Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 62: Chapter 62

It all started clicking for her now. Ethan’s schedule only got crazy right around the time Olivia first texted her. She was certain Olivia had contacted him first.

"But why is he still with you then?" Ava asked.

"If Olivia is back and she’s carrying his kid, why is he still coming home to you? Do you think he’s actually into you now? Like, he’s had a change of heart and loves you?"

Lane just stared at her, unable to find the words.

"Because seriously, Lane, if he still loved her, why wouldn’t he just go to her?" Ava continued.

"If I were Ethan, I’d be with the person I truly loved. I’d be going home to her."

Ava had a point. If he was still head over heels for Olivia, he wouldn’t be in this marriage. Even with his long hours, he still called her constantly.

He still checked if she was okay or if she had any cravings. He made sure she was eating. Even when he came home at midnight, he would still hug her and kiss the top of her head. She could still feel his affection, even if his promises were starting to feel hollow.

"And Lane..."

Ava was cut off by her phone buzzing on the table. She picked it up and frowned at the screen.

"Who is it? Why aren’t you answering?" Lane asked.

Ava showed her the screen. "Unknown number. Probably a prank call."

Lane’s eyes widened the second she saw the digits. She knew that number by heart. It was Ethan.

"That’s Ethan," she told Ava.

"Why the hell is he calling me?" Ava asked, looking panicked.

Lane knew exactly why. She’d told Ethan she was with Ava earlier that day.

Since she’d turned her phone off right after the meeting with Olivia, he must have realized he couldn’t get ahold of her and went looking for her through her friends. She’d been gone for hours without checking in.

The real mystery was how he’d gotten Ava’s number in the first place.

"He’s looking for you," Ava said. "What do you want me to do? Should I pick up?"

Lane bit her lip and shook her head. "No. Just let it go, Ava. I’m not ready to talk to him, and I’m definitely not ready to go home."

"Okay," Ava said. She let it ring until it stopped, but it started up again almost immediately. They ignored it until it finally went quiet.

"You need to get some rest," Ava told her.

"You’re running on fumes."

Lane nodded. She was emotionally drained. Ava led her to the guest room and got her settled.

"Thank you, Ava. Really."

Ava smiled. "Don’t thank me. That’s what friends are for. Now, try to sleep."

Once Ava left, Lane took a deep breath. She rested a hand on her stomach. "Stay strong, baby. Mommy’s going to be strong for you too."

She climbed into bed and forced herself to close her eyes. She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep with her mind racing like this, but eventually, exhaustion won out.

She didn’t know how long she was out, but when she woke up, it was pitch black outside.

She wished she could just stay asleep until tomorrow so she wouldn’t have to feel the ache in her chest. She let out a long exhale and slowly sat up.

She was rubbing her belly as she walked out into the living room. Just as she stepped out, the doorbell to the condo rang.

"That’s probably the food I ordered," Ava called out from the kitchen.

"I’ll get it, Ava," Lane volunteered. She was closer to the door anyway.

But when she pulled the door open, her heart stopped.

"Lane..."

She was still frozen in shock when Ethan closed the distance between them. He pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, holding her like she’d been missing for years.

"E-Ethan..."

_______________

Lane blinked when she heard Ethan’s deep, baritone voice. When she looked up at the mirror in front of her, she saw him standing there with a furrowed brow, watching her.

She pressed her lips together as he stepped toward her. His expression didn’t change as he stared at her reflection. She didn’t even bother to look back at him, keeping her gaze fixed on the glass.

He stopped behind her and gently took her by the shoulders, turning her around to face him. When she wouldn’t lift her gaze to meet his, he bent down to catch her eyes.

"Are you okay, Lane?" he asked softly. Before she could even get a word out, he spoke again.

"If you’re not feeling well, we don’t have to go. I can just call Mom and tell her you’re under the weather."

They were supposed to be heading to a party that Aunt Grace had invited them to.

"I’m fine," she replied. Lane almost wanted to pat herself on the back for keeping her voice so steady.

"You sure?" he asked.

She just nodded. Ethan didn’t say anything else. He just stood there staring at her. After a moment, she noticed him pulling something out of his pocket. When she looked down, she saw a necklace.

She discreetly bit her lip as Ethan fastened the chain around her neck.

Once it was on, he gently brushed his thumb over the heart-shaped pendant. "Beautiful," he whispered.

When she looked up, she realized he wasn’t looking at the jewelry at all. He was looking at her. He even reached up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face so he could see her clearly.

Lane bit her lip to keep the tears back. The way Ethan looked at her made it seem like she was the only woman in the world. His eyes were so soft.

"I-I need to use the bathroom, Ethan," she said after a second.

"Okay. I’ll wait for you right here, then we’ll go," he said.

She didn’t say anything back. She just headed for the bathroom, and as soon as she was inside, she leaned her back against the door.

She couldn’t stop the tears from falling, but she wiped them away fast.

It had been two days since she’d talked to Olivia. Two days since she found out Olivia was also pregnant and claiming Ethan was the father. Despite everything, she hadn’t confronted him.

She hadn’t asked a single question. Why? Because she was terrified. She was scared to ask and even more scared of what the answer might be.

She was afraid Ethan might choose Olivia over her. Even though her heart told her he had chosen her and their child.

