In the Crease
Page 122
“I almost dreamed it.” Her lips curved as he kissed her temple. “But even dreaming could never come close to this moment.”
“I love you, Jensen.”
His heart exploded. “I love you.”
Silence fell between them as they gazed down at their beautiful child.
“Hey, Wren?” he asked in a whisper.
“Yeah,” she whispered back, tracing Gunner’s cheeks with her finger. The baby was wide awake but drunk from all the milk he had consumed. For being almost a month early, the kid was healthy as a horse and eating as much as one too. He took after his mother in more ways than one.
“Are you happy?”
She looked up at him, and her eyes sparkled as she nodded. “Never in my life did I think I could be this happy.” Leaning her nose to his, she smiled. “You?”
As his heart filled with such love and passion for the one who gazed up at him, completely exhausted and looking a hot mess, he nodded, feeling nothing but completion when he stared into her green depths. “I don’t want what I’m feeling to ever change.”
“It will.” She gave him a wicked smile. “I’ll piss you off and drive you completely crazy.”
He laughed, nodding his head. “And I’ll still love you.”
She pressed her forehead into his chin, and his eyes drifted shut.
Jensen Monroe finally had it all.
Keep reading on for a snippet of Wells and Matty’s story!
Chapter One
Wells Lemiere wasn’t sure what he was doing. Standing in front of a fucking estate in Princeton, New Jersey, he could feel his stomach turned with nervousness as the brisk air burned his face. With his beanie and hoodie, he would have thought he would be fine, especially after growing up in Colorado and all. But nope, he was still freezing. He wasn’t sure what it was about New Jersey, but he didn’t like it much. Or maybe his dislike for the fine state had to do with so much more.
Like Matty.
Matty Haverbrooke.
Looking up at the beautiful home, with the manicured lawn and perfectly trimmed hedges and the kind of windows that let all the light in, he knew that Matty was somewhere inside. Probably sitting around the table with his family, eating and enjoying their company. The same family that didn’t know one of its sons was gay.
And very much in love with Wells.
Or so he hoped.
Swallowing hard, Wells made himself move toward the house. He wasn’t sure if this was the smartest thing to do. But they had been together for so long, over a year, they were in love, and damn it, Wells wanted more. He wanted the Christmas with the parents, the vacations together where pictures could be taken, and fucking hell, a life together. With the whole world knowing. Yeah, his friends knew and his sister, but his parents hadn’t met Matty—for the simple reason Wells didn’t think it was right for them to know him when Matty’s parents wouldn’t ever know Wells. Since Wells loved him, he’d gone with it, but he couldn’t anymore. He needed all of Matty. He deserved that.
Taking the steps two at a time, he reached for the door knocker, seeing Matty’s family name gracing the front door.
Haverbrooke.
Such a wealthy and distinguished name. It was the name that belonged to the commissioner of the NHL. The name that belonged to three fantastic players in the NHL and even a songwriter who lived in Florida. Everyone knew the Haverbrookes.
And Wells was in love with one of them.
Swallowing back the bile that wanted to escape, Wells knocked twice as his heart jumped up into his throat. He wasn’t sure who would answer, and if it was Matty’s parents, should he introduce himself as Matty’s boyfriend? Wouldn’t that freak Matty out more? It wasn’t his place to out his boyfriend, but then, if he didn’t, would Matty ever? Yes, yes he would. He just needed a little push, that was all. Wells thought the fight they had at the beginning of the week when Matty left for New Jersey would have been the push, but in true Matty fashion, he’d shut down and hadn’t spoken to Wells. He figured that meant that Matty hadn’t told his family, so there he was.
Ready to fight for his forever.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about what to say because when the door opened, Matty looked down at him, his brows jumping up to his hairline. He was wearing an awfully ugly green sweater, yet he was still so gorgeous. Thick jaw, beautifully shaped nose—obviously, he had never played without a cage on his hockey helmet—and his eyes, they were just soul-crushing. Such an interesting shade of green that almost looked turquoise. “Wells.”
Shutting the door behind himself, Matty came out on the stoop with Wells, his eyes wild as he shook his head. “What are you doing here?”
Ever so charming, Wells gave him a wide smile. “I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with you. With your family.”
Matty took Wells by his bicep, leading him down the stairs to the sidewalk. “You know that can’t happen.”
“I think it can. Just tell them the truth. Tell them who you are,” Wells pleaded, taking in the side of Matty’s face that was taut and filled with worry. “I will be right beside you.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” Wells moved Matty’s hand from his arm, turning to face that man he had fallen so desperately for. “Matty, I love you. I will be there for you, support you, and damn it, I love you, baby.”
“Which is what I want, but I can’t tell my family. They just wouldn’t understand.”
“It’s not like how it was, Matty. It’s different now. People are more receptive.”
“Not my family.”
“Yes, your family,” Wells persisted, nodding his head and taking Matty’s hands with his. But when Matty pulled back from Wells, his heart sank.
“You don’t know them.”
“Because you won’t let me.”
“Because they wouldn’t accept you. They wouldn’t accept me. I’m already the martyr in this house. Jesus, Wells, I can’t. I won’t subject you to that.”
“They love you, you’ve told me that. They’ll support you, Matty.”
“No, I was raised to love women, my mom wants grandbabies… I can’t come out to her, not yet.”
“Matty, my best friends love you, my sister can’t wait to meet you. We can be together because it’s what we want. They’ll understand that. Maybe not at first, but in time.”
