26. Wren
26
WREN
“Where the fuck have you been?” I growl at Stefan when he finally surfaces …three days later. The last I saw of him, he was standing outside the hospital about to go inside to meet his son.
Then nothing.
No one could find him, but of course, Margaret from WtB did. Since he went missing, she’s plastered numerous images of a drunk and passed out Stefan all over the socials. She’s speculating as to what’s caused his recent spiral but as of yet, she hasn’t discovered the why … and neither have I.
“Fuck off, Wren, I don’t need this right now.”
“The fuck I will,” I shout at him. “Stefan, you’ve been gone for three days. Three fucking days of radio silence. If it wasn’t for Margaret, we’d have no clue what’s been going on. I know you celebrate after a baby is born but this, this is wild, even for you.”
“Don’t, Wren,” he warns. “I’ve had a rough few days. I don’t need you riding my ass too.”
“Newsflash, Douche, it’s my job to ride your ass. Now, explain.”
He stares at me and just when I think he’s going to ignore my question, he lets it all out. “The baby died and I’m not the dad.”
“What?” I exclaim, totally confused right now.
He walks over to the wet bar and grabs a bottle of bourbon. Taking a swig, he turns to face me and then he explains what happened. When he’s finished, I kind of feel like a bitch for going off on him like I did just now but before I can say anything else, he takes another swig. Turning his glassy drunken gaze to me, he adds. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to shower and then I’m heading to Club Mudd to drown my sorrows.”
“What about hockey? You missed the game, and Leif is pissed.”
“My son died,” he growls. “I’m allowed to grieve.”
“I’m not saying you can’t but you have responsibilities. You need to let people know what’s happening.” I pause. “Let us help you, Stefan.” As much as this guy grates on my nerves, my heart is breaking for him right now. I knew this woman would fuck him over, and she’s done a spectacular job of doing it. Now it’s up to me to save him before he does something really stupid.
“Fuck the responsibilities. Fuck people. Fuck life and fuck you. My son died and his bitch of a mother lied to me. I think I’m entitled to take a few fucking days.”
Without uttering another word, he storms up the stairs and slams the door to his room behind him.
“Fuck my life,” I mumble.
Jumping up onto the kitchen counter, I try and come up with a game plan but this is new territory for me. My phone rings and it’s Leif.
“He’s here,” I say in greeting.
“Well, that’s good. What did he say?”
I fill Leif in on what Stefan just told me.
“Fuck me,” is his response. “But why is he melting down?”
“Because he’s gutted, Leif. He was so excited to be a dad and, right now, her betrayal hurts just as much as the baby dying.”
“That’s fair, but does he need to act like a toddler about it?”
“He is Stefan DOUCHEman,” I tell him, earning myself a chuckle but, unfortunately for me, that also happens to be when Stefan comes back downstairs.
“Tell me how you really feel,” Stefan snaps as he stands on the last step and stares at me. Hurt is all over his face, and I think it’s more from my words than from what’s happened with Alicia and the baby.
“Stefan,” I say his name but from the look he’s giving me, it confirms it’s my words that hurt him. “Don’t let me stop you from the gossip session,” he says with a snarl and before I can say anything, he turns on his heel and stomps back up the stairs to his room, once again slamming the door.
“I’ll call you back,” I tell Leif.
“Good luck,” he states before we disconnect.
Standing here, I stare up at his room, wondering how I can fix this. He’s right to be hurt and angry but there’s a correct way to do it. I just wish I knew how to get through to him. Letting out a sigh, I head up to my room to take a shower.
Great ideas often come to me in the shower, but today, nothing comes to me. All I can think about is the hurt radiating from Stefan. I cannot believe Alicia did that, well, I can. A small part of me feels sorry for her; she lost her baby and Stefan. Then again, she was only using Stefan, so she’s probably not upset over that loss.
Climbing out of the shower, I dry off and pull on my comfy yoga pants and a racer-back tank. My stomach growls so I head down to the kitchen to get a snack but when I enter, I find Stefan sitting on the floor. He’s holding the ultrasound photo from the fridge in one hand and a half empty bottle of bourbon in the other.
“Ohhh, Stefan,” I voice as I squat down in front of him. Taking the bottle from his grasp, I place it on the counter and grab a bottle of water from the fridge. Uncapping it, I hand it to him and, shocking me, he drinks it.
“You’re so good to me,” he drunkenly slurs.
“And you’re an asshole to me,” I throw back at him.
“Yep, but as they say, boys who tease girls like them.”
“Mmmhmpf.” I nod. “Let’s see how you feel in the morning.”
“I’ll still be me.”
“One can hope you will change overnight but, luckily, dreams are free.”
“Why do I need to change? Why can’t everyone else?”
“Because you’re the one with a chip on your shoulder. Stefan, you have the world at your feet but when shit happens, you implode.”
“She lied,” he growls at me.
“I told you she was lying.”
“I don’t need an ‘I told you so’ right now, I just need?—”
“To put on your big boy panties and get back to your life.”
“I think I’m entitled to a few days grace.”
“There’s grace and then there’s being a doucheface asshat, guess which category you fall into?”
He chuckles and shrugs at me. “And just so you know, Leif wants to cut you from the team. He doesn’t feel your skill is worth the hassle, but luckily for you, Tania has a soft spot for you. She’s rooting for you to pull your head out of your ass.”
Somehow I manage to wrangle a drunk Stefan upstairs and into the shower. Leaving him to wash himself, I change his sheets because who knows what’s in them or who he’s had between them recently. I’ve just spread out his duvet when he appears. “Feel better?”
He nonchalantly shrugs and I pull back the covers and he climbs in. Smiling at him, I turn to exit but he reaches out and grabs my wrist. “Don’t leave me, please,” he begs.
My heart breaks for him, even if he is making my life a living hell right now.
The fallout from the baby bombshell is crazier than I ever imagined. I didn’t realize how much Stefan was invested in this baby. In the baby I knew wasn’t his. I hate that I was right because dad-to-be Stefan is—was—the kind of guy I envision myself with one day. He was doting. Caring. Loving. Three adjectives I don’t think have ever been used to describe Stefan D?uchmen before. Conceited. Egotistical. Douche. Those are the three that immediately come to mind.
He tosses the duvet aside and taps the mattress beside him. Against my better judgment, I climb in next to him. He shuffles us around so his head is resting on my chest, his arm is over my waist, and his leg is thrown over mine. He’s effectively pinning me to the mattress next to him.
He snuggles into me and when I feel his body start to shake, I run my hand soothingly up and down his back. “He died, Wren,” he blubbers. “But what hurts the most is he wasn’t mine. I was in love with another man’s baby because she lied. She should have died, not him.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. I hate her, Wren. She’s ruined my life.”
“No, Stefan, you’re doing that all on your own. Yes, what’s happened sucks, but you’re an adult and right now, you’re acting like a child.”
“But—”
“Nope, no buts, Stefan.”
“I’ll get your butt one day.”
“Hell will freeze over before anyone gets near my ass, let alone you. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep. Tomorrow we will work on getting your life back on track.”
“You’re the best, Wren. I love you.”
“I’ll remind sober Stefan of this tomorrow.”
“Mmmhmpf,” he mumbles, and in the next breath, he’s fast asleep cradled in my arms.
Lying here with him, I run my hand up and down his back. He sighs in his sleep, and when I look down at his sleeping form, my heart hurts for him. The next few days and weeks are going to be tough, but I made a vow to stick by him. Together, we’ll get him through this … right?