All Chapters of The Famous Hockey Star Is My Patient : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

61 Chapters

So scared

IVY'S POV The silence after the team left felt heavier than before.I locked the door and leaned against it for a second, letting out a long breath. The penthouse, which had started to feel like our safe little world, now carried the weight of outside expectations and fresh worry. When I turned back, Ronan was still on the couch where they’d left him, but the tough mask he’d worn in front of the others had completely cracked.He looked… broken.Not just physically. The strong lines of his face had softened into something raw and exhausted. His shoulders slumped forward, and those ice-blue eyes stared blankly at the floor like he was watching his entire future slip away.I walked over slowly and knelt in front of him, resting my hands on his good thigh. “Hey… they’re gone now. You don’t have to hold it together anymore.”For a long moment, he didn’t speak. Then his breath hitched, and the words came out rough and unsteady.“I’m fucked, Ivy.” His voice cracked on my name. “One stupid

Can't do it by myself

IVY'S POV The quiet after Ronan’s emotional release stretched long into the evening.He had finally calmed down, but the new pain in his knee had settled in deep, making even small movements difficult. I could see the frustration building again as the hours passed. When it came time for his evening routine, reality hit us both hard.Ronan stared at the bathroom door from the couch, jaw tight. “I need to wash up,” he said quietly. “But I can’t… I can’t do it by myself right now. Not without putting weight on it.”The admission seemed to cost him everything. His shoulders tensed, and he looked away from me, shame clear on his face.I knelt beside him again, resting a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I can help you.”He shook his head immediately. “No. I’m not letting you do that. I’m not some helpless kid who needs to be bathed.”“Ronan,” I said gently, “you’re injured. You just had a setback, and the doctor said minimal movement. This isn’t about pride. It’s about taking care of you prop

Especially then

IVY'S POV The bedroom felt different after the shower.Softer somehow. Like the vulnerability we’d shared in the bathroom had changed the air between us. I lay beside Ronan in the dim lamplight, his arm around me even though I could tell every small movement still hurt. His leg was carefully elevated on pillows, ice pack in place, but his body stayed turned toward mine like he needed the closeness more than rest.Neither of us spoke for a while. I traced slow patterns on his chest with my fingertips, listening to his heartbeat gradually settle. The earlier shame and fear still lingered on his face, but it wasn’t as heavy now.“I meant what I said earlier,” he whispered into the quiet. “I’ve never let anyone see me like that. Not broken. Not… needing help with something so basic.”I lifted my head to look at him. “And I meant what I said too. I’m glad I was the one who got to be there for you.”He swallowed hard, his ice-blue eyes searching mine in the low light. “You make me feel sa

I'm all in

IVY'S POV Morning arrived wrapped in a gentle kind of uncertainty.I woke up first again, still tucked against Ronan’s side. His arm rested heavily across my waist, warm and protective even in sleep. I stayed still for a while, listening to his steady breathing and watching the soft rise and fall of his chest. Last night’s vulnerability lingered in the air between us — the shower, the tears, the whispered promises. Everything felt more real now. More fragile, but also stronger.Carefully, I slipped out of bed and padded to the kitchen to make breakfast. Simple things today: oatmeal with berries and a protein shake for him. My hands moved on autopilot while my mind raced ahead to what the imaging might show. Dr. Patel had scheduled it for this morning, and the results could either give us hope or push us back even further.Ronan stirred when I brought the tray over. He blinked slowly, then gave me that small, sleepy smile that always made my heart flutter.“You didn’t have to do al

Don't do that

IVY'S POV The morning light felt a little kinder today.I woke up slowly, tangled in Ronan’s sheets with his warm body pressed against my back. His arm was draped over my waist, heavy and secure, like he was afraid I might slip away in the night. I stayed still for a long while, just listening to his breathing and feeling the steady beat of his heart against me. After yesterday’s emotional storm and the relief of the imaging results, this quiet felt like a gift.Ronan stirred behind me, pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder. “Morning,” he murmured, voice still rough with sleep. “You smell like home.”I turned in his arms carefully, mindful of his knee, and smiled at him. “You’re getting really good at these sweet lines.”“Only for you.” He leaned in and kissed me properly, slow and warm, the kind of kiss that made my toes curl under the blankets. His hand slid up my back, pulling me closer as the kiss deepened. For a few perfect minutes, the world outside the penthouse didn’t exist.

