask. And I’m surprised at how much I really want her input on this.
She hesitates. “I don’t know,” she admits. “He’s already lost so much. Maybe letting him feel safe right now is enough.”
I nod slowly. “Why didn’t you call me?” I ask quietly. “About the baby.”
Her laugh is cold this time. Hollow. “Do you remember the last things you said to me?” she asks.
I don’t answer. Because I do, every cruel word. “I was in a bad place,” I mutter, shame creeping in.
She looks up. “I lost my mum and the love of my life within months of each other,” she says, her voice steady but firm. “And I still didn’t tear people apart the way you did.” Guilt twists my heart some more and I nod. “You’ve gotta do better, Ray.”
I drag a hand over my face, exhaling slowly. “I know,” I admit. “Catherine reminds me of that every five minutes.”
WYNTER
I’ve lost that fear I used to feel whenever Ray walked into a room.
It’s strange.
For so long, he felt untouchable, like one wrong move and everything could be taken from me. But now, I’m not his employee. He can’t fire me.
Maybe that’s why something feels different between us. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve already lost too much to be scared of him anymore.
By the time I climb into my old bed, exhaustion hits me hard. My body sinks into the mattress like it remembers this place before my mind does. But sleep doesn’t come easy.
When it does, it’s restless. Fragmented.
Anika’s laugh echoes through my dreams, bright and alive, and then it twists into something quieter, distant . . .gone.
I wake with a sharp breath at four a.m., my chest tight, the silence pressing in around me.
I try to go back to sleep. I really do. But my thoughts won’t settle, and lying there just makes everything louder.
So, I give up.
I drag myself out of bed, wrap my dressing gown tightly around myself, and head downstairs. The routine feels familiar, something I had done before when I couldn’t sleep.
And right now, all I can think about is hot chocolate.
Joel’s hot chocolate.
The casino is quiet when I step inside. Not empty, but subdued. Low lights, soft chatter, the hum of machines in the background.
I slide onto a barstool and wait.
When Joel finally appears, his face lights up like I’ve just made his night.
“Wynter?” he grins, rushing around the bar. Before I can react, he lifts me clean off the stool and spins me around. “Oh my god, it’s so good to see you.”
“Careful,” I laugh, grabbing onto his shoulders. “I’m carrying precious cargo now.”
