Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Enzo
I whip out my phone. My hands tremble.
“I just made a mistake,” I blurt out.
“Deep breath.” Sofia’s voice is calm on the other end.
Kids shriek in the background. Sofia’s place doesn’t exactly sound Zen, but I still inhale obediently.
“What happened?”
“I told Axel about Luca!” I exclaim.
“Oh. Well, that’s good. That’s what you wanted to do.”
“But now he knows!”
“That’s what happens after those types of conversations. Look, yesterday you were complaining to me that he didn’t want to talk with you.”
“I know, but—”
“So the conversation didn’t go well? I swear to God Enzo, I don’t understand what happened to Axel either. I know he’s awful—”
I frown. “He’s nice. That’s like one of his chief personality traits.”
“He used to give me the evil eye whenever I dropped by your room for our dates. Scary Axel.”
“What?”
“I’ve called him that before, Enzo.”
“I thought that was about skating. He’s intense on the ice.”
“He looks at me like he’s trying to incinerate me with his mind.” She giggles, which is weird.
“No way. Axel wouldn’t do that.”
“You know you’ve been calling me for three years complaining about him?”
“Yeah.” My cheeks burn. “He, uh, wants me to move in with him.”
She inhales sharply.
“Sofia?” I ask. “Are you still there?”
“I’m still here. It sounded like you said you’re going to move in with him?”
“He didn’t know about Luca. He wants to be in his life.”
“And?”
“I said yes.” My pulse jumps. I press my back against the hallway wall and try to remember how to breathe like a normal person.
“Well, it won’t be that bad,” Sofia says. “Now you hate him.”
“Living with someone you hate isn’t optimal.”
“You won’t be accidentally making goo-goo eyes at him.”
Shit.
“I-I wouldn’t do that.”
“See? Perfect! You’ve got this.”
Someone calls for her, and after a hasty goodbye, the line goes dead.
My phone buzzes. A text from the nanny service: Anna unavailable tomorrow. Sending Jessica instead.
I stare at the message. Another new face for Luca.
Moving in with Axel is the practical choice.
I almost believe it.
Axel
I call Evan.
“I don’t want to watch a fantasy TV show with you,” Evan says.
Right. The group chat. “It’s not about that. It’s something important. Should I come to your room?”
He exhales. “I’ll come to yours.”
I give him my room number again. A few minutes later, he knocks on my door.
“This better not be about Enzo,” Evan says.
I give him a guilty smile.
“Seriously?” Evan shakes his head.
“No! It’s not what you think.”
He scrutinizes me.
“I mean, I want to talk about Enzo, but uh, not in a bad way. I promise. I-I want to help him.”
He scrunches his lips together, then grins. “It was sweet when you put the earmuffs over his ears.”
At least he didn’t bring up draping Sebastian’s scarf over my you-know-what. I straighten. “I need to get Sebastian a present!”
“Huh?”
“Apology present. Does he like chocolate? Some people don’t.”
“You could buy him flowers.”
“Right! Flowers.” I scroll to a florist app.
A crease forms on Evan’s brow. “Do you think Luke will like it if you send his man flowers?”
“Good thinking. I’ll send him flowers too. Just extra to Sebastian, since, you know, he was the actual helpful one.”
Evan blinks.
“I might need a new scarf too. I’m not sure Sebastian’s scarf will bring him the same fashion pleasure after he saw it draped around Mount Everest for a few hours.”
“Yeah, that memory might not go away.”
“Gift card coming up.” I add it to the cart.
“Seriously?”
“Sebastian likes going shopping! And they live right by Newbury Street.”
“Maybe you should buy the scarf from him.”
“Smart. I don’t have a rainbow scarf.”
Evan furrows his brow. “Axel?”
“I don’t! It’s not my go-to.”
Evan rolls his eyes. “Did you bring me here to watch you purchase presents for Sebastian? Because I don’t want to be involved in that. Luke’s sweet, but he’s big, and if something were to set him off…”
“Those muscles.”
Evan nods solemnly. “Those muscles.”
“I need a nanny.”
“You need to be watched, but I wouldn’t go that far.”
I wave my hand. “Enzo has a kid.” I frown. “Actually, I have a kid.”
“Wait. You’re the father of Enzo’s toddler?”
“You know about Luca?”
“Bellanti told Coach when he asked to join the Blizzards. He said the kid had family in Boston…”
“That’s me. Enzo’s late sister and I had a child together.”
“Jeez. I heard she passed. So awful.”
“Yes.” God, I can’t imagine what Enzo’s going through.
“And you’re really the father?” Evan presses me.
“My sperm is so good even I get surprised.”
“Ah. That’s why Enzo hates you.”
I frown. When did donating baby-making material become so controversial?
“Nanny, Evan. It’s urgent. Do you know someone?”
Evan chews his lip. “You know, I actually might. Stella had a live-in nanny—Patricia—when she was younger. Patricia sent an e-mail out saying she was looking for a new position… Her last family just moved abroad. I’ll see if she’s still available.”
Evan enters something in his phone, then a ping sounds.
“She’s available.”
“Awesome sauce. Give me her deets.”
“Right.” Evan texts me her number.
“Thanks. I’ll interview her before the game tomorrow, and she can move in the next day!”
“That would be very quick.”
“Right?” I grin happily, then my eyes widen. “Baby furniture!” I usher Evan away. “I need to do some online shopping, Captain.”
“Good luck.”
I shrug. “I’m normally lucky.”
I mean, just today I found out I’m the father of the cutest little toddler. How awesome is that?
I open a children’s furniture website and start adding things to the cart. Car bed. Play mat. Toys. Waterproof mattress pad. Extra sheets. Training pants in bright colors that won’t make him think about diapers in case he’s sensitive about the whole accident thing.
They need to start selling hockey-themed ones. Maybe I should start a business selling them. Enzo could help me. That would be wild. Get Enzo out of his head, so he’s not moping all the time.
Though I don’t want Luca to feel forced to play hockey. Maybe he’s more of an artist type. Pretty sure his mom was awesome with the paintbrush, and who knows, maybe someone in my family finally got musical talent.
I add some toys and children’s music.
My kid is going to have the best life.
I’m going to make sure of it.