CHAPTER FOUR
They came home with a few bags of items and Holly put them all into the crib for the time being, adding them to the stuff her family had sent her. They weren’t thrilled that she was alone in this but respected her decision to keep the baby, believing that the father had left her and not the other way around. She heard Lisa call out that she was leaving and told her thanks as the door closed. Holly grabbed some yogurt from the fridge as she sat in front of her computer, warming it up as she took in the silence of the apartment. It wouldn’t be much longer and there would be the cries of her daughter needing her.
She noticed something in the corner, realizing that she’d set up alerts for news on the team so she could keep up. Holly clicked on the banner and read down as the news scroll opened as her stomach dropped at one of the headlines. She clicked one more time to read further, scanning the gossip column about Aaron and his new girlfriend. They were pictured together walking into a restaurant and even with the way the woman was blocking her face, Holly could tell that she was beautiful. More noticeably, he didn’t look as angry and she realized that he must have found someone that made him happy.
That would make it easier to announce the pregnancy she could no longer hide. Maybe he wouldn’t even care and she could just plan her time off in advance with an agreeable boss. Tanner worked well enough to work on his own for a little while during her maternity leave and everything would be fine if he just went along with it. She closed that story, wondering if the woman had met his family and if they were serious. She was jealous of the fact that she was getting Aaron at night in bed, still missing sex very much. Even in the harder times, Holly couldn’t bring herself to meet anyone. The players that she spent time with made it difficult anyway, making her wonder if she ever looked like one of their girlfriends. It wasn’t a bad thing in the end.
The following day as she got ready for work, Holly sighed and pulled a fitted shirt over her pants. Now it was clear that she was pregnant and she needed to be a big girl about it. There was a game and it would be a major way to announce it, but screw it. She was ready. She grabbed her team jacket before she left, knowing that Lisa would be sitting in one of her seats to watch Walter. They had made things official now and she was at every game that she could get to. Holly chose to walk tonight since it was so nice and brisk out and the girls lived pretty close by when she wasn’t exhausted. There were throngs of people in the streets and she smiled as she ducked through them, telling herself that everything would be fine. Aaron had moved on and so could she. Someday.
Holly made her way to the therapy room as people stopped her to congratulate her, making her blush. Tanner had already known and he grinned at her as she walked in. “Is everyone shocked?”
“It would seem so.” Holly replied, laughing as she glanced around. “I guess since I know it’s a girl, there’s no reason to hide it anymore.”
“Congratulations!” Tanner told her, giving her a hug as she smiled. He also believed that she’d been dumped and that there was no father in the picture. “He’s missing out.”
“Yeah, he is.” Holly agreed solemnly as she glanced at the clock. They needed to get out to the ice and she slipped the jacket over her arms before they walked out with the team, hooting along with them as they took the ice while Tanner took a protective stance with her.
“You’ll have to be careful, Holly. These guys can do some damage.” She smiled, having already seen that side of them a few times. They stood off to the right while the crowd screamed for their team, her arms by her side and her stomach on full display. She glanced at the bench, seeing Aaron and the coaches talking closely as she watched as the baby moved. He looked out onto the ice and she let her eyes drift away, letting him go in her mind even if her heart held on tight.
They won another game, making things look really good for finals as Tanner and Holly hugged each other. “This is awesome. We’re totally going to get the cup!” Tanner said as she giggled and held on to him for a moment. “We have to go out tonight. There is celebrating to be done.”
“Sure thing.” Holly agreed as she pulled away and called out to the team. The ones that were seeing her for the first time took second looks as they congratulated her and she waved them off with a smile.
Holly knew that they were all good as she walked slowly back to her room to meet Tanner, who went to meet with the doctors for a moment. “Holly!” The voice was sharp and angry, making her cringe as she knew that it was Aaron. “Stop.”
She paused and turned around, seeing the fire in his eyes. “What?”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were pregnant?” He walked right up to her and backed her into the wall as she gasped. “This looks pretty far along and I can do the fucking math.”
