Chapter 34
. . .
Silas
The following morning, two very different expressions greet me as I enter a boardroom and take a seat opposite Theo and Coach.
The gray circles beneath Coach’s eyes tell me that he’s barely slept a wink, whereas Theo’s are red and for a very different reason—he’s pissed. When I joined the Rogues, he knew about my past, and back then, he didn’t care so long as I brought it on the ice.
Right now, he doesn’t look so relaxed about it all, and I hope his anger is directed at my brother because I’m not about to make any apologies about me and Vesper, the pregnancy, or for breaking Kane’s nose.
“This is a key part in our season, and instead of talking about making a charge for the playoffs, we’re trying to put out fires started by your personal life.” Theo’s tone is cutting.
Fuck me, this guy is an asshole at times. In his British accent and snappy black suit, he sounds and looks superior. Although I’m willing to bet he has plenty of skeletons in his closet.
I fold my arms in a defensive stance and lean back in my chair. “My publicist and agent are dealing with the fallout, and I’ve been in touch with my legal team this morning regarding the restraining order Kane talked to the press about.”
Theo scoffs, and Coach leans forward, blue eyes pinned on me.
“Is any of what Kane said true?”
I look between them both. “Yeah.”
Theo scoffs again and pushes back his chair.
I hold up a hand, halting him. “Let me tell you which parts are accurate, and then you can go ahead and decide what you want to do with me.”
Coach purses his lips. “General public consensus is, you’re a bully for punching your brother and stealing his girlfriend.”
I just smile because people will make up their fucking minds without a shred of evidence. “Let them think what they want to think about me. They’re wrong.”
“Ah, yeah.” Theo clicks his fingers. “That’s exactly what we should do to sell merchandise. Why didn’t I think of that, Silas? I’ll put out a team statement right now, telling our fans to go fuck themselves because our captain doesn’t give a crap what they think about him or his off-ice antics.”
I force back an eye roll.
“I only got with Vesper after she broke up with my brother. The pregnancy was unplanned, and the baby is very much wanted. In terms of the hit I put on him, it was well warranted and for reasons which are private to my girlfriend.”
Coach quirks a brow. He can sniff out an abusive relationship from a hundred miles away, unsurprising, given his traumatic childhood.
“Is Kane bad news?” he asks in a softer voice than before.
I look off to the side, unexpectedly overcome with emotion.
Images of my mom asking me to stand by my brother, coupled with the pained look in my girl’s eyes whenever I tried to talk to her about Kane to help her see that she could do so much fucking better than his sorry ass—they’re overwhelming.
Even if the guy she ended up falling for didn’t turn out to be me, I only ever wanted her to be happy and to feel loved.
“Yeah,” I simply answer.
“Silas,” Coach presses, elbows braced on the table. He pulls off his black ball cap and sets it down next to him. “This restraining order Kane claims was falsely granted, was that to protect Vesper from him?”
I bite down on the inside of my cheek, eyes briefly flashing to Theo. He looks less pissed at least.
“Let’s just say that when Vesper came into my life, it was under very challenging circumstances, but now, she’s right where she was always supposed to be.
She and the baby are safe, and that’s all that matters to me.
So, if the public wants to go ahead and make inaccurate assumptions, then I don’t much care because, tonight, she’ll be climbing into my bed, and in August, I’ll be the father of her child. ”
Theo steeples his fingers, thinking. “That’s a really sweet story and everything, Silas. But it doesn’t solve my issue of what to do with you on the ice. You would need to metaphorically throw your brother under the bus to clear your own name, and I’m not sure you’re that type of guy.”
I study him for a beat. He is definitely the type of guy who would step on anyone for the sake of his business. Including the captain of the hockey team. Difference is, I’ve known a struggle in my life, along with the inside of a jail cell. It doesn’t get much lower than that.
Do your worst, Theo.
I steel my shoulders and let them have it straight. “My hockey career comes second to Vesper and our baby. She calls the shots over how we handle this, and I guess it’s up to you guys to determine if you think my game is indispensable to the Rogues.”
