39. Veronica
Chapter thirty-nine
Veronica
He definitely knew.
~ One Week Later ~
Well, that explains why I’ve been so emotional… and no, I am NOT pregnant.
Aunt Flow’s in town!
Stupid, dumb, period!
And of course, it has to happen when I’m home alone. The boys are away for an exhibition game in Boston and won’t be back until tomorrow. When I woke up this morning with horrible abdominal cramps and sweat sticking to my forehead, I knew what was happening.
I quickly got out of bed, ran to the bathroom to get my medication, and got into the bath. It helped for a few hours, but now it’s acting up again, and I really wish I wasn’t alone. I wish my boys were here to take care of me and help me feel better.
I don’t want to bother the girls since I know they have their own lives, and asking them to come over for stupid period cramps would be silly. I’m a grown woman; I can deal with it on my own. Just like I did before they all came into my life.
I throw the blanket off my body and step out of Noah’s bed, the one we’ve been sharing with Gabe every night for the last week. I’ve never been happier. Waking up to both my men cuddling me and kissing me has to be the best feeling in the world.
There was one night when Blubber’s hissing noises woke me up. When I looked over, I found him by Gabe’s head. His back was hunched in the air while he watched Gabe’s face contort in pain as he shifted from side to side, clearly the beginning of a nightmare commencing.
I expected our little Blubber boy to attack him, but instead, he got even closer, sniffed around him, and then started licking away at his cheek and mouth.
Within seconds, Gabe’s whole demeanor changed, face and body relaxing until he sighed and went back to a peaceful sleep.
Blubber then purred and rolled up in a ball against Gabe’s neck, and that was the end of it.
Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched them, watched how much change had happened in just a short amount of time. I knew it, deep within my soul, that the worst was over, and my brave and handsome Pretty Boy was finally healing.
Walking out of the room, I head down to the kitchen to make myself some herbal tea as well as grab the heating pads, then settle in on the couch. A few seconds later, Blubber jumps up and nestles against my stomach, most likely wanting the heat from the pad over my lower abdomen.
“Hey, little Blubs. You gonna keep me company while your daddies are out?” I stroke his back. “You’re such a good boy. I’m so proud of you,” I whisper as my eyes begin to droop, and I fall asleep.
A few hours later, my phone rings on the side table, jolting me awake. I reach above my head and grab it, noticing Gabe’s face filling my screen with an incoming video call. A quick glance at the time tells me they are minutes away from hitting the ice for their game.
Staying in my lying-down position on the couch, I swipe to answer the call and smile when my handsome boy comes into view. “Hi, baby.”
“There’s my pretty girl.” He beams for a second before it drops, and a frown appears along his forehead. “Baby… what’s wrong?”
My eyes well with tears at how quickly he picked up on my mood. “I’m okay. I promise, nothing to worry about…” My voice wobbles as I try to hold it together for them. I don’t want them to be distracted before a game, even if it’s a friendly one.
“Oh no… is it that time of the month?” he asks in a soft voice filled with concern.
Noah suddenly pops into the frame as well, looking displeased. “Why didn’t you tell me this morning when I called you?”
“Because I didn’t want you two to worry about me while you’re away. I’m okay, I took my pills, and I have the heating pads on.” I try to smile, but it’s tight and weak.
“Kitten, you look pale as fuck, and you’re clearly sweating. You aren’t doing okay. You should have said something.”
“And what would you have done? I’m here, and you guys are in Boston.” I laugh with little humor, then instantly regret it when my stomach cramps up and pain shoots through my abdomen. “Ahh…” I scrunch my face and curl into a ball.
“Fuuuck…” Gabe looks on the verge of saying, ‘fuck it,’ and marching out of that arena to get to me, while Noah looks down furiously at his phone.
“I’ll be okay, I’m due for another dose, and it will be over by tomorrow morning.” I try to reassure them some more, but they aren’t even listening to me anymore. Gabe still holds the phone but looks over at what Noah is doing. “Guys, it’s fine, I swe—”
“Aubrey will be over in fifteen minutes,” Noah finally speaks as they both look up with relief.
“Babe, you don’t need to do that,” I tell him, even though my heart warms at the action.
“I do. There is no way we’re going to leave our girlfriend in pain all alone. So, it’s either Aubrey or Marcos and Ricky. You pick,” he says sternly, not taking no for an answer.
“Okay, yeah. I’d prefer Aubrey.”
“That’s what I thought.” They both look up at the same time, someone calling their attention.
