Page 14

Chapter 14

What If…?!

Miles

I was mid-conversation with one of our strength coaches in the hallway when movement caught my eye. Dominic was exiting Nora’s office, and although he didn’t slam the door behind him, the tension rolling off his body was enough to make me pause mid-sentence. His shoulders were hunched, his jaw tight, and his eyes were locked straight ahead. He looked like a guy trying to walk away from a fire without breaking into a run.

The nearest exit was to the right. Instead, he veered left, down the corridor that looped past the medical rooms and the weight area. I watched him disappear around the corner without so much as a glance back.

Not good.

I glanced toward Nora’s office. The door stayed closed.

I excused myself from the conversation, gave it a beat, then casually drifted closer. I didn’t knock or open the door but hovered nearby, waiting to see if she’d come out.

Coach Lovell walked down the hall right toward me. “Hoping for some ice dance time again?”

“Uh… no. Just checking on a couple of things.” I kept my voice neutral, even though my face felt like it was betraying me. Did he suspect something was going on between me and Nora?

He paused, like he might press, then gave a short nod. “Don’t stay too late. You need to rest up before our away series.”

“Yes, sir.”

He tapped my arm with his clipboard and continued on down the hall. The moment he turned the corner, I headed the opposite direction toward the same corridor Dominic had vanished into.

The hallway was quiet, the buzz of post-practice activity fading with every step. I passed the rehab room, then the conditioning space, and found him sitting on the bench outside the weight room, hunched over his phone like it held the answers to all his problems.

I stopped a few feet away, close enough that he’d hear me breathing if he wasn’t so absorbed in scrolling. His face was a wreck with red-rimmed eyes and flared nostrils, and his knuckles were white against the black of his phone case.

“Dom.”

His head jerked up, eyes wild for a split second before recognition set in. He immediately darkened his screen and shoved the phone into his pocket.

But not before I saw what he was searching for.

Pregnancy.

Oh, fuck.

My whole body went cold as the pieces snapped into place with brutal clarity. There had been a weird energy between them, and Nora had been a little off-kilter.

“What do you want?” His words came out hoarse, like he’d been screaming—or holding back screams.

“Saw you bolt from Nora’s office looking like you’d seen a ghost.” I aimed for easygoing, leaning against the wall with forced nonchalance while my mind raced through a thousand scenarios, none of them good. “Thought I’d check if you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.” He launched himself up so fast that the metal bench slammed against the cinder block wall with a hollow clang that echoed down the empty corridor. “Just heading out.”

I stepped sideways, putting my body between Dominic and freedom. The corridor felt smaller with both of us in it, the fluorescent lights casting harsh shadows across his face that made the panic even more obvious. “Cut the bullshit, Wilson. What happened?”

“Nothing. Coaching stuff.” He tried to sidestep me, his eyes darting past my shoulder like he was mapping an escape route.

“Coach stuff doesn’t make you search pregnancy forums in a panic.” I kept my voice low and gentle, remembering how he’d looked exactly this panicked the time his father had shown up unannounced at practice last season. Dominic needed an ally right now, not another source of pressure.

He froze, the remaining color draining from his already pale face. “You were spying on me?”

“I have eyes.” I crossed my arms. “And you weren’t exactly being subtle.”

Dominic’s jaw worked silently, like he was chewing on words he couldn’t quite spit out. Then he sank back down onto the bench, all the fight draining out of him at once. “She’s pregnant. And it’s mine. Well, so she says.”

Even though I’d already figured it out, hearing him say it knocked the wind out of me. My chest constricted, a complicated tangle of emotions I didn’t have time to untangle.

“Holy shit,” I managed. Thoughts? Gone. Just static. The fluorescent lights were suddenly too bright and too harsh for this kind of conversation. “How... when did this happen?”

“Remember that charity thing I went to on a yacht?”

“Yeah.” I remembered because he’d texted me increasingly tipsy complaints about the whole thing all evening.

“It was a mistake. A fucking mess of a mistake. One time...” He paused, grimacing. “Well, technically two.” He dropped his head into his hands, fingers digging into his scalp hard enough to leave marks. “And now everything’s screwed.”