Don't do that

IVY'S POV The rest of the day passed in a strange haze after the article dropped.I tried to focus on Ronan’s afternoon exercises, but my phone kept lighting up with more notifications. Each buzz felt like another tiny cut. Ronan noticed. He kept glancing at my screen, his expression growing darker every time. By evening, the tension in the penthouse had shifted from sweet comfort to something heavier.We were on the couch again, his leg elevated while a cooking show played quietly in the background. Neither of us was really watching it. I could feel him getting more agitated, his hand clenching and unclenching on the cushion beside him.“Turn it off,” he said suddenly, nodding toward my phone on the coffee table. “You’ve been checking it every five minutes.”I hesitated but picked it up. The comments had gotten worse. More people calling me names. Some even digging up old photos from my college days and twisting them. My stomach twisted.“It’s fine,” I lied, setting the phone face

You do deserve me

IVY'S POV The argument left a heavy silence in the penthouse that refused to lift easily.I stayed curled against Ronan on the couch, neither of us ready to move yet. His arms were still around me, but the tension in his shoulders hadn’t fully melted away. I could feel him thinking too hard, replaying every harsh comment he’d read, every protective instinct telling him to push me away again.I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him. His ice-blue eyes were troubled, shadows of doubt still lingering there. “You don’t have to protect me by leaving me,” I said gently. “That’s not how this works. Not anymore.”He swallowed, his hand coming up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I hate that they’re hurting you. I hate that my life is doing this to yours.”“Then let me choose it,” I whispered. “Let me choose you, even when it’s messy.”Ronan searched my face for a long moment, like he was looking for any sign that I might regret this. When he didn’t find it, something in his

We fight it together

IVY'S POV The next morning brought a fragile kind of calm.I woke up wrapped in Ronan’s warmth again, his steady breathing the only sound in the quiet penthouse. After yesterday’s argument and the long, honest conversation that followed, something between us felt more solid. More real. I pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder before slipping out of bed to make coffee and prepare his morning meds.When Ronan joined me at the island, freshly showered with help from the bench seat I’d set up, he looked more rested than he had in days. His hand found mine across the counter, thumb brushing gently over my knuckles.“Sleep okay?” he asked, voice still carrying that morning roughness I was starting to love.“Better with you,” I replied, smiling as I slid his protein shake toward him. “You?”“Same.” He took a sip, eyes warm on me. “Feels good waking up and not feeling like I have to hide anything anymore.”We shared a quiet breakfast, trading small touches and soft words. The media noise stil

It's manageable

IVY'S POV The pressure from the team’s visit lingered like a shadow over the rest of the day.We tried to keep things light after they left — watching highlights from Ronan’s old games, sharing snacks on the couch, stealing soft kisses between conversations. But I could tell the weight of their words was sitting heavily on him. Every time his phone buzzed with another message from Marcus or the training staff, his jaw would tighten just a fraction.By evening, the tension had crept into his body. I noticed it during his final ice application — the way his shoulders stayed bunched, the small winces he tried to hide when he shifted positions. I didn’t push. I simply stayed close, offering quiet comfort through touch and presence.“You’re hurting more than you’re letting on,” I said softly as I helped him settle into bed later that night.He gave me a tired half-smile. “It’s manageable. Don’t worry about me.”But I did worry.I changed into my sleep shirt and slipped under the covers

Confessions and sweet moments

IVY'S POV The morning after the rough night felt hushed and fragile, like the penthouse itself was recovering alongside us.I woke up first, sunlight filtering softly through the blinds and casting gentle patterns across the bed. Ronan was still asleep beside me, his face relaxed in a way it rarely was during the day. The lines of pain and frustration had smoothed out, leaving him looking peaceful. His arm rested heavily across my waist, holding me close even in sleep. I stayed still, studying the way his dark lashes rested against his cheeks, the faint stubble along his jaw, the small scar near his eyebrow that told stories from years on the ice.My heart felt full and tender after everything we’d shared in the dark hours. The pain, the tears, the whispered confessions — it had stripped us both down to something raw and honest. I traced a light finger along his forearm, careful not to wake him, just needing to feel the warmth of his skin.He stirred slightly, a low murmur escapin

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