Page 9

Peyton

Over the past couple of days, I’d not only got to spend a couple nights with Clay, but I finally explained everything that had happened to my brother. For the first time that I could remember, Knox sat and listened to everything I had to tell him without saying a word, and when I say everything, I held nothing back regarding the situation with Tor. I wanted him to trust me; I needed him to trust me, because I didn’t want bad blood between us any longer.

“I’m proud of you, Peyton,” Knox said, shoveling food into his mouth at lunch.

“Thanks.”

“Seriously, it took a lot for you to do that, and I’m glad you did it.”

“It did, but, Knox, it felt so good to get rid of him.”

“It’s only going to go up from here,” he said, nodding at the dessert menu. “Pick something, whatever you want.”

I opened the menu and immediately decided on the apple crumble. It wasn’t something I ever ate—hated it actually—but one look at the picture and I could almost smell and taste the apples and cinnamon.

“What are you going to have?” he asked.

“Apple crumble.”

Knox gave me a questioning glance. “Peyton, you hate apple crumble.”

It was true; I hated apple crumble. It was something that my mother had made on a weekly basis when I grew up, and yet I’d only ever tried it one time, immediately hating it. However, looking at the picture on the menu, it looked so good it caused my stomach to grumble.

“It’s like it’s calling to me.” I giggled.

“Okay, well, we will make it two, and if you don’t want yours after all, I’ll just eat it.” Knox chuckled. “Then you can choose something you’ll actually like.”

The two of us grew quiet while Knox checked his phone. Then I cleared my throat.

“Knox, I’ve given moving some thought as well,” I said, closing the menu.

“And?” he asked, placing his phone on the table.

“And if Mom moves to Vancouver, then I’m on board. I think the change of city, of pace, might do me good.”

“Great, I’ll have to let Mom know. She’ll be so excited to hear this.”

“No, please don’t tell her. I’d like to be the one to let her know.”

Knox nodded. “Sure thing. I promise I won’t say a word.”

When the server approached, Knox ordered our desert and then turned his attention back to me. “Oh, by the way, where were you last night?” he questioned.

“What do you mean? I was in my room,” I said, swallowing hard.

Knox shook his head. “No, I stopped by, knocked, and waited. There was no answer.”

“What time? I could have been in the shower,” I answered.

“A little after eleven thirty.”

I could feel my cheeks heating. A little after eleven, I’d wandered down to Clay’s room using the stairs to avoid the possibility of being caught by Knox or any other guy on the team. I’d seen Colton slip into his room at the far end of the hall and was certain he’d caught sight of me just as Clay had opened the door.

I shifted in my seat. “You’re sure you had the right room?”

“Pretty sure. I did book it.”

“Why are you asking?” I questioned, folding the corner of my napkin, hoping I didn’t sound suspicious.

“Colton mentioned he thought he saw you outside of Clay’s door a little before eleven. Guess I’m paranoid. I’m in the room beside him, and I know he had some company last night. I could hear them through the wall. I was going to knock on his door after Colton messaged me, but figured I’d check on you instead of bothering Clay.”

“Oh wait, I ran down to the store in the lobby to grab a snack before they closed. While I was there, I got a message from Elsie letting me know she was coming over for dinner when I get back. Then she called me.

“What snack did you get?” he questioned.

Immediately, I answered the first thing I thought of. “Skittles.”

I hated skittles more than I hated apple crumble. I did not know why I’d picked the only piece of candy I hated.

I knew why, because I panicked. I’d had no choice but to lie to him about this, otherwise the pair of us would be disowned.

“You hate skittles.”

“Oh, not anymore. They are my new favourite. Elsie got me hooked on them, and I can’t get enough of them.”

Just then, the server returned with our apple crumble and slid the two pieces in front of each of us. Knox picked up his fork, digging into his, while I did the same.

“Well, I hope you enjoyed them, and I hope you enjoy this desert,” Knox said, watching as I took my first bite.

I was so glad my brother was proud of me for standing up for myself, which only made the fact I’d just lied to him make me feel even worse. We ate our dessert and then made our way over to the arena where I watched as they beat the Ice Hawks five to nothing in the last game here in Vermont.

