My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story PDF

Chapter 0477

Nina

The three minutes that we had to wait for the test results felt like an eternity, each second somehow stretching longer than the last one. The air in the bathroom seemed to grow heavier with the weight of my thoughts as my mind whirled with possibilities.

This tiny stick on the bathroom counter had the potential to change our lives in an instant, to rewrite all the plans we had or didn't have. If I was pregnant, would we keep the baby, or would it be best to get an abortion? And if we did somehow decide to keep the baby after all, what would become of our dreams? What would happen to Enzo's coaching career? What would happen to medical school for me?

As I waited, my heartbeat thudded in my ears like a distant drum, and my fingers fidgeted restlessly with the hem of my shirt.

Enzo stood beside me, his hand as warm and steady as ever on my shoulder. I could feel the tension radiating off him, too, but his eyes held a certain calm when they met mine. A calm I sorely needed but couldn't find within myself.

Finally, the timer on my phone chirped, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I took a deep, shaky breath before leaning over to read the results on the test.

Negative.

A wave of relief washed over me, so strong it nearly knocked me off balance. I felt Enzo's grip on my shoulder tighten for a moment before he relaxed, clearly sharing in my sense of relief.

*Negative," he whispered, pulling me into a hug.

My body felt at ease now, and yet, at

as though sensing my emotions, shot me a glance. "You

at the same time, a gesture of uncertainty. "... I think so," I murmured, although I couldn't quite deny the fact that there was a tinge of sadness in my

his thumb along my cheek. "Don't worry, Nina. We'll get to have our family someday. Maybe it's for the best if

I felt safe. Secure. Loved. Relieved. And yet, a small but significant part of me couldn't ignore that

I was pregnant, let myself imagine what it might be like to be a mother, to create a family with Enzo. The very thought of it had scared me beyond belief, but it had also filled me with a sense of wonder, and

emotion that even I couldn't quite place as I hugged him back. But was he right? Were we okay? Were we making the right choices? Questions filled my mind, each unanswered, leaving a void that was becoming increasingly hard to

I looked up into his eyes. As always, they were open and loving, but I could see his own struggle mirrored there in their

willingness to jump into the deep end, even if we had no idea how to swim. And maybe that was what both thrilled and terrified me. The thought of having a baby with him had filled

I said with a chuckle, turning so I could surreptitiously blink away the tears that were threatening to

I could finish by placing a hand on my shoulder. "Don't think about it too much, Nina," he said gently. "We'll have a family someday, as big or small as you want. It's just not meant to

at least. And it was likely for the best, not only because of the fact

that came to me in the form of shadowy

of us back to reality. He glanced at it and then back at me, a silent question

okay, go ahead," I said, offering him

phone and read the message, his brow furrowing slightly