Page 70 of Balance

“Ah. Okay. Well, I’m going to head home. Hit me up if you need anything…” He moves to leave and I clear my throat.

“Just… be careful with Mackenzie. She’s been through a lot. She needs support and stability right now, not to be played with.”

He nods and grimaces before staring down at his feet, his longer brown hair falling into his eyes. “I know. She’s kept me at arm’s length and I’m… okay with that. Hell, even just being her friend is taking my mind off of everything with James and Marie. Even if Mackenzie friendzones me, I'll take that over me being a jilted psycho.”

I snort and wave my left arm at him, shooing him out. “Just be careful and don’t get too attached. Who knows how long she’ll be here for.”

He smirks at me and flips me off. “Then you don’t know that she bought herself a sweet little condo near the arena. She should be moving soon.”

I frown as he chuckles and saunters out of my room, leaving my door wide open. I pluck up the panties from beside my head and shove them in my pocket so that the girls don’t see them when they run in here in about ten minutes.

I missed them, but… fuck. I need a damn nap.

The next time I open my eyes, my room is dark and I see the full moon glaring at me through my window. I groan as I slowly sit up, my entire body stiff from falling asleep on my back with my legs still hanging off the edge. I glance around and notice that I’m alone. The house is silent. Again.

I stand up and try to figure out how to pee before I stalk into the kitchen to find something to eat. As I heat up some leftovers, I chug a few glasses of water before I take the steroids and painreliever that are sitting on the counter. Damn it, now I feel like a dick for falling asleep. Lillian went through my bags and set everything out for me.

My heart clenches when I realize again that she wasn’t in my bed.

I scarf down the pasta before I lightly set everything in the sink and open up Lillian’s door, peeking in to see if there’s room for me in her bed. I don’t want to be away from her.

I find all four of my girls snuggled around her in a pile and I smile softly as I watch them all snore and breathe deeply.

Fine. Alone in my bed again it is.

Lillian and I need to figure this out. I can’t imagine my life without her in it. I’ll cut my family out of my life if it’s what it takes.

Chapter 24

Lillian

__________

Iblink my bleary eyes open and frown when I realize that I’m alone. The sun is too high in the sky for it to be any earlier than around ten AM.

Shit.

I scramble out of bed and snatch my phone off of my nightstand before I race out of the room.

I find Morgan in the playroom with Nessa and Tilly, no sign of Avery. The former snaps his gaze to me and I press my lips together so that I don’t fall for the trap, staring into his gorgeous hazel eyes.

Even when I’m annoyed with him, I want to lick him, but at the same time, he’s injured and I hate that I still have the temptation of wanting to punch him in the throat. And maybe flick his shoulder.

How dare he leave me alone with his demonic parents? He could have warned me that the devil is really a woman.

He smirks at me as his eyes darken, his eyes peruse my scantily clad legs. I cross my arms over my chest as I back away and shake my head. “Where’s Avery?”

He sends me a droll look and clucks his tongue at me, slowly standing up so he can stalk me across the hall. “I’m not that inept as a father, thank you. I called her school first thing and they figured out a carpool situation for me for today since my poor nanny was catching up on sleep and I can’t drive.”

I frown and stall, locking my knees in place. “I’ll pick her up. How… how bad is it?” Shit. Now I feel awful for not asking before. I assumed he was fine since that’s what the announcers proclaimed. Is it that bad? He can’t even drive?

I noticed the sling last night when the girls and I got home from the park. He was sleeping so peacefully that we let him doze as we made dinner and got ready for bed. I didn’t think he would sleep all night.

He winces and glances over his shoulder at the girls. He leans up against the wall across from me and glares down at his feet. “I have a meeting with one of the doctors and Daniel sometime this week. They’re thinking of surgery and pulling me out for the rest of the season. I'll probably have more scans done next week and go from there.”

I close my eyes as my soul weeps for him. It’s his last season and he might not be able to play it through. “What does that mean for your contract? Will you be penalized? Are you okay? Like mentally?”

He shrugs his left shoulder with a wince and licks his tempting lips. “Daniel will go over everything. Since I was injured during a game, I’m not liable to penalties if it’s deemed medically that I cannot play. Plus, it’s not like I’m some rookie player or anything. I’ll need physical therapy and all of the other bullshit. I might still have to travel with the team and definitely show up to practices and home games.”

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