25. Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-five
Shira
Bea was glued to the game—and not because she was particularly a fan of the sport.
“Were you aware of the thighs on these men?” she asked no one in particular. Then she raised a brow at me. “Clearly, you were aware.”
I bit into a breadstick instead of answering her. Not that she was waiting around for one. She’d already turned her attention back to the field. It wasn’t a far stretch to look at Ben in his skimpy shorts and assume Roman must have looked exactly the same when he’d played.
The one time we’d been naked together, the room had been dim, and my mask had obscured my vision, so I hadn’t been able to fully take in all he was.
Maybe I’d get to…perhaps even tonight.
My stomach dipped dangerously. Getting caught up in what might happen later would only make me too nervous to enjoy what was happening now.
The Mountain Lions’ stadium was beautiful, the box luxurious. Roman had made sure the food and drink spread was extensive. There were waiters standing by to serve us, but he’d personally filled my plate and kicked Nate off the leather couch so I’d have the best seat.
Everyone is eating, chatting, mingling, and watching the game. The only hiccup had been Adrian. Tonight was our first time meeting, and he didn’t seem overly thrilled about it, but I tried to reserve judgment. I knew what it was like to be seen as cold when I was shy, though I doubted Adrian was. He seemed to have no problem making conversation with Clara and Jake. Even Bea had almost made him smile. But me? He’d shown little interest beyond a few calculating stares.
Clara wandered over and sat down beside me. “Are you ready for your surprise?”
I put down my breadstick and wiped my mouth with my napkin. “I don’t know. Am I?”
“It’s a good surprise. I won the auction for the cabin in Breckinridge. You, me, and Bea are going next month for your babymoon. We’ll eat, spa, and relax. What do you say?”
“A babymoon?” My eyes immediately started burning, which was unacceptable. If I cried at a rugby game, I’d probably be banned from the sport for life. “I don’t know what to say. I love the idea. Are you sure you want to use your prize on me?”
“Absolutely. I bid on it with you in mind. The house is huge. If you want to invite more people, you can, or we can keep it a girls’ weekend.”
“Let’s just keep it the three of us.” I bumped my shoulder against hers. “Who knows how long it’ll be before we can do something like that again, you know?”
“That’s what I was thinking. Girls’ weekend it is.” She patted my belly. “The end of one era and beginning of another.”
A shadow fell over us, then Roman’s voice rumbled next to my ear. “You’re going on a trip?”
I turned my head, my nose almost colliding with his. He was leaning over the back of the sofa, too close for me to decipher his expression.
“A weekend in Breck next month,” Clara replied.
“She won it at the auction, and she’s taking me and Bea with her. It’s my babymoon.”
“Isn’t that something couples do?” he asked.
Clara shifted beside me so she could face Roman. “Are you implying Shira shouldn’t have a babymoon because she’s not in a relationship? Bea and I love her and want to treat her. That’s a babymoon in my eyes.”
Roman hesitated before nodding. “She should have whatever she wants, but I’m not certain Shira should be traveling.”
I rolled my eyes, and he lasered in on the action, his mouth tightening.
“It’s not far, and I’ll still be fine to travel next month.” To ease his worries, I reached up and brushed my hand over his clenched jaw. “But I’ll double-check with Dr. Sharma to be sure.”
His gaze stayed pinned on me for three rapid beats of my heart. “Thanks for humoring me, Goldie. Fair warning, I’m pretty sure I’m going to become more protective as the weeks go by.”
I groaned. “I hope you know I’m fully capable of taking care of myself.”
“I do know.” He dipped down and kissed the top of my head. “But why should you have to when I’m here?”
With that, he strolled away to speak with Nate, Jake, and Adrian, and I picked up my breadstick but couldn’t take a bite with Clara staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
Both brows popped. “He kissed you.”
“Oh. Just my hair.”
“Just your hair? Does he do that often?”