I waited around, hoping to not only say goodbye to my brother but to sneak off with Clay for a few minutes before they left, but immediately they were swept off to the airport shortly after they’d got out of the locker room.

I made my way back to the hotel and spent one more night alone, and in the morning, I drove back home, making it in time for my shift at work.

“So, are you really thinking of moving to Vancouver?” Elsie asked as she cubed up the chicken she’d brought for dinner.

I was so excited to have something home cooked that I was practically salivating. The last couple of days I’d eaten dinner with the team, and even Knox mentioned how my appetite had picked up. I’d been hungrier than normal, but then I’d barely eaten for weeks after Tor and William had been at the house. I hadn’t mentioned that to him, though, mainly because I didn’t want him to worry about me.

“I think so. Honestly, it makes the most sense. Tor and I are over. My boss is being an enormous dick, and well, don’t forget the nightmare that is William.”

“How could I forget that? I can’t believe your mom entered a relationship with that guy. He’s so icky.”

I giggled. “I know, but then you say that about me and Tor.”

“Honestly, Tor is icky too, but it’s not just that. It’s because I know what kind of jackass he is.” She giggled. “Pass me the potatoes.”

I grabbed the small bag of potatoes she’d brought to her and watched as she cut those up as well. “What are we having again?”

“Curry chicken and potato in roti. You are going to love it,” she said, winking at me.

“Hope you are right,” I said, never having tried that dish before.

She added the potatoes to the boiling pot of water and then added the chicken into a pan, letting it cook.

“How was your stay in Vancouver?”

I’d not mentioned anything that had happened in Vancouver this time to anyone. Elsie was my best friend, and I still wasn’t even comfortable enough to mention my time with Clay. I’d told her about my previous stay and running into him the night Knox had made me face security for stealing. I’d told her about the drinks we’d shared and how we’d spent some time getting to know one another. I’d told her about the kiss we’d shared that night in the car and how he’d profusely apologized afterward when he dropped me off. I’d told her how we’d shared the occasional text message after that, how he’d check in on me, but that ended about a month later, and since then I’d not mentioned his name.

“It was good.”

“What about Vermont? I saw they kicked the Ice Hawks’ ass.”

“Yeah, it was a good time, and I finally patched things up with my brother. He was happy to hear things are over between Tor and I.”

“Good, I still can’t believe that you and Tor are over. What brought that on?”

The memory of Clay invaded my mind. His words that night in the bar in Vancouver, and everything that had happened afterward, had been the start. If it hadn’t happened before, it would have happened after this past weekend. I could still feel the way he’d gently caressed my cheek and ran his fingers through my hair while gently kissing me. The way his eyes had skimmed my naked body, right down to his touch and the way he’d slowly fucked me until I came. Never one time had he come before I did, and he never cared how long it took either. Not that it ever took long with him.

“I don’t know, just tired of his games, I guess.”

Elsie looked over at me. “No, no way, there’s something else?” she said, pointing the knife she had in her hand in my direction.

I shrugged. I could feel my cheeks heat and gave her a small smile.

“You met someone?” she said, her eyes growing wide with excitement.

I shook my head, looking away.

“Peyton, don’t hold out on me!” She laughed as she bent over and looked at me.

“I’m not, there isn’t…there isn’t anyone to talk about,” I said, hoping she’d drop the topic.

“Come on, just tell me about him. I know there is someone. I can see it in your eyes.”

Taking a deep breath, I looked over at her and slowly nodded. “Okay, fine, I met someone, and while there isn’t anything other than a few amazing nights together, I realized maybe I don’t need to be treated like trash, that maybe there really are good guys out there.”

“There are good guys out there. Sometimes, you just need to weed through the shit to get to them. Do you think if you were to move to Vancouver, you might see this mystery man again? I mean, I’m only guessing that is where he is.”

I nodded. “Well, I shouldn’t say a definite yes, but I know I’d want to see him again. Not sure what he wants, though.”

“Are you going to give me any other details about him?”

