Chapter 38\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
My morning sickness was really becoming a problem. I felt like I was throwing up every day at least once. The last thing I wanted to do was leave the house when I felt like this, but I wasn\u2019t going to spend more time with Nolan than I absolutely had to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not after the little rant he went on the other day. Plus, Felicity was hanging around more boldly, and her face was making me mad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, I decided to go out with Rae again tonight. I let her drag me out most days now. She was the only one who knew what was going on, so if I had to run off and be sick, she didn\u2019t get upset and I didn\u2019t have to worry about hiding what was happening from her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want Nolan catching on to what\u2019s happening. I didn\u2019t want him to have any reason to suspect that I\u2019m pregnant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tonight, we were going to a popular bar and grill for dinner I\u2019ve been craving red meat lately, and they have a good steak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, we were barely inside before the smell of all the cooking food and the various alcohols made my stomach turn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I went to the table with Rae, but it didn\u2019t take long for the smells to become overpowering. I had read that pregnancy can make your senses more acute, but this was ridiculous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look a little pale,\u201d Rae said with concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to hurl,\u201d I muttered, standing and rushing away from the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I managed to make it to the bathroom in time. Luckily, throwing up in a bar isn\u2019t that unusual, so it didn\u2019t draw any attention-at least, I didn\u2019t realize that it had until I stepped out of the bathroom and found Lance, of all people, waiting for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rolled my eyes before he even opened his mouth, just the sight of him is enough to irritate me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWow, you really can\u2019t hold your liquor,\u201d Lance said, his tone teasing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was not about to correct him. Better for him to think I\u2019m a drunk than to figure out the truth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you always hang around outside the ladies\u2019 room at bars? Is that where you find your girlfriends?\u201d I snapped back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes widened slightly and he scoffed. \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously you need someone to be fall-down drunk in order to give you a chance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pushed past him and stormed back to the table where Rae was waiting for me. I expected Lance to follow, to tell me off and cuss me out, but he just stood there as I walked away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSeems like that nausea is getting worse,\u201d Rae said, putting her menu down to give me her full attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s every day now,\u201d I groaned, sinking lower into the booth. \u201cI can\u2019t even brush my teeth anymore without feeling like I\u2019m going to hurl in the sink.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBrushing your teeth makes you nauseous?\u201d she asked, startled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. I\u2019ve even switched to a milder-tasting toothpaste, and it\u2019s not making a difference.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, that sucks,\u201d Rae said earnestly. \u201cAny other new symptoms starting to show? Like mood swings or hot\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chanter 38\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
flashes or whatever?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think hot flashes are from menopause.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Rae said, making a face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laughed, which caused her to start laughing, and it lightened the mood significantly. I was so grateful to her- for giving me an opportunity to feel normal and have a little fun in light of all the crazy things that were happening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If I didn\u2019t have Rae, I don\u2019t know how I\u2019d get through this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third Person POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie pushed past Lance, brushing his shoulder as she went. Maybe if she hadn\u2019t touched him, he would have followed after her-told her off. After all, her attitude was becoming a problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the contact made him freeze, it was far too brazen. Or at least, he kept trying to tell himself that it was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The truth was, his emotions were a tangle every time Ellie was around, and he was starting to have a difficult time figuring out exactly what he was feeling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He probably should\u2019ve just left her alone when he saw her rushing off to the bathroom, but she\u2019d looked so pale and panicked that he got worried.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So he stood there for several minutes like a weirdo, lurking outside the ladies\u2019 room waiting for her to come back. And then, when he finally saw her, all he could manage to do was make fun of her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t make any sense to him why he was acting this way especially considering that Ellie was just a rogue. A rude, spoiled, conniving one at that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d honestly never spent much time with her. After all, he avoided Nolan as much as possible. But her reputation was enough. He knew the game she played, the manipulations and drama she caused. That was enough to make him hate her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she seemed different now. She seemed more complicated than he\u2019d been led to believe. Honestly, the way she tore him down, the way she looked right through him with those cold glares, it shook his confidence in a way no woman ever had before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t a feeling he liked. Not something he wanted to experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And if he had any sense in his head, he\u2019d avoid her at all costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet, he kept finding himself drawn to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t like he was seeking her out, she just happened to be nearby lately. And when she was, he couldn\u2019t resist approaching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t understand why.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not as though he wanted her approval.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why should he care if the disgraced wife of his older brothe approved of him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just because she insulted him when no one else dared? Just because she pointed out his flaws in that cold, matter- of-fact way?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That didn\u2019t mean her opinion mattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or at least\u2026 it shouldn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 38\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLance!\u201d an impatient voice called out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned to see his friends motioning him back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was out with his team, having dinner and drinks as they strategized for the next and final race of the season. He should be focused on that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And yet, the moment he\u2019d seen Ellie rushing by, he\u2019d abruptly stood and left the table, saying he had to take care of something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was sure they\u2019d all seen him talking to her again. He was going to have to explain that away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance walked back over to the table, grinning at his friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry about that. Just had to make sure my sister-in-law isn\u2019t making a public embarrassment of herself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she drunk?\u201d one of his friends asked, amusement clear in his voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEither that or she\u2019s got food poisoning,\u201d he said dismissively, sitting back down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf she\u2019s that much of a lightweight, it could explain why she didn\u2019t want to come to your boat party.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cdo you mean?\u201d Lance asked, curious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, if she can\u2019t hold her liquor on land, just imagine how sick she would\u2019ve been on the boat,\u201d his friend explained with a laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance leaned back in the booth and considered his words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was Ellie\u2019s aggressive behavior masking embarrassment or fear?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was certainly an interesting explanation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But if that was the case\u2026 then what was she afraid of just now, when she snapped at him like that?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance found himself more and more curious about her every time he saw her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026And he wasn\u2019t sure if that was a good thing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 38 Chapter 38\u00a0 Ellie POV\u00a0 My morning sickness was really becoming a problem. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-unremembered-mate-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23607\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}