9. Brock

Breckin is my child. He has to be. He looks like me.

At first, I thought he looked like Eric and he does, but he resembles me a lot when I was that age. He has the same eyes as me. I noticed that he even holds his head and arm the same way as me when he skates, that's odd, right? That can't be a coincidence.

As we stand there talking, I glance down and realize that Breckin's stance is exactly the same as mine. I move a bit so it's not noticeable.

The timeline would add up. If she got amnesia immediately after we slept together then it's possible she doesn't remember it.

Am I just seeing what I want to see because I've never gotten over her?

"Breck!" Eric calls out to his nephew. "You ready for our sleepover?"

"Yes! Can we stop and get ice cream?"

"Of course!"

"Yes!" He exclaims as he pumps his arm in the air.

"Brock, thanks so much for coming. Hopefully, you'll come again."

"Mr. Brock, can you come to our game tomorrow?" Breckin asks me.

"I would love to," I smile.

I won't be missing any of your games buddy ever again.

He has to be my kid.

How do I play this?

Breckin hugs Layla and then he and Eric walk off.

Layla remains, standing awkwardly in front of me. She inhales and opens her mouth to speak just as she takes a step away.

"Now that your brother isn't here to lecture us," I joke. "Would you like to grab dinner with me?"

"Um, I don't…"

"No expectations. I'd just like to get to know you better."

"I should probably get going," she murmurs. "I'm meeting friends and I'm already late."

"I'll walk you out, we're going in the same direction anyway."

She nods and is quiet as she walks beside me. I try to make small talk, but nothing comes out. We get to her car and I scurry to open the door for her.

"Layla," I sigh before she climbs in. "I don't think you remember this, but we were together before your accident."

"Together?"

"Yeah, we'd spent the night together and then I had to leave for a family emergency. The next night is when your accident happened."

Her eyes are wide as she looks back at me in shock. "I don't understand."

"Can we go somewhere and talk?"

"I don't…"

"Will you come back to my place with me?"

"I don't…" she stammers again.

"I know this is a lot. I don't want to overwhelm you and…"

"I need to go."

She ducks into her car, shuts the door, and immediately starts it. She sits there for a few seconds staring off into space.

Shit. This didn't go how I wanted it to.

What do you expect, you had absolutely no plan going into this. You reacted on a hunch. What if you're wrong? What if you're doing more harm than good here?

She pulls away. I hurry to my car, climb inside, and attempt to follow her in a way that doesn't seem like I'm stalking her.

There's no way you can explain this away like you're not stalking. You're definitely stalking.

What are you doing? Do you have a plan?

"Brock, get your shit together," I sigh out loud.

Ten minutes later she's pulling into the driveway of a home in one of the nicer subdivisions in the area. There are hockey goals in the driveway and a basketball hoop.

I drive past and go to the nearest gas station to take a breather. I need to come at this with a clear head or I'll make her think I'm a crazy person.

I use the Bluetooth to call Chaz.

"Bro, how are you home for an entire day and you haven't come to visit me," he chuckles.

"I intended to and got sidetracked."

"Sidetracked?"

"Eric invited me to the youth hockey practice tonight. Oh, Tyler did too, I didn't know he's Chief of Police and a hockey coach."

"If you came home more often, you would know that. Your nephew has a game tomorrow, you should come."

"I wouldn't miss it. I have an issue though. I need your help. You should probably put Beth on speakerphone."

"He already did," I hear her giggle in the back.

"Perfect," I chuckle.

"This has got to be a big deal if you're tagging in Beth."

"Do you remember Layla?"

"Eric's sister? Of course, we see them at hockey games all the time. Her son is a lot younger than our Davis, but…"

"I think he's mine."

"Excuse me?" Beth and Chaz ask at the same time.

"I think he's mine. The timeline adds up, right? And look at him, he looks just like me when I was that age."

"Did you ask her?"

