Page 5 of Forever Player

“What point?” Brett asks.

“The reason she is at this game in the first place,” Jacob clarifies.

“Jacob, I love you, but I need you to shut the hell up and let me do this my way,” I say to my brother.

“Sorry,” he mutters, and he turns away.

“Where have you been all this time?” Brett asks. “Did you leave the country? Why weren’t you at Connor and Ellie’s wedding?” The way he rapid fires those questions throws me off.

“Why do you care, Brett? When I told you I was pregnant you told me to ‘Go bark up another tree,’” I spit back.

Brett’s blue eyes turn round, and he leans forward, pausing and watching me like I’m a weird alien. “What did you just say to me?”

“You heard me,” I say, losing my steam.

“I-I didn’t. I didn’t hear. . .”

Kaleb skates across the ice and then he is climbing the few steps to get to us.

“Everything good here?” Kaleb asks, but he’s looking at Brett.

“Willow, what did you just say?” Brett says slowly, ignoring his friend.

“You know what I said, Brett, so I don’t know what your angle is,” I say, watching him carefully.

“Things seem a little heated here,” Kaleb says. “Whatever is going on, can it wait until after the game?”

“No, Kaleb,” Brett says, his voice cool and even. “Willow, what did you just say?” He’s calmer now and he seems laser focused on me. Something is off.

“Oh, there you are,” Ellie and Eden say, walking up to us.

Shit. This night is going downhill by the second.

“Everything okay?” Ellie asks.

But everyone is silent as Brett watches only me. “Repeat what you said, please.” His voice is monotone. I don’t even think the guy is breathing.

“I said you told me to ‘Go bark up another tree’ when I told you I was pregnant,” I repeat. Everyone around me stays quiet, even though there is a hum of movement vibrating in the background from the busy arena.

Brett’s eyes squeeze shut. His hand rakes over them and then his face morphs into what looks like a pained expression.

“That isn’t possible. I never got a message like that from you,” he finally says. “About three weeks after we were together, I lost my phone in Vegas. I was hoping to find it, so I didn’t cancel it,” he explains. Then he blinks. “Are you telling me you had my baby?” He seems angry now.

“Shit, I think we’ll give you guys some privacy,” Ellie says, and she starts to back away.

“Stop,” Brett says, and he points at her, his mouth dropped open. “Did you know?”

Ellie’s face scrunches. Eden looks wide-eyed.

“We just found out it was you,” Ellie blurts.

Brett returns his focus on me. “I called you. I left you messages.” He grits his jaw.

I wince. “After you told me to ‘Go bark up another tree,’ I went to my brother crying and showed him the message. He threw my phone and it shattered. Broke into pieces. I decided to get a new number,” I explain, and now I see what is happening here. Brett lost his phone.

“Who the hell told me to bark up another tree?” I ask Brett.

He shrugs. “Whatever fucker stole my phone. I didn’t have my contacts backed up so I was holding out on finding it.”

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