56. Stefan
56
STEFAN
Standing in the hallway and watching the elevator doors close, taking Wren away from me, is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to endure, but I know Wren needs time.
“You good?” Jaxson asks from the doorway to our room.
Looking at him, I shake my head. “Not even fucking close.”
“Come back inside and we’ll come up with a game plan for you to win over the girl.”
“I thought you wanted to kick my ass?”
“Ohhh, I still want to do that but, Stefan, if two people are meant to be together, it’s you two. I don’t know how I didn’t see it.”
Smiling at him, I walk back into the room, kicking the door closed behind me. “So, you went and fell in love?”
“Mmmhmpf,” I mumble with a nod. “Puck over stick in love.”
“I’m happy for you … and me.”
“Why you?”
“Because now you’re whipped you’ll stay out of the media spotlight, which means more endorsement deals and more moola for my pocket.”
“I need a new agent.”
“Pffft, no one is as good as me, and you know it.”
Shaking my head, I grab two beers from the mini fridge and, together, Jaxson and I come up with a plan to win over my wife.
He heads out, leaving me here waiting. I’m nervous, game day nervous. It’s not every day you have to try and convince the woman you love to stay married. My phone pings with a text, and I quickly grab it, hoping it’s from Wren, but it’s not.
FERN
Your wife is on her way back to you but if you fuck her over, I will kill you
STEFAN
I won’t … I love her
FERN
You make me sick … but yay … and if all else fails, tie her to the bed and fuck her into submission
Shaking my head, I smirk. I’ve never met anyone like Fern, and thank fuck there is only one of her out there. The sound of the door unlocking garners my attention, and I throw my phone to the side, stand up, and wait.
She steps into the room and stops when she sees me standing here. Silence fills the space around us. My hearts starts to rapidly race, it feels like it’s going to beat right out of my chest.
“Hey,” she finally speaks.
“Hey, yourself,” I reply.
More than anything else in the world, I want to storm over to her, pull her into my arms, and hold her tightly and beg for her to reconsider this divorce. But I know Wren and that won’t work. I need to let her process and assess everything before she decides.
“We need to talk,” she says, breaking the silence that fell between us.
“That statement is never followed by good news,” I grumble.
She smiles and I study her while I wait for her to speak. Like the poker-faced player she is, I can’t read her. She’s playing her cards close to her chest, but I notice her eyes are red-rimmed, indicating she’s been crying. I hate the thought of her being in pain over this. Over us. A part of me feels bad for pushing her. Maybe it will be for the best if we divorce and go our separate ways, but the thought of not having her in my life hurts.
She walks into the room and takes a seat on the sofa. In the same spot where I went down on her last night and my dick twitches. It’s at half-mast at the memory, but I quickly think of fat naked men in saunas and my dick quickly softens.
Taking a seat in the armchair, I focus on her. I’m sitting in the farthest one from her because if she’s in reach, I’m gonna wanna touch her and I think that’s the last thing she wants. “I’m sorry I walked out earlier. It was suffocating being in here. Jaxson was mad. You were voicing what you wanted, and me, I was confused and scared.”
“Why are you scared?”
“Stefan, I have so much to lose if this all falls apart. You’re the hockey God, you’ll be fine?—”
“We’ve discussed this, Wren, I won’t let that happen. I will protect you. Ring or no ring.”
“I know you will but … but I don’t want you to just protect me.” My heart breaks at that statement and I drop my gaze to the floor. “I want us to protect each other, it’s what married couples do, right?”
My head snaps back up. “Say that again?”
“I want us to protect each other.”
“Not that, the other part.”
“It’s what married couples do because, well, we are married. I have the rings”—she lifts her left hand and waggles her ring finger—“and the piece of paper to prove it.”
“So you don’t want to get divorced?” She shakes her head. “You want to be my wife?” She nods. “I can tell the whole world you’re mine? That we got married in Vegas and that we’ve been sneaking around for months?” Again she nods.
“We can tell them everything, Stefan. I don’t want to hide us anymore. You came into my life like a wrecking ball, causing havoc at every turn, but I got to know you and underneath your douchey exterior is an amazing man. I want everyone to know my husband is the sweetest most caring man I have ever met. I want the world to know he loves sweet coffee. That he’s an excellent cook. That he’s the most thoughtful person out there but most of all, I want them to know I love him with all my heart.”
“And I want them to know I love you will all my ego.” She furrows her brow at that analogy. “My ego’s bigger than my heart … I was going to go with dick but I have to PG it up, otherwise, my handler will get mad.”
She chuckles and it’s music to my ears. I have my wife back. I know it’s only been a day since we said “I do” but it’s been the best day of my life—minus the last two hours when she was freaking out.
“You done? Or do you still have some ego to fill?”
“I’m good,” I throw back at her.
“Good. Now come here and kiss me.”
I’ve never jumped up so quickly. Pulling her upright, I slide one hand around her waist, and with the other, I cup her cheek in my palm. I stare into the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen, and I see nothing but love radiating back at me. “I love you, Wren.”
“I love you too, Stefan. Now kiss me.”
“For you, wife, anything.”
Covering her mouth with mine, I kiss her. I kiss my wife like she’s never been kissed before, and I know together we can overcome anything.