Page 130 of Three Pucks and a Baby

Before he could lie that it was a mistake, I grabbed his face in my hands. “I love you, Theo. I think I fell in love with you the first day we ran drills together. And it just grew and grew. When I was with you, it felt so fucking right.”

“Bennie, no,” Theo gritted out.

I removed my hands from his face to take one of his hands in mine. I then brought it to my heart. “This belongs to Vivian, but it also belongs to you.”

As he stared intently into my eyes, I sucked in a ragged breath. “For me…forus, please have the courage to be who you are.”

With a tiny shake of his head, he slung me away. After throwing open the door, he stalked out of the room. At the sound of his feet pounding down the hall, I knew he wouldn’t be coming back.

And because of that, I didn’t know if I could go back to what I had with Vivian and the guys.

CHAPTER THIRTY: THEO

It had been three days since Bennett’s and my blowup. Three days since he’d been home. Three days of not talking to him.

Considering we played a sport together, the silence was even more deafening. While he talked and laughed with Grayson and the other guys, I’d officially been iced out. It reminded me of the cold shoulder he and Bennett had given me after I’d shown my ass about Vivian’s pregnancy news.

Today I’d decided enough was enough. Regardless that there was nothing between us, he still had a place in our quadruple. The baby would need him. And if it turned out to be my biological kid, I sure as hell would need him.

After my texts went unanswered for most of the day, I decided to call him. It rang and rang before going to voicemail. After hanging up, I called him again. I did this five times before he finally answered.

“What the fuck do you want Theo?” he demanded.

“Why aren’t you answering my texts?”

“Why the fuck do you think?”

I exhaled a ragged breath. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t know what else I can say.”

“You could start by being honest with yourself and then with me.”

“Not this bullshit again,” I growled.

“Fine. I’m hanging up–”

My chest clenched in agony at the thought of not hearing his voice any longer. “Wait, don’t go,” I pleaded.

“Why?” Grayson croaked.

Because I can’t stand not talking to you. I hate that you’re not sleeping in the bedroom next to mine. I hate that I can’twatch you stagger around the kitchen in the mornings because you’re not a morning person.

Most of all, I’m fucking jealous that you seem to be able to survive without me when I’m drowning without you.

But if I said all those things, it would mean something. And I couldn’t do that. Clearing my throat, I replied, “Vivian is really worried about you, and you know with her condition it isn’t good for her to worry.”

Silence came over the line. “You’re unfuckingbelievable, do you know that?”

“Excuse me?”

“How dare you get on here and try to guilt trip me by using Vivian’s pregnancy!”

“That’s not what I was doing.”

“It sure as hell was. For your information, I’m in constant contact with Vivian. There’s no reason for her to be worried. She knows exactly where I am and how I’m feeling.”

Fuck. Vivian had left that tidbit out. Knowing her, it was probably on purpose so I would eventually cave and reach out to Bennett.

As I jerked my hand through my hair, I sighed. “It’s not just Viv who is worried about you.”

---