I lowered myself onto the bench next to him, leaving enough space that he wouldn’t feel crowded. I’d known Dominic for years, seen him at his lowest, but never quite like this.

“Did she just tell you?”

He nodded without looking up.

“And you... what? Ran out on her?” The incredulity in my voice was impossible to hide.

His head snapped up. “What was I supposed to do? Stand there and pretend this isn’t a complete disaster?”

“I don’t know, maybe not leave her sitting alone in her office?” I hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but seeing Nora’s closed door, imagining her sitting there by herself after Dominic bailed, lit a protective fire in my gut.

“You don’t understand.” He pushed to his feet, agitation vibrating through every movement. “My career is hanging by a thread as it is. The press constantly compares me to my father. My stats are in the toilet. And now this? A fucking baby?”

I stayed seated, watching him pace. “First off, your career is not hanging by a thread. And you’re saying this is all Nora’s problem now? You knocked her up and bailed because you’re scared?”

“It’s not that simple,” he growled. “I’m an embarrassment. When Coach finds out I knocked up a coach… he should do exactly what my dad said he should and kick me to the farm team.”

I winced. I’d witnessed Dominic’s dad’s brand of motivation several times. It wasn’t pretty. And after yesterday’s epic loss, I could only imagine what his father had said to him. Clearly, it wasn’t good if he was calling himself an embarrassment and talking about moving down.

“That’s fucked up. But your dad being an asshole doesn’t give you a free pass to be one too.”

“You think I don’t know that?” His voice rose, echoing in the empty hallway. “You think I feel good about leaving her there? But what the hell am I supposed to do, Miles? I can barely manage my own life right now.”

He slumped against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, knees pulled up to his chest. The position made him look fragile. “I’m going to screw this up. I’m going to ruin this kid’s life before it even starts. And Nora—” He broke off, swallowing hard. “She deserves better than this. Better than me.”

I studied him, this man I’d known for years, my teammate, my friend, currently folded in on himself like he was trying to disappear. In all our time together, I’d never seen him this raw.

“So that’s it? You’re giving up before you even try?”

His head fell back against the wall with a soft thud. “What am I supposed to try? Playing happy family while my career implodes? Telling my father his legacy is going to include an unexpected grandkid with the team’s skating coach? The press will have a field day. The team will reassign her or fire her. Everything’s fucked.”

“You know what’s really fucked?” I stood up, unable to sit still any longer. “You left Nora to deal with this alone because you’re too caught up in your own head.”

“I needed a minute.”

“She doesn’t have the luxury of ‘needing a minute,’ Dom. She’s pregnant. With your kid.” The words scalded my throat. “And instead of stepping up, you’re out here feeling sorry for yourself.”

His shoulders jerked like I’d slapped him, and his eyes narrowed. “Easy for you to say. This isn’t happening to you.”

“No, it’s not.” I tried to steady myself before I kicked him. “But I know enough about responsibility to understand that when you help create a situation, you don’t walk away from it.”

I turned to leave, disgusted and disappointed, but mostly worried about Nora. How many minutes had passed with her alone in that office?

“Where are you going?” Dominic called after me.

I didn’t turn around. “To check on Nora. Since apparently, I’m the only one who gives a damn.”

The walk to Nora’s office felt too long, my thoughts racing ahead of my footsteps. What would I say to her? Would my presence make things better or worse?

None of that mattered right now. What mattered was that she wasn’t alone.

I knocked softly, and she called for me to come in, so I pushed the door open. She sat at her desk, staring at the screen of her computer without seeming to see it. Her posture was too perfect, as if every muscle was locked to keep her from collapsing.

“Hey.” I kept my voice gentle.

She looked up, her eyes red but dry, her smile a fragile, automatic thing that didn’t reach her eyes. “Miles. Did you need something?”

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. “Just checking on you.”

A flicker of something crossed her face. “You talked to Dominic?”

“Yeah.” I gestured to a chair, and she nodded before I sat. “He told me. About the baby.”

