15. Ally

Chapter 15

Ally

I felt my pulse race as I watched Thomas square off against Janet. His posture was rigid, eyes hard as he spoke.

“You’ve crossed a line, Janet. Leave Ally out of this,” he growled, voice dripping with menace.

Janet smirked, a venomous edge to her smile. “Why don’t you let her speak for herself? She’s a big girl, right? Or you wouldn’t be about to fuck her on the ice.”

My chest tightened at the words, heat rising in my cheeks. Before Thomas could retaliate, I stepped forward.

“It’s fine,” I said, holding up a hand to forestall any more comments from him. “I’ll talk to her.”

Thomas shot me a look, a mix of concern and protectiveness that only made my heart ache more.

"Al —"

Janet turned her full attention to me, her eyes gleaming with something almost predatory. “So, Ally, how does it feel to have two generations of Morgans wrapped around your little finger?”

I took a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm. “What do you want, Janet?”

“Oh, honey,” she said, voice dripping with false sweetness. “I want what’s best for everyone involved. And that means keeping things... uncomplicated.”

“Uncomplicated?” I repeated, incredulous. “You’re the one complicating things.”

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Nick told me everything. Maybe we should go somewhere more private?”

My stomach dropped. The fact that Janet hadn’t said anything until now meant she was using it as leverage.

“I hate this,” I muttered under my breath.

Janet’s smirk widened. “Oh sweetie, hate’s just another form of passion.”

Thomas stepped forward again, his protective instincts flaring up visibly. “Enough, Janet.”

But I raised my hand again to stop him. “No, Thomas. Let me handle this.”

His jaw tightened, but he nodded again, staying close enough to intervene if necessary.

“Look,” I said to Janet, meeting her gaze steadily. “Whatever Nick told you doesn’t change anything between us. It’s none of your business.”

Janet raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Because it seems like you’ve made it everyone’s business by playing both sides.”

My patience wore thin as anger bubbled up inside me. “You don’t know anything about what happened between me and Nick or Thomas.”

“Oh,” she said with mock surprise. “Enlighten me then.”

I looked around the rink. The ice gleamed under the bright lights, a pristine expanse of white marred only by the faint marks from when me and Thomas had been on the ice a few moments ago. The boards were lined with advertisements for local businesses, and the faint hum of the refrigeration system filled the air. The scent of cold, clean ice mixed with the distant aroma of popcorn from the concession stand.

The doors swung open, and a blonde girl walked in, heading straight for the skate counter. Her confident stride and athletic build made it clear—this must be the girl Cooper was seeing.

I turned back to Janet, meeting her gaze head-on. “Let’s go in the locker room then,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“You can use my office,” Thomas interjected gruffly, his eyes never leaving Janet’s face.

“Wow,” Janet replied mockingly. “You’d actually give up your precious office so we can talk?”

“So she can talk to you,” Thomas corrected, his tone sharp.

I said nothing, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach. I had no idea what Janet wanted, but if Nick had really told her everything, I needed to be careful. This could get ugly fast.

Janet smirked and turned on her heel, following Thomas as he led us towards his office without another word. I followed, my mind racing with possibilities and potential threats.

The office was small but functional, dominated by a large wooden desk covered in papers and hockey memorabilia. A framed picture of Thomas with his college team hung on the wall behind it, their faces beaming with victory after a championship win.

Janet sauntered over to one of the chairs in front of the desk and sat down, crossing her legs elegantly as she waited for me to take a seat opposite her. I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath before sitting down.

“Well,” Janet began, her tone dripping with faux concern. “Where should we start?”

I sighed, feeling the weight of the tension in the room. "What do you want, Janet?"

Janet leaned forward, her expression serious. "I want what's owed to me."

Her eyes were sharp, piercing through me with a look that made my skin crawl. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"You think you're so clever, don’t you?" she asked with a sneer. "Thomas may be a lot of things, but he's a man who honors his debts. And he owes me."

I frowned, genuinely confused. "Owes you what?"

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Money."

I blinked, taken aback by her words. "Money? You know he has no intention of giving you any money. You’re delusional if you think I have any sway over him."

Janet laughed, a bitter sound that echoed in the small office. "You really are an idiot, aren’t you? Loathe as I am to admit this, he’d do anything for you. You tell him to jump, he will."

"I don't want that," I said firmly.

"You don’t get what you want," she snapped back, her gaze dropping pointedly to my stomach. "Clearly."

Her cruel words hit me like a punch to the gut, but anger flared up just as quickly as the pain. I clenched my fists, fighting to keep my composure.

