In the Crease
Page 5
But he had no one.
His parents couldn’t make it because his dad’s diabetes had gotten so bad that his legs were giving him issues. The doctors had gotten it under control, but his mom wouldn’t leave his side, which was understandable. Thankfully, he knew they were watching. Though, he did miss them more than he could ever put into words. He knew he would see them in a few weeks.
With his Cup.
Jensen’s throat was tight as he looked around the arena, all the fans going nuts, the guys clinging to each other as Jayden took pictures with the commissioner and the Cup. It was so much shinier in person. Jensen had seen it on the internet and even at events, but he had never been this close to it. Soon, he would touch it.
As the crowd roared, Jayden picked it up to do his victory lap, but to Jensen’s surprise, he carried it over to Lucas Brooks before yelling, “For the last time, brother. This is all you, Brooksie, you earned it.” The team all yelled out for the veteran forward before he took the Cup, holding it above his head and kissing it. Jensen clapped along with his team, their fans, and their families as Lucas did his lap, tears gushing down his face. When he came back to the team, Jensen assumed Lucas would give it back to Jayden. But instead, he paused in front of Jensen.
“We couldn’t have done this without you, Monroe. Take your lap.”
Jensen reached out, taking the Cup before looking back at the guy who was Tate Odder’s biggest fan. He’d felt like Lucas held a bit of animosity toward him since Jensen had taken Tate’s spot after he went out with an injury. But looking into Lucas’s eyes, all Jensen saw was love and admiration. Bringing the Cup up, he shook it wildly before kissing it and doing his lap. It was all such a blur, like it wasn’t even happening, and then it was over. It almost felt as if he hadn’t even done it.
But he knew he had.
Handing the cup off to Jayden, Jensen felt a grin grow on his face before someone called out, “Monroe, media.”
He was watching as Jayden was skating with the Cup, tears welling up in his eyes as he stopped in front of his wife and son.
Shit. Jensen was going to cry.
Swallowing hard, Jensen skated to where Brie Soledad was standing, tears in his eyes, but he wouldn’t let them fall. He couldn’t; Vaughn would give him shit for days if he cried on camera. Before she could ask anything, though, they embraced. She had become a pillar in his life the last six months. Engaged to his best friend, newly pregnant, Brie was just as much a sister as Vaughn was a brother. Jensen was vying for the baby to be named after him, though, Vaughn had said no way in hell. Jensen was pretty sure he could change that. He had his ways.
Kissing his cheek, she backed up, a grin on her face as she yelled into the mic, “Jensen Monroe, congratulations.”
Holy shit, he still couldn’t believe it.
They had won.
“Thank you, Brie.”
“Your goals against average is only .940, setting a new record. You saved 1,033 shots this run, almost beating the record of Tim Thomas. They say the Vezina Trophy is yours. Tell me, can life get any better?”
As he looked up, meeting Brie’s happy and excited gaze, he said, “No, it can’t.”
He actually paused, waiting for God to strike him down for lying.
Because even in that moment, with all the confetti, the undying love from the fans, his boys cheering him on, and the tears in Brie’s eyes, Jensen knew things could be a lot better.
Yeah, he had just won the Cup. Had made records, and might win the Vezina Trophy, but at the end of the day, unlike everyone else in the arena, he had no one to share it with.
Because of that, the moment was almost ruined.
Almost.
“Well, crap.”
Wren turned side to side in her full-length mirror, staring at her reflection.
Or better yet, her ever-growing belly.
Biting her lip, Wren furrowed her brow as she ran her hand down her stomach. “Really? I bought this to hide you, kiddo.”
She wasn’t sure what she expected, for her belly to talk back or what, but one thing was for sure, the many tunics she had bought to hide her stomach were not working any longer. She had done so well the last six months, hiding the fact that she was very much pregnant. Today, though…today, her little baby had decided it was time to make its debut.
And that wasn’t good.
Because she still wasn’t married.
Letting her head fall back, she looked up at the ceiling because if she didn’t, she’d look at the counter where her brother’s wedding invitation sat. A wedding invite that showed a date a month from today, and her presence would be expected. She thought about trying to get out of it, but she was pretty sure Wells would kill her dead if she didn’t show. So would her parents, but she just couldn’t face them. Any of them.
Closing her eyes, she could see her trust fund slipping away since there was no way she could keep this a secret when she went home. She had always been a thick girl, but she didn’t look fat any longer. She looked pregnant. And since she was, that made sense, but that was beside the point. She couldn’t believe this was how her life had played out. She didn’t know what she thought would happen when she walked out of Bradley’s office, but a part of her had thought he’d call her back.
But he hadn’t.
He married his partner’s daughter three months ago, and boy, did that sting.
It was like she meant nothing to him. By now, she wouldn’t think it would still hurt so bad, but it did. It hurt terribly, and she hated him. Oh, did she hate him. He wasn’t the man she’d thought he was. But then, what did she expect? He never committed to her. Only wanted sex. Just like everyone else. She wasn’t trophy wife material. No one wanted the fat girl long term. They just wanted to bury themselves in her fluff and keep it moving.
Fuckers.
Pursing her lips, she looked back at her reflection. She wanted to see the fat girl everyone else saw, but she didn’t. She never had. Even in school when people called her fat, she’d find herself so confused. She thought she looked normal. Did she love food? Hell yeah, but she wasn’t huge by any means. Nor was she skin and bones either, and with her curves, she was beautiful. Dark as night hair, big, green eyes that had flecks of darkness in them. Darkness that leaked from her soul, probably. Her face was round with bright pink cheeks, but even with the loveliness of her face, her eyes fell down to her protruding stomach.