“Baby, we have to go. But we’ll call you when we get to our room tonight.” Gabe smiles with warmth.
“Okay, have a great game. Pretty Boy, block all those shots. Casanova, kick some ass.” I giggle softly.
“It’s a friendly game.” Noah chuckles.
“And will that stop you from sending someone sailing into the boards?” I quirk a brow.
He laughs. “Absolutely not.”
“That’s what I thought. I love you both, have fun, and I can’t wait to talk to you tonight.” I blow them a kiss.
“We love you, too, baby,” Gabe says as Noah nods.
“Take it easy until we get home, Kitten.” He smiles and they hang up.
Ten minutes later, Aubrey steps out of the elevator followed by a big, burly dark-skinned man. “Hi, babe. I came as soon as Noah texted.” She comes to my side, kneeling on the ground. “Why didn’t you call me this morning? I would have come right away.”
“You have your own life, Brey. And I know you were supposed to work tonight. You didn’t need to drop everything for me.”
She takes my hand. “Of course, I would. You’re my best friend, Ronnie.
My sister. You’ll always come before work.
They can survive without me for one night.
” She turns to look at the man she came in with.
Standing, she waves a hand out to him. “Ronnie, this is Lionel. My personal bodyguard.” She blushes slightly.
The man smiles at her in a fatherly way, then steps toward me as I sit up on the couch. He reaches out a hand and I shake it without hesitation. “Hello, Veronica. Thank you for allowing me into your home.”
“As long as you keep her safe, that’s all that matters to me.” I smile, then take the time to look him over.
He’s very tall and bald-headed; I’d say early to mid-forties but clearly still in amazing shape.
Although he seems threatening with his massive frame, he has that fatherly warmth in his eyes that makes you instantly trust him.
I have a feeling Julian picked Lionel specifically for Aubrey, knowing how uncomfortable she is around men.
“That’s the plan.” He releases my hand and straightens to his full height, which must be at least six-foot-six. “Now, what can I help you with?”
“Oh, no. Please, just make yourself comfortable or explore. Anything you’d like.”
“I know my job is to guard, but I do enjoy being helpful as well.” He waits patiently for me to give him a task.
“He really does. He helps me out with my baking and even cleans the condo.” Aubrey laughs as her blush spreads wider on her cheeks.
“Okay, well, I was just about to get my medication upstairs and make another tea,” I tell him.
“On it, just let me know where everything is, and you two can settle down.”
After informing him of everything, he goes up to Noah’s room as Aubrey comes to sit beside me. “I did something,” she says quickly in a hushed voice.
I giggle, taking the heating pad off my stomach and placing it on the table beside the couch. “What did you do?”
She brings her hand up to her lips and chews on her thumbnail. “I made some muffins two days ago.”
I frown, confused. “Okay…”
“And I put them in a Tupperware and left them at Shane’s office door,” she mumbles around her thumb as she flushes a deep red, her ears taking on the same shade.
“Awww, why didn’t you just give them to him personally?”
She lets go of her nail and turns to me with wide eyes. “I was going to, I even knocked on the door, and he shouted, ‘just a sec!’ through it. But then I freaked out and just left the container on the floor and ran away.”
“For a small girl, she runs pretty fast.” Lionel’s deep laugh flows through the room as he comes down the stairs and wanders into the kitchen for the tea.
I turn in my seat, looking over the back of the couch. “You were there?”
“Of course, I was. I never leave her side. And for your information, no, she did not tell me she was about to bolt.” He points a finger toward me.
I throw my head back as I erupt with laughter, then groan when a new wave of cramps comes through. Aubrey quickly stands and grabs the heating pad. “Let me go plug this one in.”
“Thank you, there’s a second one in the last drawer.” I point toward it in the kitchen. Lionel takes it out and exchanges the heating pads with Aubrey. She scurries back and helps me place it over my belly. “Better?”
“Yes, thank you.” I lean back against the couch as Lionel sets the tea beside me and a coffee for Aubrey. We both thank him as he takes a seat on the second couch beside us. “So, Lionel, did you make it out of view on time, or were you caught in the act?”
He chuckles. “I barely made it. I heard the door open just as I rounded the corner.” He shakes his head.
“It was honestly the last thing I expected her to do, so it caught me by surprise. I couldn’t stop laughing once we were hidden, and she had to put her hand on my mouth to silence me.
” He laughs harder as he remembers the moment.
“You were going to get us caught. I didn’t have a choice!” Aubrey glares at him.