Page 73 of Hat Trick
Chapter forty-two
Emily
Carter: Shit Emily. Stay off of social media. Don't read your text messages. I don't know how this happened but we're handling it.
My breath stops and my skin chills. Every worst-case scenario playing in my mind at once. What could be on social media he doesn't want me to see? Why does he think people are about to text me. The only people who text me are the boys, Sammy and my dad, but only when he has something passive aggressive to say.
Just then a text notification from my dad comes in, covered immediately by one from Sammy. I slam my phone onto the kitchen counter, face down, and turn back to Annie.
Carter says they're handling it. I have to trust him.
Annie coos up at me happily while she shoves handfuls of soft banana and slices of peaches into her mouth. I have her shirtless so she can make as much of a mess as she wants.
As I'm wiping her hands and face after her snack, the door bursts open and all three of my guys rush in. They should still be in the gym.
"Guys? What's going on? The looks on your faces is scaring me."
Before I've even finished the sentence, Luca wraps my small body in his strong arms and pulls me against him. My nerves quickly starting to rise.
"What's happened?" I demand, pulling out of Luca's embrace. His face guts me. He looks so sad and worried and disappointed. Did I do something wrong?
He looks to Carter for guidance. Carter and Gabe both share Luca's worrying expression.
"Guys!" I shout, finally unable to take panic any longer. Carter takes my hand and leads me to the couch while Luca picks up Annie.
"Paparazzi must have seen us come out of the hotel together in Denver. There are several pictures of us being a little too friendly and the gossip rags are speculating wildly." My stomach drops. God, it's exactly what I was afraid was going to happen. I can only imagine what they're saying about me. In fact, not knowing is worse than knowing.
I leap off the couch and retrieve my phone from the counter. I ignore Dad's text. I know it'll be scathing. But I open Sammy's. It's simply a handful of links and four question marks.
My hands shake and it takes me a few tries to click the first link. Before it loads, Carter's hand blocks my screen.
"Seriously, baby girl. It's just better not to read them. Siobhan is handling it. We'll get them all taken down."
I swallow nervously. I knew it was all too good to be true. Gabe made us semi-public at the game the other week, but exactly how much does the press know? Exactly what are they saying?
"It's better if I know, Carter. I'm imagining the worst."
Gabe comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. "He's just trying to protect you. We all are. The press doesn't matter. The public doesn't matter. What matters is what goes on in this house, with the four of us."
I gently pull out of his arms. It's better if they don't associate with me. I can only bring gossip and speculation and drama to them. They don't need that. Not with the Stanley on the line.
Tears threaten to fall as I turn my back to my boys and walk to my bedroom. I quietly shut the door. I need to read these articles. And I know they're going to be awful. The press never shares the good things. They won't talk about how much the boys have built up my self-esteem. How they love and support me. They won't talk about how Gabe learned to trust again with me, how Luca came into the best version of himself, or how Carter learned to let people help him. They won't talk about how happy and healthy Annie is. They won't talk about how we all found love in our own unique way and how we all make each other better for it.
The first tear slips down my cheek and I take a deep breath in and out. I open my phone and read the article.
"Carter Rhodes' Secret Woman and Love Child Exposed!"
The picture is a shot of me, handing Annie off to Carter so he can strap her into her car seat. Nothing scandalous, except for the fact that the public didn't know Carter had a child. What's damning is how I'm looking up at him. The love and adoration and affection I have for Carter clearly shining on my face.
Not so bad, so far, but the press hates a happy woman. I keep reading.
In a jaw-dropping twist that's got everyone talking, NHL's most eligible bachelor, Carter Rhodes, has been spotted cozying up with an unexpected flame. This time, it's not a supermodel, actress, or even an Instagram influencer—no, whoever this mystery woman is, is an incredibly plain and ordinary woman who's left fans scratching their heads!
Carter Rhodes, known for his chiseled features, dazzling smile, and jaw-dropping skills on the ice, has always had a thing for theglamorous. With a dating history that reads like a who's who of Hollywood's elite, his latest choice in a romantic partner has sent shockwaves through the celeb-obsessed world.
This mystery woman couldn't be more different from Carter's usual arm candy. What does Carter see in this woman and whose baby is it?
My stomach sours and churns. So, they're attacking my looks. It stings, and simply reinforces what I had been starting to doubt, but not the end of the world. The press will soon get bored of wondering who this plain Jane is.
