Chapter 22 – Leo
Puke on the Pitch
Leo
“ARE YOU EXCITED?” Gavin shoots me a grin. “Ready to show off for your girl?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” I give his shoulder a shove. “So you better bust your fucking ass out there today, because I’m not about to lose the first match Maddie watches.”
I love what I do. Love the competition. Love the physicality. Love the challenge. And I can admit, I fucking love the fame.
For a while there, I was worried it might work against me. That it would shine a light on Maddie’s life that people would try to twist until it cast a negative shadow. Scandal sells, I know that.
But if anyone tried to make Maddie look bad, I would have walked away from all of this. All the money and fame in the world isn’t worth making her suffer.
Luckily, it didn’t come to that. Drake’s attempt at dragging me into the mud with him was short-lived when he was once again rearrested for being a dumbass.
He’s been locked up a month now, trying to make bail.
His previous bad behavior led to the judge setting it crazy high and is making it hard for him to find a bondsman willing to take him on.
“Oh shit.” Gavin’s eyes are fixed on the television feeding us the prematch coverage. When I look up, I see what’s caught his attention.
Maddie and my sister sit side-by-side in the stands, each of their names listed across the bottom of the screen, along with their connection to me.
Gavin scowls. “Why did they both get you? Why does Alexis have to be your sister instead of my girlfriend?”
“Because unlike you, they’re trying not to make shit weird over you fucking my sister.” I step closer, hoping to get a better look before they pan away.
Gavin does the same thing, his brows pinching together.
“Maddie doesn’t look so hot.” He immediately holds up both hands.
“I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean she doesn’t look like she feels good.
Of course Maddie is hot.” His eyes widen.
“I don’t mean hot, hot.” He rakes one hand through his long dark hair. “You know what I fucking mean, right?”
“You’re already fucking my sister, you better not be trying to steal my…” I know I should call Maddie my girlfriend—it’s what’s written across the screen—but that doesn’t feel good enough. She’s so much more to me than that.
“Fucking hell.” Gavin shakes his head at me, a smirk curling his lips. “If you propose to that girl before she’s divorced, Babs and Dan are going to lose their shit.”
“That only makes me want to do it more.” Maddie and I have come a long way in the month since she tried to end things between us. We’ve talked through a lot of her fears. Her pain points. The guilt she carries.
We’ve also talked about our families. A lot. Together, we’ve tried to figure out how to navigate the situations we’re facing with our parents. Neither set is coming around to our relationship the way I was hoping for, but that’s on them. I’m not living my life to make other people happy.
Neither is Maddie. Not anymore.
Gavin slaps me on the shoulder, a grin spreading across his face. “Honestly, I’m shocked you made it this long. I think you fell in love with her the night of the Christmas party, man. I saw the look on your face when she walked in and could tell you were a goner.”
“I was.” I’m not going to deny it. I’ve been all-in with Maddie Miller from day one, and I’m not even a little bit ashamed. “Still am. I love the shit out of her, and as soon as I know it won’t scare her to death, I’m going to tell her.”
“You should probably do that before you propose to her. Otherwise, she might get real fucking confused.” Gavin starts to say more but gets cut off when our coach enters the locker room, ready for his pre-match pep talk.
I try to focus, but all I can think about is making Maddie Miller into Maddie Casselini.
Thankfully, I’m riding high on all the possibilities for my future, and I channel every bit of it into the match. The team we’re up against is skilled, and my time on the pitch is brutal. By the time it’s over I’m exhausted, dirty, bloodied, scraped, and bruised.
And still wearing a big fucking smile, because we won and Maddie is about to join me on the pitch for the first time.
But when I see her and Alexis come through the gate, my smile slips. On the screen I could tell she didn’t feel well, but in person, Maddie looks miserable.
Instead of her coming to me, I run to her, pushing my already tired muscles and aching joints as hard as I did during the match.
I reach her just as she steps onto the pitch, and I rest both hands on her shoulders, looking over her slightly sweaty face.
