“Holy shit,” I mutter. I should be a doing a damn happy dance now that Huntley will no longer have to be scared of him, but I can’t bring myself to revel in the death of another human being, even if he killed himself. “Are you going to tell Huntley?”
“I don’t think that poor girl can deal with much more at the moment,” he looks at me pointedly. “I’ll speak to Emma and we’ll decide what we think is best.”
“I’m sorry Coach,” the words slip out of my mouth effortlessly. “I never meant for her to get hurt.”
He sighs, running his hands through his thinning hair and down his face. It’s then that I notice how tired he looks and that he’s got a bit of stubble.
“Why haven’t you kicked my ass yet?” I ask quietly.
“Do you love her?” he shoots back.
I answer without hesitation. “With everything I am.”
“That’s why.” He pauses, resting his elbows on his knees thoughtfully. “It will take me some time to get used to the idea that y’all are going to have a baby, but if I know that you have no intention of skipping out on her then y’all will both have mine and Emma’s support. Huntley has been through too much already, and all I want is for her to be happy, to be loved. She deserves that, and so much more.” His eyes glaze over. “I need to know that you’ll step up, and be the man I know you are. Fight for her, no matter how stubborn she is.”
“Coach, she’s my life, and I know we’re young, but I can’t wait for her to have my baby. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her, taking care of her and our family. I would rather die than live another day without her at my side.” My hearts constricts inside my chest and my throat swells until I feel like I’m choking back tears.
“You do right by my girl,” he says. “Because if you hurt her, she won’t survive you.”
His eyes are full of warning, his unspoken threat echoing around me. He’s fiercely protective of Huntley, but so am I. “You have my word.”
We stare at each other and when he nods I know he believes me.
All I can think about is my beautiful girl. And the life she’s carrying. My little life.
That I’m prepared to fight for, whether she believes it or not.
Chapter 25
Huntley
“Huntley?” a soft voice tickles my ears and I stir. I roll over, the pain in my ribs almost gone. The bruises are yellow and look better in comparison to how they looked two weeks ago. My Aunt Emma’s warm, loving face greets me, her eyes shining with kind-heartedness. “It’s time for you to eat something sweetheart, you’ve been asleep for over four hours.”
That’s no surprise. I’ve been napping a lot since I left the hospital a few days ago. Apparently that’s normal.
“It’s just some soup,” she encourages, “You must be starving.”
As if on cue, my stomach grumbles and I giggle. The sound is so strange. I haven’t laughed, or smiled, since I watched Grayson leave my hospital room. I haven’t done much of anything really, except sleep and wallow in my self-pity. And my stupidity.
“Hmmm,” I breathe in the delicious smell of the soup through my nose and my belly does a little tumble, reminding me that I’m eating for two. “It smells delicious. I’m starving.” I pat my slightly burgeoning belly. “I mean we’re starving.”
“How are you feeling?” Aunt Emma’s concern is heart-warming and I don’t think I would’ve made it through the darkness that has surrounded me without her. I take a spoonful of the yummy soup and groan when the taste explodes in my mouth. Dear Lord it’s so good. My belly tumbles again and I imagine my little Jelly Bean agreeing with me.
“I’m ok,” I lie, feeling the ache in my chest vibrate with every word. Not speaking to Grayson for so long hurts worse than finding out Jake died. I cried, but out of relief. The shadows of my past have finally disappeared but my fears are still standing in the way of my future.
“Have you spoken to him sweetheart?”
I look away from my aunts’ knowing gaze and swallow, feeling the sudden lump in my throat. I shake my head no. I’ve stared at his name on my phone a thousand times but never gathered the nerve to press ‘call’, no matter how many times I’ve needed to hear the voice that fills every dream I have.
She sighs and I recognize her slight exasperation. I’m on quite a few peoples’ ‘shit list’ after all my sulking lately. I don’t blame them. I’m pretty fed up with myself too. “Why don’t you call him? I think you’ve tortured that poor boy for long enough.”
“I don’t know how to fix it,” I whisper. “How do I explain to him how I was feeling when I asked him to leave?”