Page 19 of Curve Ball
Adriana
Gael, I?—
But I stop, delete the message, and put my phone away. I’m not ready, not yet. I need to process, to think, to be sure that telling him is the right thing to do. For me, for him, for our baby.
I take the long way home, and the only thing I can think about is that I’m going to be a mother. I’m having a baby. Our baby, mine and Gael’s. A life that depends on me to make the right choices, to be strong, to be brave. I can do this, I tell myself. I can face whatever comes my way as long as I have the strength to do what’s best for my child.
While I lie in bed, I think about Gael, about the way he made me feel, the way he looked at me. About our baby growing inside me, a part of both of us. I want to tell him, want to share this with him, but the fear of rejection, of heartache, holds me back.
Would he ask me to end the pregnancy?
I rest my hand on my lower stomach and just think about the little person who’s growing inside of me. I want them. I love them already.
I know I wouldn’t be able to do it, so I know exactly what I need to do.
Tomorrow I will tell him. Whether he wants to be involvedor not, I’m keeping the baby. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to push away the doubts and fears. I have to be strong; I have to do what’s best for my child. And that means facing Gael, telling him the truth, and hoping that he’s the man I think he is.
9
ADRIANA
The stadium is alive with the crack of bats and the roar of the crowd. Isla practically begged me to come with her to the game, and because I’ve been so distant, I gave in. I’m thirteen weeks pregnant, and Isla is just a little further along than I am. But barely. We got pregnant around the same time. It’s a secret I’ve been holding close to my chest, and it feels heavier with each passing day. Her stepbrother, well, now he’s her husband, plays third base for the Coyotes, so we are here to support him.
Well, I’m here for her.
And the pants. God bless whoever invented baseball pants, because… chef’s fucking kiss.
“Adriana, you’re quiet tonight,” Isla says, her voice barely audible over the cheering crowd. She knows me too well, and I’ve never been able to hide anything from her. Normally, I’m loud and outgoing, but with everything going on, I just feel dull.
Boring.
“So I hooked up with someone,” I blurt out, my heart pounding in my chest.
Isla raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. “Oh, yeah? And who’s the lucky guy?”
I hesitate, knowing that telling her the truth will complicate things. “It’s complicated,” I say, my eyes fixed on the field below. “Let’s just say he’s someone I shouldn’t have gotten involved with.”
“It’s not Marco? Is it?”
I cringe at the thought of ever letting that man back into my life. “Absolutely not.”
Isla’s expression softens, and she places a reassuring hand on my arm. “Then why shouldn’t you have gotten involved with them? Especially if it was just a hookup.” She pauses, then her eyes widen. “Are we talking like a criminal? Maybe someone in the mafia?”
“I’m going to take your Kindle away, I swear to God.” I laugh. “Okay, I shouldn’t ask, and lord help me, but does Kai… ya know… role-play with you? Since you are obsessed with romance books.”
Isla’s cheeks flush and her gaze falls on her husband, who must feel her watching him because he looks up and blows her a kiss.
Oh, he totally does.
Good for her, getting a man that gives her what she wants.
I laugh, a genuine sound that surprises even me. “Look at you,” I nudge her, leaning in and hugging her. “I’m so happy for you, Isla.”
“He really is something and to know he’s been waiting all this time. For me.”
The crowd erupts as the Coyotes score a home run, and I glance at the bench, and my eyes fall on the one person I didn’t expect to see.Gael.He’s wearing a jersey with the number fourteen, his dark hair glistening and freshly faded on the sides, showing off his ink. My heart skips a beat as our eyes meetfor a moment, and he does a double take, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that takes my breath away. He looks like he’s seeing a ghost, but in a good way—like he can’t believe I’m actually here. I can see the hope in his eyes, and it breaks my heart, knowing I have to crush it.
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, standing up abruptly. “I gotta go.”
