Page 20

Chapter 19

Penelope

I swallow the lump in my throat as I check the time; my nerves shot.

Taylor should be coming home today, and everything inside me needs to lay eyes on him and not just on a screen.

Three days, that is how long it’s been since he was knocked out. Every night since he has FaceTimed me where I’ve fallen asleep. Even when Hudson woke during the night, the connection was still there, and he was awake every time and spoke to me until I fell asleep again.

He soothed me and settled the ache in my heart after watching him go down like that.

The other team, the Sparks, got disqualified for the rest of the season and has been put on probation. The defenseman who hit Taylor not only received a hefty fine but is now undergoing an investigation along with Elena; the allegations the players are making about her, and the lies that she told to rile them up are all over the media.

He could lose his spot or be demoted while she will lose her license, but it isn’t enough in my book.

He could have killed him!

My heart thumps in my chest, my gut tightening at the thought, and my tears well up yet again.

Seeing him go down like that, hearing the announcers claiming repeatedly that no news was given on his condition, all while his phone kept ringing, I thought I was going to be sick and even hearing his voice, it wasn’t enough, I had to see him.

I take deep breaths as I count all the syringes on the shelf, write the total down on the clipboard, and move over to the bedpans.

This was well overdue, and with how I’ve been feeling since Taylor’s hit, I quickly volunteered myself, especially with me being put on light duty work since he went down on the ice. My feet hurt and my back aches after doing this for three hours – this storage room is the sixth one I’ve been in – but it helps keep my mind occupied.

I can’t admit to how I feel. I know it’s there, my reaction proof of that, the sobs that wretched from me making it hard to breathe, but I can’t commit my heart to him. Not until I know he’s there for our son, that he wants me for me and not because I birthed his child.

I need to know I am his like he says, but I don’t see what he can do to prove that. So far, he’s done everything to show me he means business, yet something is holding me back.

Maybe it’s my childhood, my family’s insistence on an arranged marriage? Perhaps, I just don’t want to put myself in a position to depend on someone.

I sigh as I stretch my back, then go to the next shelf, hoping counting will stop my thoughts when there’s a knock at the door and I turn to see Doctor James.

“How’s it going?” he asks with a soft smile.

I wince and state, “Five storage rooms are complete, and I’ve done half of this one.”

He nods as he looks around the organizing I’ve done and asks, “How’s Taylor?”

I smile and say, “He’s doing okay. He's going crazy with not being on the ice, though.”

He snorts, “I can imagine. I don’t know what I’d do if I was told I could only watch as someone else does my job, but at least the guys are three to five on wins since being away.”

Yeah, and only because two of those wins were down to Taylor being out. Since he’s been benched with a concussion, they’ve lost two games. Last night, they lost because Ezra was put in the sin bin when the other team's center goaded him about Taylor, who just smirked.

The news outlets now think they’ll lose the cup this year, but if Taylor has his way, he and his team will prove them wrong.

He wants a picture holding his son and the cup while his son places a hand on it.

Doctor James sighs, “Anyway, I came to inform you that your sister is back in the ER,” I slowly close my eyes.

This is the third time she’s had to come to the hospital.

Tony kicked the crap out of his brother a few months ago when he hurt her again for the first time in months, all because she wouldn’t sleep with him.

The ass broke her rib and yet she still stayed despite dad stating she could leave him.

“Okay, I’ll head down there now,” I say.

He gives me a sympathetic smile before leaving while I grab my phone and, without thinking, write out the message.

Me: Harry has put Avery in the ER again; Doctor Hottie informed me xx

I press send to Taylor, then put my phone away before walking out of the room, locking the door behind me, fully aware I messaged Taylor instead of my dad. This says a lot, really, about where my mind set is concerning him.

Shaking my head, I walk over to Kelly, who smiles sympathetically. I give her a smile and state, “Half of the storage room on this floor is complete.”

She nods and takes the clipboard, and I turn and go to the elevator as my phone buzzes.

I get it out and smile at seeing Taylor's reply.

Baby daddy: I’m going to fucking kill him! Keep me updated, and stop calling him Doctor Hottie! xoxo

Shaking my head with a chuckle, I put my phone back into my pocket and enter the elevator before pressing the button to go down. Then, I lean against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest.

This is it. She’s not returning to him, I’ll make sure of it. I don’t care if he’s paying for all her worthless shit. If she loves Tony as much as she says, she’ll leave Harry.

Once the doors open, I walk out of the elevator and head to the nurse’s desk and as soon as Hallie sees me, her light blue eyes soften. She nods to room four, and I give her a smile back and walk that way. Like the last two times, I walk in without announcing myself.

“Please tell me you kicked the crap outta him?!” I snap at Tony, sitting next to my sister, as my eyes latch onto my sister’s form.

