The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife (Blair and Grayson) novel Chapter 91

Chapter 91

~OLIVIA~

I was genuinely worried about Blair’s well–being.

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I wanted her distracted–my main reason for insisting she leave the house, even when she clearly didn’t want to go to the party.

My goal was to keep her away from her phone, from the relentless stream of articles and notifications that kept popping up. I had plans to keep her engaged for the rest of the night. But standing next to Roman, having a seemingly normal conversation, was not part of it.

Was it truly normal? I was making a fool of myself, revealing just how nervous he made me feel with every word.

He was standing before me, looking so insanely handsome that every responsible thought I had was instantly drowned out.

All I could think about was confessing my long–standing love for him, which had been building since the moment we first met. Roman was nothing like the other guys I’d encountered in my life. His soft charm made my knees weak, and his warm smile seemed to melt my defenses.

I wondered if this was the perfect moment to confess. I’d been wanting to do it for quite some time.

But then I questioned whether I should have spoken to Blair about it first, rather than making a complete fool of myself at his own party.

Across the room, I saw other girls licking their lips and staring at him as though he was already taken–that he belonged to them in their minds. That made me realize there wasn’t much time before he announced he was dating one of them.

“Can I speak to you in private?” I asked quietly.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face. Then he nodded, as if instinctively trusting me. Of course, Roman being kind and empathetic would want to help if he sensed something was wrong. That was one of the reasons I’d fallen so deeply in love with him.

“Yeah. Come on.”

Roman led me outside onto the terrace, where the loud music muffled behind the glass. The cool night air brushed against my bare arms, making me wish I’d written this moment down or kept my mouth shut.

I realized quickly that this was probably the first time we’d ever been alone together. We were usually surrounded by people.

Was this a good idea? What if he rejected me?

He turned to face me, hands in his pockets, his expression polite yet cautious. “What’s this about?”

I hesitated, biting my lip. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now.”

Years, really. I don’t say that part even though I wanted to.

“Go ahead,” he encouraged.

He stood there, his face holding a cautious look, as if he didn’t quite know what to expect. I struggled to find the strength to continue.

Come on, you’re the one who asked to speak privately. Say something–anything!

The words burst out in a rush: “I’m in love with you.”

Roman stiffened immediately.

That was definitely not the reaction I’d hoped for. I couldn’t help but think I should have eased into it–perhaps started with “I like you” instead of “I love you.”

What was wrong with me?

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Chapter 91

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He looked at me with disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe I had just said it. For a split second, I hoped his shock might turn into something else–maybe a smile, a step closer–anything besides retreat.

But he took a step back.

My eyes went wide. This wasn’t going to end well. I could feel it; I saw it in his expression and his body language.

“You can’t,” he finally said. I watched him swallow hard, as if struggling to believe this was real.

“But I do,” I insisted.

“Olivia,” he said, dragging a hand over his jaw, his tone no longer easy or playful. “You’re too young for me. I’m 27. You’re 21. And more than that–you’re my best friend’s sister. I won’t cross that line. I never will.”

Everything around me spun. Did this really happen?

What had I hoped would happen today? Did I truly believe I would get a fairy–tale ending?

“I’m not that much younger than you,” I whispered.

“You are,” he replied gently, which only made it worse. “I told you, I won’t do that to Ethan or to you. You need someone closer to your age, someone who matches you better. Not me.”

Not me.

I stood there, the party still alive behind the glass, the confession lingering in the air–like I could somehow take it back if I moved fast enough, but I couldn’t. It was out, and he had retreated from it.

“I didn’t mean to make things awkward,” I managed to say. “I only said it because I was tired of watching every girl in the room look at you and pretending I was okay being just the best friend’s little sister.”

Roman’s expression tightened, hinting at guilt. He didn’t close the distance.

“I care about you,” he said softly. “I don’t want to hurt you. Please hear me–this cannot happen.”

Instant heartbreak followed. I nodded, unable to trust my voice, then despised myself for giving in so easily.

“Okay.”

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