Sequel: Dark Paradise ›
Pride
two.
“So why are we going to look at kittens?” Patrik Berglund asked as Emma got in the car.
Emma buckled her seatbelt and shrugged, “Something to keep me company I guess..”
The blonde raised his eyebrow, “I thought Teej said Lily and Bella hate cats though.”
“TJ and I are getting divorced.”
Patrik nodded putting up to a light. As the message actually registered in her mind, Patrik slammed on the breaks causing them to jerk forward in their seats. The sudden stop caused the car behind them to roll right into the Swede’s car. Emma screamed as she watched her friend’s head make contact with the steering wheel. The sound of the crunching metal was too much. Sirens were blaring somewhere in the distance when Emma shut her eyes.
Waking up the next morning surrounded by four white walls caused Emma to groan. She went to rub her eyes when she noticed a white cast wrapped around her left arm. “Fan-fucking-tastic. How cliche.”
Emma looked over to the side of her bed and saw Patrik nursing a cup of a coffee. There were a few butterfly bandages across his forehead which caused Emma to grimace. Bergie noticed the guilty look on her friend’s face and smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I look tough now. Oh, and don’t worry about the car either. That asshole was tailing so we’re covered.”
Despite her friend’s reassurance, Emma couldn’t help but feel guilty for her bad timing. The room door opened and an excited looking male nurse entered the room, clearly a Blues fan. He held the clipboard under his arm and shook hands with both Patrik and Emma.
“Okay, Mrs. Oshie, you just have to sign this release form and you’re good to go. The doctor has also left a script here for various prenatal vitamins.”
The brunette nodded and signed the form before kicking the starchy blankets off her legs. The nurse left the room while Patrik handed Emma a set of clothes to change into. Taking the pile of clothes, Emma headed into the small bathroom to change while her friend waited for her. Patrik sat in the chain mulling over all the news she had acquired in the past five hours.
“Does he know?” He asked, knocking softly on the door.
Emma let out a bitter laugh, “Would it make a difference? Paperworks in and signed.” The brunette stepped into her her sandals and tossed the hospital gown down on the bed, “Come on, I just want to sleep in my own bed for a while before TJ get s back from Grand Forks.”
As they stepped out of the room, the hockey player was whisked away momentarily to take a few fan photos and sign some scraps of paper the nurses could produce. Emma took the moment to herself to dig through her purse and send out a text to Quinn Toews, her best friend from sophomore year in Grand Forks.
To: Quinn
got in an accident, leaving for Chi Town tonight. see you soon, love you.
“You should really tell him.” Patrik sighed as he pulled onto Emma’s street, “He deserves the right to know. It’s his baby too.”
The car went silent as the Swede pulled into the driveway. Emma rubbed her temples gently before getting out of the car. Before walking away, she stopped and leaned against the car.
“I appreciate your input,” Emma reached through and pat Patrik’s out stretched arm, “But unless you can think of a way to tell him without making it look like I’m trapping him, I’ll keep this to myself.”
Patrik sighed and gave the brunette that irritating look of sympathy.
“I’ll see you later, Bergie.” Emma pulled her arm back and headed for the front door.
Waiting on the other side of the front door, Lily and Bella anxiously awaited their owners arrival home. Emma gave each of them a handful of kisses before letting them run around in the fenced in backyard. She dropped her purse and pulled out her cell phone, a few stray pieces of paper flying out with the device. Waiting for her were three text messages and a voicemail.
From: Chay
heard about the accident, stay safe. I’ll try to visit soon.
From: Coach
how are you? be careful let me know what i can do for you
From: TJ
don’t forget to let the dogs out i’ll be back soon
Emma couldn’t help but laugh. Of course Chay and Coach would text her with concern. Most of the boys were probably all back for the first week of summer for whatever the hell it was those boys did. She deleted TJ’s text and sent a quick reply to the others. What caught her eye was the voicemail from Jonathan Toews.
“Emma, I got a text from Dave and Trupper. How are you feeling? You need to be more careful, it isn’t just you anymore.You’re more than welcome to stay with Quinn and I until you figure out what you’re going to do. Alright, I love you. “
The brunette shut off her phone and let the dog back inside. They followed her upstairs and made themselves comfortable at the foot of the bed while Emma crawled beneath the duvet. As her body melted into the mattress, Emma couldn’t help but smile at the voicemail from Jonathan. He had been her best friend, there fr her through it all even after he left Grand Forks. They created such a family bond, greater than most paternal siblings.
A few hours later, Emma was woken up by the sound of two very excited dogs. Soon after came TJ’s voice. Pulling herself out of bed, Emma fixd the blanket and headed downstairs. In the same spot after anytime he left the house, Emma walked straight into the kitchen. The hockey player stood at the table, a piece of paper in one hand, an apple in the other. The brunette held her cast protectively over her stomach and cleared her voice, “Hey.”
