Page 78 of One Baby Daddy
I don’t want to break his heart.
Sighing, I knock on the door of the cottage I’ve come to love, a sanctuary I used to hide away in after a long day of being on my feet.
It’s no longer a hideaway. It will be the place where I put on a brave face, and try to make it through this conversation without breaking down at his feet.
Hayden opens the door in what seems like a panic. His hair is standing on end, his clothes disheveled, a pinch to his brow. “Fuck, I thought you weren’t coming.”
“There was an accident on the way over here that delayed me.” There was no accident. I might have stopped off at a gas station and ate two Twix bars before coming here. I blame it on the non-existent baby in my uterus.
Not saying a word, he pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around my shoulders. For a brief moment, I allow myself to feel this man’s warmth, taking in his masculine scent, committing it to memory, allowing myself to get lost in his touch.
But only for a second.
Because my heart is already raw.
He’s been traded.
Traded.
No matter how many times I say it in my head, I still can’t fathom what this is going to do to us, what kind of relationship we’re going to be able to maintain. I was nervous about him going back to Philly, trying to work that all out, but now that he’s going to Los Angeles, that changes everything, it puts a giant chasm between what we have, what we share.
I don’t want to lose him, but how can we make this work? My mind is completely blanking.
Placing my hand on his chest, I put some distance between us, stepping away, trying to gather my thoughts.
“What are you doing?” He studies me, and I’m sure he wonders why I stepped out of his embrace. Maybe because it’s too much, having him that close, knowing I’m grasping for any kind of link to keep us together. Maybe because I don’t want to lose the one person who’s ever made me feel like I deserve more than a one-night stand. Bending at his knees to look me in the eyes, he says, “He told you, didn’t he? Logan told you.”
The anger in his eyes, the worry, it slays me as I take a step back. “I would have found out somehow,” I answer, looking up in time to see Hayden blow out a frustrated breath and rake his hand through his hair while turning to the side. His arms flex, his fists opening and closing. “He took any opportunity to get between us. I should have fucking known.” I’ve never seen this kind of anger in Hayden. The way he clenches his fist, like he’s about to blow his hand through the wall, the strong tick in his irritated jaw, the rise and fall of his proud chest; it’s startling.
“What are you talking about? Logan was being a friend. He thought I already knew and wanted to make sure I was okay.”
Spinning on his heels, Hayden boils with fury, nostrils flared, and jaw clenched. “Don’t be so fucking naïve, Adalyn.” As if he slapped me in the face, I take another step back. I really don’t like this side of Hayden. I get that he’s upset and frustrated, but he doesn’t need to take it out on me or Logan. “I drove as fast as I could the minute I found out I was traded. I wanted you to hear it from me, but you didn’t give me the chance to fucking tell you. You sent me home.”
“Because I was working.” And I didn’t want to have that conversation in the middle of the nurses station. Surely he can understand that.
“You’ve taken time away from your job for me before, and this was no different.”
“This was entirely different. I wouldn’t want to have this conversation at work.” I swallow hard.
Raking a hand through his head, a sardonic expression clouding his eyes, he says, “What did he say to you? What did he tell you? Might as well see what the gossip is.”
Taking another step back, my back hitting the wood of the front door, I say “He said what happened. I don’t understand why you’re being so mean to me right now.”
“I’m fucking frustrated that I couldn’t tell you, and I can see doubt in your eyes. You’re not giving me a chance.”
“Excuse me if I’m having a hard time trying to wrap my head around the news. I need a second to comprehend everything, Hayden.” Trying to come up with anything to make this situation better, I ask, “Do you have a choice in the matter?” There is a little drop of hope that maybe he can turn down the trade, even though, I know that’s generally not how it works in football, but a girl can hope hockey is different.
“What do you mean?”
“Like . . . can you say no to the trade?”
Chuckling with distaste, he shakes his head. “That’s not how it works. I don’t get to decide things like that.”
“So you’re moving to Los Angeles.” I say it more as a statement rather than a question, letting the words sink in, coming to terms with the giant bump in our road.
“I don’t have a fucking choice,” he shouts, his arms tossed in the air.
And just like that, I can see my future being laid out in front of me, bricks of despair leading the pathway.
