Chapter 52
Camden
“What the fuck,” I mutter.
I skim the article.
A source tells the Overtime Report that star defenseman for the Denver Bashers Camden Connors’ recent marriage is a ploy to get health insurance for his wife.
The pair wed in June in a courthouse ceremony in Denver after knowing each other for just weeks so that Connors’ wife could have access to health insurance, a source claims.
“She has a few health problems, but nothing dire,” the source said. “I don’t really understand why she can’t use normal health insurance like the rest of us. I guess the appeal of whatever top-tier health insurance professional hockey players have was too good to resist.”
That same source tells us that there were other motives for the marriage, specifically financial.
“She’s an opportunist. And I hate to say it, but she’s got a bit of a gold digger streak in her too,” says the source, who agreed to talk to the Overtime Report on the condition of anonymity.
“I just think it’s messed up that they can get away with doing something like this, something that’s illegal.”
Repeated attempts to reach out to Connors’ agent and manager went unanswered.
Nausea swoops through me, landing like a rock in the pit of my stomach. A second later, rage hits me.
“Connors, what’s wrong? You okay?”
Del’s voice cuts through the ringing in my ears.
I hold up the phone to him. “Some sports news site ran a story about Ellie and me. About how our marriage is a sham and that we only got married so she could get on my insurance. They accused us of committing fraud.”
Del’s eyes go wide. He grabs the phone and reads the screen. “Are you serious?”
“That’s messed up,” Blomdahl mutters.
I grip the counter of the bar, a sick feeling rushing through me. My head is heavy as I attempt to process every thought swirling around in my brain.
Who the fuck is this source? How the hell did they find out about us?
Rage fires through me like rocket fuel.
Fuck them for saying Ellie’s illness isn’t serious. Fuck them for saying she’s a golddigger. Ellie couldn’t be a golddigger if she tried. She’s too kind, too good.
Every muscle in my body tenses with the urge to track whoever this source is and tear them to shreds.
When I turn around, I see Xander, Theo, Ryker, and Sam standing around me now too. They’re all talking to Blomdahl, who’s showing them his phone.
After a second, they all look up at me, their expressions concerned.
“We know it’s not true, Connors,” Ryker says without missing a beat. All the guys nod along.
A sharp pang of guilt digs into my side. These guys are my teammates and my friends. We stand by each other through our tough moments, on and off the ice. I owe it to them to be honest, just like they’ve always been honest with me.
I shake my head. “It’s not. But part of it is…
” I trail off when I see the shock on their faces.
“Health insurance was a big reason why we got married. You should have seen the hoops Ellie’s shitty old health insurance plan made her go through to get her meds for her chronic migraines.
It was rage-inducing. They denied her over and over even though she paid her premiums. She couldn’t afford her meds out of pocket, so she’d end up in the hospital to get treatment, racking up tons of medical debt.
It was insane. And so fucking unfair. So yeah, when I found out about it, I asked her to marry me.
Because then she could get the meds she needed.
It was the only way I could think to help her.
” I swallow hard. “All that shit in the article downplaying Ellie’s illness and saying she’s a golddigger is bullshit. ”
I go quiet for a moment as the nerves inside of me go haywire.
“We were friends when we got married,” I say. “I had feelings for her though. And now I’m crazy about her.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I stare at my teammates’ unreadable expressions, wondering if they’re going to think I’m a piece of shit for everything I just admitted to them.
Xander looks at me. “You’re in love with her.”
I stare at him, confused as to how easily he was able to figure that out.
“You’re in love with Ellie,” he says. “That’s pretty damn obvious.”
All the guys shake their heads. I stand there, shocked at how they’re all able to tell.
“Yeah. I am,” I say.
“It’s all good, man. You didn’t do anything wrong. Sophie and I had a similar start to or relationship.”
The guys and I all stare at him.
“Are you serious?”
Xander nods at me. “Yeah, we started as a fake relationship. I was sick of people writing me off as nothing more than a manwhore. I wanted to be taken seriously and thought that dating Sophie, a genius doctor, would help me with that. She wanted to set boundaries with her dad, who was really overprotective, so that’s why she agreed to do it.
And then look what happened.” He grins. “We fell in love.”
All the guys stare at him with expressions of disbelief.
“Dude, seriously?” Del says.
Xander nods. “Yeah.”
Sam starts to smile. Theo and Blomdahl chuckle. Ryker just keeps staring at him.
Xander looks at me. “We didn’t get married, but I know what it’s like to plan for your relationship to go one way, and then it heads somewhere else completely. Somewhere better.”
That sick feeling in my gut fades.
Xander cracks a smile, then claps a hand on my shoulder. “It’s all good, man. I don’t care that you and Ellie started things off the way you did.”
“I don’t either,” Del says. “It’s fucked up that way some health insurance companies screw people over. I’m sorry Ellie went through that.”
“You guys didn’t do anything wrong,” Sam says. “I would have done the same for Dakota if she were in that position.”
“Me too,” Theo says.
“Same. No question,” Ryker says.
I stand there, blown away by the support of my teammates.
“Thanks, guys.” I huff out a breath. “I really needed to hear that. Especially given what a mess this is probably going to be for me. And the team.”
I’m still stressed as fuck thinking about this. That article is probably making the rounds on social media and will go viral soon. Team leadership will see it. Coach Porter is probably going to want to talk to me.
He might even want to take away alternate captain from me because of this mess.
Disappointment flashes through me. That’s it’s though.
I don’t feel sick or heartbroken. If I lose alternate captain because the Bashers’ team leadership is pissed at me for marrying my best friend so she could get health insurance, that would suck.
But honestly? It would be worth it. Because despite this whole mess, I have Ellie. She’s all that matters.
“Whatever happens, we’ve got your back, Connors,” Sam says.
“Yeah. We’re not gonna let some trash sports news site destroy you or this team,” Xander says.
I look at my teammates. “You guys are the fucking best.”
“Hey, what’s going on?”
I turn around and see Ellie’s bright and cheery expression. I grab her hand. “We have to talk.”