My chest compresses with every word.
“And of course, there’s Bea. She didn’t ask for this. She wanted a couple of minutes of pleasure, and now she’s connected to you for the next almost-nineteen years.”
“You make it sound like a death sentence.”
She doesn’t respond.
“Fuck. I don’t know what to do here,” I finally confess.
“It’s going to be okay,” she says, making me give her a double take. “What?”
“Were you…were you just positive?”
“Funny,” she snarks before lifting her takeout cup to her lips and taking a sip. “You’re a good person, Rett. A good friend, teammate, and brother. I don’t doubt that you can also be a good father, a good partner.”
“Wow,” I laugh. “You don’t…you don’t actually like me, do you?”
Hailee smiles and shakes her head. “You’re an idiot.”
I shrug. Can’t really argue with that.
She might drive me crazy, but she’s also not wrong. The media doesn’t paint me in a good light, and the thought of my child reading some of the things that are currently floating around on the internet fills me with dread.
My job puts me in the spotlight, but I’ve never really taken a step back to think about those who are watching me.
Do I want my child seeing me rolling out of clubs in the middle of the night with a woman on each arm?
I cringe.
“I know you’re freaking out that your life is changing, but this doesn’t need to be a bad thing.”
“I never said?—”
“If you agree with me that things need to change, then maybe this is exactly what you need. It’ll give you a focus outside of hockey, which, after the way this season just ended, is perfect for you for the next few months.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, not following.
“You need to change your image, clean up. Well, what better way than to spend time with Bea, and get to know the woman who’s carrying your baby? Who knows, you might even get on.”
I narrow my eyes at her.
“You want me to date her?” I balk.
She grins at me.
“Hailee, I don’t date. That’s not?—”
“You also don’t get women pregnant, but here we are.”
“What if she doesn’t want to spend time with me?”
“I mean, it’s possible.”
I narrow my eyes at her.
“Not everyone thinks you’re God’s gift to the world.”
“And not everyone is right,” I counter.
