Page 64 of Crusher

Mama…

“You are the reason why I’m getting through everything,” I whisper, and he leans forward and gently kisses me before I confess, “I’m going to try to trust you again, it won’t be easy, but I can’t live without you, Hayes…”

His eyes tear as he nods, then confirms, “Does that mean I can knock you up again?”

I snort but shake my head and admit, “No,” and he pouts, making me grin before I admit, “I want to get my degree first, I want to learn to trust you again, and then we can discuss expanding our family.”

“Okay,” he agrees, and I lean my forehead against his chin. Hayes sighs, and I look over the crowd to see Linc walking past his dad, not even looking at him, and I faintly hear Killer mutter, “I really fucking messed up with my kids,” and I wince as his wife hugs him.

“Will he ever forgive him?” I ask my husband as I lean up and look at him, and he looks down at me and cups my cheek, his thumb gently rubbing along my jaw.

“I don’t know because I don’t forgive him, or Mom, which is hard, I don’t want to feel this disconnected to them, but I just can’t help it, you know,” he says, and I nod as my eyes race between his.

“Please don’t ever hurt me again,” I whisper, and he repeats from last night, “Fucking never,” before slamming his lips against mine. I melt into him, finally letting go of the past and the pain, slowly looking forward to a future with him and our family.

Epilogue

Crusher – Eight Years Later

“Crusher, is there no chance that you can stay on?” Allens pleads as I grab my cut out of my locker, and I shake my head, making him groan, and I chuckle despite feeling fucking exhausted.

I remind him, “I just did a double shift because someone called in sick. You know legally I can’t stay any longer and I have to have at least two days off, and besides, I don’t want to stay. I miss my wife and I have club duties to attend to,” and he huffs, muttering something about stupid laws before waving his hand at me and says, “Alright, enjoy your few days off, give my love to the wife,” and walks away making me chuckle.

Never thought I’d get along with the man after he tried causing shit with my shifts. I guess he’s mellowed out after his wife finally had their baby. Apparently, it was putting a strain on their marriage, which meant he was a prick at work.

She is supposedly aware of his infidelity, and they’ve been doing therapy, something even to this day my wife refuses to do, not that I blame her.

Shaking my head, I walk out of the station, anticipation hitting me that I finally get to see my wife after nearly twenty-five hours on shift, which, in my book, is too fucking long.

***

I pull up outside the ice rink half an hour later and climb off, then grab the car seat and attach it, knowing Allie will want to ride home with me.

Naming my five-year-old daughter after my mom, wasn’t my first choice, which is why I call her Allie, even though her name is Alice.

I’m still not fully there with my parents, the relationship is still strained slightly, but we do have family meals every week, which is helping. We mainly do it for the kids and because of my wife’s pushing, reminding me she has no parents, so of course I cave every single time. I’m learning to let my parents back in, it’s just a lot you know? I felt unwanted and that is a feeling that is hard to get over. I understand now why my wife still struggles with her trust to this day. Fuck, when we found out she was pregnant with Allie, something that shouldn’t have happened because she was on the pill, she cried because she wasn’t ready. She felt like our relationship wasn’t there yet. I fucking hated myself, but Mom shockingly is the one who helped her through her emotions, hence why my girl wanted to name our daughter after her and I couldn’t say no.

I shake my head and walk inside the arena, ready to lay eyes on my wife and kids.

Kayden should already be here. He is sixteen-year-old and amazing.

He’s the center and captain of the Hill Crest Hockey team, a shoo-in to play in college, which he wants. Instead of going pro as I encouraged, he wants to learn from me, he wants to become the club's SA while working at the firehouse of all places. I am so fucking proud, and unlike my dad, I’ve supported him, I will always support him.

I hear Allie’s giggles as I walk towards the rink, and I smile slightly, knowing she’s probably on the ice.

My amazing wife is the town's resident ice-skating teacher, and her business is booming to the point that she’s had to hire people and add more classes. She's thriving, making me so fucking proud because she’s living her dream. From the looks of the several moms passing me, biting their lips, and their kids running towards the exit, she's just finished the class.

“Man, Alexiana is one lucky woman to sleep with that every night,” I hear just as Allie squeals, “Daddy!” as I walk into the rink. Ignoring the horny moms that some brothers like to come perv on while my wife teaches, I grin as my daughter skates towards the barrier like a pro, Kayden right behind her, being the best big brother.

“Hey, Dad,” he says with a grin that looks so much like mine, and I grin in return before I raise a brow at my wife skating towards me.

“Mrs. Smith, you should not be on that ice,” I scold as she stops near the barrier and I gently place my hand on her small eighteen-week bump where our twin boys are growing.

“I’m fine, besides, Kayden's been hovering,” she says with a big smile, and I shake my head and mutter, “Those boys are going to come out with skates on.”

“That’s the plan, Dad,” Kayden chuckles, and I smirk.

“You ready to start prospecting next week?” I ask him, and he nods, his mama giving him a soft look.