“I love you, Jensen.”
His heart exploded. “I love you.”
Silence fell between them as they gazed down at their beautiful child.
“Hey, Wren?” he asked in a whisper.
“Yeah,” she whispered back, tracing Gunner’s cheeks with her finger. The baby was wide awake but drunk from all the milk he had consumed. For being almost a month early, the kid was healthy as a horse and eating as much as one too. He took after his mother in more ways than one.
“Are you happy?”
She looked up at him, and her eyes sparkled as she nodded. “Never in my life did I think I could be this happy.” Leaning her nose to his, she smiled. “You?”
As his heart filled with such love and passion for the one who gazed up at him, completely exhausted and looking a hot mess, he nodded, feeling nothing but completion when he stared into her green depths. “I don’t want what I’m feeling to ever change.”
“It will.” She gave him a wicked smile. “I’ll piss you off and drive you completely crazy.”
He laughed, nodding his head. “And I’ll still love you.”
She pressed her forehead into his chin, and his eyes drifted shut.
Jensen Monroe finally had it all.
Keep reading on for a snippet of Wells and Matty’s story!
Chapter One
Wells Lemiere wasn’t sure what he was doing. Standing in front of a fucking estate in Princeton, New Jersey, he could feel his stomach turned with nervousness as the brisk air burned his face. With his beanie and hoodie, he would have thought he would be fine, especially after growing up in Colorado and all. But nope, he was still freezing. He wasn’t sure what it was about New Jersey, but he didn’t like it much. Or maybe his dislike for the fine state had to do with so much more.
Like Matty.
Matty Haverbrooke.
Looking up at the beautiful home, with the manicured lawn and perfectly trimmed hedges and the kind of windows that let all the light in, he knew that Matty was somewhere inside. Probably sitting around the table with his family, eating and enjoying their company. The same family that didn’t know one of its sons was gay.
And very much in love with Wells.
Or so he hoped.
Swallowing hard, Wells made himself move toward the house. He wasn’t sure if this was the smartest thing to do. But they had been together for so long, over a year, they were in love, and damn it, Wells wanted more. He wanted the Christmas with the parents, the vacations together where pictures could be taken, and fucking hell, a life together. With the whole world knowing. Yeah, his friends knew and his sister, but his parents hadn’t met Matty—for the simple reason Wells didn’t think it was right for them to know him when Matty’s parents wouldn’t ever know Wells. Since Wells loved him, he’d gone with it, but he couldn’t anymore. He needed all of Matty. He deserved that.
Taking the steps two at a time, he reached for the door knocker, seeing Matty’s family name gracing the front door.
Haverbrooke.
Such a wealthy and distinguished name. It was the name that belonged to the commissioner of the NHL. The name that belonged to three fantastic players in the NHL and even a songwriter who lived in Florida. Everyone knew the Haverbrookes.
And Wells was in love with one of them.
Swallowing back the bile that wanted to escape, Wells knocked twice as his heart jumped up into his throat. He wasn’t sure who would answer, and if it was Matty’s parents, should he introduce himself as Matty’s boyfriend? Wouldn’t that freak Matty out more? It wasn’t his place to out his boyfriend, but then, if he didn’t, would Matty ever? Yes, yes he would. He just needed a little push, that was all. Wells thought the fight they had at the beginning of the week when Matty left for New Jersey would have been the push, but in true Matty fashion, he’d shut down and hadn’t spoken to Wells. He figured that meant that Matty hadn’t told his family, so there he was.
Ready to fight for his forever.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about what to say because when the door opened, Matty looked down at him, his brows jumping up to his hairline. He was wearing an awfully ugly green sweater, yet he was still so gorgeous. Thick jaw, beautifully shaped nose—obviously, he had never played without a cage on his hockey helmet—and his eyes, they were just soul-crushing. Such an interesting shade of green that almost looked turquoise. “Wells.”
Shutting the door behind himself, Matty came out on the stoop with Wells, his eyes wild as he shook his head. “What are you doing here?”
Ever so charming, Wells gave him a wide smile. “I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with you. With your family.”
Matty took Wells by his bicep, leading him down the stairs to the sidewalk. “You know that can’t happen.”
“I think it can. Just tell them the truth. Tell them who you are,” Wells pleaded, taking in the side of Matty’s face that was taut and filled with worry. “I will be right beside you.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” Wells moved Matty’s hand from his arm, turning to face that man he had fallen so desperately for. “Matty, I love you. I will be there for you, support you, and damn it, I love you, baby.”
“Which is what I want, but I can’t tell my family. They just wouldn’t understand.”
“It’s not like how it was, Matty. It’s different now. People are more receptive.”
“Not my family.”
“Yes, your family,” Wells persisted, nodding his head and taking Matty’s hands with his. But when Matty pulled back from Wells, his heart sank.
“You don’t know them.”
“Because you won’t let me.”
“Because they wouldn’t accept you. They wouldn’t accept me. I’m already the martyr in this house. Jesus, Wells, I can’t. I won’t subject you to that.”
“They love you, you’ve told me that. They’ll support you, Matty.”
“No, I was raised to love women, my mom wants grandbabies… I can’t come out to her, not yet.”
“Matty, my best friends love you, my sister can’t wait to meet you. We can be together because it’s what we want. They’ll understand that. Maybe not at first, but in time.”