"She was in the accident that gave her amnesia two days after we slept together. She doesn't remember. Also, I just learned today that she had amnesia. Eric left that part out."

"You didn't know?"

"I did not. I ran into her at the coffee shop today, called her by her name and she freaked out on me."

"Oh no," Beth sighs.

"When I went to visit her at the hospital after she woke up, she was screaming at me to leave and later I thought it was because she was pissed we slept together. Now I think she didn't know who I was."

"What are you going to do?"

"I asked her to dinner. When she said no, I told her that we used to be together and that we were right before the accident."

"How did that go?"

"She freaked out."

"You need to break it to her more gently. I think I remember Eric saying that Randy guy she was with told her that they were a couple before her amnesia and she started dating him because she thought she had to. She may see it as a manipulation tactic because that dude is a con artist."

"Do you have proof that the two of you were together before the accident?"

"I took a few selfies, I still have them on my phone."

"I would show them to her. Can you see the date?"

"Yeah."

"Approach her and tell her that you have proof you two were together and ask if you can talk. Ask if she knows who the father is and tell her you think it might be you."

"I'm looking at a picture of you and Chaz when you were younger and some of the pictures from this year's league team photos and I definitely see the resemblance," Beth says in awe. "Holy shit."

"Offer to get a DNA test to prove it to her. Worst case scenario you stepped up and you were wrong. She sees that you're an upstanding guy, at least."

"What if she slams the door in my face or tells me no?"

"Then it's no and you have to respect that."

"What if I don't want to?"

"It's not up to you."

I blow out a breath and close my eyes. "What if he is my kid?"

"What if he is?" Chaz asks.

"What are you going to do if he is?" Beth asks.

"Take care of him. Be a dad."

"How can you do that from Nashville?"

"I… I've been trying to get traded to Boston. I'll do whatever it takes to be in his life."

"And what if she doesn't want you to be in his life? Or she just doesn't want you?"

"I guess I'll cross those bridges when I get there."

"Are you going over there now?"

"Yes."

"Good luck, keep us posted."

I hang up the phone and drive back to Layla's house. When I knock on the door she takes a few minutes to answer.

"Why are you here?"

"I… I need to show you the proof."

"Brock, I…"

"Layla listen to me. You went to our championship game my senior year. We met outside the rink before the game started and I walked in and told Eric that I met my future wife. I didn't know it was you, his sister. And then… we went on the trip together and that first night we came outside and walked on the beach separately. We started talking and hit it off, we slept together."

I pull out my phone and show her the two selfies of us.

"Shouldn't I remember that?"

"Not necessarily. I texted you the next day, we talked on the phone but then you didn't reply because your phone was destroyed in the accident."

"You can come in," she says as she takes a step back while hugging herself.

"Layla, I went to visit you at the hospital, and you began screaming at me to leave. I thought I did something wrong or that you just weren't as interested in me as I was in you. I didn't… I didn't know you had amnesia. I didn't know you were pregnant."

"Are you… are you saying that you think you're Breckin's dad?"

I nod.

She blows out a breath and falls onto the couch, still hugging herself.

"Can we do a DNA test to be sure?"

"Of course. I want to."

"I don't… Why don't I remember you?"

"We met three days before the accident, maybe."

"And I got pregnant?"

"I think so."

She leans forward to put her face in her hands, I grab her wrists and hold them in mine as I pull her into me.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Anything," I reply.

"When I saw you in the coffee shop you seemed so familiar to me and all I wanted to do was kiss you."

"That's all I've wanted to do since the day I met you."

I tip her chin up and brush my lips gently across hers. She leans into me, her arms wrapping around my neck. It"s like no time has passed between us.

I deepen the kiss, my heart pounding against my chest as we explore the depths of our desires.

I stand and pull her into me more. She pulls away, links her fingers with mine, and leads me to her bedroom.

Okay, so we"re doing this.

