31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Elias

Nineteen Years of Age

I despised being sick. I don’t imagine anyone particularly enjoyed it, but my point stood. Time seemed like a distant concept as I lay curled up on the bathroom floor, feeling far from fabulous. I was supposed to be at practice, but given my current state I hadn’t even entertained the thought. Spreading my stomach flu germs all over the ice was hardly the act of a good teammate.

Thankfully, Jarman was off chasing tail, gallivanting across the night. That meant he was blissfully unaware of the hell I was enduring. And that was a relief, because I couldn't stand the thought of Jarman catching what I had. If you asked me, that was worse than being sick myself.

My stomach lurched again, and I jumped for the toilet. The sounds coming from that room would be enough to evacuate the entire hockey house.

"Mouse? Is that you?" Jarman's voice came from the other side of the bathroom door—and it had my stomach flipping for a different reason .

"No…"I managed to squeak out, my voice strained by a sharp cramp.

"Are you okay?"

No! I need chicken soup and Jarman cuddles!

“F-fine,” I croaked, made a liar by the next heave.

“Fuck that. I'm coming in,” Jarman declared, barging through the door.

I wanted to protest, but I was too busy hugging the toilet.

“Oh, Mouse,” he murmured, his concern warming my body—but I was too gone to fully appreciate it. I was drenched in sweat, having stripped down to my underwear to ease the discomfort—but I was gross.

“Go away,” I muttered, pushing him away for the first time in my life.

“Not happening. We don’t leave each other when the other is struggling,” he replied firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He rummaged through the cabinet, then my damp hair was peeled away from my face and tied back. A cold cloth then swept over my skin, offering a little relief from the hot flashes.

Shane sat with me for hours, not recoiling once at the disgusting nature of my illness. With gentle hands, he kept me cool until my body had nothing left to expel. Every ounce of my energy had been zapped. I moved in a haze, but I remembered the way he ran me under a cool shower, washing away the sick and sweat. And then he laid me into his bed, giving me some medicine and placing a trash can by the bed.

By morning I was still exhausted, but I was on Jarman’s chest with his fingers gently massaging my scalp. The twenty-four hours of utter misery were finally over and somehow, I had woken up to what felt like heaven. Not wanting it to end, I pretended to stay asleep.

Present

My phone lit up, illuminating the room and I just stared at it. It had been two long months since I’d come out to my family—and walked away from the Michaels legacy. The name on the caller ID made my body flush with anticipation, and I wasn't sure if I had the strength to take the call. Warm arms wrapped around me from behind, a comforting presence in the heavy silence.

“Are you going to answer it, sweetheart?” Shane's voice was gentle, his presence giving me the courage I needed.

With a trembling thumb, I put the call on speaker, knowing that having Shane by my side would somehow make it easier.

“Hello?” I said tentatively. There was no doubt Shane could feel my heart pounding.

“Eli! Hey, how are you?” My eldest sister's nervous voice came through the line.

“Good, great, really.” I tried to make myself sound more confident—I wasn’t sure it worked.

“That’s great… Look, I’m so sorry it took me so long to reach out. That was unforgivable, and I understand if you don’t want to speak with me…”

“I answered the call, didn't I?” Maybe that was a little harsh, but the memory of them walking away from me was still raw. It hurt, and if it wasn't for Shane, I wasn’t sure I’d have survived it.

“I’m so glad you did. I wanted to come to you as a family. I’ve been trying to talk to Mom and Dad but you know what they’re like: Dad won’t budge and Mom just….” Her voice trailed off on a heavy sigh.

I remained silent. The only thing her words accomplished was making my blood run cold. Shane held me tighter, his lips meeting my shoulder in a tender kiss, grounding me in the present. Being there, in his arms, was the only thing I ever needed.

“We… I need to apologize for not standing up for you, Eli,” she continued, voice breaking with the threat of tears. “We’ve come second to you all our lives. He only ever cared about you. The only time he looked our way was when we brought another man into the house, and suddenly he needed to make sure they were good enough to represent his family. That's why we had a new man at every family gathering. But this isn’t about me. What I'm saying is, I let my own resentment cloud my judgment. I never got the chance to truly know my little brother, and I didn’t defend you like I should have. I really do love you, and I am so glad you found happiness with Shane.”

