Page 77 of Hooked On Them

A few minutes later, three rapid knocks on my door jolted me from my semi-conscious state. It was nearly eleven, too late for deliveries, too early for murder. Probably.

I reluctantly untangled myself from my blanket sanctuary and went to the door, peeking through the peephole.

Dominic.

My heart did that irritating little flip it always did when I saw him, even through a door. I smoothed my hair, realized what I was doing, then immediately stopped and scowled at myself.

Since the ultrasound, nothing had changed between us besides him being a little less grumpy. Then again, the team had been away for four of the days and then busy preparing for the game against the Pacific Storm.

When I pulled open the door, the sight of him nearly made me step back. He looked like he’d been dragged backward through a hedge and then hit with an unexpected weather event. His hair was mussed as if he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly, dark circles were under his eyes, and his jaw was tight. Even his normally perfect posture seemed to have taken a hit.

“Are you okay?” It was a ridiculous question when clearly he wasn’t.

His eyes flicked up to mine, then away. “Can I come in?”

I stepped aside, suddenly aware of my fuzzy-sock, messy-bun situation. Dominic moved past me, and I closed the door behind him. The apartment suddenly felt ten sizes smaller.

“Want something to drink?” I watched as he prowled around my living room like a caged tiger. “I’ve got water, tea, or if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s that green juice Miles likes that tastes like blended grass.”

He didn’t laugh or even crack a smile. He just kept pacing, hands shoved into the pockets of his dark jeans.

I tried again, this time with what was most likely the reason for his mood. “Tough loss tonight. You guys played hard, though. That save you made in the second period was?—”

“Don’t.” He stopped abruptly, turning toward me. “Don’t pretend that you care.”

The accusation hit like a slap. “Excuse me?”

“Your dad is the head coach of the team that just destroyed us,” Dominic spat. “Am I supposed to believe you weren’t feeding him information on our team?”

My mouth fell open. “Are you serious right now?” The sheer audacity of this man had no bounds.

For a split second, I wanted to pinch myself to make sure this wasn’t some bizarre fever dream brought on by too much late-night reality TV. Was he really accusing me of what amounted to corporate espionage against my own team?

“Why wouldn’t I be?” His laugh was bitter. “It’s pretty convenient, isn’t it? And even worse is that not a damn thing will happen because you have the team captain playing bodyguard and one of the owners wrapped around your finger.”

His accusations were so wildly unfair that for a moment I couldn’t even formulate a response. Heat flooded my cheeks as anger rushed in to fill the void where my shock had been.

“You don’t get to do this.” I stepped toward him, jabbing a finger in his direction. “You don’t get to twist this around and make me the villain when I have spent weeks trying to protect you, protect our baby, and save my professional reputation.”

He flinched as if I’d physically struck him.

“I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t plan to get pregnant. I didn’t scheme to have Miles pretend to be my boyfriend. I didn’t force Carter to buy part of the team. And I sure as hell didn’t conspire with my dad to tank your game tonight. That’s all on you.”

Dominic’s jaw tightened. He turned and strode toward the door, his hand already reaching for the knob.

I wasn’t about to let him walk away so easily. Not when it was clear to me that his father had yet again gotten into his head. I might not have known exactly what was in the texts and calls he received, but I’d heard and seen enough of his attitude after games to know it wasn’t anything positive. “He put this nonsense in your head, didn’t he?”

His entire body went rigid, his hand stilling on the doorknob.

“After each game, he calls you or texts you to tell you everything you did wrong, whether you win or lose. But then tonight, he brought me into it, didn’t he? And you believed it because it’s easier than admitting your father is a piece of shit.”

I held my ground as he pivoted back toward me with deliberate slowness. The intensity in his eyes could have melted steel, but beneath that anger, I caught a flicker of pain, maybe even shame.

His silence filled the room with a weight that pressed against my skin, and I knew I’d struck a nerve. Someone needed to call out his toxic relationship with his father. Part of me wanted to soften the blow, to take back the harsh truth I’d hurled at him, but I couldn’t. Not when he was throwing around wild accusations about my integrity. And not when I was bringing his child into this world.

“What’s he going to say when he finds out about the baby, Dom? What’s he going to say to your son or daughter?” My voice hitched, and I took a calming breath. This was necessary. My job now was to protect another human being. “I don’t know if I can allow someone like that near ourchild.”

He stared at me like I’d ripped open his chest. His voice, when it came, was ragged. “You think I want him near our kid? You think I don’t lie awake every damn night terrified that I’m going to turn into him?”

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