Chapter 38

38

Colver

I sit and wait.

I'm quiet but my head is anything but.

Faust is the only other one in the visitor's locker room, all padded up, waiting for the pre-skate interviews, meetings, and the pre-game skate.

He stands up and walks toward me, then surprises me when he sits next to me.

"How's the wife?"

I laugh. " Wife. Yeah. Right. She's pregnant. That's it."

"You know what I meant. You didn't have to get defensive. Must mean you care about her."

That's Faust.

He stands up and walks away, leaving me totally alone as he exits the locker room.

Amazing, with one simple question laced with some sarcasm from Faust and he's nailed everything going on in my life.

No need for long talks and debates and all that bullshit.

I feel how I feel. That's it.

The thought of Abrielle carrying another man's baby makes me want to go clinically insane. It fills me with so much…

I just want her all to myself. I want her body. I want to stare into her eyes. I want to… oh, I want to fuck her senseless. I want to taste her pleasure. I want to feel her sweet cunt throbbing as she comes…

It's more than just that too.

That's the surface stuff. That's the stuff you'd expect from me.

I want more than that.

I want to watch her belly get bigger by the month. I want to feel the baby kicking. I want to know if we're having a boy or a girl. I want to watch her obsess over a nursery. I want to paint the walls of the nursery and curse like a sailor as I build the furniture.

"Fuck," I growl.

Me being an asshole has always protected me.

Keep my distance and everything is okay.

Only one person fucked with that rule… Abrielle .

She chose the bedroom I needed to use to sneak girls into my father's house. She's been in the way for years and years now. Nestled somewhere in the back of my mind too during our years apart.

And what happened the second I saw her standing in front of my truck?

"Fuck," I say again.

I reach behind me for my bag.

I need my phone.

I need her to know… everything…

When I look at my phone, I see missed calls. Texts waiting to be read.

The calls are from Abrielle and an unknown name.

Same with the texts.

The unknown number is Jess.

The words hospital , extreme pain, and baby pop out first.

I grab my bag and make a run for it.

I throw myself through the door to the private suite of the GM.

Michael turns and looks at me, a scared look on his face.

Coach Patty is right behind.

"I need your plane," I say to Michael.

"What?"

"He's got to get back home," Coach Patty says. "Emergency."

"My… my Abrielle," I say. "Something is wrong with her and the baby."

"The baby," Michael says. He stands right up. "She's not due yet, is she?"

"No," I say. "We don't have fucking time to talk."

"Colver," Coach Patty says.

"It's fine," Michael says. "Come on, Colver. Let's get out of here." He turns and points to two men. "I need the SUV ready in thirty seconds and then I need you to call Jerry and tell him we're flying. Well, I'm not flying. Colver is. It's his plane for tonight."

Michael pats me on the back.

I want to elbow him in the face.

He's got a big smile on his face and I don't trust him for a second. But he's the guy who signed me, then gave me a big, fat contract. And now he's giving me his private jet to fly back home to get to Abrielle.

I'm still half dressed for a hockey game as I get onto a private elevator and I'm escorted through the bowels of the arena where a black SUV waits for me.

"It'll take you right up to the private jet," Michael says. "When you land, another will be waiting. I'll make sure of it. You just go take care of your family, Colver."

"Thank you, Michael," I say.

I should shake his hand but I don't.

I'll be in the air in the next thirty minutes.

I keep in touch with Jess.

She's not very helpful.

They're running tests.

Same three words over and over.

All Abrielle wants is me.

She wants me.

She needs me.

It's not just about the baby either.

I'm her man. I'm her protector.

I'm her lover.

I've been a version of this from the day we met.

As much as she drove me nuts, I wanted to protect her. I wanted to hold her. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted… her.

Fuck, I've wanted her for so long.

I used to sneak into her bedroom and look at her paintings.

Yeah, did I mess some of them up? Of course I did. I was a total asshole back then. I couldn't have feelings for her.

Think about it.

In a technical sense she was my stepsister.

More than that, I knew she wouldn't be around long.

My father never kept a woman around long, ever.

I have to shut my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose to get the thoughts to ease up just enough so I can take a deep breath.

I'm ready to jump out of the seat and ask where the fuck I am when I'm told the private jet is now landing.

The whirlwind continues as the private jet lands.

Another SUV waits for me.

I feel way more important in life than I actually am as I'm escorted from the plane into the SUV.

As soon as the door is shut, the SUV takes off.

"Got you covered," the driver says.

This is all too much.

But it proves something to me.

It proves that I have people in my life that care about me. That matter to me. That will come through for me in a tough time.

Now here I am making a fist and biting at it because there's this sudden swell of emotion hitting me. Crushing me.

I can't be the guy who realizes how much he has in life only to lose it…

Can I?

I'll be honest - it's a blur.

From the second I jump out of the SUV to the second I'm standing next to Abrielle, holding her hand.

I don't remember entering the hospital.

I don't know what floor I'm on. What room number I'm in.

I lean down and kiss Abrielle's hand.

She starts to cry.

My eyes move down to her stomach.

In the hospital gown, her bump is showing much more.

"You showed up," Abrielle whispers.

"Tell me…"

I reach for her stomach, afraid to touch.

I look at Abrielle, trying to ready myself for whatever truth is about to come out of her mouth.

Her chin quivers and she blinks fast.

"Well, there you are," a voice says from behind me.

I turn my head and see Dr. Whitney entering the room.

I let go of Abrielle's hand and spin around.

"What the fuck is going on?" I yell at Dr. Whitney.

"Okay, tough guy, ease up a little," she says to me. "Mom and baby are going to be just fine."

I feel like I'm going to pass out.

Or start to cry.

Pull yourself together, Colver.

"What happened?" I ask. I turn back around and look at Abrielle. "What…"

"Let's not get too technical here," Dr. Whitney says as she walks around me. "We'll call it some growing pains. But nothing to laugh at though." She's now on the other side of the bed. She's checking machines. "There was very mild spotting. The baby has a perfect heartbeat. We've been monitoring the little one for a while. Pain has gone down for Mom…?"

Dr. Whitney looks at Abrielle.

Abrielle nods. "Did I cause this to myself? Did I panic or something…?"

"No," I say loudly. "You've done nothing wrong, Abrielle. Ever."

"Well, I can't say ever ," Dr. Whitney says with a smile. "I don't know her well enough. But in this situation, you did just fine, Abrielle. You ever have any worries, you come right to the hospital. With that said, we are going to have to keep a close eye on you for the rest of the pregnancy. Also means you're going to need a lot of bed rest."

"Done," I say. "I'll take care of this. All of it."

"We're going to keep you here for a little longer," Dr. Whitney says to Abrielle. "But I'm very certain you'll be home soon enough. Rest. Breathe."

Abrielle nods.

When we look at each other…

I can't help it.

I can't hold back any longer.

I can't do this.

I can't fight it… why fight it…

"I love you, kitten."