Chapter 21 Everett
EVERETT
The banging in my head pounds with the beat of my heart and I groan, irritated by the volume.
But as I wake up, it becomes obvious that the banging isn’t just from my hangover.
It’s coming from within my apartment.
“Fuck off,” I bark, flipping onto my back and throwing my arm over my face.
The last thing I want to do right now is open my eyes.
Memories from the night before flicker to life, and I cringe.
I knew I shouldn’t have gone out to meet the guys. And that was before that email came through.
I wasn’t going to go. I messaged Bea, and I was waiting for her reply.
Only, it never came.
She didn’t even read it.
It just sat there with two gray ticks.
Reason after reason for why that might have been hit me, and each one was worse than the last.
What if…what if she changed her mind?
What if she decided the day of the ultrasound that she couldn’t possibly have my baby, and she—
Acid sloshes in my stomach, surging up my throat.
Oh God.
I’m out of bed and hugging the toilet in three seconds flat before what’s left of last night’s binge drinking makes a reappearance.
My body burns red hot, sweat glistening across my skin as I sink back to my ass.
Throughout all of this, the banging continues.
“FUCK,” I roar, dropping my head into my hands.
My stomach continues to protest, and my head continues thumping, but I’m not going to be able to fix any of that until the person continually pounding on my door fucks the hell off.
Climbing to my feet, I drag a clean pair of boxers from the drawer as I walk through my dressing room and then march toward the front door.
“What?” I bark, letting whoever it is know that they’re really not fucking welcome.
For a second, my hungover brain doesn’t think there’s anyone there. But then my eyes drop, and I find the reason for the early morning wake-up glaring at me through narrowed eyes.
“Well, what a fucking delight you are this afternoon,” Hailee snarks as she slips past me, uninvited, and marches into my apartment as if she owns the fucking place.
“Are you fucking shitting me?” I complain, having little choice but to follow her.
“Unfortunately, not. I did bring you coffee, though,” she says, placing a takeout cup on my kitchen counter with a little more force than necessary.
I lunge for it, and Hailee watches with raised eyebrows, her arms folded over her chest.
“So…” she starts.
“It’s too early for this,” I complain, taking my coffee to the couch.
“No, it’s nearly two in the afternoon. The problem here is that you’re way too underdressed and far too hungover.”
“You’re in my apartment,” I point out. “Less than ten minutes ago, I was naked, so think yourself lucky.”
She shudders as if the thought physically repulses her.
Honestly, if I thought it would get her out of here faster, I would whip my boxers off in a heartbeat. But Hailee is too stubborn for that.
“What do you want, Hailee?” I grunt.
“I thought you’d figured it out,” she starts, letting me know that we’re going to do this with little riddles that she expects me to understand.
She stands before me, all five feet of her, and tries to stare me down.
“I thought you’d understood my warning,” she finally explains after it becomes apparent that I’m not going to respond. “And then I wake up this morning to a whole load of photographs of you wasted and making a fool of yourself.”
“I’m allowed to go out,” I grunt, irritated that she’s more controlling than my own damn mother.
I mean, Mom figured out a long time ago that she couldn’t control me and pretty much gave up. Maybe she and Hailey need to have a little chat.
“I never said you weren’t, but every time you do, it comes back to bite you. Have you even seen what they're saying online?”
“No, and nor do I want to. It’s all lies and bullshit.”
“Maybe. But it’s not just your reputation on the line here, Donnelly. It’s the entire organization.”
My stomach knots with the harsh reality of the situation.
“You have the spotlight on you. People know what you’re like, and they’re waiting for the show.”
“I’m not a fucking performing monkey,” I mutter.
“Then stop giving everyone something to watch,” she says, throwing her hands out from her sides.
Our eye contact holds, her silently chastising me, and me…well, if I’m being honest, I’m asking for help.
I don’t know if she reads it in my eyes or what, but after a few seconds, she deflates and perches her ass on the edge of the couch beside me.
“I know, Rett. I know you got the results, and I understand that it’s a lot to take. I know why you went out last night, trust me, I do. But your career is on the line here.”
My teeth grind, and a pointless ball of emotion crawls up my throat.
“It’s not just my career now, is it? It’s someone else’s life.”
“Rett,” she sighs.
“Oh no, don’t go all soft on me now, Caldwell.” I can cope with fiery Hailee. I’m happy to argue with her all fucking day if I have to. But sympathetic Hailee…nope. Not doing that.
“You have even more reason to turn this around now,” she tells me. “LA is your home. It’s where you want to be,” she says, echoing words I’ve said to her recently. “And now, you’re going to have a baby here.”
“Oh my god,” I breathe, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees as my heart starts to race.
“Sounds serious, doesn’t it?”
“Hailee,” I warn.
“That little person is going to need you, Rett. And as they grow, they’re going to look up to you, watch you on TV, listen to people talk about you. What do you want them to see and hear?”
My chest compresses with every word.
