Page 84 of Accidentally Forever

“Be careful Hawk. She’s pregnant. You’ve got to take it easy.”

Silence filters between us, the chaos and pumping music settling in. Lance frowns. “Wait, what?”

Sofie cuts in. “Hey! I’m not the only one.” She reaches over and steals the pregnancy tests, shoving them toward our Alphas. Camila’s Alphas and Sasha are all there, everyone wide eyed. For a moment, I just hold my breath and then—

“Holy shit,”the twins say in unison.

Gray follows with, “We’re going to be dads.”

Sasha lets out a frustrated grown. “So not fair. I’ve been fucking our little mama for months and they get pregnant first?”

“Who said?” Camila pushes out, raising an eyebrow. More shock, more silence before Sasha nearly launches himself over the table, one of her Alphas having to catch him by that beautiful collar around his neck.

Camila, Sofie, and I burst into giggles, plans already running through my head at the fact that our children are going to be thick as thieves the same we were. The only difference is that I’m not going to abandon them when things get hard. Through thick and thin, I will support them through every venture and every choice and every hardship so that they know they don’t always have to be in control.

That sometimes, you can lean.

Chapter sixty-one

Three Months Later

VIOLET

This took forever to plan—like some kind of divine alignment of stars just to make it happen. We’re finally here, though, in a crowded rink that smells like popcorn and ice and bodies pressed a little too close together. The place is alive with noise, shouting, cheers, and the occasional crack of a puck against the boards. Roman is on the ice, gliding like it’s second nature, barely looking 23 with that boyish grin he flashes when he lands a clean pass. The Beta is all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and the crowd adores him. Every time he touches the puck, the noise swells, a collective gasp and cheer that rattles in my chest.

Sofie is cuddled up beside me, her face flushed from the chill of the rink. She’s wearing that oversized scarf again, the one that makes her look even smaller and more adorable, and she keeps sneaking glances at Roman with the kind of quiet awe she usually reserves for our Alphas.

The twins are missing tonight—Hawk and Lance stuck dealing with some gallery exhibit and Puma only barely made it. He’s sitting on the other side of Gray, both of them looking like proud parents as they watch Roman weave between defenders and set up another perfect play.

Sofie and I are both sporting small bumps, mine more pronounced than hers because apparently Betas show faster which is bullshit. I was just happy—as were our Alphas—that I wasn’t carrying twins or god forbidtriplets.We’ve shared each little milestone, driving our Alphas mad with the strangest cravings and needs that always seem to happen at the worst times.

At least here, I can eat my chocolate covered popcorn dipped in ketchup in peace. It has to be the greasiest, buttered stuff with chocolate melting on my fingers as I crunch. It’s a whole process, one that Gray teases me about. Sofie isn’t much better, sneaking a piece of popcorn every now and then before dropping it into her tropical soda. It has to be the right amount of sogginess before she eats it. Unlike me, she wants no crunch.

I admit it’s gross but I’m not telling our Alphas that.

The game drones on, nothing about it making any sense but I find myself clapping along, getting caught up in the energy. It’s hard not to, though. Maybe I should be watching the whole team but my attention is on Gray’s brother. It’s clear he thrives on the attention, grinning every time the crowd erupts. Sofie giggles when Roman flips the puck casually over a defender’s stick and I nudge her playfully, feeling her lean more into my side.

Half time comes and goes, Gray and Puma both checking in on us multiple times, asking if we’re warm enough, if we need to move, if we’re comfortable and I have to growl at them both to stop bothering us. We’re fine. For now. That might change in five minutes.

My attention is stolen by a Beta slipping into a seat beside us, her face flushed as she rubs her hands together and blows into them. “Maya?” I ask, a little confused how we ended up in the same goddamn arena right next to each other. “What are you doing here?”

Her eyes widen as a smile takes over her face. “Sofie, Violet? Wow! I didn’t think I’d see you all out here. Damn.”

Gray leans over my shoulder, silently asking for an introduction. I grasp his chin between my fingers, smearing a little chocolate there. “Maya lived two doors down in our apartment building. Maya, this is Gray and Puma, two of our Alphas.”

She waves at them before refocusing her attention on us, her smile dropping when she notices the messy food we’re eating. I move the bucket out of the way to show off my belly, Sofie sitting up to do the same. Maya bursts out laughing. “Damn, they’ve got a handful but you two look good! I’m happy for you. You both deserve it so goddamn much.”

“What brought you here? This game isn’t exactly… on the way to anything.”

She nods, leaning back in her chair. Her thick, curly hair is pulled tightly back into a perfect, round bun, accentuating the sharp lines of her cheeks. “My dad used to coach the team decades ago and I guess this whole place is bittersweet. I’m heading here for grad school in a few weeks.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, maybe some sports medicine. I’m not entirely sure but I think this is where I’m meant to be. I spent so many damn mornings in ice rinks when I was little that it kind of feels like home. I was only in Ansdale for undergrad.” Her entire face is beaming, like she’s proud of this step she’s taken and I am too.

“Well, I hope it all works out.”

“I hope so. Even if I wasn’t going here in the fall, I’ve never missed a game since my dad stopped coaching.” Her attention turns back to the ice and I can see in the way her face moves that she’s analyzing every pass, every move, every little thing. I can only imagine all the things her father taught her and how much all of that sucked her in.

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