Page 37 of For Pucking Ever

"Tobias," Devan says with such forced calm that I can practically feel the strain in his voice from across the room. His fingers fidget against his thigh. "Didn't know you were already in town. Thought you weren't arriving until next week."

"Moved in next door yesterday," Tobias replies with an easy confidence that borders on arrogance. He sets the food down on the nearest surface. "Alexis is leasing me her house. Said I could crash until I figure out if this team's keeping me. Thanks for that by the way." He nods his head towards Tor, who returns the gesture with a captain's welcome.

"You know each other?" Lia asks, brows raised in curiosity as she looks over her shoulder toward Devan, bouncing the baby gently. The tension between the two men is palpable enough that even she's noticed it.

"We've. . .crossed paths," Tobias says, shooting Devan a look loaded with unspoken history. His jersey number 35 is emblazoned on his casual team hoodie, a stark reminder that whatever their past, they're teammates now.

I clock it all though, Devan's tight shoulders, Tobias's guarded eyes, the careful distance they maintain. The air between them crackles with something complicated and unresolved.

Interesting. Very interesting.

The conversation drifts as food is passed around and laughter returns. I end up beside Derrick again, brushing our knees together, grounding myself in the familiar. He leans against me with a sigh that's more tired than content. There's a heaviness to him this evening, something weighing on his shoulders that wasn't there when we arrived.

Before I can ask if he's ready to go, his phone buzzes. The screen illuminates his face with that ghostly blue glow, and something in his expression shifts, closes off. He reads the screen, then stands. "I need to take this."

He disappears out the back door, leaving behind the faint scent of his cologne and the warmth where our bodies had been touching. The loss of contact leaves me unbalanced.

I give it two minutes before my own nerves spike, watching the seconds tick by on my watch. Every moment he's gone, my mind races with possibilities, none of them good. I'm about to follow him when a voice cuts through the noise, slicing the air like a blade.

"I think my water just broke," Alexis says calmly.

Silence crashes over the room, as sudden and complete as if someone had slammed a door.

All heads whip toward Alexis, who's wide-eyed and standing in a puddle, her hands instinctively cradling her belly. The shock on her face mirrors everyone else's.

Tor blinks, his fork suspended halfway to his mouth. "What?"

Alexis lets out a shaky breath, a mixture of disbelief and determination crossing her features. "You heard me, Bailey. It's go time." There's a tremor in her voice, but steel underneath.

Brea jumps to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair. "Shit, we need a bag, your bag, who packed the bag?" Her hands flutter in the air, seeking purpose.

Tor's already moving, switching seamlessly into crisis mode. "It's in the car. Bast, you've got Lia. Ridley, get Brea. Devan, stay with the baby!" His voice carries the same authority he uses on ice, directing plays without room for argument.

Alexis holds up her hand to stop us from moving around like chickens without heads. Despite being the one in labor, she's somehow the calmest person in the room. "Torrance Bailey. Just us, remember. I don't need the entire team to have this baby." She tries to smile, but grimaces in pain, her knuckles going white as she grips the edges of her sundress.

Tor blows out a breath and there he is, our calm, controlled captain, ready to help his wife bring their baby into this world. The panic vanishes from his eyes, replaced by a focused intensity I've seen countless times before. "I will keep you all updated," he says, before ushering Alexis out the door, one hand protectively at the small of her back.

Just like that, the next chapter begins, chaos and all. A new life about to enter the world while all our lives shift to make room.

I'm still staring at the back door, where Derrick hasn't returned. The handle remains untouched, the space beyond it empty, and I've got a sinking feeling the call he just got might be the one we've been dreading.

FIFTEEN

INTERLUDE

HOCKEY HOTTIES & HEADLINES: YOUTUBE EPISODE 255

Okay, okay, babes, drop everything and grab your cold brew because your girl, HockeyHomeGurlHattie has the EXCLUSIVE tea piping hot, and it’s about to burn the entire Eastern Conference to the damn ground! I’m talking third-degree burns, call-the-medic level scalding gossip that’s going to have you clutching your pearls and screaming into your throw pillows!

BREAKING: SHAWSHOCKED

You heard it here first. Derrick ‘Baby’ Shaw, Toronto’s former golden boy, rising rookie goalie, fan-favorite heartthrob, and recent concussion casualty is officially out.

That’s right, shawties.

The Toronto Stars and Derrick Shaw have reached a mutual contract buyout, following what sources are calling ‘ongoing medical uncertainty and long-term cap strategy adjustments’.

Translation? They don’t want to wait for this man to heal, so they’re cutting him loose like yesterday’s highlight reel.