For the last two days, he hadn’t left her side. He’d waited on her hand and foot. Whenever she went outside for some fresh air, he was right there with her, like he was afraid to let her out of his sight. It was like he wanted to follow her into the bathroom.

Truthfully, Lane was waiting for him to bring up Olivia. But he never did. She didn’t know if he just hadn’t talked to her yet or if he was hiding something.

Lane took a deep breath. She made sure there were no tear stains on her face before she walked back out. True to his word, Ethan was waiting. He didn’t wait for her to walk to him either. He stepped toward her, took her hand, and intertwined their fingers.

"Ready?" he asked.

They left the room hand-in-hand. He only let go once they were out of the mansion and at the car.

He helped her into her seat before getting in himself. During the drive, Lane just stared out the window. After a while, she looked down at her lap when she felt Ethan reach for her hand. He gave it a small squeeze.

He didn’t let go until they arrived. Ethan helped her out of the car again, then guided her hand to his arm. Together, they walked through the large gates where the event was being held.

"Let’s find Mom," he said.

She looked around for Aunt Catherine, but instead, she spotted her friend Brad with his parents. She was about to wave, but Ethan pulled her in the direction of his own parents. She figured she’d catch up with Noah later if she got the chance.

____________

Aunt Catherine introduced them to the woman she was talking to, who turned out to be the host of the party. After a bit, the woman excused herself to go check on something. The four of them chatted for a while, but the conversation died the moment they heard a familiar voice.

"Victor."

Everyone turned at the same time. Lane’s heart sank when she saw Uncle Lucas and Aunt Rebecca. And they weren’t alone. Olivia was right there with them.

She saw Ethan’s jaw tighten at the sight of them. Then she felt Aunt Catherine take her hand.

Looking at her expression, Lane realized Aunt Catherine already knew about Olivia. She didn’t look surprised at all. Lane bit her lip and looked down at the ground.

"Lane."

Lane turned around when she heard Olivia call her name. She watched Olivia walk toward her, noticeably stroking her large baby bump.

"Can we talk?" Olivia asked when she got close.

Lane stared at her for a moment before nodding. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want Ethan back," Olivia said.

Lane’s jaw dropped. Before she could even find her voice, Olivia kept going. "I don’t want my child to grow up without a father."

"I’m pregnant too, Olivia," Lane said. "And just like you, I don’t want my child growing up without a father either."

Olivia’s eyebrows knitted together, clearly annoyed. "I was in his life first, Lane," she said, her face cold.

"But I’m the wife now," Lane insisted. She wanted Olivia to know that even if she wasn’t first, she was the one he’d actually married.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Wife? Lane, if you weren’t pregnant or if Ethan wasn’t forced into it, do you really think he would’ve married you?"

"He’s still my husband. We’re legally married," Lane repeated.

"Married? Sure. But does he love you?" Olivia challenged.

Lane went silent. She didn’t know what to say. The only proof she had were his actions, because the truth was, he had never actually said the words.

When Olivia saw her hesitation, a smirk crept onto her face.

"He’s never said it, has he?" Olivia said confidently. Her smirk grew.

"He never did because he doesn’t love you. He was forced into this. If you weren’t carrying his kid, he wouldn’t be here. It’s me he loves, and it’s me he’ll always love."

Olivia sounded so certain. "We both know if he has to choose, we know who it’s going to be. It’s going to be me, Lane."

Olivia glanced to the side. Lane followed her gaze and saw Ethan walking toward them.

"Want to prove it right now?" Olivia asked.

Lane didn’t see it coming. Olivia grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her right toward the swimming pool next to them.

Lane’s eyes went wide as she was yanked off balance. She instinctively wrapped her arms around her stomach to protect the baby.

As they fell, she heard people screaming. Just before she hit the water, she heard the sound of someone diving in.

Lane knew how to swim, but the shock of it left her paralyzed for a second. She started to sink. She was losing her breath, but right before she ran out of air, an arm hooked around her and pulled her toward the surface.

In that terrifying moment, Lane felt a wave of relief. She thought Ethan had chosen her. She thought he’d saved her first.

"Lane, are you okay?"

Lane froze when she heard the voice. When she looked to her side, she wanted to burst into tears. It wasn’t Ethan.

"N-Noah?"

"Are you okay?" he asked again, sounding frantic.

Instead of answering, she looked around for Ethan. Her heart shattered when she saw him. He was soaking wet, holding Olivia in his arms.

After a few seconds, he looked her way. She started sobbing when she saw the look on his face. He looked terrified, and she was sure it was because of Olivia.

Only after he made sure Olivia was okay did he stand up and walk toward her. He knelt down in front of her, but as he reached out to touch her, she pushed his hand away.

"L-Lane..."

The tears wouldn’t stop. She clung to Noah and looked up at him. Through the blur of her tears, she could see how worried he was.

"Noah... get me out of here," she told him.

She didn’t have to ask twice. Noah lifted her into his arms. When Ethan tried to take her from him, she just buried her face in Noah’s chest.

"Lane..."

She bit her lip at the sound of his pleading voice, but she kept her face hidden, ignoring him.

"Let’s go, Noah. Please. Just get me out of here," she whispered.

Lane just wanted to leave. She wanted to escape the pain in her chest and get away from Ethan for good.

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