Page 11

Clay

I glanced down at my phone and saw I had an unread text message from Peyton. A smile came to my lips as I glanced around the room, making sure that Knox wasn’t behind me, before I opened her message.

PEYTON: When you get a minute, I’d like to talk to you. Can you please message me?

I frowned. We’d been messaging on and off since we’d gotten back from Vermont, and she had never started a message this way. Normally, they were fun and playful, some were flirty, and occasionally her messages were sexy as hell. Our phone conversations had been the same, but this, this was different. It was direct and to the point.

I quickly typed back, asking if everything was okay, and waited for a few seconds to see if she responded. When I heard Knox’s voice and then his laugh coming toward me, I quickly shoved my phone into my locker. He came walking in with Levi and made his way over to his locker, before turning to me.

“Hey, man, Lorelai wants to know if you are planning on joining us for dinner tonight?” Knox questioned as he pulled his jeans and sweater from his locker. “Her and Mom are making a huge Italian meal—lasagna, garlic bread, meatballs and some sinful desert that will probably add ten pounds to us. We probably shouldn’t eat it before the game, but what the hell?”

“Is that an invitation or is that Lorelai telling me I should be there?” I chuckled.

Ever since Lorelai found out that something had happened to my family, she’d been trying to include me anywhere and everywhere she could, which I appreciated, but I didn’t want it to become a habit because I didn’t want her to feel that she had to.

Knox laughed. “Let’s just say you better be there. I forgot to ask when we were in Vermont, so I’ve sort of been in the doghouse, until last night that is,” he said, raising his eyebrows in gest.

We’d just finished practice and had tonight off, along with most of tomorrow, when we played the sixth game of the seven with the Ice Hawks.

“Anyone else from the team coming?” I asked, dropping my towel and slipping into my grey Dominator joggers and sweatshirt.

“Dylan and Aurora will be there. I’ve put the invite to Lucas and Ella, and Levi and Colton, as she would like to meet them, but the only ones we’ve heard from are Ella and Lucas, until today that is. They unfortunately cannot make it. Poor guy is having dinner with her dad. Levi here said he has some sort of date to go on, and Colton still hasn’t answered yet.”

“Shit, glad I’m not Lucas.” I chuckled.

The last person I’d want to have dinner with was Larson. Yet he took the news of them marrying way better than we all thought he would. We’d been prepared to give Lucas a sendoff, but thankfully, it didn’t come to that. Although, if Knox ever found out that his sister and I had been together, maybe I’d wish I were having dinner with Larson and fucking his daughter instead. He seemed less scary than Knox; and I knew when Knox found out, because let’s face it, it was only a matter of time, I probably wouldn’t be playing hockey any longer, because Knox would make sure I couldn’t.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll be there. Don’t want you in the doghouse with Lorelai.” I chuckled.

“I don’t want to be in the doghouse, either. It’s a hell of a place to be.”

“I’m sure. I’ve got to get going. See you at what, seven?”

“Be there for six. We’ll have drinks and talk game talk while the girls help my mom getting everything out on the table.”

“Sounds good.”

I splashed a bit of cologne on my neck, grabbed the two bottles of wine I’d picked up earlier for tonight, and headed out the door. I still hadn’t heard a response from Peyton and wondered if I should call her on my way for dinner but decided against it. She was probably at work and wouldn’t be able to talk. It was the only reason I could think why she hadn’t messaged me back, and since I’d have limited time to talk, I made a mental note to call her later tonight once I was home, when we could have some privacy.

“Clay, I’m so glad to see you,” Lorelai greeted as she opened the door and stepped to the side, letting me in.

She smiled as I handed her the two bottles of wine I’d brought. “Thank you, these are lovely,” she said, leaning in and placing a kiss on my cheek. “You really didn’t have to go to the trouble.”

“I wanted to.” I winked, pulling her against me for a hug and another quick peck on the cheek.

“Hey, hey…no man better be kissing my wife.” Knox chuckled as he came over, greeting me with a fist bump, handing me a bottle of water.

“Slow down there, she’s still fair game. She isn’t your wife yet.” I chuckled.

“Watch him!” Dylan shouted from inside the house. “He loves kissing Aurora, too.”

“Are you really that insecure?” Aurora yelled back as she poked her head around the corner from where she was in the kitchen. She waved and then smiled my way.

“Yeah, what she said. Besides, what’s the problem, jealous?” Lorelai questioned, looking at Knox before leaning in and kissing my cheek again. “Afraid I may run off with Clay and that he’ll satisfy me better than you do,” she said, patting my chest.

