Page 12

Chapter 11

Penelope

My heart pounds as I rush into Harry’s hideous house, a house my sister didn’t want to move into and hates staying at. It’s bland and too white for my liking. It’s worse than my mother’s taste, and since I was disowned apparently Avery has been staying at our parents’ house quite a lot.

They’ve been standing by her and holding her up all while leaving me out to dust.

I shake my head, hating how my resentment keeps building. For the past month, I’ve held onto the passes my dad gave me the day I gave birth, contemplating attending a game. There was a pull, a big one. Still, with the restraining order, I was scared, which is why my dad was going to get it overturned. He was just waiting for a court date, but now, after so long, he’s here. Taylor is here, not denying the paternity, claiming to have been looking for me, and just like every time I’ve watched him play, which has been more aggressive lately, my body pulls to him, the need to wrap myself around him hard.

I wasn’t ready, I thought I was, but I wasn’t because now I need to keep myself detached for him to be a father, which will be hard because everything is still there.

He still makes my heart pound, my stomach tighten, and my pulse race.

With one touch, he still lights up my whole body, sending sparks throughout my skin.

“I hope you’re not causing problems, Penelope!” Harry growls as I walk into the living area, and I look his way to see every eye on me, and you know what, screw him.

I raise a brow at him and, without breaking my stride I retort, “I hope you’re not hitting your mistress like you do your wife, Harry.”

His eyes widen as everyone looks at him in shock, and he chuckles nervously before stating, “She-she’s kidding, right Penny?”

I curl my lip at him and continue my path to the kitchen, unwilling to deny his claims. Watching him try and worm his way out of this one will be fun to witness.

“Are you okay?” My sister asks as I walk into the kitchen.

I give her a small smile but don’t reply because well, I don’t really confide in her much anymore. Our relationship isn’t like it was after she didn’t stand by me when I needed her the most. Instead, I walk over to Dad, who pouts when I take my son from him, making me smirk as I gently lay my boy over my shoulder.

“You’re always taking him from me,” he complains like I haven’t just dragged Hudson’s father out by his ear after months of trying to get in touch with him.

I roll my eyes and remind him, “You take him every time you see me and not even Mom and Avery have held him much because you are a baby hog.”

Dad shrugs, not denying it, while my mother snorts.

“Can I hold him?” a voice sounds from behind me, and I turn to see the guy from the hospital.

I smile wide at him and state, “I know you.”

He smiles back, his smile just like Taylor's, a smile I recognized that day at work, and he replies, “I know you too. My niece still talks about Nurse Vine and how much she misses her. I just had no idea you were Taylor's girl.”

I smile sadly and state, “I’m not his girl,” but he just smirks knowing something I clearly don’t. I shake my head and say, “I don’t think it’s right you hold him before his father.”

He nods, understanding etching off him, and I turn and kiss my father’s cheek and mumble, “I’m going to go.”

He nods and kisses my forehead before kissing my son's head and before I can turn, I feel his presence.

My body buzzes, but I ignore it and turn, locking eyes with Taylors.

He shows me so much pain, but I try not to succumb to it because if I do, I’ll run into his arms and ask him never to let me go again. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe my father will try and destroy him, I mean, he’s a famous hockey player whose father is also a renowned ex-hockey player who owns a high-range security firm, but we need to focus on being parents and besides, he has a crazy agent.

I can’t deal with crazy without going crazy myself and hitting her.

Swallowing hard I walk over to him, his eyes stay firm on mine until I’m close and he looks down at our son. No doubt surrounds him, only disbelief, fear, pain, and love.

Oh this amazing, sweet, caring man, he just knows how to steal my heart.

His throat bobs as he looks back at me and asks, “Can I hold him?”

My eyes looks between his, and as much as I want to obey the restraining order, I nod.

I may have only known this man for a night, but I know without a doubt that, given a chance, he would have been there for me throughout my whole pregnancy. I believe him when he says he didn’t request the restraining order.

Why would he send me season passes to his games and then request a restraining order?

Carefully, I hand him our son, and not once does he look up from him. My eyes tear up yet again at the scene before me, a scene I have wished for since the day he was born. Instead, I get to see my dad holding him, something I never thought would happen.

Have I forgiven my father? No, not really, and he knows this, which is why I believe he forced me to move home for two weeks after I gave birth.

He and Mom were a big help, and Avery even stayed until I needed my own space again. You can’t just forget years of being belittled all because you wouldn’t accept a marriage contract, especially when they didn’t need it in the end. It is true that they only married Avery off because they wanted to be the best of the best, and the Calvins gave them that. Avery agreed willingly because she liked her lifestyle and if given another do over, they would have married her off to Tony instead.

Turns out he was the guy she slept with before marrying Harry and the guy she continues to sleep with, having an affair with her brother-in-law, something I’m not on board with because as I said, she chose this path.

I know it won’t be long until she divorces Harry, or at least I hope it won’t be because even if her husband is an abusive asshole with mistresses, staying in a loveless and sexless marriage while screwing your brother-in-law is not a good situation to be in. But, what do I know, I had my one night stands baby and haven’t had sex since said one-night stand.

“He’s perfect,” Taylor whispers and a few tears fall, but I quickly wipe them away.

“Can I hold him now that Tay has?” Dylan asks excitedly, and I snort while Taylor smirks.

He looks at his brother and questions, “Do you think Kaylah would be happy to know you held him first?”

Dylan pauses momentarily, looks at Hudson, looks back at his brother, and confirms, “I’m willing to take the punishment she’ll give me, even if it’s a tea party dressed as Cinderella.”

I turn to my sister and raise a brow while she burrows into our father, something she does when we’re around her husband because she can’t do it to Tony, and bites her fist to stop her laughter.

Taylor sighs, and I see him looking down at our son with nothing but love. The guilt of not even contacting his sister or brother hits hard.

I know it shouldn’t because Elena blacklisted me and most likely would have gotten my ass fired if I had gone into Kaylah’s medical records but still, I could have tried.

“One minute,” I say, answering Dylan, who fist bumps and carefully takes Hudson from his reluctant father. He looks my way for a moment, but I look away from him, not able to face him right now.

I need a minute or twenty. I need to leave. My emotions are all over the place, and this isn’t how I thought he’d find out about his son.

I turn my head and make eye contact with my father. He nods, and I know he’s going to speak to Taylor for me to give me a break. A little part of me is grateful, and yes, it does put him a little higher on my respect list.

One day, I hope to forgive him for his treatment of me growing up, the pushing me to do everything they wanted for my future to make them look good, and I think I will because I’m strong and independent. I worked my ass off to get my career and to get to where I am today and because of them I became who I wanted to be. I’m proud of who I am, it’ll just take time.

I give him a nod back and walk over to Dylan, who sees me coming and pouts but hands my son over. I give him a smile and side-eye Taylor, then state, “Until the restraining order is gone, we can’t be near each other.” He tenses, so I look at him, “I have a child to think of.”

That said, I walk away, trying my hardest to keep my head held high and stay strong. Everything in me tells me to go back to him, but I ignore it and leave the house, walking to my car.

This is for the best, and I know it. He has a life, and while yes, he’s no longer with that girl, he’s still not ready for a baby and a baby momma. It’s best he focuses on his family, his career, and his son, not adding a one-night stand into the mix, a one-night stand he probably barely remembered—heck, seeing me today, he probably thought he could act like it didn’t happen until he saw Hudson in my arms.

We’re better off being friends.

Right?