"What?" Janet asked with a mocking smile. "Did that hurt your feelings? Too damn bad. Grow up, little girl. You think you're the only person in the world who's suffered through that? You’re not. It's more common than you think."

The fury boiling inside me threatened to spill over, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break. She didn’t understand—couldn’t understand—the depth of my pain and grief.

"I’m not here to argue with you," I said through gritted teeth. "And I'm certainly not here to let you manipulate Thomas or me."

"Then what are you here for?" Janet challenged.

"I'm here because Thomas asked me to be," I replied coldly.

Janet's eyes narrowed as she studied me. "He asked you? Or did you come running like a lovesick puppy?"

I didn’t respond immediately, choosing my words carefully. "Thomas is capable of making his own decisions."

"And yet," she said with a sly grin, "here we are." She examined her nails, a smug smile playing on her lips. "I'm sure Nick wouldn't want to know the love of his life ran off with his father. Again."

My teeth clenched. The audacity of this woman was unbelievable. "Nick doesn't get a say in who I'm seeing," I shot back, my voice icy. "We broke up almost a year ago."

"And yet," Janet said, leaning forward, "you owe him. He's keeping a very precious secret, isn't he?" She gave me a pointed look that sent chills down my spine. "You know what happens if Thomas finds out you had an abortion and didn't tell him, right?"

I swallowed hard; the words cutting deep. Janet leaned back in her chair, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Let me tell you a little story about Thomas,” she began, her tone deceptively casual. “When Thomas was young, he had dreams of becoming an NHL star. But an injury ended all that. You know what that did to him? It shattered him. He felt like he lost everything—his identity, his purpose.”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, but I couldn’t help listening.

“He spiraled,” Janet said with a shrug. “Started pushing everyone away, including Nick and me. It’s taken him years to build himself back up, to find some semblance of control over his life.”

She paused, letting her words sink in before delivering the final blow. “Imagine what it would do to him if he found out you were pregnant and got rid of the baby without ever telling him. It would destroy him all over again. And the fact that you , out of all people, the one he trusts, kept that from him? You know how he is. He wants to know everything. Hiding things from him…" She shook her head. "Did you know he accused me of trying to trap him with Nicky? That man couldn't bear the thought of taking any responsibility for his son."

"But he did," I pointed out. "He gave up the NHL —"

"His injury forced him to do just that," Janet spat out. "He never wanted kids…" Her eyes narrowed. "Or maybe you don't want him to know because what if he's relieved? What if he says he's glad you suffered, so he doesn't have to have another child?"

I hated she was right, that every word she said made sense in a twisted way. The thought of Thomas finding out about the miscarriage and blaming himself for not being there... it was too much to bear. Even if Janet and Nick thought it was something else, I didn’t want Tom to deal with that pain.

But admitting that Janet was right felt like conceding defeat. I refused to give her that satisfaction.

“What do you want from me?” I asked quietly, my voice trembling despite my efforts to stay composed.

Janet’s smile widened, victory shining in her eyes. “Oh, it’s simple,” she purred. “Get Thomas to cut me a check. One point five million."

The room felt stifling as her ultimatum hung in the air between us.

I couldn't help it. A laugh burst out of me, awkward and strained. It sounded more like a bark than anything resembling humor. “What?” I asked, incredulous.

Janet’s smirk grew wider. “I know that number is going over your pretty little head,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. “But it’s the truth. One point five, and I won’t say a word about this to Thomas.”

A slow burn started in my chest, anger mixing with the absurdity of the situation. “This time,” I snapped back. “What if you want more next time? And that’s even if he’ll listen to me?—”

“He will,” Janet interrupted, her confidence unwavering. “I know he will. And as to your other point, you’re just going to have to trust me.”

I laughed again, the sound bitter and hollow. “At this rate, I should just tell him myself.”

“Do it,” Janet challenged, leaning back in her chair with a satisfied air. “Go ahead. Do it. And watch his heart break even more than his injury broke him.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of my sails. Janet's gaze was unyielding, her eyes cold and calculating as she watched me struggle with the decision she had forced upon me.

My mind raced through all the possible outcomes, none of them good. Telling Thomas about the miscarriage would devastate him—I knew that much for certain. But giving in to Janet’s demands would only set a precedent for future extortion.

“I need time to think,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Think fast,” Janet replied with a triumphant smile as she stood up and sauntered towards the door. “Time’s ticking, sweetheart.”

As she left the office, I slumped back in my chair, feeling the weight of her ultimatum pressing down on me like a ton of bricks.

How had everything gotten so complicated? My head spun with the possibilities and consequences of each choice before me. One thing was clear—I needed to figure this out before Janet could do any more damage.