“Hey, don’t you dare bring me into your little love den. You will run away with me if you do,” I said, pulling her against me as she giggled. “Don’t deny it, you know it’s true.”

Knox shook his head. “Kill it, Harris.” He chucked, looking at Lorelai.

“Yes, please, kill it!” Dylan shouted again, causing us all to laugh.

“Just stating facts,” I said.

“Remember that thing I did last night?” Knox questioned, his voice low enough, even I could barely hear him as he looked her straight in the eye.

I looked at Lorelai and saw her cheeks flush as she looked at me.

“Yes.”

“Would you like it again? If you do, you won’t go kissing another man.” He pulled her to his side and chuckled as he hugged her tight.

“Insecure much…” I chuckled as I looked at Knox.

“Shut up! I’m not insecure. Just reminding her what she has.”

“Why do you feel the need, she never had me to begin with, so it’s not necessary.”

“Guys, that’s enough. This is a stupid conversation.” Lorelai giggled as she looked at me and smiled as she shook her head. “I’m not running off with anyone, and thanks for the wine, Clay.”

“You’re welcome.” I winked, following Knox into the living room to find Dylan watching the sports channel.

“Hey, man,” I said, grabbing a seat on the couch across from Dylan, who was chugging back a bottle of water.

“’Bout time you got here. We need to talk strategy for the game tomorrow,” he said, leaning forward. “Rest of the guys should be here, too. After all, we are the starting lineup.”

“Ah, we’ll plan, then fill them in,” I said.

I glanced into the kitchen to see a very pregnant Aurora sitting on a kitchen stool making a salad, while Lorelai and Reese were busy rolling meatballs. I was just about to turn my attention to what the guys were saying when I saw movement in the hallway.

Peyton came around the corner wearing a dark pair of jeans and a beige sweater. My eyes ran over her curves as she glanced in my direction. She gave me a tiny but awkward smile and then went to stand beside her mother. I had no clue she was going to be here, but I was glad she was. Like before, she’d not been far from my mind, and I hoped that we’d have a chance to talk at some point tonight.

The three of us got down to business and began planning our strategy for the upcoming games, and then, when asked, Dylan and Knox got up to help the girls out in the kitchen. I’d noticed Peyton had excused herself from the kitchen a while ago, and I was curious about where she’d gone, so I quietly took off down the hall toward the bathroom.

I was just about to open the door when the door pulled open, and Peyton stood before me. Her eyes were bloodshot, almost like she’d been crying.

“Everything okay?” I asked quietly, not wanting anyone to hear me. She looked a little pale.

She looked over my shoulder down the hall and then pulled me into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it.

Standing there, ringing her hands together, she looked to the floor instead of at me. Something was wrong, I could tell. I’d never seen her like this before. Even the night that I’d run into her in the bar after she’d dealt with security and the police for shoplifting, she wasn’t this worked up.

“Where is my brother?” she asked, quietly.

“Everyone’s in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. It’s almost ready.”

“Shouldn’t you be out there helping?” she questioned.

“Don’t worry about me.”

She nodded and then turned away from me and began pacing back and forth. “I messaged you.”

“I know. I responded, but you didn’t answer me back.”

“I know. I don’t know why I didn’t respond,” she mumbled, still not facing me.

“When did you get here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“Knox picked me up last night,” she whispered, finally turning to look at me.

“Are you feeling okay?” I questioned, taking in her pale skin tone and flushed cheeks. I placed my hand on her cheek. Her skin was cool to the touch; despite looking like she was on fire.

She bit her bottom lip and brought her eyes to mine and shook her head.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I um, I found out…I’m pregnant,” she whispered.

As I stood there, Peyton watching me, I went from being fine one moment to my mind whizzing as her words registered in my mind. She was pregnant. She was pregnant. The words repeated over and over as I stared at her.

I was certain the color had drained from my face as well. Then as I stood there looking at her, while she waited for a response, I mentally did the math from the first time we were together until now. It had been almost six weeks, and from what I remembered, that was about the time Aurora had showed signs of morning sickness.

Was it mine?

We’d used a condom. I’d checked to make sure the sucker hadn’t ripped, which it hadn’t. As I stood there staring back at her, it came to me. The last time we’d done it that first night, I’d run out of them. Desperate for more of her, I’d slipped inside of her without a condom. I’d planned on pulling out…

I guess it didn’t matter now, I thought to myself. The one and only time I’d ever gone unprotected… My eyes landed on Peyton’s, and I was about to ask her what I should have immediately questioned, instead of trying to conclude myself, but she’d already walked over to the door and opened it, stepping out into the hall. She didn’t even look back at me. She walked out and shut the door, leaving me in the bathroom.