Reaching up, I press the cleanest part of my hand to her clammy forehead. “What’s wrong?”
Maddie shakes her head. “I don’t know. I think I might have eaten something funny.” Her already pale skin turns ashy as one hand lifts to her mouth. “I think I need to find a bath—”
She doesn’t finish what she’s about to say, because suddenly Maddie is bending at the waist, puking on the trampled grass of the pitch.
I step in front of her, hoping to shield her hunched form from the bulk of the spectators lingering in the stands.
After quickly collecting her long dark hair, I hold the silky strands with one hand, smoothing the other up and down her back.
It’s something I’ve done for Gavin more times than he’d probably like to admit, but this feels different. Better in a twisted way.
“Oh my God.” Alexis notices what’s happening and rushes over. “Is she okay?”
Maddie sucks in a breath, straightening as she swipes across her mouth with the sleeve of the Cape Coral Swamp Cats hoodie she found in our closet. “I’m fine. I might just have the flu, or something.”
She might. Anything’s possible.
My gut tells me—even if technically she got it from me—what’s making Maddie feel sick isn’t contagious.
“Come on.” I hook one arm around her waist, supporting a little of her weight as I lead her back the way she came. “Let’s go home.”
Maddie’s head drops to my shoulder, her eyes closing as she leans into me. “That sounds good.”
Later, I’m going to give her a stern talking to about coming here today even though she felt like shit. Make sure she knows to put herself first. Always.
Especially if she’s sick for the reason I suspect.
Working quickly, I grab my stuff, not even bothering to change out of my filthy Jersey and shorts before directing Maddie to where my Charger is parked in the garage.
After helping her into the front seat and buckling her in, I chuck my crap in the back seat and climb behind the wheel.
Maddie leans back, eyes closed, skin pale, as I pull out onto the street and aim for our house.
I want to get her home, but we need to make a stop first. I know I won’t be able to focus on anything until my suspicions are confirmed.
It’s always been in the back of my mind that this was a possibility. I knew the risks. But personally, I would consider this a reward.
When we reach my destination, I slow, taking the turn into the lot carefully, so I don’t jostle Maddie any more than I have to. I leave the car running, and the cool air blowing directly at her. Lifting one of her hands to my mouth, I press a kiss to her knuckles. “I’ll be right back.”
She nods, but doesn’t say anything else, making me feel like an asshole over the excitement skittering over my skin.
I practically run into the drugstore, grabbing a basket as I go.
I pace the aisles, dropping in crackers, ginger ale, and Pedialyte, before reaching the section I’m searching for.
Grabbing three boxes, I drop the trio in with the rest of my items and make a beeline for the register.
Thankfully, no one’s in front of me, so I’m able to check out in record time.
When I get to the car, Maddie looks even worse. Sweat is collected across her upper lip, and she’s peeled off my hoodie, leaving her in a pair of jeans and a tank top.
I practically fall into my seat as I dig into the bag. “Here.” Cracking the lid on one of the bottles of ginger ale, I pass it over. “Sip this.”
Maddie nods, taking the beverage and swallowing down a few mouthfuls.
While she does that, I rip open the box of saltines and shred one of the plastic sleeves trying to get in.
Pressing a few of the crackers into her palm, I urge, “work on trying to get these down. They’ll help settle your stomach. ”
Again, Maddie nods, this time bringing one of the squares to her mouth so she can nibble at one corner. I grip the plastic bag holding our items by the handles, intending to fling it into the back seat, but Maddie reaches out to stop me. “I can hold that.”
She sounds miserable, but I let her take it. Probably wouldn’t be great for me to start throwing around carbonated beverages anyway, and if she feels like she’s going to be sick again, she can dump everything out and use the bag instead of my floorboard.
Not that I would care.
Still driving carefully, I back out and get us back on the road. As I do my best to keep the ride as smooth as possible, Maddie shifts around the contents of the bag.
“Are you feeling sick again?” I reach across, resting one hand on her knee, feeling fucking helpless. I have to keep driving, and the sooner I get her home, the sooner I can take care of her, but that doesn’t do any good right this minute.