For now, though, I needed to focus on getting through this night without breaking down completely.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and walked back towards where Thomas waited for me by the rink's entrance. His concerned eyes met mine as soon as I approached.

“Everything okay?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah,” I lied, forcing a smile onto my face. “Everything’s fine.”

My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I weighed my options—none of them good.

In that moment, I realized just how deeply entangled I was in this web of lies and secrets.

And there seemed no way out without causing even more pain for everyone involved.

“You’re lying,” Thomas said, his voice low and dangerous. “Ally, what the fuck is going on?”

I looked down, unable to meet his intense gaze. “Thomas…”

Before I could say anything more, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back into his office, slamming the door shut behind us.

“Did you fuck him?” he demanded.

“What?” I snapped, my eyes sparking with anger.

“After,” he continued, his voice rising. “Is that what this is? You fucked him? Because you were mad at me? Because I went to jail? Because I… fuck if I know, embarrassed you at the Masquerade?”

“Is that what you really think?” I asked, my voice shaking with fury and hurt.

“How the hell should I know?” he shouted. “No one is telling me shit.”

“And you jump to me fucking him?” I shot back. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” he said, towering over me. “Fucking tell me.”

“I didn’t fuck him,” I said through gritted teeth.

“I don’t believe you,” he hissed.

Without thinking, I slapped him. The sound echoed in the small room like a gunshot. His eyes burned through mine, filled with a mix of rage and something else—something raw and painful.

For a moment, neither of us moved or spoke. The silence between us was heavy, suffocating.

Thomas lunged for me, his hands gripping my arms as he pulled me into a searing kiss. The intensity of it took my breath away, his lips claiming mine with a fierce, desperate hunger. His touch was both punishing and pleading, as if he were trying to convey everything he couldn't say with words. I could feel the heat radiating off his body, his anger and passion melding into one overwhelming force.

When he finally broke the kiss, his breath was ragged. “I fucking told you,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re mine. You promised. You’re mine. If you fucked him, I’ll kill him.”

“He’s your—” I started, but the words caught in my throat.

“I don’t care,” Thomas interrupted, his grip tightening on my arms. “Not when it comes to you.”

The raw possessiveness in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine. I felt a mixture of anger and longing, but mostly I felt trapped—trapped by my own emotions and by the man who stood before me.

With a surge of strength fueled by frustration, I pushed him off of me.

His eyes burned with an intensity that matched my own fury. For a moment, we just stared at each other, both breathing heavily from the storm that had erupted between us.

The room felt smaller, the air thicker with tension. Everything that had been left unsaid hung in the space between us, too heavy to ignore but too painful to confront directly.

I wiped my lips with the back of my hand, trying to erase the lingering sensation of his kiss. But it was no use—his touch had branded itself onto my skin, leaving a mark that wouldn’t easily fade.

Finally, I found my voice again. “How could you think that of me?” I asked quietly, my hand still stinging from the impact. “After everything?”

Thomas took a step back, running a hand through his hair as if trying to gather his thoughts. The anger in his eyes dimmed slightly, but didn’t disappear entirely.

“Because I don’t know what else to think,” he admitted, his voice strained. “I’m in the dark here, Ally. And every time I try to get close to you, something pulls us apart.”

I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes despite my efforts to hold them back. “You don’t understand,” I whispered.

“Then make me understand,” Thomas urged, his tone softer but still desperate. “Please.”

I wanted to tell him. At the end of the day, he should know. He deserved to know. The words teetered on the edge of my tongue, but before I could force them out, a knock echoed through the small room.

Thomas's eyes never left mine as he growled, "Fuck off, Saint."

Saint ignored him, stepping into the room with a serious expression. "You're going to want to see this," he said.

The urgency in Saint's voice pulled Thomas's attention away from me, just for a moment. It was enough. I seized the opportunity to escape this suffocating tension.

"I should go," I murmured, taking a step back.

Thomas's eyes snapped back to me. "I'm your ride."

"I'll catch a bus," I said quickly, my voice steady but my heart pounding in my chest.

"Ally—" Thomas started, but I didn't give him a chance to finish.

I slipped past Saint and out of the office before Thomas could argue or stop me. The cool night air hit me like a splash of water, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Each step away from that room felt like a small victory, even though I knew it was only temporary.

As I walked towards the bus stop, I couldn't shake the feeling of Thomas's gaze burning into my back. The weight of what I hadn't told him felt heavier with each step. But for now, distance was what I needed—time and space to gather myself and figure out how to navigate what to do next.