Her eye is swollen shut, her lip is cut, her nose is bleeding, and my anger builds.

“I didn’t have to,” he rasps, and I look his way and raise a brow. He smirks and admits, “Dad did,” and my brows hit my hairline in shock. He continues, “We walked in to find him plowing on Avery and he went ballistic. He broke his nose, kicked the shit outta his stomach, then had him arrested.”

I nod, then look at Avery and confirm, “He found out about you two, didn’t he?”

She nods as her tears fall, and I grit my teeth. I told her to either stop sleeping with Tony or leave him because this will not end well and what a shocker, she's in hospital.

Sometimes my sister can be very self-absorbed. She thought she could have the best of both worlds and well, that has failed her.

Shaking my head, I walk over to her then gently wipe away her tears as she whispers, “He had my phone and saw all the pictures and when I said we’re not a real couple, that he’s gotten two of his mistresses pregnant that could cost him his position, he smacked me across the face.”

I inhale deeply and demand, “You will send him divorce papers, and you will send them today. Do I make myself clear?”

She smirks, but when I give her the stink eye, she admits, “I handed them to him; that is why he went crazy.”

“Dad forced him to sign them before he blacked out and your dad had them filed instantly,” Tony admits, and I nod again, trying not to show my bitter resentment that he was there for her yet, they all abandoned me.

Sighing I look between them and demand again, “As soon as the divorce is finalized, as soon as Avery has taken time to get her head straight, you two are eloping, got it?”

Tony grins but nods as my sister blushes before her body trembles, her situation catching up on her.

I sigh and carefully take her into my arms, and she whispers, “I’m sorry I pulled you from work again.”

I scoff and admit, “All I was doing was inventory. Kelly already had me on light duty, and honestly, the distraction is good for me.”

She nods while Tony asks, “Have you given in to your feelings yet?”

I playfully narrow my eyes at him, making him smile softly at me before I admit, “No, I haven’t, I’m not ready.”

“What are you waiting for?” Avery asks as she pulls back, and I swallow hard.

“I don’t know,” I admit, “I know how I feel, especially after the other day. My heart rate still hasn’t come down, and I don’t think it will until I see him in person. But something is keeping me back, and I think it may have something to do with Dad.”

Tony nods in understanding and states, “Maybe speak to him, see if you can get some closure over your childhood. You got treated completely different to Avery because you didn’t yield and maybe you need to open up about your true feelings over it then you can let Taylor in because, let’s face it, you gave that man your heart the night you conceived your son.”

I swallow hard at his words but nod, knowing he’s right even though fear is taking hold of me.

What if I’m not who he really wants? What if I give him my all, and he runs?

Guess those are questions I need to figure out if I can live with by giving him a chance.

“Okay, little man, bath, bottle, then bed. Momma is tired,” I mumble as I drag my tired body up the seven flights of stairs while carrying my son, his bag, and mine.

I really should have accepted my dad’s offer and moved to an apartment with an elevator.

After my sister was discharged, she admitted to hitting Harry first and I flipped out on her. She knows he’s stronger and she knows he’d beat her and yet she lashed out then demanded to move in with Tony way too soon. As soon as I gave her some real truths about needing to heal, she screamed at me in front of my peers that I’m trying to ruin her chance at happiness like our parents causing Tony to pull her back.

She did apologize when she realized what she did and said knowing it was bull especially when she agreed to the marriage. I get she’s in shock, that she’s been through a lot, but she knew what Harry would do if he caught on she was screwing his brother.

She put herself in a dangerous situation then blamed me, but I won’t hold it against her.

She’s my sister.

Hudson mumbles, “Mumumum,” as he grips my hair, and I smile a little.

It sounds like he’s saying mom, but I know he isn’t, not yet. If anything, his first words will most likely be Dada and besides, he’s only just over two months old, so we still have time. Though he is already holding his head up, so what do I know?

“I know Huddy,” I answer him and say, “shall we call dada so he can see how big you are getting huh?”

“Mumumum,” he replies, making me smile.

As I get to the top of the stairs, a deep voice says, “Or you could just hand him over to me,” and I look up in shock.

My eyes connect with Taylor's dark blue ones, and everything around me disappears as I take him in. Standing outside my open door, wearing just sweats and I can see he’s been here a while.

My eyes go over him and they tear seeing a bruise on the right side of his jaw and another going down his whole side.

“I’m okay, Firecracker,” he confirms, “I had all the tests when I got in this morning, and all came back clear; the paperwork is on the counter as proof.”

I sniffle as I make eye contact with him again, I walk over to him without a word. He furrows his brows when I drop the bags but soon gets the memo when I push my body into his with our son and place my head over his heart, the beating instantly soothing me as he wraps his arms around me. I allow my tears to fall, and I allow the feelings I have tried so hard to squash to overcome me.

I’m in love with him.