“I mean…” She pulls something from the bag, staring down at it. “A little bit now that I see this.”
I quickly look at the item she’s holding as we come up on the turn into our subdivision. For about the hundredth time since she started puking on the pitch, I’m fighting the urge to smile.
Maddie slowly turns to look at me, lifting the item higher. “Why are there three pregnancy tests in this bag?”
“Technically there are six.” I reach out, tapping my finger against the text on the packaging. “They’re two packs.”
Maddie inhales slowly before blowing the air back out. “Okay.” She drags the word out. “Why are there six pregnancy tests in this bag?”
“Well…” I’m not sure how to explain this to her, and I’m a little concerned Maddie didn’t at least consider this could happen. “When a man and a woman love each other very much—”
“Wait.” Maddie’s eyes are wide. “Love?” There’s an odd pitch to her voice.
It could be fear. It could be from feeling like shit.
Or could be hope. I’m gonna cross my fingers for that one.
I nod, taking the box from her hand before lacing my fingers with hers. “That’s right. Love.”
Maddie stares at me a second before her eyes drop to the box on the console between us. “You think I’m pregnant.” It’s not a question.
“We’ve been ignoring any sort of preventative measures, so I think it’s at least possible.” And I’m not mad about it, which is crazy because I’ve been so fucking diligent about that shit up to this point.
But the first time Maddie and I were together was unexpected and spontaneous, and then it just sort of never came up. It wasn’t ignorance—I fully knew what could happen. It wasn’t denial—I would never deny anything between me and Maddie.
But it also wasn’t by design. I wasn’t intending for this to happen. I didn’t plan to get her pregnant.
I just didn’t do anything to not get her pregnant, because I was ready, willing, and able to take care of whatever the universe was willing to gift me.
And if there’s two pink lines on that test, it’ll be the best gift I’ve ever gotten.
Pulling into my driveway, I park in front of the garage that now houses Maddie’s car and get out, rounding the front to collect her—and the six pregnancy tests—so we can find out what we’re facing.
We get inside, and I take Maddie straight to the bathroom, much like I did the day we left her abuela’s the night she had terrible cramps. I try to do the mental math—attempt to remember how long ago that was. Maybe two months?
And I don’t remember her suffering a month ago.
Once we’re in our bathroom, I tear open a box, spilling two foil wrapped tests onto the counter. I pick one up as I read the instructions on the back. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the directions are surprisingly simple. “All you have to do is pee on it?”
“You know as much as I do. I’ve never had to take one of these before.
” Maddie unzips her jeans, shoving them and her panties down her hips before she flops onto the toilet.
She holds one hand out, opening and closing it in a beckoning motion.
“Let’s get this over with so I can lay down and take a nap. ”
I tear into the foil of one, remove the little plastic cap off what looks like a felted sort of tab, and pass it over.
Maddie takes it, hesitating a second as her eyes lift to where I stand watching intently. “I don’t know if I can pee with you staring at me.”
“Sorry.” I turn, crossing both arms over my chest as I wait.
The soft sound of tinkling has my heart beating even faster, because it means the timer has started.
In two minutes, I’ll know if Maddie and I are going to have a baby.
If the house I bought is finally going to be one step closer to holding the family I imagined when I signed the papers.
“Well.”
I turn to find Maddie still sitting on the toilet, hands at her ankles as she stares down at this test. “I guess two minutes was an estimate.” She lifts the test, turning the plastic covered viewing screen to face me.
Right there, bright pink and clear as day, are two lines crisscrossing the window.
“You’re pregnant.” I take the test, bringing it closer to my face, just in case what I saw was a weird reflection.
The two pink lines are still there.
I lift my eyes to find Maddie’s wide panicked gaze fused to my face. I don’t want her to be afraid. I don’t want her to be anything but as happy as I am in this moment. I want her to know everything is going to be okay. That I’m going to take care of her.
That I’m going to take care of our baby.
So I say the only thing I think might come close to accomplishing that.
“You should marry me.”