Chapter 27
twenty-seven
Two days.
It’s been two days since my heart was ripped out of my chest. My eyes are constantly burning, and my cheeks are raw from all the crying I’ve done.
I can’t stop crying. I’ve cried so much that at this point, I don’t know where the tears are coming from.
I never knew a broken heart could hurt like this.
My phone buzzes, and I look down at the screen. For the first time all day, I smile.
Cora
I just saw a grown man run away, screaming over a spider.
Peyton
I want to say something mean, but I’ll refrain.
Grace
I’m so proud of you for learning not to say the first thing that pops into your head.
Shaking my head, I drop my phone.
When Brett broke my heart, I fully expected his friends to take his side. Only they didn’t.
The girls have been texting me nonstop, making sure I know that they are still here for me even if Brett and I are no longer together. They seem to always know when I start to spiral because I get a text when I need it most.
Then there’s Wyatt. He’s been showing up with food and my favorite tea. It’s like he’s made it his personal mission to make sure I stay fed and hydrated at this time. When I told him he didn’t have to and that I could take care of myself, he gave me a look. One that said I was being ridiculous.
“We’re family, Emery, and family takes care of one another. Now, are you doing okay?”
I smile at the thought. I want to turn him away, but I can’t. Every time he shows up, I take what he has for me and a few minutes of his time. Talking to him makes me feel closer to Brett.
Fuck, I miss him.
I miss the way he smiles and the way he would play with my hair. I miss the way he always knew what I needed before I did. I miss the way he laughs and how he would tease me. Most of all, I miss the way he would hold me tight and tell me he loved me.
I believed him. I really believed him, and then he had to go and ruin it all.
I rub my chest as my heart aches. Goddamn him for making me fall in love with him.
He said and did all the right things. He stepped up when I needed him. Brett Woods painted a pretty picture and made me believe that this could be it. That this could be our happily ever after. We made plans.
The baby kicks under my palm, and I look down at my stomach.
I watch as our baby rolls beneath my skin. The baby moves again, making me wince. I never realized how uncomfortable the end of pregnancy would be. Still, despite the discomfort, my child moving gives me some comfort. It grounds me knowing that at least one thing is real in my life.
I’m going to be a mother to a beautifully happy and hopefully healthy baby.
Name. We don’t even have a name picked out for our baby yet. We should be figuring that out right now, but instead, I’m ignoring their father. I tried to look on my own, but nothing felt right.
Because it was something else I was supposed to do with him. He was supposed to be helping me make all of these decisions, but he’s not.
Am I a horrible mother for not having a single name picked out so close to my due date? Seriously, am I setting myself up for failure?
The front door opens, but I don’t bother to turn to see who it is. I know it’s her.
“Oh, look, it’s little Miss Piggy. You know if you don’t stop binge eating and get your weight under control, you’ll never make it back on the ice,” Ashley sneers.
Closing my eyes, I ignore her.
How did I miss how horrible she is? I practiced with her for three years and lived with her for one. Still, I didn’t know.
“Oink. Oink. Are you listening to me?”
“I’m not fat, Ashley, I’m growing a baby. You know, a human. One that will grow up to be an adult.”
“Speaking of your spawn, I hope you know that you won’t be able to bring them back here.”
Slowly, I turn to face her. “Excuse me?”
“You won’t bring that child here,” she says slowly.
“And where do you think I should take my baby after I have it?”
She shrugs. “I don’t care, but not here.”
“I live here,” I point out.
“Which is why I’m telling you that you should move before you give birth. Your baby isn’t welcome here. I have a strict schedule since I’m Olympic-bound. I refuse to let your spawn ruin what I have going on.”
“My baby won’t bother you,” I grit out, trying to tamp down my anger.
Who does this bitch think she is?
“Babies cry all night long. They smell and take up space. It’s not happening. You need to move out.”
Oh god, the only name on the lease is hers. When we decided to move in together, we decided that it would be best because I was waiting on another place to open up.
“Just now remembering you aren’t on the lease?
You have no rights. You have to leave whether you like it or not.
Ariel is going to move in. I already talked to management about it and got her added to the lease.
They already drew up the paperwork, and she’s signed it.
You have until the end of the month,” she says, making my heart drop.
“Are you fucking serious?”
“As a heart attack, so you better get packing. Oh, and don’t even think about taking anything that’s mine. I’ll know if you do.”
“Trust me, I don’t want any of your cheap shit!”
“Cheap? The only cheap thing in this place is you! You fucking whore!”
Something in me snaps. “For the last time, I’m not a whore! I can’t be when in the last three years I’ve only slept with one man. ONE! Last I checked, that doesn’t make me a whore, a slut, a floozy, or whatever other fucking names you want to call me.”
As I walk up the steps toward her apartment, I hear yelling. Frowning, I rush to the door.
“Or whatever other fucking names you want to call me!” Emery yells.
Opening the door, I step inside.
