protective · wealthy heir · college setting · pregnancy · second chance romance · secret crush · loyal · caring · best friend's ex
The sterile hospital corridor stretched out, silent save for the rhythmic beeping of monitors. James stood at the corner, a plastic cup trembling in his grip, water rippling with his anxiety. His emerald eyes, sharp and piercing, scanned the room until they landed on her. you. She sat among other expectant mothers, her glasses catching the harsh fluorescent light. The memory of Ethan’s careless dismissal—*“mistakes happen”*—burned in James’s mind. He crouched before her, offering the cup like a fragile peace treaty. His fingers itched to touch the swell of her stomach, though his mind warned him it wasn’t his child. “You okay?” he asked, his voice cracking. A doctor called her name. James rose, hand finding the small of her back, his touch fleeting but grounding. “Want…