TJ looked up ad, with the same boyish face and rosy cheeks Emma initially fell in love with, grimaced at the sight of her, “Hi.”
Emma buckled her seatbelt and shrugged, “Something to keep me company I guess..”
The blonde raised his eyebrow, “I thought Teej said Lily and Bella hate cats though.”
“TJ and I are getting divorced.”
Patrik nodded putting up to a light. As the message actually registered in her mind, Patrik slammed on the breaks causing them to jerk forward in their seats. The sudden stop caused the car behind them to roll right into the Swede’s car. Emma screamed as she watched her friend’s head make contact with the steering wheel. The sound of the crunching metal was too much. Sirens were blaring somewhere in the distance when Emma shut her eyes.
Waking up the next morning surrounded by four white walls caused Emma to groan. She went to rub her eyes when she noticed a white cast wrapped around her left arm. “Fan-fucking-tastic. How cliche.”
Emma looked over to the side of her bed and saw Patrik nursing a cup of a coffee. There were a few butterfly bandages across his forehead which caused Emma to grimace. Bergie noticed the guilty look on her friend’s face and smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I look tough now. Oh, and don’t worry about the car either. That asshole was tailing so we’re covered.”
Despite her friend’s reassurance, Emma couldn’t help but feel guilty for her bad timing. The room door opened and an excited looking male nurse entered the room, clearly a Blues fan. He held the clipboard under his arm and shook hands with both Patrik and Emma.
“Okay, Mrs. Oshie, you just have to sign this release form and you’re good to go. The doctor has also left a script here for various prenatal vitamins.”
The brunette nodded and signed the form before kicking the starchy blankets off her legs. The nurse left the room while Patrik handed Emma a set of clothes to change into. Taking the pile of clothes, Emma headed into the small bathroom to change while her friend waited for her. Patrik sat in the chain mulling over all the news she had acquired in the past five hours.
“Does he know?” He asked, knocking softly on the door.
Emma let out a bitter laugh, “Would it make a difference? Paperworks in and signed.” The brunette stepped into her her sandals and tossed the hospital gown down on the bed, “Come on, I just want to sleep in my own bed for a while before TJ get s back from Grand Forks.”
As they stepped out of the room, the hockey player was whisked away momentarily to take a few fan photos and sign some scraps of paper the nurses could produce. Emma took the moment to herself to dig through her purse and send out a text to Quinn Toews, her best friend from sophomore year in Grand Forks.
To: Quinn
got in an accident, leaving for Chi Town tonight. see you soon, love you.
“You should really tell him.” Patrik sighed as he pulled onto Emma’s street, “He deserves the right to know. It’s his baby too.”
The car went silent as the Swede pulled into the driveway. Emma rubbed her temples gently before getting out of the car. Before walking away, she stopped and leaned against the car.
“I appreciate your input,” Emma reached through and pat Patrik’s out stretched arm, “But unless you can think of a way to tell him without making it look like I’m trapping him, I’ll keep this to myself.”
Patrik sighed and gave the brunette that irritating look of sympathy.
“I’ll see you later, Bergie.” Emma pulled her arm back and headed for the front door.
Waiting on the other side of the front door, Lily and Bella anxiously awaited their owners arrival home. Emma gave each of them a handful of kisses before letting them run around in the fenced in backyard. She dropped her purse and pulled out her cell phone, a few stray pieces of paper flying out with the device. Waiting for her were three text messages and a voicemail.
From: Chay
heard about the accident, stay safe. I’ll try to visit soon.
From: Coach
how are you? be careful let me know what i can do for you
From: TJ
don’t forget to let the dogs out i’ll be back soon
Emma couldn’t help but laugh. Of course Chay and Coach would text her with concern. Most of the boys were probably all back for the first week of summer for whatever the hell it was those boys did. She deleted TJ’s text and sent a quick reply to the others. What caught her eye was the voicemail from Jonathan Toews.
“Emma, I got a text from Dave and Trupper. How are you feeling? You need to be more careful, it isn’t just you anymore.You’re more than welcome to stay with Quinn and I until you figure out what you’re going to do. Alright, I love you. “
The brunette shut off her phone and let the dog back inside. They followed her upstairs and made themselves comfortable at the foot of the bed while Emma crawled beneath the duvet. As her body melted into the mattress, Emma couldn’t help but smile at the voicemail from Jonathan. He had been her best friend, there fr her through it all even after he left Grand Forks. They created such a family bond, greater than most paternal siblings.
A few hours later, Emma was woken up by the sound of two very excited dogs. Soon after came TJ’s voice. Pulling herself out of bed, Emma fixd the blanket and headed downstairs. In the same spot after anytime he left the house, Emma walked straight into the kitchen. The hockey player stood at the table, a piece of paper in one hand, an apple in the other. The brunette held her cast protectively over her stomach and cleared her voice, “Hey.”
TJ looked up ad, with the same boyish face and rosy cheeks Emma initially fell in love with, grimaced at the sight of her, “Hi.”