I shook my head; not sure I wanted to divulge it was one of Knox’s teammates. I was still feeling odd about the whole situation in that regard. Especially after Knox admitted to me that he heard us the other night. Not that he knew it was us, but it still made me uncomfortable. Plus, I knew Knox was overprotective of me. He always had been after my father had left. He’d often tell me he didn’t want to see me grow up without a father like he had, so in his own way, he’d stepped into the role.

“Fine, make me wait to find out about the guy who pulled you away from Tor. Something the rest of us have been trying to do for many months. It was becoming exhausting to be honest, so I’m glad it happened.” Elsie giggled, letting out a sigh. “He must be something. While we wait, why don’t you pass me that bag of spice there?” she said, pointing to a small clear bag containing yellow powder.

“What’s that?”

“The magic spice—the curry,” she said, winking as she drained the potatoes and quickly mashed them, then added a couple of teaspoons of spice to the potato mixture and then to the chicken that was simmering.

“Take a smell of this,” she said, moving out of the way for me to come in.

The moment I leaned over the pot a rush of saliva filled my mouth, and my stomach turned. I tried to swallow but couldn’t and bolted toward the bathroom off the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind me, making it to my knees in front of the toilet just in time for me to be sick.

I heard Elsie knock on the door, but between being sick and trying to catch my breath, I couldn’t answer her.

“Peyton, Peyton, are you okay?” she cried, cracking the door open a bit.

I looked over at her and shook my head. She stepped into the washroom, came over and gathered my hair, holding it back in time for the next wave of nausea to hit.

I’d gotten a bit of clear broth down, but the smell of curry that still lingered throughout the house was still making me feel sick.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Elsie asked.

She’d profusely apologized, but I assured her it wasn’t her cooking that had made me sick, since I’d not even tasted it.

“I’ll be okay. I don’t know where that even came from,” I said, relaxing in the chair in the living room with a cool cloth across the back of my neck.

“While you rest, did you want to watch an episode of Friends ?” Elsie questioned.

I rested my head against the back of the chair and nodded. We’d been watching the show since my mother had recommended it, and so far, we were loving it. As we sat there watching the next episode, I looked at my phone, noticing the date. It had been almost four weeks since I’d returned from Vancouver. My stomach slightly flipped again, causing another rush of saliva to my mouth as I quickly thought about that trip and then realized I should have gotten my period two weeks ago. With everything that had gone on, I hadn’t realized I’d missed it.

I shifted in my chair, pulling my legs up underneath as Elsie let out a laugh at something Chandler had said.

“Why aren’t you laughing?” she questioned, pausing the show.

“What?” I questioned, looking up from my phone.

“Peyton, what is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Elsie said.

“Sorry what?” I asked again, closing the calendar on my phone.

The possibility of pregnancy swirled around in my mind as I looked at Elsie. The possibility of who the father might be was making me feel sick again.

“Are you okay?” she asked again, this time turning her full attention to me. “You look like you are going to be sick again.”

“Can you drive me to the pharmacy?” I questioned, looking at her, trying hard to stop the burning in my eyes from the tears that were threatening to fall.

“Why? Need some anti-nausea medication?” she questioned. “I might have some in my purse, actually,” she said, getting up off the couch and heading toward the entryway.

“No, not anti-nausea medication. However, if you have a pregnancy test in that bottomless purse of yours, I’ll gladly take that instead.”

Four days later, Elsie and I sat on the edge of my bed staring down at those stupid little pink lines once again. My heart was racing, and it was making me feel lightheaded.

“Well, no doubt about it, you are pregnant. I don’t think we need to do any more of these,” she said, pulling the last test from my hand.

“Maybe one more, just for good measure.”

“Good measure? Why? Do you think test number six is faulty too?” She giggled, throwing it into the garbage.

“Oh, I don’t know, hoped is more like it,” I said, running my fingers through my hair.

I’d been in touch with my mother, who had told me Knox would pick me up at the airport tonight. My mind had been on so many other things, I still hadn’t packed, and I knew I needed to if I was going to make my flight.

