Page 118 of Wed to You

Chelsea’s eyes closed, wishing it could block out the world.

“Maybe it’s something else?” Lexie took Chelsea’s hand.

“It probably is something else. Depression can have physical symptoms too. To be sure, you should take a pregnancy test.”

Chelsea rubbed her free hand over her face. Just what she needed. The thought of going into a custody battle with Jagger over a baby was more than she could handle.

“Chels?” Lexie squeezed her hand. “Are you worried about Jagger?”

Chelsea nodded.

“He won’t want it?”

“No. He’ll want it, but he doesn’t want me.” Chelsea blew out a breath and then looked to Lexie and Sydney. “I know firsthand what he’ll do to have custody. I...don’t think I can fight that fight.” The thought of it sickened her.

Lexie’s eyes narrowed. “First, it’s not the same. You’ll be a terrific mom, and he knows it. Maybe, if there is a baby, he’ll finally realize what he’s lost.”

Chelsea bit her lip to keep from sobbing. Jagger was just the guy to do what was right. But that wasn’t what she wanted. “I don’t want him back because of a baby. I’ve already married him once for a child’s sake. I want to marry for love. I want what you two have. Someone who will love me first.”

“Jagger didn’t love you?” Lexie cocked her head to the side.

It was finally time to tell the truth. “We married to help him with Kaden’s case. In return, he helped me keep the house.”

The disappointment she’d expected crossed Lexie’s face, but then she softened. “But in the end...you loved him.”

Chelsea nodded.

“And he loves you. At least that’s what Mitch says. If you love each other, then you both deserve to be happy.” Sydney patted Chelsea’s knee. “But first, you need to find out what’s going on. It could just be depression, which should be treated as well. However, it could be pregnancy or another medical issue.”

“She’s right, Chels. You need to get your health back and then you can get Jagger back, if that’s still what you want when you feel better.”

If? There was one thing Chelsea knew for certain. Despite everything, she still loved him. She was sure she’d never love another like him again. Which made her decision to finish things with him, once and for all, even more difficult.

“I’m going to call a lawyer tomorrow.”

There were those expressions again. Pity. Worry. Concern.

“Maybe you shouldn’t decide—”

“No.” Chelsea waved Sydney’s remark away with her hand. “It’s time to move on. He made his feelings clear and hasn’t done anything to suggest they’ve changed. If I’m pregnant, we’ll deal with that. But I don’t want him just because of a baby.”

“Have you tried to talk to him?” Lexie asked.

She hadn’t, but she knew he wouldn’t speak to her. There was no way a man who held her in such disdain, who believed she’d committed the ultimate betrayal, would give her the time of day. One thing she’d learned in her few months with Jagger was that he was unforgiving and willing to do anything to protect what he believed was his.

Chelsea followed through, calling a lawyer and making an appointment to meet with him the following day. She brought the prenup papers but told the lawyer she didn’t want Jagger’s money. He looked at her funny, as if she was an idiot. But all she wanted was to get out of the marriage. She could move on and he could too.

She wondered how he was doing. She’d heard through Mitch that he’d let Tanya live in the main house so Kaden’s life wouldn’t be disrupted. Jagger was in the guest cottage and apparently seeing Kaden nearly every day. Why he didn’t see how great that was, she didn’t know. Neither did Mitch, who insisted that eventually Jagger would realize his malaise was due to the loss of Chelsea. She didn’t believe him.

After seeing the attorney, who promised to deliver the papers to Jagger, she bought a pregnancy test but couldn’t bring herself to take it. She’d eat right and take care of herself in the meantime. Right now there was too much going on to add that knowledge to the stack weighing her down.

Once her errands were done, she headed back home. To her couch.

Jagger pushedKaden in the tire swing.

“Higher.”

“You’ll get stuck in the tree if you go higher.”

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