Page 67 of Breakaway

“Thank God.” Layla sighs, looking up at the ceiling. “Some days, it’s a nightmare. I put them on, and she takes them off. Over and over and over. Dr. Reece said it’s the only way to help her without surgery. Too bad she’s too small to understand how important they are.”

“But if she were older, surgery would’ve been the only way,” Angie says, returning to the room. She’s in a black dress with red flowers that flows freely from her waist. Her baby bump is still noticeable, and she looks incredibly cute with her hair collected into a high ponytail, a red ribbon securing it. She has always given me a feeling of comfort, but now it’s a thousand times stronger, surrounding me with warmth and peacefulness.

“I know.” Layla stands up from the couch and takes Maya’s sippy cup from the small wooden table. “I just love to complain from time to time—or more like always.” She comes closer and extends the cup to her daughter. “Do you want to drink your juice, baby? We’re going to your uncle’s game soon.”

Maya takes the sippy cup and starts to drink, her eyes dancing between her mom and me. A big, open smile blooms on her lips, and she points her cup at me. “Nev.”

“Yes, this is Nevaeh, sweetheart,” Layla says. “And she’s going to the game with us.”

“I wanna sit with her.” Maya clutches my T-shirt, grasping my hair in her little fist along with it. I wince and jerk slightly to my left. Her hand holding the sippy cup shakes, and the next thing I know, her juice spills all over my tee.

“Jesus!” Layla exclaims, grabbing the cup away from her daughter. “Nev, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry.” I let her take Maya from me and look down at my chest. It’s nothing serious, and it’ll be easy to get rid of the stain, but it’s so stinking wet.

“You can take something from my closet. Anything you want.” Angie walks over to me. “A dress, another tee, or maybe a hoodie.”

I pinch my eyebrows together, biting the inside of my cheek. An idea of what I want to borrow from her closet sparks in my head. It’s kinda risky, but at the same time, it’s exciting. Possessive Roman is my favorite.

“Can I borrow one of your jerseys?” I ask.

Angie stares at me for a moment, and then wholehearted laughter springs from her lips. “You do realize your man will be pissed if he sees you in Drake’s jersey?”

“Counting on it, actually.”

“You’re a bad girl, Nev. Distracting your man at his first game of the season,” she giggles. “It’ll be fun to see how Roman reacts.”

Winking at the girls, I turn around and head out of the living room with Angie in tow. A delicious thrill forms in my abdomen, and I can’t help but think about what Roman is going to do to me once we’re home.

His dominance in the bedroom is something I’ve only seen glimpses of, but I want to experience it firsthand. He’s been holding himself back, but I want him to let loose. And soon.

Roman might be surprised how well my wild side fits his.

The arena is buzzingwith excitement. Thunderous music echoes off the walls and spreads through the crowd. People are talking and laughing, discussing the teams’ starting lineups. I hear the chatter, but it doesn’t hold my attention. The teams are on the ice for warm-ups, and my eyes instantly find Roman as I go down the stairs to our seats, holding hands with Maya.

She hasn’t left my side since we got in the car. The moment we stepped into the arena, her mom was on my back, reminding me to stop carrying Maya everywhere. She’s two, and she walks just fine on her own…but that doesn’t mean she should. I’m enjoying my time with her to the fullest.

“Mom said you’re Roman’s wife.” I still a little, glancing to my right and seeing Michael catch up with Maya and me. Ava and Colton’s son is a combination of them both, but the deep brown eyes that are studying me now definitely come from his dad.

“I am.”

Michael’s eyebrows pinch together, and his lips part as if he wants to say something. “But you were…” he mutters, and then he meets my eyes. “Roman is awesome, and you’re kinda cool too.”

“Thank you.” A compliment from a six-year-old? Priceless.

Michael nods and looks away, his cheeks reddening. With a look of concentration on his face, he rushes down the stairs and straight to the plexiglass to watch the teams warm up.Chuckling, I follow him, not even trying to listen to what Angie, Layla, and Ava are talking about behind me. My gaze is glued to the ice, and I easily find Roman. The number 21 on his back makes me think back to the jersey hanging on the wall in the living room. Now I know it’s a tribute to his brother; the M letter means Maksim. But why 24 and 21? Was there some meaning behind those numbers? Or were they just random?

I make a mental note to ask Roman about it. He’s like a riddle. One I’m trying to solve, figuring out more and more details about him. It’s exhilarating and exciting. Because every new revelation opens doors to more secrets, to more things for me to discover. And I can’t get enough of it. Or him.

Stopping behind Michael, I take Maya in my arms and look around the ice. The Vegas team is warming up on the opposite side of the rink. They are one of the best in the league, and I’ve read articles saying that the Thunders will have a very difficult first home game. The odds aren’t really in our favor either, but I still hope for the best.

“Dad!” Michael yells, waving his hand to catch his dad’s attention. Colton’s head snaps in our direction, and I see a smile creep onto his lips as he nods to his son.

I spot Drake near Colton; they’re taking turns shooting pucks into the net. I point at Drake and tell Maya, “Look, baby, there’s your Uncle Drake.”

Maya leans forward and presses her palms to the plexiglass, a giddy smile on her face. “Drake!”

I cuddle her to my chest. Her hair smells like strawberries, and I hide my nose in it. Happiness overwhelms me, like the waves of a tsunami, and a big smile crosses my face as I continue watching Colton and Drake. Michael blabbers about the players from the Vegas team, explaining their strengths and weaknesses. I listen absentmindedly, lost in the moment.

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