I squeezed my eyes shut against the tears, but my sniffles betrayed me. “I'm having a baby shower soon,” she continued. “I would love for you to be a part of your nephew's life.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Nephew?” I croaked.

“Yep. God knows how I'm going to be as a boy mom, but there's no backing out now.”

I let out a watery laugh. “You'll be amazing. I would love to come. Just be prepared for him to be spoiled rotten, even from Canada.”

“I love you, Eli,” she said, her words filling me with warmth and hope.

I couldn't remember the last time I heard those words from any of my sisters. “Love you too,” I managed, feeling Shane squeeze me tightly, my shoulder wet with his own tears .

“I'll send you the details, but for now, can you tell me about you?”

And so I did. In the soft glow of early morning light, with Shane holding me close, I poured my heart out. I told her about my new job, about living with our best friends, about our plans for the future—everything tumbled out in one big, breathless rush of excitement. Eventually, we signed off, making plans to catch up before the baby shower.

I stared at my phone for a moment, letting the weight of our conversation settle over me. Shane waited patiently, his comforting presence a steady anchor. Then, with a determined resolve, I turned in his arms and straddled his lap.

“I'm going to be an uncle,” I breathed out, the idea making my heart race.

Shane's smile was like sunshine, his warm brown eyes sparkling. “The best damn uncle in the world,” he murmured, sweeping me into a bruising kiss. I melted into his touch, feeling every nerve ending come alive.

“We will be the best guncles ever,” I added with a chuckle, reveling in the sound of Shane's laughter. If I wasn't awake before, I was now.

His hand slid down my back, tracing the line of my underwear over my thighs. Words stopped in my throat, my breath stuttering at the feeling. I ground against his hard cock, eating up the sound he fed me.

In the two months of calling Shane my boyfriend, I’d learned a lot about myself, but the most important thing was: I couldn’t get enough of him. He always said how I gave him energy, but the truth of it was that he was my recharge station. The second our skin touched my body refueled.

Shane tugged at my underwear and we separated long enough to undress. I found my place straddling his lap once more. Shane took both of us in hand, and I rocked into his palm as I accepted the lube he offered me and worked myself open.

“So fucking hot watching you prep yourself for me,” he rumbled, the words making me swim like a sip of fine wine.

His freehand ran over my torso. Thankfully, it was starting to look like a hockey body again, with Shane’s help with a healthy diet. I knew Shane didn't care either way, but it made me more comfortable.

His fingers ran over my nipples, drawing a gasp as he pinched the sensitive nubs. “ Comme?a,ma souris ?”

Ugh, fuck me dead, Shane speaking French was the hottest thing. To know he’d secretly been learning it over the years was… swoon .

“Oui, s'il te pla?t; baise-moi”

His growl of pleasure as he stopped working out cocks was sinful.

“Ride me, sweet Mouse, et me montrer comment tu esà moi ?”

I nodded, shifting up to allow him to line up with my entrance. He teased me, sliding between my cheeks until finally pushing through.

“ Oui, tu es à moi .”

I sank down slowly, enjoying the way every delicious inch of him filled me up. As he bottomed out, I rolled my hips, finding that angle where he’d hit me just right. Shane sat up, encouraging the movement with a tight grip on my waist. His lips met any spot he could reach, peppering me with the love and affection that I craved. I was a slut for his touch, I needed it and I loved that I found a place where I could let out the desire that had built up in me for so long. The desire to love both emotionally and physically. I rocked my hips, riding Shane and thinking that he was put on this earth just for me. I was one of those rare creatures that only had one mate, and that was Shane. He was it for me, always had been and always would be.

“ Jet'aime tellement, ma douce souris .”

“ I love you so much, my sweet Mouse. ”

My heart swelled so fast I thought it would burst.“ Et jet'aime, Shane Jarman. Pour toujours et toujours .”