Outside, the cold hits my lungs in a way that almost hurts.
I’m halfway across the parking lot when I hear it:
Click.
Then another and another.I look up, startled.A guy with a long lens camera duck behind a car, pretending he wasn’t just photographing me holding ultrasound pictures in one hand and prescription papers in the other.
My stomach twists.Fuck.
I should have been more careful; I should have known this could happen.
I drive to the penthouse before I can think it through.My hands grip the steering wheel like it’s the only thing keeping me upright.The city moves around me, cars honking, snow slush spraying, but I barely register any of it.
All I can think is he deserves to know; I have to tell him in person; he has to hear it from me first.I park underground, climb the stairs slowly to the lobby and take the longest elevator ride of my life.My hand slides into my pocket, clutching the ultrasound photo so tightly that the paper is warm.
My pulse is in my ears when I knock.
I hear music and then footsteps, the door swings open.But it’s not Nate.
It’s a girl I’ve never seen before.She's tall, with bleached hair, and she is wearing one of his old team hoodies, as if she owns it.She looks me up and down with a scrunched expression, voice coated in disdain.
“Can I help you?”
My mouth opens, closes.“I-I’m looking for Nate.”
She snorts.“He’s not here.”
I nod, trying not to flinch under her glare.“Okay.Sorry.I’ll just...”
“Yeah,” she says, already closing the door.“Probably don’t just show up unannounced next time.”
Her tone slices something raw inside me.I take a shaky step back.Then another.But before I can turn to leave, someone calls my name:
“Tess?”
I look past the girl and see Liam as he stands from the couch, controller dangling from his hand.Erik is beside him, eyes widening.Two rookies, half-eating pizza, freeze mid-bite.The girl huffs and walks away, annoyed she’s being overruled.
Liam rushes over.“Holy shit...hey, hey, are you okay?”
I shake my head, blinking too fast.“I...um...I came to talk to Nate.I need to tell him something important.”
The guy’s exchange looks that are full of things they don’t know how to say.
Erik runs a hand through his hair.“Tessa… he’s not here.He hasn’t really been here since New Year’s.He plays his games and then he… goes home.”
“Home?”My voice cracks.
“To the farm,” Liam says gently.“Every day after practice, after every game.Every night.”
My throat tightens painfully.
“He loves you,” Liam adds quietly.“Like… really loves you.Tessa, I know he messed up, but I don’t think he knows how to be without you.”
The words hit too directly, too tenderly.I have to look at the floor, or I’ll break open right here in front of them.I can’t deal with them right now, not with the ultrasound photo burning a hole in my pocket.I take a slow breath through my nose, steadying myself.
“If you see him before I do…” My voice is barely there.“Just tell him I came by.That I needed to talk to him.”
“Tessa...”Erik starts.