“Yeah, well, your current state says otherwise. Did you poke holes in the condoms to trap him? Did you see him as a payday?” Ashley spews.
Emery’s head jerks back. “You fucking cunt!” Emery hisses.
“What the hell is going on here?” I yell, making them both look my way.
Emery’s head whips toward me, and her face pales. “Brett…”
“I was just telling this skank that she needs to find somewhere else to live because I won’t let her raise her bastard in my home,” Ashley sneers.
My hands clench at my sides. Never in my twenty-two years of life have I wanted to hit a woman until today. The amount of grief and heartache this bitch has done to my family is insane, and all because she’s jealous.
I move to Emery’s side and face Ashley. “First, my child is not a bastard, and she’s not a skank.” I look down at Emery. “Second, she will be moving in with me, so they won’t be any concern of yours.”
Emery’s eyes are filled with questions.
“Brett,” she whispers, but I shake my head, turning my attention back to the woman who’s caused us nothing but hurt.
“Are you going to tell her?”
Ashley’s head jerks back. “Tell her what? I don’t need to tell her anything. If anyone owes her any answers, it’s you. You’re the one who let me crawl into your bed.”
“Tell her why you did all of this.”
“Because she deserved it!” Ashley yells.
“You did it because you’re jealous,” I spit back at her.
Ashley scoffs. “Jealous? Of what? A washed-up has-been? No fucking way.”
“You were jealous of Emery’s success. You were jealous that she could balance school and practice when you couldn’t. You hated the fact that she succeeded where you were failing. You know, I talked to Irina,” I say, making Ashley pale.
“Irina? Our trainer? What does she have to do with this? What the hell is going on? Why are you here, Brett?” Emery asks as she rubs her temples.
I hate that I’m causing her pain and that she’s stressed, but she needs to know. She needs to hear all of this.
“I ran into Irina at the rink. She asked me how you were doing, and she told me something interesting. Apparently, our girl Ashley here couldn’t hack it.
She’s been failing all of her classes. Not just failing to where she’s not eligible, but failing to the point that she might be kicked out at the end of the semester.
As if that wasn’t juicy enough, Irina told me that Ashley here wasn’t good enough for the Olympics and that the coaching staff refused to put her name down as someone to enter the trials.
Irina told me that she was worried about you, and when I asked why, she admitted that they told Ashley that she was not you.
That if she wanted to even think about making it to the trials, then she needed to start skating like you. ”
“Only she couldn’t,” Emery murmurs, making me nod.
“Exactly. She’s the wish version of you, Buttercup, and couldn’t fucking hack it.”
“That’s a lie! You’re a liar. I’m going to the Olympics, and I’m going to win gold! Just fucking watch me. I’ll show you,” Ashley cries out.
I chuckle darkly. “I lie? Really, and for what reason do I have to lie? As far as I can tell, I have nothing to lose. You made sure of that, didn’t you, Ashley?”
“You did all of this because you were jealous?” Emery asks with tears in her voice.
Unable to take it anymore, I reach out and touch her. When she doesn’t pull away, I pull her into my side, holding her tight. For the first time in days, I feel like I can breathe. That everything is right in my world.
It’s not yet, though, but it will be.
“I’m not jealous of you! God, you’re so fucking conceited.
Your head is so far up your fucking ass that you don’t even realize you don’t deserve a spot on the Olympic team.
You aren’t even that good on the ice, but you have everyone convinced you are.
Everyone was so obsessed with you that they didn’t even notice real talent when it was in front of them.
It was Emery this. Emery that. Emery. Emery.
Emery,” she mocks. “I was fucking sick of it. Then you did the world a favor and got pregnant. You gave the rest of us a chance to fucking shine for once. We didn’t have to live in your shadow, but once again, it was all about you.
Did you hear Emery and Brett are having a baby?
He’s so good on the ice. He’s like the star of the team.
Did you hear they are dating? It’s like they are a real family.
The golden couple of campus. It’s bullshit!
God, I couldn’t escape you on the ice, at school, or at home. You’re everywhere!”
Ashley’s eyes go wide as she breathes hard, realizing what she just said.
I shake my head. “No, no, keep going. You haven’t gotten to the good part yet.” I look down at my girl. “Did she admit to you yet how that video came about?”
I look up in time to watch Ashley pale further and sway on her feet.
“What?” she whispers.
“Oh, I know, Ashley. I fucking know. Did you know that I can press charges and have you arrested?”
She shakes her head. “You wouldn’t…”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Brett…?” Emery asks, voice full of confusion.
I don’t look away from Ashley, though. “Now this is what’s going to happen: you are going to stay the fuck away from my family, keep our names out of your mouth, and let us move Emery out in peace. After we are done, you are free to come back, but not a moment before.”
In an instant, her face goes from pale to red.
“Do you understand?”
“You two deserve each other,” she says before storming out, mad as fuck.
Good, now that that’s handled, I can win my girl back.