Read Online Cage's Misconduct (NHL Scorpions #3) by Nikki Worrell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nikki Worrell
Ads: Link
me.”
I’d finished my beer, and now I wanted nothing more than to get back to the hotel and climb into bed. I was exhausted, but I started talking anyway. I still wasn’t sure why I decided to tell him about my time with Freddy, but I did.
“Fine. Here it is. I met Freddy in high school. He was on the football team, best friends with the quarterback and an all-around nice guy. I was on the cheerleading squad. The ‘B’ squad because everyone who tried out made the team, but I had more curves than was deemed acceptable by Bunny Monroe. Her real name was Matilda, but no one dared call her that.” I looked over to see Cage watching me closely. He shifted to a more upright position and gave me his full attention.
“I never understood why girls tried to keep themselves so thin. If a girl is made that way, then fine, but why starve yourself to be something you think others want? I guess we were all just trying to fit in at that age.” He reached over and pulled a KitKat out of the coffee table drawer. “Want one?”
I chuckled at another one of his stashes of chocolate, wondering if he had them scattered all around the house for easy access. “No thanks.”
We sat there in silence for a couple of seconds—me watching him lick chocolate off his fingers. I can’t say it was a hardship.
“Well, go on. I won’t interrupt again.”
“It’s a pretty typical story. We went together for two years before I got pregnant in my senior year. Jody doesn’t know that part, so if you could keep that to yourself I’d appreciate it, not that it really matters now.” Cage was now only the fourth person on the planet that knew about the baby I might have had. My mother and I had agreed that Jody didn’t need to know about it then. He would most assuredly have wound up in jail for murder. It was hard enough reining him in as it was.
Cage reached over and held my hand. “So what happened to the baby?”
That was the hard part—the part that I had such trouble even thinking about. I doubt you could find a seventeen-year - old girl who actually wanted to have a baby, but when that decision was ripped away from you, it left you a bit broken inside.
“I was three months along and knew I had to tell Freddy about the baby. He had already asked me if I was gaining weight. Even though he was the one who picked me to be with, he constantly watched what I ate. It got worse the longer we were together. He became like a drill sergeant, making me stick to an exercise program and taking food off my plate that he said I shouldn’t be eating. I was young enough and thought I was in love, so I did pretty much whatever he asked of me to keep him happy, even when he started pushing me around.”
Now Cage was gently drawing circles on my hand that was still clasped in his. “If this is too hard to talk about, we don’t have to, Karen.”
“No. It’s okay. I’ve forgiven myself and moved on.” I had. Really, I had, but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel sad or mad about that awful time now and again.
“I waited until Valentine’s Day to tell him. I thought that I could make it be a special event, you know? I had been noticing that he was getting quieter around me, and made excuses sometimes when I wanted to see him. I started to wonder if he was seeing someone else. Anyway, we went out to eat at a local place, and I reached over to grab his hand across the table while we were waiting for our food. He allowed it, but not for long. When he pulled his hand away, I knew. He was done with me. Of course, being the teenager I was and all those extra hormones going crazy, I was devastated. So I just came out and asked him point blank what was going on with him. I’ll never forget that moment. I was both so very proud of myself for addressing the subject and scared as hell of his answer.”
I fidgeted on the sofa and took a breath before I continued on. “He told me that he wanted to break up, so I decided not to tell him about the
I’d finished my beer, and now I wanted nothing more than to get back to the hotel and climb into bed. I was exhausted, but I started talking anyway. I still wasn’t sure why I decided to tell him about my time with Freddy, but I did.
“Fine. Here it is. I met Freddy in high school. He was on the football team, best friends with the quarterback and an all-around nice guy. I was on the cheerleading squad. The ‘B’ squad because everyone who tried out made the team, but I had more curves than was deemed acceptable by Bunny Monroe. Her real name was Matilda, but no one dared call her that.” I looked over to see Cage watching me closely. He shifted to a more upright position and gave me his full attention.
“I never understood why girls tried to keep themselves so thin. If a girl is made that way, then fine, but why starve yourself to be something you think others want? I guess we were all just trying to fit in at that age.” He reached over and pulled a KitKat out of the coffee table drawer. “Want one?”
I chuckled at another one of his stashes of chocolate, wondering if he had them scattered all around the house for easy access. “No thanks.”
We sat there in silence for a couple of seconds—me watching him lick chocolate off his fingers. I can’t say it was a hardship.
“Well, go on. I won’t interrupt again.”
“It’s a pretty typical story. We went together for two years before I got pregnant in my senior year. Jody doesn’t know that part, so if you could keep that to yourself I’d appreciate it, not that it really matters now.” Cage was now only the fourth person on the planet that knew about the baby I might have had. My mother and I had agreed that Jody didn’t need to know about it then. He would most assuredly have wound up in jail for murder. It was hard enough reining him in as it was.
Cage reached over and held my hand. “So what happened to the baby?”
That was the hard part—the part that I had such trouble even thinking about. I doubt you could find a seventeen-year - old girl who actually wanted to have a baby, but when that decision was ripped away from you, it left you a bit broken inside.
“I was three months along and knew I had to tell Freddy about the baby. He had already asked me if I was gaining weight. Even though he was the one who picked me to be with, he constantly watched what I ate. It got worse the longer we were together. He became like a drill sergeant, making me stick to an exercise program and taking food off my plate that he said I shouldn’t be eating. I was young enough and thought I was in love, so I did pretty much whatever he asked of me to keep him happy, even when he started pushing me around.”
Now Cage was gently drawing circles on my hand that was still clasped in his. “If this is too hard to talk about, we don’t have to, Karen.”
“No. It’s okay. I’ve forgiven myself and moved on.” I had. Really, I had, but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel sad or mad about that awful time now and again.
“I waited until Valentine’s Day to tell him. I thought that I could make it be a special event, you know? I had been noticing that he was getting quieter around me, and made excuses sometimes when I wanted to see him. I started to wonder if he was seeing someone else. Anyway, we went out to eat at a local place, and I reached over to grab his hand across the table while we were waiting for our food. He allowed it, but not for long. When he pulled his hand away, I knew. He was done with me. Of course, being the teenager I was and all those extra hormones going crazy, I was devastated. So I just came out and asked him point blank what was going on with him. I’ll never forget that moment. I was both so very proud of myself for addressing the subject and scared as hell of his answer.”
I fidgeted on the sofa and took a breath before I continued on. “He told me that he wanted to break up, so I decided not to tell him about the
Similar Books
