Chapter 21
Blair
The night air was cool against my flushed cheeks as we stepped out of the hospital doors.
Greyson’s hand was wrapped around mine, grounding me.
After hours of anxiety, pain, and emotion, Madison had finally given birth.
Little Olive was here, tiny, pink and perfect.
I’d cried holding her, and Madison had looked at me like I was family.
Everything had shifted. More real. Closer.
We were quiet as we walked back toward Greyson’s place, passing beneath the soft glow of street lamps. The sidewalks of Wisteria Creek were damp from a brief rain, the scent of pine and pavement thick in the air. My body was tired, but my heart felt light.
Until I saw him.
He was standing on the corner by the old bank building, phone to his ear, dressed in a pressed blazer that didn’t belong in a town like this. Even from a distance, something about him made my skin crawl. Familiar. Cold.
When he turned, and our eyes met, I stopped breathing.
No. It couldn’t be.
Not here.
Not now.
My grip on Greyson’s hand tightened until he looked over. “You okay?”
But I couldn’t speak. The man was walking toward us now, ending his call, stuffing his phone in his pocket like this was just a casual run-in.
“Well, well,” he said, smiling like we were acquaintances. “Greyson. Long time.”
Greyson’s face paled. “Adrian?”
Adrian Wells.
The name echoed in my head, detonating something.
My knees went weak.
Greyson let go of my hand, stepping forward slightly. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Adrian raised a brow. “Just in town for a few days. I wanted to see the place my brother’s always talking about.”
Brother.
My heart stopped.
I felt like I’d been dropped underwater. “Brother?”
Greyson glanced back at me, hesitating. “Yeah… he’s my half-brother. From an affair my dad had years ago. He showed up after my parents died.”
Adrian’s eyes flicked to me, his smirk widened.
And I remembered.
The office. The door clicking shut. The lies. The way he touched me and made it sound like it was all my fault.
“Holy shit,” I whispered. “It’s you.”
Greyson turned sharply. “What?”
Adrian gave a slight shrug. “I was wondering if she’d remember.”
“You were my professor,” I said, voice shaking. “You assaulted me.”
Greyson froze. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move.
Adrian’s eyes gleamed. “That was years ago.”
“You assaulted me,” I said, louder now. “In your office. You locked the door. You put your hands on me. You told me no one would believe me.”
Greyson’s whole body went rigid beside me.
Adrian gave a slight smirk. “Still clinging to that story, huh?”. You never said no. And we both know how dramatic you can be, Blair. Don’t act like you didn’t want it.”
“I dropped out because of you,” I snapped. “I couldn’t even finish my degree. And after I left, I heard rumors, other girls. I wasn’t the only one, was I?”
His silence was answer enough.
“You’re disgusting,” I spat. “And if you don’t leave this town, I will press charges. I’ll talk to every woman you hurt, and I’ll make sure your name is dragged through every headline from here to the university you used to teach at.”
Adrian’s smirk faltered.
“I’m not scared of you anymore,” I said, my voice stronger now, louder. “And if you ever come near me again, I will ruin you. You are nothing, Adrian Wells, NOTHING!”
Greyson lunged.
“Greyson, no!” I grabbed his arm with both hands, pulling him back as hard as I could. “He’s not worth it!”
Greyson was shaking. His jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack. “You touch her again, hell, if you breathe in her direction again, I swear to God, Adrian. ”
Adrian backed off, hands up. “Relax. I’m leaving soon.”
“You were never my brother,” Greyson spat. “And you never will be.”
Adrian smirked, then walked away like nothing had happened. Heading into the shadows like he hadn’t just been exposed for who he really was.
The second he was gone, I collapsed against Greyson, the weight of it all hitting me at once. He wrapped his arms around me. “I had no idea. Blair, I’m so sorry.”
“I know,” I whispered. “I know you didn’t. I just… I didn’t expect to ever see him again.”
Greyson rested his chin on my head. “You’re safe with me. Always.”
And in that moment, even though the past had just shattered a fresh piece of me, I clung to the only thing that felt solid, his arms, his voice, and the truth we now carried together.