No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 222

ROMAN’S POV

I let out a small sigh, then gently pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger, trying to ease the tension that had been sitting there all day. It was almost surprising how quickly Lauren noticed it. She had already picked up on how distracted I was at the office, and now, even after we got home, I couldn’t hide it from her either. She saw straight through me like she always did.

“Tell me what’s wrong, I’m here,” Lauren said again. Her voice was soft, steady, but carried that little firmness she used whenever she wasn’t planning to let something slide. She took a seat next to me, turning her full attention on me, her gaze fixed, waiting.

Obviously, I wasn’t going to tell her the truth, that everything on my mind today was centered on the fact that I had to cancel the proposal I’d been planning because her sister would be coming over. That would be an absolutely terrible idea. It would ruin the mood for tonight, it would make her feel guilty, and most importantly, it would ruin the element of surprise. Lauren didn’t need to think she ruined anything. She would start blaming herself and wondering if inviting Elizabeth was wrong, and I didn’t want her to feel anything close to that.

So I had to say something else – not a lie, just something that could sit in the space without raising suspicion.

I leaned forward and gently reached for Lauren’s foot, lifting it and placing it on my lap. Confusion covered her face immediately.

“What are you doing?” she said, half laughing, half curious as she watched me.

“You’ve been standing all day,” I said, keeping my tone calm and matter–of–fact. “So I want to help you out with this. I know your legs are killing you.” I began massaging her toes slowly, applying just enough pressure to loosen the tension I knew was there.

“That’s really sweet of you, thank you,” she said, and she reached over to softly run her fingers through my hair. But even with how relaxed she sounded, she still wasn’t letting it go. “But I hope you’re not trying to use this to evade the question I just asked you.”

“No, not at all,” I said, focusing on her leg as if the movement of my hands needed all my attention. “What has been on my mind all day is how Aria is going to react when I tell her that I am her father.”

Lauren let out a small, quiet moan as I moved my fingers down toward her ankles. That alone told me just how much she needed the massage, how much pain she’d been pushing through the entire day.

“You know we’ve talked about this,” Lauren said, her voice now softer and heavier, her eyes drifting closed as she leaned her head back against the couch. She looked like she was trying not to fall asleep. “I raised Aria, I know her well enough, so I am telling you this for the 50th time, she’s going to be fine with it.”

“Yeah, I know,” I said. “But we’re not that certain, and that’s what has been on my mind today.”

“Then, would you like me to tell her myself?” Lauren said. She didn’t open her eyes as she spoke. Her lashes rested gently on her cheeks. “She might take it better if I am the one telling her.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “We’re going to do it together. I just made up my mind now so I wouldn’t be thinking that hard again.”

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“Please don’t,” Lauren said, slowly opening her eyes to look at me. “I’ve never seen you think that much before, so seeing it now really got me worried.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “Now you just relax and enjoy the massage.”

I wasn’t lying when I said I had made up my mind. But my meaning was different from what she thought. Sitting here with her for just a few minutes, talking like this, sharing the same space, the same breath, the same

–

tiredness it only made things clearer for me. It showed me even more that we had a future, a real one, and I didn’t want to waste another minute hesitating.

So when I said I had made up my mind, I didn’t mean it in the way she thought. I meant I was going through with the proposal. No matter what. I didn’t care if Elizabeth was going to be there. I didn’t care if the whole world decided to pull up chairs and watch. Nothing was going to stop me from proposing to Lauren this evening. Nothing.

Just then, the front door opened, followed by rushed little footsteps. Aria ran straight inside like she always did, her little shoe–covered feet tapping quickly across the floor as she went straight to Lauren and threw her arms around her for a big hug.

“Hey there, how was school today?” Lauren asked her, her entire face softening.

“Fine, Mommy. How was work?” Aria said with that small bright smile of hers.

“Work was fine. You know what you’re going to do next right?” Lauren asked, raising a brow at her.

Aria nodded immediately, then leaned forward and gave Lauren another hug, holding on for a few seconds like she had missed her all day.

Then the front door opened again, and Tessa walked in. One of her hands carried Aria’s backpack, and the other was full of takeaway bags stacked on top of each other.

“Hey, I was wondering when you’ll walk in,” I said as she stepped inside and gently kicked the door closed behind

her.

“I am absolutely tired,” Tessa said dramatically, dropping the backpack on the nearest single couch before easing herself down beside it. “This is why I don’t have a kid yet. The whole thing is too stressful. Just a few days of picking up Aria and I already feel overwhelmed.”

“And what makes picking my daughter up stressful?” Lauren asked, but there was a teasing tone in her voice.

“You see,

when I pick her up, she’s in charge. So when she says she wants something, I have to get it for her,” Tessa said, as if she was confessing a crime she had been forced into.

“It’s not that big of a deal, my driver is the one taking you guys around,” I said.

“Well,” Tessa said, pointing at Aria who was now climbing onto Lauren’s lap, “this little lady moves around a lot. Especially in the mall and in diners. And I have to catch up to her. That’s the stressful part.”

“Don’t worry,

she’s gonna stop,” Lauren said, then leaned in closer to Aria with a playful whisper. “Keep stressing her till she faints.”

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And Aria nodded.

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