Her gaze dropped to her hands folded neatly on the desk. “A female coach getting knocked up by a player.” A hollow laugh escaped her. “Talk about a cliché.”

“Don’t do that.” I wanted to go around the desk and pull her into a hug, but we weren’t that close.

“Do what? Face reality? My career is on the line here. Everything I’ve worked for.”

“I know.” I reached across the desk, not quite touching her hands but close enough that she could reach for mine if she wanted to. “But you’re not alone in this.”

She glanced up, skepticism clear in her eyes. “Aren’t I? Dom bolted like his skates were on fire. I shouldn’t have expected anything different. I knew this wouldn’t go well.”

“He’s scared.” Not an excuse, just a fact. “He’ll come around once he comes to terms with the fact that plans can change and everything doesn’t have to fall apart.”

“Doesn’t it, though?” She gestured vaguely at the office. “How exactly do you see this playing out? The team finds out their skating coach is pregnant with a star player’s baby. Management scrambles to contain the fallout. Media does what it always does. I get quietly reassigned to some development camp in the middle of nowhere if I’m lucky.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“It is.” Her eyes met mine, fierce despite their redness. “We both know how this works. The woman always takes the fall. Especially when she’s the one in the professional position.”

I couldn’t argue with that, unfortunately. The unfairness of it all made my jaw clench, but she was right. I’d seen it happen before, watched talented women get sidelined for far less controversial situations than this. “What can I do?” I leaned forward, meaning it with every fiber of my being. If there was any way to shield her from the inevitable fallout, I wanted to help. Maybe it was selfish of me, this need to protect her, but I couldn’t help myself.

She stared at me, searching my face like she was trying to find the catch. “You don’t have to do anything, Miles. This isn’t your mess.”

“I know I don’t have to.” I shrugged. “I want to help. If you’ll let me.”

Something in her expression softened. “Why?”

Because I’ve been half in love with you since we were teenagers. Because seeing you hurt makes me want to fix everything. Because I’d do anything to make you smile again.

I couldn’t exactly say that, though, so I settled on the next best thing. “Because you matter to me, and I don’t like seeing my friends struggle alone.”

She studied me for a long moment, then let out a shaky breath. “I don’t even know what I need right now. Everything feels overwhelming.”

“Start small.” I offered a gentle smile. “Food? A ride home? Someone to yell at?”

That got a small laugh from her. “Food might be good.”

A sharp knock interrupted us, the door swinging open before either of us could respond. Dominic stood in the doorway, eyes bloodshot and hair a mess where he’d clearly been running his hands through it.

Nora immediately straightened, her face closing off into that professional mask she wore so well. “Dominic.”

He stepped into the office, gaze flickering between us before settling on Nora. “I wanted to apologize for walking out like that.”

“It’s fine.” Her tone was coolly polite, giving nothing away. “I understand it was a shock.”

“It’s not fine.” He shut the door and sat down in the chair next to me. “Nothing about how I reacted was okay. I panicked, but that’s not an excuse. I shouldn’t have left.”

Nora’s expression softened fractionally. “I know this isn’t what either of us planned. It’s not a big deal. No one needs to know you’re the father, and if you don’t want to be involved, I get it. Carter has already decided to step up.”

Dominic stiffened beside me, and his hands gripped the armrests. “I want to be involved, but I don’t know how or if it can be kept on the down low. People are going to notice me walking into a doctor’s office with a pregnant woman. As much as you annoy me as a coach, I don’t want you to lose your job.”

“Gee, thanks.” She tapped her fingers against the desk in thought. “We could try saying that we were already seeing each other before I was even brought on as a coach.”

Dominic shook his head. “No one will believe that… and even if they did, there are pictures and articles about my sex life.”

The room fell silent, and my mind started to spin with an idea. An idea so out there that I shook my head at myself, drawing both Nora’s and Dominic’s attention.

“What’s wrong? Your face is the reddest I’ve seen it get.” Dominic looked truly concerned, and hell, I was too.

I scooted to the edge of my chair, turning to have a better view of both of their faces. “What if we said I was dating Nora and that it’s my baby?”