I could have told her everything, but I knew she would think it more than it was. I’d had this conversation enough times in my head; I didn’t have the energy to have it out loud. We were friends, there was a mutual attraction and care, but it was all situational. If I weren’t pregnant with his baby, Roman wouldn’t be interested in me. If I explained that to Clara, she’d try to convince me how wrong I was, and it would be a waste of everyone’s time and energy.
“Lately, yes. He’s sweet, and we’re friends.”
She blew out a puff of air. “I don’t kiss your hair.”
The corner of my mouth hitched. “Maybe you’re not that sweet.”
Her elbow gently connected with my side. “That’s Beatrice. I’m your sweet friend.”
“Then I guess you should show it and start kissing my hair more.”
She did just that, sending us both into a fit of laughter. A hush fell over the box, and I sat up straight, my eyes wide as I looked around. A few people were at the glass, but Roman and his brothers were crowded around the screen. Chills ran down my spine.
“He’s not moving,” Nate muttered.
“Goddammit, Benny. Get up,” Adrian gritted out.
Roman was stiff as a board, his hands opening and closing at his sides.
“Shit, is Ben injured?” Clara whispered.
“Get the fuck up!” Adrian barked, startling me.
Clara jumped to her feet and held her hand out to me, pulling me off the couch. She slipped her arm around my back as we watched, neither of us breathing. It was impossible to tell what was going on with so many people crowded around Ben’s prone form.
Minutes passed that felt like hours, no one knowing what was happening when a team finally ran onto the field with a stretcher. Roman’s fist flew to his mouth as his twin was loaded onto the stretcher and wheeled off the field.
After that, things moved fast. Roman made some calls to find out where Ben was being taken, then he and his brothers gathered their things to head out. He stopped by me, cupping my face with a hand that was undeniably shaky.
“We need to get to the hospital,” he rasped. Seeing this huge, steady man trembling, his eyes glassy, tore me apart.
I pressed my palm to his chest. “I’d like to come with you if that’s okay.”
He yanked me into him, his face falling to the top of my head. “I’d like that, Goldie.”
“Then I’m there. Let’s go.”
Ben had suffered a head injury and lost consciousness for a worrisome amount of time. He was undergoing testing, so all we could do was wait. The Wells brothers did not do well sitting in the small waiting room. The three of them were taking turns wearing a path into the floor. When they weren’t pacing, they were either staring blankly at their phones or the wall.
Hospitals were familiar to me in a way that filled me with dread. I’d spent hours and hours in one with my mother and months in another with Frank. I had to remind my brain that wasn’t what this was. Ben was injured, but he’d walk out of here.
I hated to leave the room in case the doctor came back, but I couldn’t ignore my bladder another second. As unobtrusively as possible, I started for the door.
“Shira,” Roman called. “Are you leaving?”
I whirled around, alarmed by the panic in his voice. “I have to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
He exhaled harshly and bobbed his head. “Okay.” Then he came to me and cupped my face, his tired eyes darting between mine before pulling me into a hug. He curled around me, engulfing me in his scent and warmth, and I circled my arms around his waist, embracing him as fiercely as I could.
“Shira. Fucking Ben . What the fuck?”
“It’s okay,” I whispered into his chest. “He’s going to be okay.”
The strangled sound he made broke my heart. “Gotta believe that.”
“He’s tough,” I reminded him. “With a big, hard head—just like you.”
“That’s right.” He stepped back, running his hands down my arms and over my belly. “Don’t…you know, take too long.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
I caught Adrian’s eye before I turned toward the door. He sneered, then he shook his head and went back to looking at his phone.
If he were anyone else, I would have let his opinion of me roll off my back, but I didn’t want Roman’s brothers to dislike me. We’d be around each other for at least the next eighteen years. I wouldn’t be able to bear snarls and headshakes for almost two decades. I’d have to find a way to fix this. If he wasn’t willing to make an effort, I would just have to kill him with kindness.
Not tonight, though. I wasn’t up for it, and it wasn’t the time. If it made coping with what was happening with Ben easier, Adrian could hang onto his foul mood. I could handle it for one night.