My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story PDF

Chapter 0479

Nina

The air was thick with laughter and clinking glasses, everyone ecstatic over the end of another grueling semester.

Lori, Jessica, and a handful of others from our pre-med program had gathered in my living room to celebrate our triumphs, academic and otherwise. The room was a vibrant mixture of color, laughter, and flashing smartphone cameras capturing a moment we would hopefully all remember.

Just as the laughter reached another crescendo, I slipped into the kitchen, my eyes darting over the array of chips, cookies, and assorted finger foods spread across the counter.

As much as I loved my friends and their vibrant energy, I felt an inexplicable pull toward solitude, even if only for a moment. I reached for some chips, contemplating how this room had morphed into a sanctuary from the noise and mirth that filled the living room.

Suddenly, callused hands covered my eyes, plunging me into playful darkness. "Guess who?" a familiar voice whispered.

A chuckle escaped my lips. "Hmm, let's see...Ryan Gosling? Chris Hemsworth? Oh, wait, it must be Zac Efron!"

The hands lifted, and I was spun around to face my grinning husband. "As much as I wish I had the abs of any of those guys, sorry to disappoint."

"Never a disappointment," I shot back, feeling a warmth spread through me, soothing the jagged edges of my unsettled thoughts. I playfully ran my hand along Enzo's midsection, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt. "Your abs are even better."

Suddenly, Enzo pulled one hand from behind his back to produce a small box with a lid. He held it out to me with a sheepish grin on his face like a child who had just picked his mom a flower, roots and all.

this?" I asked, my heart skipping a

to commemorate your acceptance into medical school," he said, handing me the box. My fingers gingerly opened the tiny case to reveal an intricately designed locket, a swirl of silver that seemed to capture the moonlight. When I popped it open, inside were pictures of us-a selfie of us taken overlooking the cliff behind the house, where I was kissing his cheek and he was

tiny pictures closely. "This is...

I?" he asked, gesturing to put

felt the delicate chain slide around me, followed by his fingers expertly fastening the clasp.

he said, his eyes

fervent kiss. For a moment, I considered taking it a few steps further right there in the kitchen, but we

the kiss

leaning my cheek against his chest to

his arms enveloping me

to see her standing over by the bar in

me away gently. "Have fun," he said, before grabbing a beer from the fridge and slipping out into the backyard to be

my throat, a sudden wave of nausea struck. Discreetly, I slid away from the revelry and retreated to

belly. I knew I wasn't pregnant, but I was still feeling intermittently sick. It must have been food poisoning, but it was strange food poisoning at that. I'd never

in there for much longer than ten minutes when my thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open. Enzo peeked in, his eyes immediately narrowing in concern. "Hey," he said

lied, trying to muster a smile. "I just needed to rest for a

mine. "Nina, I've seen you pull all-nighters, down energy drinks like water, and

off, and it doesn't feel like normal food poisoning. I'm almost wondering if I should take

blend of love and concern that was uniquely Enzo. "If you think it's necessary. then you should do it. But if you're still feeling like this in a couple of days, promise me you'll go to the doctor." I nodded, appreciating the seriousness in his

night, I awoke to a room cast in the blue glow of the moonlight streaming through the large windows. Something felt different. My senses were heightened; I could hear the rustling of leaves outside, the distant