Page 102 of Boards & Betrayal

"Never," I said firmly. "Not you."

"But I didn't know that," she pointed out, her voice breaking slightly. "We were only together a few weeks. And Nick said it would make you spiral… You knowing about the baby, about…" Her voice trailed off, the pain evident in her eyes.

"What did he make you do?" I demanded, my anger resurfacing. "To keep this from me?"

"N-nothing," Ally stammered.

"Ally," I said, my tone demanding honesty.

"Little things, little favors," she admitted reluctantly. "Nothing about getting back together or anything sexual. Honestly, I think he's just lonely." She sighed deeply.

I clenched my teeth, fury boiling inside me. "You never should have been in that position in the first place."

Her eyes met mine again.

"I wanted to be there for you," I said, the words catching in my throat. "You shouldn't have had to go through that alone."

Ally picked at my shirt, her silence heavy with unspoken pain. Tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

"I would have been so happy," I confessed, the honesty of the statement surprising even myself.

Her eyes widened. "I thought you didn't want kids," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't," I admitted. "In general. But with you? I want six."

A laugh escaped her before she could stop herself, a sound that made my chest ache with longing. God, how I'd missed that laugh.

"I'm serious, Ally," I continued, my voice steady and sincere. "I never knew what I wanted except to play hockey. But being with you has made me realize I want… I want to be a father. I want to raise a child with my partner, not my enemy. I want a family. With you."

She sucked in a breath, her eyes widening as she processed my words. "And what if I can't give you that?" she asked, her voice trembling. "After… after it happened, I researched why, but it's so subjective… and besides my HCG results, because I never had an official appointment, I couldn't talk to my doctor. And honestly? They're not going to refer me to a specialist to get checked out after one missed miscarriage because of how common they are. Some won't even do it after two. I don't… I don't want to have to keep doing that to know, you know?"

"Hey." I took her face in my hands gently, forcing her to meet my gaze. "Hey. I'm here now, okay? We'll figure this out together. I promise you." I looked at her deeply, wanting her to understand the depth of my commitment. "I already told you I'd marry you, Ally. That still stands. And even if the worst case happens and you can't—we can't—then I'll love you even more. You're it for me. There's no future without you."

Her tears finally spilled over as she leaned into me, seeking comfort and reassurance. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—I could be the man she needed me to be.

I pulled her closer, our bodies pressed together as if seeking solace in each other's presence. The weight of our shared past hung between us like a heavy fog, but there was also a glimmer of hope—a chance for redemption.

But as much as I wanted to shield her from everything, I knew we still had a long road ahead. And for the first time in a long while, I felt ready to face it—if not for myself, then for Ally and whatever future we might still carve out together.

"I love you," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.

"I love you too," she said back, her words wrapping around me like a warm embrace.

Hearing those words from her was like a balm to my soul. It was as if every piece of my shattered heart had found its placeagain, each syllable mending the fractures and filling the void that had long haunted me. For the first time in years, I felt truly whole.

"I should tell you," I said, breaking the tender silence. "I have an offer. In Newport. Head coach for the Gulls."

Ally blinked, processing the news. "That's… amazing," she said, her voice steady but tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. "Are you going to do it?"

"Don't know yet," I replied honestly. The weight of that decision pressed on me, a crossroads I wasn’t sure how to navigate.

"I have an interview with Minka Mathers after graduation," she admitted, lips curving up. "Photography for the Serpents."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" I asked, genuinely impressed.

"After Nick got me fired?—"

"He what?" Anger flared in my chest, hot and immediate.

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