Page 40 of Hooked On Them

He nodded without looking up.

“And you... what? Ran out on her?” The incredulity in my voice was impossible to hide.

His head snapped up. “What was I supposed to do? Stand there and pretend this isn’t a complete disaster?”

“I don’t know, maybe not leave her sitting alone in her office?” I hadn’t meant to sound so harsh, but seeing Nora’s closed door, imagining her sitting there by herself after Dominic bailed, lit a protective fire in my gut.

“You don’t understand.” He pushed to his feet, agitation vibrating through every movement. “My career is hanging by a thread as it is. The press constantly compares me to my father. My stats are in the toilet. And now this? A fucking baby?”

I stayed seated, watching him pace. “First off, your career is not hanging by a thread. And you’re saying this is all Nora’s problem now? You knocked her up and bailed because you’re scared?”

“It’s not that simple,” he growled. “I’m an embarrassment. When Coach finds out I knocked up a coach… he should do exactly what my dad said he should and kick me to the farm team.”

I winced. I’d witnessed Dominic’s dad’s brand of motivation several times. It wasn’t pretty. And after yesterday’s epic loss, I could only imagine what his father had said to him. Clearly, it wasn’t good if he was calling himself an embarrassment and talking about moving down.

“That’s fucked up. But your dad being an asshole doesn’t give you a free pass to be one too.”

“You think I don’t know that?” His voice rose, echoing in the empty hallway. “You think I feel good about leaving her there? But what the hell am I supposed to do, Miles? I can barely manage my own life right now.”

He slumped against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, knees pulled up to his chest. The position made him look fragile. “I’m going to screw this up. I’m going to ruin this kid’s life before it even starts. And Nora—” He broke off, swallowing hard. “She deserves better than this. Better than me.”

I studied him, this man I’d known for years, my teammate, my friend, currently folded in on himself like he was trying to disappear. In all our time together, I’d never seen him this raw.

“So that’s it? You’re giving up before you even try?”

His head fell back against the wall with a soft thud. “What am I supposed to try? Playing happy family while my career implodes? Telling my father his legacy is going to include an unexpected grandkid with the team’s skating coach? The press will have a field day. The team will reassign her or fire her. Everything’s fucked.”

“You know what’s really fucked?” I stood up, unable to sit still any longer. “You left Nora to deal with this alone because you’re too caught up in your own head.”

“I needed a minute.”

“She doesn’t have the luxury of ‘needing a minute,’ Dom. She’s pregnant. With your kid.” The words scalded my throat. “And instead of stepping up, you’re out here feeling sorry for yourself.”

His shoulders jerked like I’d slapped him, and his eyes narrowed. “Easy for you to say. This isn’t happening to you.”

“No, it’s not.” I tried to steady myself before I kicked him. “But I know enough about responsibility to understand that when you help create a situation, you don’t walk away from it.”

I turned to leave, disgusted and disappointed, but mostly worried about Nora. How many minutes had passed with her alone in that office?

“Where are you going?” Dominic called after me.

I didn’t turn around. “To check on Nora. Since apparently, I’m the only one who gives a damn.”

The walk to Nora’s office felt too long, my thoughts racing ahead of my footsteps. What would I say to her? Would my presence make things better or worse?

None of that mattered right now. What mattered was that she wasn’t alone.

I knocked softly, and she called for me to come in, so I pushed the door open. She sat at her desk, staring at the screen of her computer without seeming to see it. Her posture was too perfect, as if every muscle was locked to keep her from collapsing.

“Hey.” I kept my voice gentle.

She looked up, her eyes red but dry, her smile a fragile, automatic thing that didn’t reach her eyes. “Miles. Did you need something?”

I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. “Just checking on you.”

A flicker of something crossed her face. “You talked to Dominic?”

“Yeah.” I gestured to a chair, and she nodded before I sat. “He told me. About the baby.”

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