“And of course, there’s Bea. She didn’t ask for this. She wanted a couple of minutes of pleasure, and now she’s connected to you for the next almost-nineteen years.”
“You make it sound like a death sentence.”
She doesn’t respond.
“Fuck. I don’t know what to do here,” I finally confess.
“It’s going to be okay,” she says, making me give her a double take. “What?”
“Were you…were you just positive?”
“Funny,” she snarks before lifting her takeout cup to her lips and taking a sip. “You’re a good person, Rett. A good friend, teammate, and brother. I don’t doubt that you can also be a good father, a good partner.”
“Wow,” I laugh. “You don’t…you don’t actually like me, do you?”
Hailee smiles and shakes her head. “You’re an idiot.”
I shrug. Can’t really argue with that.
She might drive me crazy, but she’s also not wrong. The media doesn’t paint me in a good light, and the thought of my child reading some of the things that are currently floating around on the internet fills me with dread.
My job puts me in the spotlight, but I’ve never really taken a step back to think about those who are watching me.
Do I want my child seeing me rolling out of clubs in the middle of the night with a woman on each arm?
I cringe.
“I know you’re freaking out that your life is changing, but this doesn’t need to be a bad thing.”
“I never said—”
“If you agree with me that things need to change, then maybe this is exactly what you need. It’ll give you a focus outside of hockey, which, after the way this season just ended, is perfect for you for the next few months.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, not following.
“You need to change your image, clean up. Well, what better way than to spend time with Bea, and get to know the woman who’s carrying your baby? Who knows, you might even get on.”
I narrow my eyes at her.
“You want me to date her?” I balk.
She grins at me.
“Hailee, I don’t date. That’s not—”
“You also don’t get women pregnant, but here we are.”
“What if she doesn’t want to spend time with me?”
“I mean, it’s possible.”
I narrow my eyes at her.
“Not everyone thinks you’re God’s gift to the world.”
“And not everyone is right,” I counter.
“You should call her,” Hailee suggests.
“I messaged her last night. She hasn’t even read it. What?” I ask when she snorts a laugh.
“It must feel really weird not having a woman immediately drop to her knees for you.”
“If she’d done that, we wouldn’t be in this position.”
“I know you don’t want to believe this, but Bea isn’t a puck bunny. That night you met her, it was her first game. She had no idea who you were or what you could offer her. She didn’t go out that night with a plan. She’s a good person who is just trying to live her life on her own terms.”
“You seem to know a lot about her.”
“Because I took the time to listen.”
I scrub my hand down my face. “You blindsided me.”
Hailee nods. “Yeah, I did. And for the record, I’m sorry. But I had a decision to make, and in that moment, the inconsolable woman in my office needed support.”
“Inconsolable,” I echo. “Is having my baby really that bad?”
“She’s scared, Rett. This wasn’t a part of her plan as much as it wasn’t yours. She hadn’t been able to contact you and yet you’re the only person who can truly understand what she’s experiencing right now.”
“And I called her a liar.”
“Yeah.”
“Shit,” I hiss. “I need…I don’t know what I fucking need.”
“That’s why I’m here. You might drive me crazy, but you are a fantastic hockey player, and the Vipers are lucky to have you on their team.
I’d like that to continue for as long as you want to be here.
But you’ve gotta sort yourself out or you’re going to find yourself on a plane out of here, assuming someone else wants you.
“Right now, you have an opportunity for a fresh start. Spend time with Bea, focus on your future, your baby, and take stock of everything that is important to you. Is it the bunnies and the partying, or is there more?”
I drop my gaze to my lap and take a moment to absorb what she just said.
It has never been about the bunnies or the partying. They’re a distraction. If I don’t have them then…I’m sitting home alone…
“What if she doesn’t want to spend time with me?” I ask quietly, reluctantly voicing my fears.
“What? Why wouldn’t she? You’re Everett Donnelly. Everyone wants to spend time with you.”
I glare at her. “Nice try.”
“What? I’m not above stroking that ego of yours if I need to.”
“Thanks, Hailee,” I say, my voice raspy with emotion.
“Aren’t you glad you got out of bed to see me now?” she asks with a grin.
“I wouldn’t say glad. You’re tolerable at best.”
“I brought coffee and good ideas.”
“You want me to date my baby momma.”
“Exactly. Perfect idea. Once you’re ready, we’ll drop the news and turn you from a fuckboy to a family man. Then everything—”
“Whoa…family man? What have I missed here?”
Hailee’s shoulders tense.
“Fine. You want my full plan? Right now, you need Bea and this baby to turn your reputation around. And Bea needs you too. She needs your support. Both of you stand to take a lot from starting a relationship.”
“A relationship?”
“It doesn’t have to be real. It just has to look real.”
My mouth opens and closes as I process what she’s saying.
“You want me to spend my off-season fake-dating the woman carrying my baby?”
“Yes, Rett. That is exactly what I want you to do.”