Cocky Striker: A Hero Club Novel, стр. 43
“They were by the silent auction tables, and I went to look at stuff with them. I came up behind them and heard them talking.” She starts to cry softly, but she won’t let me comfort her.
I sit on the coffee table in front of her; I feel helpless. I feel like I need to have a chat with my parents. “Baby, I assure you that they love you. What did they say? Maybe you misheard them.”
Laken shakes her head. “They think it’s too much that I have a child. They are concerned that you aren’t ready to be her father.” She stands. “I didn’t set out looking for a father for Ava. I wouldn’t ask that of you if you weren’t ready.”
She grabs her backpack. “I have to go.” Before I can stop her, she’s out the door and gone.
Chapter Twenty-two
Chance
I pull into my parents’ driveway and take a minute to calm down. I love my parents, but they had no right to talk about my relationship with Laken.
The front door opens, and Pixy comes trotting out followed by Dad. I get out and give our goat a rubdown and then stand up. “Hey, Son, what’s going on?”
“I need to talk to you and Mom.” I walk past him into the house.
Mom’s in the kitchen and smiles when she sees me, but it quickly falls. “Honey, what’s going on? What are you doing here? Is it Laken?”
Dad comes in and stands behind Mom, wrapping his arms around her. That’s always the way he stands when Mom’s around, like he's protecting her, but I’m not going to think about that right now.
I take a deep breath. “Were you guys talking about my relationship with Laken at the party? Like say, when you were at the silent auction tables?”
Mom’s eyes widen, and I know it’s true. “She heard us?”
“Yes, and she broke up with me because she says she’s not good enough for me.” I’m so pissed right now. “I had to watch the girl I love cry, and then I had to watch her walk the fuck away from me.”
“Son, I know you’re upset, but do not speak like that in front of your mother.” My dad gives me a stern glare that has me apologizing immediately.
Mom comes around the counter to stand in front of me. “Honey, I know how it sounded. Please listen to me because she misunderstood what I was trying to say … what we were trying to say. We’re just worried because it’s not just you and Laken who could be hurt if things go bad; it could be that little girl too.”
“We love Laken, and we love her for you.” Mom’s eyes shine bright like she’s about to cry. “I hate to think she feels like she’s not good enough.”
Dad hugs her tighter and kisses her temple, whispering words quietly into her ear.
“I’ll be back,” Mom says before disappearing out of the kitchen.
“I didn’t mean for her to cry,” I tell my dad as I stare blindly out of the patio doors.
He moves around the counter to stand next to me. “I know you didn’t. You and Laken seem so serious, and that night during pictures the three of you looked like a little family. You’re both young, and Ava is already attached to you. It just worried us.”
“She’s the one, Dad. I know we’re young, but when I think about my future, I always see her and Ava in it.”
Dad places his hand on my shoulder. “If that is truly how you feel, then you fight for her—for them.”
Mom comes out and I open my arms, letting her walk right into them. I wrap them around her and hug her tight. “I’m so sorry, honey.”
“You have no reason to be sorry. Thank you for loving me and worrying about me, about us.”
I leave my parents, feeling a better about the situation. I've been calling Laken, but she won't answer my calls. I wish I could go over to her place, but by the time I’m home it’ll be too late. I get home and climb out of my car then let myself in the building.
I reach my floor and find my key and then use it to let myself in. I shut and lock the door behind me, ready to crawl into bed and slip into oblivion. I freeze when I find Laken curled up in the middle of my bed.
I practically run across the room until I reach the bed. I quickly kick off my tennis shoes and crawl onto the bed. I fit myself against her back and rest my hand on her stomach.
I can just imagine a few years down the road lying next to her like this, but with my baby in her belly … wait, what? See, I’m hooked. She can’t ever leave me; we belong together.
“Chance?” Laken places her hand on mine. “I…”
“Shh … baby. Let’s sleep, and we’ll talk in the morning.”
I hold her tight until I know she’s asleep. I’m in desperate need of a shower, so I ease out of bed and step into the bathroom where I take a quick shower. Once I’m done, I brush my teeth and then grab some clean boxer briefs out of my dresser and slip them on.
When I slide back into bed with Laken, she rolls over in her sleep and shoves one leg in between mine and rests her head on my shoulder, her warm breath tickling my chest.
In no time at all I feel myself fading.
***
Laken
The sun is shining right in my face, but I don’t care. Chance’s arms are around me, and I don’t want to move.
I was surprised last night when Aubrey called me. I was even more surprised when she began to cry and explained what I overheard. It made me feel better that they thought I was perfect for their son, but they