Only One Mistake (Only One 6)

“And he sent you flowers and dinner?” She huffs out, “Damn. I need me some of that.” I called her right after I got off the phone with him last night. My whole body was giddy, but I kept our conversation to myself. That was just ours and would only be ours.

I can’t help the laughter that escapes me. “Well, I’m sure he did it because I’m carrying his child.”

“I can tell you right now that he’s not doing this just because you are having his baby,” she says. “I think he genuinely likes you.”

I shrug, scared to admit I like him more than I think I do. I’m scared to admit to anyone just how much I like him. The bell rings, and I let her go, and the whole morning I count down the minutes until I talk to him.

Chapter 31

Michael

I look out the small square window as soon as the wheels of the plane touch down. Putting my head back on the seat headrest, I close my eyes, and all I can see is Jillian and her huge smile. I swear her laughter is stuck in my head. Although I hated the travel of the past five days, it was the best thing to happen to us. It was as if the phone was the safety net, and we finally gave in to what we felt and thought.

The first night I was away, when I called her and she was crying, my heart literally stopped in my chest. I had this sense of dread fall over me, and the only thing that was going through my mind was how I would be able to get back home. Being so far away killed me until she told me why she was crying. The dread went away, and I knew then and there that I would never hold back from telling her how I felt. No matter how scared I was, it didn’t matter. What mattered more was Jillian and how she felt. I would set my alarm every morning to make sure I spoke to her before she went to school. When it was her lunch, I would usually be headed toward the rink, and even though I tried, we missed each other a couple of times. But for dinner, I was there with her all the time. I had meals delivered to her every night, and we would talk while she ate. It was a good thing I was two hours behind, so even on game night, I still got to talk to her. Every day I thought of things to send her, and the smile she gave me when she would call me was priceless.

“Well, gentlemen,” Wilson says, getting up from across the aisle. “I won’t miss your faces for the next four days.” He smirks, and I just shake my head as he walks off the plane.

“Anybody going to tell him that he’s a douche?” Ralph mumbles, getting up from the seat in front of me as he grabs his bag. The road trip was not one any of us want to talk about. It was loss after loss, and it didn’t help that Wilson also got suspended for five games for an illegal hit. He took his frustrations out at the wrong time.

“He couldn’t care less,” Manning says, grabbing his own bag. “Wilson cares about one person.”

“Two people,” Cooper says, putting up two fingers, everyone looking at him waiting for who the second person is. “Him and his dick.” We all laugh. It’s no surprise that he’s the biggest player, and he gives zero fucks about it either.

I grab my own bag as I walk off the plane behind Manning and right in front of Cooper. The heat and wind hit my face right away because the sun is high in the sky.

“See you guys in four days,” Manning says loudly, looking around. “Stay out of trouble.” He looks at Cooper and me.

“I’m married with children,” Cooper points out. “He’s the one off sowing his oats.” Cooper is the only one on the team that knows about Jillian. Actually, my family all know about her, but I haven’t announced it to the team yet.

“I’m not sowing any oats.” I shake my head, turning to look at Cooper. “Don’t call me until Monday,” I say.

He throws his head back and laughs. “I’m going to send out a group text to all the family, telling everyone how depressed you are and how sad you look,” he jokes, and I glare, not sure he wouldn’t do it for fun. “And how you want to hear everyone’s voice.”

I stop walking and hold up my finger, flipping him the bird. “Fuck you.”

He throws his head back, laughing out loud. “I will call your father,” I counter. “And tell them I saw Erika crying and that you were talking to another woman.” It’s the best I can come up with.