“Maybe, to ease your mind, you should just make an appointment with your doctor,” Elsie said, sitting down beside me.

“Or we could do one more drugstore run,” I said, picking at the side of my fingernail.

Elsie picked up my phone and handed it to me. “Seriously, just call. After six tests, I can guarantee what the next one is going to tell you.”

“I can’t book an appointment. I’m leaving for Vancouver tonight. Did you forget?” I sighed.

“I didn’t forget. Book it for when you get back. Do you know who the father is?” she questioned. “If it’s the mystery man, perhaps you can meet up and talk with him. Might ease a little of this anxiety you’re feeling if you share this with him.”

“Perhaps,” I whispered, knowing that if it were Tor’s instead of Clay’s, it would only increase my anxiety. I took the phone and dialed the doctor’s office. “I’ll book, and then will you help me pack?” I asked.

“Of course,” she said, getting up off the bed and pulling out my suitcase from the closet.

Once I hung up the phone, I walked over to my closet and pulled out a few clothes, passing them to Elsie.

“Are you going to shed some light?” she questioned.

I nodded, swallowing hard.

“Is it Tor’s?” she asked, folding my sweaters carefully and placing them in my bag.

I let out the breath I was holding. For so many reasons, I didn’t want to disclose things, but I needed someone to talk to.

“I don’t think so. It’s been almost eight weeks since we were last together, and we used protection.”

“So then, the baby’s father is the guy from Vancouver?”

Instantly, my mind went to Clay. To that first night, and the other nights in Vermont. I’d heard Knox talk about him, about what kind of player he was, and while I knew he’d been with many women, I didn’t think he was as bad as Knox and the other guys made him out to be. In fact, I didn’t find him to be a player at all.

“I think so,” I whispered.

“Do you…do you know how to get in touch with him?” she asked.

I nodded, sniffling at the same time. The fear of having to admit things to my family, to my brother, scared me to death. I wasn’t sure how he’d take it. Actually, that wasn’t true. I knew how Knox would take it, and it wouldn’t be well. In fact, I’d probably end up raising the baby alone after Knox finished him.

“Maybe you should call him. There is probably a good chance that Tor isn’t the father, after all. Maybe you should just let him know that something is up, but that—”

“But what?” I said, whipping around.

Elsie looked at me, a guilty look on her face.

“That what?” I asked again. “Let me guess, that I’ll take care of it?” I said, swallowing hard.

Elsie slowly nodded her head. “I…well…I figured you’d want to put the baby up for adoption or something. I mean, in a couple of months, you’ll graduate and be ready to start up your career.”

“Elsie, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t even know how Clay is even going to feel about this. He’s on the road so much, and I doubt he wants to be tied down with me and a baby,” I whispered.

“Clay? As in Clay Harris?” Elsie questioned as she placed the pants she’d folded into the suitcase. “You got involved with Clay Harris?”

I looked over my shoulder at her, not realizing I’d said his name out loud, or that she’d be able to guess right away who the other party was to the mess I was in. When I said nothing right away, I’d practically admitted to her she was correct.

“You slept with your brother’s teammate?” she questioned again.

I slowly nodded my head as shock lined her face.

“What about the promise you made to your brother?”

I swallowed hard. Yep, the promise I’d made that I still now felt like shit about. Secretly, I’d always had a thing for Clay, and he’d only been doing what Knox would have expected—protecting me from being picked up by someone who would have probably become more of an issue than Tor. Neither of us had planned for things to go as far as they did. At least, not the first time.

“It’s not like we planned for this to happen, it just sort of did,” I said, anxiety creeping into my body, a tear slipping down my cheek.

“Oh, Peyton,” she whispered, coming up behind me and wrapping her arms around me. “What are you going to do?”

I stared ahead and placed my hands on her arms, thinking for a moment. “I guess I am just going to take it one day at a time. Wait until I see my doctor and go from there. Now, can we finish packing so that I don’t miss my flight?”

“Sure thing, and call your doctor’s office back and give them my number. That way, you can keep things somewhat quiet and deal with it when you get back.”