Chapter 018

Aiden's POV I gently pulled myself away from Hailey, wiping her tears with my thumb as I gazed deep into her eyes. "Are you okay, Hailey? Do I need to call the doctor?" I asked, my voice laced with concern. Hailey shook her head hastily, her eyes welling up with tears again. "No, no doctor. I'm fine," she said, her voice trembling. I looked at her skeptically, unsure if she was telling the truth. "Are you sure?" I pressed, my brow furrowed with worry. Hailey nodded, her eyes darting around the room as she seemed to gather her thoughts. "Yes, yes, but I need to find someone," she said, her voice filled with a sense of urgency as she threw off the covers and got out of bed. I reached out to stop her, my hand grasping for her arm. "Hailey, you can't. It's late," I said, trying to reason with her. But Hailey was insistent, her eyes blazing with determination. "I know, but in the vision, I clearly remember that this is the perfect time to find him. I need answers, Aiden," she said, her voice cracking with emotion as tears welled up in her eyes again. I felt a pang of concern, unsure what to do. "Oh, come on, Hailey, at least tell me who you're going to find. Maybe I can help," I said, trying to stall her. Hailey's eyes locked onto mine, and I saw a flash of pain and sadness there. "My husband," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. Oh no, she really did get her memories back. "Well, ex-husband," she added, her eyes never leaving mine. I tried to play it cool, but inside, I was reeling. "That guy from the ice cream shop? That's him... that's my ex-husband," Hailey said, her voice filled with a mix of emotions. I acted surprised, trying to play dumb. "What?!" I exclaimed, hoping to deflect her suspicions. But Hailey was having none of it. "Oh, please, don't give me that look like you didn't know about it but decided to keep it from me by lying that he was my brother," she retorted, her eyes flashing with anger. I held up my hands, trying to placate her. "Uh... okay. I did mention that I wanted to get my facts right, and that's what I'm working on, but it seems like you're so sure about this," I said, trying to deflect her accusations. Hailey's eyes never left mine, her gaze piercing. "I am. The vision was clear. He had cheated on me with my stepsister after seven whole years of being together and three years of being married, but I don't know how many of those years were actually genuine love from him, because right after I caught him banging my sister on our matrimonial bed, he asked for a divorce," she said, her voice cracking with emotion as tears flowed down her face. I felt a pang of sadness, seeing the pain and hurt in Hailey's eyes. "He even threw me out of our home like some piece of garbage, and all he could say was that I was just a worthless orphan," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared blankly over the balcony. I felt a surge of anger on Hailey's behalf, but I knew I had to stay calm. "Well... if you remember so well how he caused you so much pain, what are you going to find him for? What other answers are you searching for?" I asked, trying to understand her motivations. Hailey's eyes snapped back to mine, filled with a sense of determination. "I need to know if he is the father of my child, if we had gotten intimate before the divorce," she said, her voice firm. I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her question. "Oh... so you didn't get all your memories?" I asked, trying to clarify. Hailey shot me a look, her eyes flashing with frustration. "Obviously," she fired back. I held up my hands, trying to placate her. "And you think that showing up in his front door demanding answers from him would make him talk?" I asked, trying to reason with her. Hailey's face twisted in a mixture of emotions - anger, frustration, and desperation. "Well... I can't just sit here and wait for the rest of my memories to come back, I'm losing my mind, Aiden. Don't you get it?" she yelled, her voice echoing off the walls. I felt a pang of sympathy for Hailey, seeing the desperation in her eyes. I reached out, holding her gently by her upper arms. I held Hailey's arms, my eyes locked onto hers. "Hailey, I can't let you go out this late. It's dangerous," I said, my voice filled with concern. Hailey's eyes welled up with tears again, and she pulled away from me. "You have to, Aiden. You just have to," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. I felt a pang of sympathy for Hailey, seeing the desperation in her eyes. I reached out, pulling her into a gentle hug. "It's okay, alright. We'll figure this out together," I said, trying to comfort her. Hailey's body shook with sobs, and I held her tightly, trying to absorb some of her pain. "That's the problem, Aiden. I can't just sit here doing nothing and trying to figure my life out," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "I'm going to be a mother in the next five months and two weeks. I'll be bringing a baby into this world, a baby whose mother isn't even aware of who his father is. How am I supposed to just sit and figure things out?" she spat out, sounding weak and tired from shedding her own tears. I felt a surge of protectiveness towards Hailey and her unborn child. I held her at arm's length, looking deep into her eyes. "Then let me be his father," I muttered, my voice filled with conviction. "Let me be the father of your child, Hailey," I said, my eyes locked onto hers. Hailey's eyes widened in shock, and she looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "What?!" she said weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. I felt a pang of uncertainty, wondering if I'd overstepped. But as I looked into Hailey's eyes, I knew that I'd do anything to protect her and her child.