“It’s not your problem, Mr. Neller. I’ll be taking a few months off when I deliver and that is all that matters to you.” Holly informed him as his face dropped.
“Were you fucking someone else when we were together? There’s no chance this is mine?” Aaron demanded softly, making her look around in panic.
“No. Stop this. Not here. Go find your girlfriend and forget about this.” Holly insisted, seeing the pain in his face as he pulled back.
“I haven’t forgotten about you and I never will.” Aaron told her, turning to walk away as she stared at him. She wanted to scream for him to come back and tell him that it was his baby…that she loved him. Holly just glanced around to see if anyone had noticed the small argument and continued to the room with her head down, assuming they hadn’t.
The dinner was at a pizza place this time, stripped down and casual. Holly sat with Lisa, Walter, Tanner and a few other people as she looked at Aaron across the room. His arm was slung around the black haired woman as he sipped a beer and he looked comfortable. She wondered bitterly what it would be like to have felt that out like this, knowing they would have been really affectionate had they been allowed to be. She forced her eyes away, biting into another gooey slice of pizza as she wallowed in her misery.
He’d walked away so easily. Did he not care that she was pregnant? Did he really do the math because even if she was protected, there was no way she could have ever slept with anyone else. She knew how special it had been with him and it hurt her that he didn’t understand that. “You okay?” Tanner asked her, bringing her back to reality as she blinked and nodded.
“Tired. Exciting night. Pizza.” Holly broke it down easily, feeling his arm around her shoulders. They left first as he walked her to her apartment, still in his arm. “Thanks, Tanner.”
“For what?” He asked as she slipped her arm around his waist.
“You’ve been great to me these past few months. It means a lot.” She paused at the light and rested her head against him.
“I like you, Holly. It’s been hard watching you go through this alone. I don’t know how he just left you.” Tanner’s voice was soft and sincere and she stared up at him.
“Like like?” Holly asked in shock as he nodded.
“I was going to ask you out before, but you told me that you were seeing someone. After that, you seemed to have stopped and you looked so wrecked over it. I wanted to give you time.” Tanner shook his head. “Then you told me about the baby.”
“What did that change?” Holly asked as he led her across the street by taking her hand.
“It made me want to take care of you and the baby. The father has never stepped up to the plate and you need someone, Holly.” Tanner told her and she felt tears in her eyes.
“Tanner, you’re so good.” She sniffled as he held on tight as she started to cry.
“I want to date you. I want to be there for you when the baby is born.” Tanner told her, making her cry harder as she stopped walking. Looking back over the past few months, she realized that he’d liked her for the entire time that she’d known him. It was so obvious but she’d been too obsessed with her affair with Aaron and she fell against him. Had she chosen the wrong guy?
Tanner got her to her apartment and helped her inside, setting her down on the couch before he got her some water. “I wasn’t dumped, Tanner. I ended things when I realized that I was pregnant.” Holly admitted as she stared down at the floor. “I was scared to tell him and I just told him that I wanted to end it.”
“Is he in your life?” Tanner asked, and she shrugged.
“I see him sometimes, yes. He knows about it now…someone told him. I don’t know what will happen.” Holly admitted, falling into silence for a moment. “I kind of wish it had been you now, but this is a big bag of luggage to take on.”
Her phone chimed and she blinked as tears filled her eyes. “Shit.”
“Take the call. I am here for you for whatever you need.” Tanner assured her, kissing her hair with a firm press of his lips before he stood up. She watched him leave painfully, knowing that he could offer her a good, steady life but it wouldn’t be one that she really wanted. The phone sounded again and she bit her lip as she looked to see that Aaron was calling her.
“Hi.” Her voice was breaking as she tried to answer calmly, crying harder.
“I need to see you. I couldn’t even focus at dinner tonight.” Aaron told her huskily, making her heart beat and her hormones kick in.