She takes a step closer, her breath hitching ever so slightly. I can see the desire burning in her eyes, mirroring my own, as she slowly releases my hand and reaches up to gently brush her fingers against my cheek. The touch sends an electric jolt through me, igniting a wildfire of longing within.

"Layla, I"ve missed you so much."

I tug her back into me, wrapping my arms around her waist as I pull her close. I cover my mouth with hers as she molds herself to me.

Her hands wander across my chest, tracing the outline of my muscles, igniting a thousand sparks along their path. My fingers dance along her curves, memorizing the contours of her body with every touch.

"Brock, make love to me."

I tug at the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head. My mouth finds the curve of her breasts as I do. She tugs at my shirt and I pull it off. Her hands go to my pants, and I do the same to her.

We can"t get our clothes off fast enough. As soon as we"re both naked I push her back onto the bed. I kneel in between her legs and spread them open. I kiss the insides of her thighs softly, her breath hitches.

I look up at her as I continue to tease her, trailing soft kisses along her warm skin. She arches her back, her hands running through my hair, pulling me closer.

I lean in, my tongue tracing the delicate line between her thigh and her core as she moans softly. I hear her whispering my name, her voice breaking as she begs me to take her.

My fingers sink into her as my tongue plays along her slit. I lick her, tasting her warmth.

She bucks beneath me, her moans growing louder. My hands swirl around her, creating a rhythm that"s both primal and tender.

I increase the pace, my tongue darting in and out, tracing the delicate folds of her desire. She trembles, her eyes squeezed shut, a look of pure ecstasy on her face. I feel her muscles clench, her body arching, as she gives in to the pleasure.

And then, one final cry escapes her lips, her release washing over her, ebbing away into the sheets beneath us.

She reaches down between her legs, dragging her fingers through her wetness and bringing them to her mouth.

I climb up her body, my erection throbbing as it brushes against her moist skin. I take her hands, bringing them to my chest and then guiding them to my throbbing erection. She grips me with her fingers, her nails digging into my skin as she strokes me.

I draw back, gaze locked with hers, my breath ragged. "Are you sure you want this?" I whisper, my voice trembling. I want to make sure she"s ready for what comes next.

She nods vigorously, her eyes pleading. "I want you, now more than ever."

I climb up beside her, guiding myself into her. She gasps as I enter her, her nails digging into my back. I slide in and out slowly at first, taking in the feel of her warmth and tightness.

She wraps her legs around me, pulling me closer. Her scent, her taste, the feel of her against me all becomes too much.

"Layla," I groan.

She bucks against me, meeting me and silently asking for more.

"Harder, Brock, please."

I increase my pace, pounding into her, our bodies slapping together with each thrust. She moans, her voice mingling with mine as we lose ourselves in this primal connection.

I can feel her muscles clenching around me, the pleasure building up within her, matching the fire that burns inside me. Her nails scratch along my back, a stark contrast to the tenderness of her touch moments ago, but I welcome it. This is raw, this is real.

"Yes, harder," she growls, her eyes locked onto mine, the fiery passion reflected in our gazes.

I increase my pace even more, the bed creaking beneath us. She"s moaning loudly now, her body arching upward, meeting each thrust.

I can feel my release building, the heat starting to swell within me. I grip her hips, thrusting harder and faster, our bodies slamming together with a force that shakes the very walls of the house. The pleasure is overwhelming, our bodies twisting and turning, sweat glistening on our skin.

"I"m going to come," she gasps, her voice filled with urgency. "I"m coming."

That"s all it takes for me to lose control, my release exploding within her, filling her up completely. We both pant heavily, her head thrown back, her eyes wide with surrender.

We stay like that for a moment, our bodies locked in a primal embrace, the aftershocks of our passion still rippling through us. Finally, I gently pull out of her, collapsing beside her on the bed.

She reaches over and strokes my face, her fingers tracing the lines of my features. We lay there, arms entwined, our hearts pounding in rhythm with each other"s.