Page 138 of Playboy

“I’ll walk you back,” the one who called me Lake’s son says. I’ll definitely bring her an autograph tomorrow.

She tries making small talk as we wander down the long, sterile hall, but I can’t hear anything over the buzzing in my ears. The adrenaline left over from the game has nothing on the second round that shot through me when I realized that I’m about to become a father.

As we reach the door, I wave at her, mumbling a thank-you. For a second, I press my forehead to the solid wood and focus on breathing. When my heart has slowed a fraction, I peek in.

Millie is sitting on the hospital bed, her focus on the television, but she’s alone. “Where’s Hannah?”

She hops to her feet, her face lit up. “Wow, hi to you too.” As she gets closer, her smile turns into more of a grimace. “Didn’t you stop to change?”

I shake my head. “Hannah?” I grit out.

A door near the corner swings open, and Hannah, dressed in a hospital gown and gripping her stomach, waddles out.

Don’t ever tell her that I described her that way. She’d rip my balls off.

“Fuck, Mills. Giving birth feels a lot like needing to take a shit, only nothing comes out?—”

Her words cut off sharply and her eyes go ridiculously wide when she sees me. “Oh my god.” She slaps a hand to her face. “Please tell me you didn’t just hear that.”

I stride up to her and pull her in for a hug. The movement is stopped, though, when she pushes against my chest. “What is that smell?” Cringing, she looks me up and down. “Did you come right from the ice?”

Behind me, Millie laughs. “Yeah, SportsCenter keeps playing the minute he hopped over the boards and tossed his gear.”

She points to the television screen, and sure enough, there’s footage of me tossing my jersey at Gavin.

Huffing, I look back to Hannah. “Of course I did. You were supposed to tell me when you felt anything.”

“You were a little busy,” Hannah sasses.

“There is nothing,” I say, stepping close, “nothingmore important than you.”

She pushes me back again, nose scrunching. “A shower is more important.” Face buried in the crook of her elbow, she turns away. “Seriously, go home and shower, then come back.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Oh my god,” my sister shouts. “The two of you are so annoying. Daniel, you can shower in there.” She points to the bathroom. “You can’t expectanyoneto deal with your stinky ass,let alone your pregnant girlfriend who is literally about to give birth.” She eyes Hannah. “You. Your boyfriend just wants to be there for you. Stop being a bitch.”

Fucking seriously? I know she’s my twin, but if she is going to call my woman a?—

Hannah lets out a throaty laugh, the sound instantly soothing my fraying nerves. “I love you, Mills. Sorry. I’ll be better. I promise.” She turns to me, hands on her hips. “Go. Your sister’s got me until you’re clean. And since she’s your twin and you’ve got that whole ESP thing going on, it’s practically the same as if you were here yourself.” She nods once like a single word she’s just spoken makes any sense.

But because the two of them are terrifying, I take a step back and leave them in peace while I take the world’s quickest shower.

I’m just slipping into a pair of scrubs Millie tossed into the bathroom while I was rinsing off when Hannah screams.

I throw the door open and scurry to her side, heart hammering. “What can I do? Fuck.”

“Get her ice chips. She’s nauseous,” Millie says from the other side of the bed. She pats Hannah’s hand. “You’re okay. You’ve got this, mama.”

I rush into the hall, arms flung out to steady myself as I whip my head one way, then the other, searching for an ice machine. “Ice! Where’s the ice?”

A nurse peeks out from another room. “Room number?”

“Um—” Fuck. “I don’t know. I need ice. Please get me the ice.”

With a roll of her eyes, she nods. “Just go back to your room. I’ll bring it in.”

I shake my head. No way. I can’t walk back in there without ice. “Just tell me where to go. I can do this. Ice is my specialty.” It really is.

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