Walking into my apartment to find my girlfriend curled up on the couch will be imprinted in my brain long after I’ve left this earth.
With a new fur throw, which I bought her for when she stays over at my place, she’s got her latest coloring project balanced on her knees, deep in concentration.
“Hey,” I say, dropping my training bag onto the floor and making a beeline straight for her.
She sets the coloring pad on the coffee table and zips her pencil case shut, bringing the back of her hand over her mouth in a yawn.
“How are you doing?” I ask, she’s about to enter the second trimester and it’s arguably the most exhausting for many women. “I half expected you to be in bed when I got back.”
I take a seat next to her, and she nuzzles beneath my arm.
“I wanted to stay up and find out how the meeting went with Coach Callaghan and Theo.”
Tipping her chin up, I take all of her in. “You’re fucking beautiful—you know that?”
Hair thrown into a messy bun, she’s wearing a pair of black pajama shorts and a plain red T-shirt. Last week, she told me her bridesmaid dress was red too. I can’t wait to see her in it.
Pressing a palm into my chest, she pushes me back onto the couch and straddles my thighs. I’m only wearing gray sweatpants, which do nothing to hide the way she turns me on.
“Flattery will get you everywhere with me, Mr. Stanton.” Her eyes drop to my tenting pants, and she pulls her lip between her teeth. “But first, I want to know what was said in the meeting.”
I cup her small face in my palms. “I told them that I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks about us, and I left Coach and Theo to make a decision about whether I’ll be named on the next roster. I have all I need in my life right in front of me.”
I brush my lips over hers, and she sighs into my mouth.
“I saw Drew and Colton’s statement on your behalf. What you said about us and me, it was really freaking sweet, Silas.”
“I meant every word,” I tell her. “And we will fight Kane through the courts to get a permanent restraining order in place.”
She nods, but I can sense there’s something still playing on her mind.
“Talk to me,” I whisper softly.
She has all the lights in my apartment turned down low and a raspberry-scented candle burning in the center of my coffee table. My place has never felt more like a home.
“Do you remember the December before last, when you showed up at my apartment and asked if I was still seeing Kane? I acted like a bitch toward you.”
I rest my forehead against hers. “I do. That was a difficult day.”
Vesper’s fingers toy with the soft hairs at the nape of my neck. “I was scared, Si.”
“I know, of Kane,” I reply.
She shakes her head. “No—well, I mean, yes, I was scared of Kane and basically brainwashed by him to believe that he was the only person who could ever ‘love’ me. But …”
Her big blue eyes freeze me in place. It feels like she’s looking directly into my soul, and I hold my breath.
“I was scared to let you in because, deep down, I knew all along that you loved me. Only I didn’t want to admit it to myself because I’d have felt compelled to push you away even more.
Back then, we couldn’t be together, and I couldn’t understand why a guy like you would love a girl like me.
I had been shattered into a million pieces, and I didn’t want you to be the one to pick them all up and help me find myself again.
That’s too much pressure to put on someone. ”
I go to respond, but she sets a finger across my lips.
“I’m sorry for shutting you out, and I’m sorry for not giving you a chance to prove yourself and the man you really are.
I always found you attractive and kind. Whenever you showed up at Kane’s place, I’d get these butterflies low in my belly.
” A tear hits her cheek, and she smiles.
“And now they’re accompanied by your baby. ”
Our mouths are instantly fused together as I pull her into me and kiss her like it’s the last moment we’ll ever share together.
“I love you, Silas. And I want you to know I’m not scared anymore. Not over the way I feel about you, the fact that we’re going to have a baby, and I definitely don’t care about my shitty ex anymore or whatever he tries to say about us.”
She raises her arms above her head, and I remove her T-shirt, immediately clamping my mouth around her nipple. I groan out my approval. Her skin tastes so fucking good.
“It’s too early for my milk,” she teases, giggling when I swipe my tongue over the hard nub.
I pop off and gaze up at her, feeling drunk on this incredible feeling.
She loves me.
“Yeah, but when it does arrive, best believe I’ll be feeding really fucking well each night.”