His parents couldn’t make it because his dad’s diabetes had gotten so bad that his legs were giving him issues. The doctors had gotten it under control, but his mom wouldn’t leave his side, which was understandable. Thankfully, he knew they were watching. Though, he did miss them more than he could ever put into words. He knew he would see them in a few weeks.
With his Cup.
Jensen’s throat was tight as he looked around the arena, all the fans going nuts, the guys clinging to each other as Jayden took pictures with the commissioner and the Cup. It was so much shinier in person. Jensen had seen it on the internet and even at events, but he had never been this close to it. Soon, he would touch it.
As the crowd roared, Jayden picked it up to do his victory lap, but to Jensen’s surprise, he carried it over to Lucas Brooks before yelling, “For the last time, brother. This is all you, Brooksie, you earned it.” The team all yelled out for the veteran forward before he took the Cup, holding it above his head and kissing it. Jensen clapped along with his team, their fans, and their families as Lucas did his lap, tears gushing down his face. When he came back to the team, Jensen assumed Lucas would give it back to Jayden. But instead, he paused in front of Jensen.
“We couldn’t have done this without you, Monroe. Take your lap.”
Jensen reached out, taking the Cup before looking back at the guy who was Tate Odder’s biggest fan. He’d felt like Lucas held a bit of animosity toward him since Jensen had taken Tate’s spot after he went out with an injury. But looking into Lucas’s eyes, all Jensen saw was love and admiration. Bringing the Cup up, he shook it wildly before kissing it and doing his lap. It was all such a blur, like it wasn’t even happening, and then it was over. It almost felt as if he hadn’t even done it.
But he knew he had.
Handing the cup off to Jayden, Jensen felt a grin grow on his face before someone called out, “Monroe, media.”
He was watching as Jayden was skating with the Cup, tears welling up in his eyes as he stopped in front of his wife and son.
Shit. Jensen was going to cry.
Swallowing hard, Jensen skated to where Brie Soledad was standing, tears in his eyes, but he wouldn’t let them fall. He couldn’t; Vaughn would give him shit for days if he cried on camera. Before she could ask anything, though, they embraced. She had become a pillar in his life the last six months. Engaged to his best friend, newly pregnant, Brie was just as much a sister as Vaughn was a brother. Jensen was vying for the baby to be named after him, though, Vaughn had said no way in hell. Jensen was pretty sure he could change that. He had his ways.
Kissing his cheek, she backed up, a grin on her face as she yelled into the mic, “Jensen Monroe, congratulations.”
Holy shit, he still couldn’t believe it.
They had won.
“Thank you, Brie.”
“Your goals against average is only .940, setting a new record. You saved 1,033 shots this run, almost beating the record of Tim Thomas. They say the Vezina Trophy is yours. Tell me, can life get any better?”
As he looked up, meeting Brie’s happy and excited gaze, he said, “No, it can’t.”
He actually paused, waiting for God to strike him down for lying.
Because even in that moment, with all the confetti, the undying love from the fans, his boys cheering him on, and the tears in Brie’s eyes, Jensen knew things could be a lot better.
Yeah, he had just won the Cup. Had made records, and might win the Vezina Trophy, but at the end of the day, unlike everyone else in the arena, he had no one to share it with.
Because of that, the moment was almost ruined.
Almost.
“Well, crap.”
Wren turned side to side in her full-length mirror, staring at her reflection.
Or better yet, her ever-growing belly.
Biting her lip, Wren furrowed her brow as she ran her hand down her stomach. “Really? I bought this to hide you, kiddo.”
She wasn’t sure what she expected, for her belly to talk back or what, but one thing was for sure, the many tunics she had bought to hide her stomach were not working any longer. She had done so well the last six months, hiding the fact that she was very much pregnant. Today, though…today, her little baby had decided it was time to make its debut.
And that wasn’t good.
Because she still wasn’t married.
Letting her head fall back, she looked up at the ceiling because if she didn’t, she’d look at the counter where her brother’s wedding invitation sat. A wedding invite that showed a date a month from today, and her presence would be expected. She thought about trying to get out of it, but she was pretty sure Wells would kill her dead if she didn’t show. So would her parents, but she just couldn’t face them. Any of them.
Closing her eyes, she could see her trust fund slipping away since there was no way she could keep this a secret when she went home. She had always been a thick girl, but she didn’t look fat any longer. She looked pregnant. And since she was, that made sense, but that was beside the point. She couldn’t believe this was how her life had played out. She didn’t know what she thought would happen when she walked out of Bradley’s office, but a part of her had thought he’d call her back.
But he hadn’t.
He married his partner’s daughter three months ago, and boy, did that sting.
It was like she meant nothing to him. By now, she wouldn’t think it would still hurt so bad, but it did. It hurt terribly, and she hated him. Oh, did she hate him. He wasn’t the man she’d thought he was. But then, what did she expect? He never committed to her. Only wanted sex. Just like everyone else. She wasn’t trophy wife material. No one wanted the fat girl long term. They just wanted to bury themselves in her fluff and keep it moving.
Fuckers.
Pursing her lips, she looked back at her reflection. She wanted to see the fat girl everyone else saw, but she didn’t. She never had. Even in school when people called her fat, she’d find herself so confused. She thought she looked normal. Did she love food? Hell yeah, but she wasn’t huge by any means. Nor was she skin and bones either, and with her curves, she was beautiful. Dark as night hair, big, green eyes that had flecks of darkness in them. Darkness that leaked from her soul, probably. Her face was round with bright pink cheeks, but even with the loveliness of her face, her eyes fell down to her protruding stomach.
