My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0676

Nina

Sarah and I walked into the local cafe together, where we ordered two cups of tea and found a warm corner table to settle in. I sank down into my seat, feeling a little bolstered by the prospect of a new friend.

"So," Sarah said, taking the lid off of her cup to let her tea cool. The steam wafted up between us, scented like chamomile. "How's your first pregnancy going?"

I chewed the inside of my cheek and paused for a beat too long. There was, of course, so much I couldn't tell her. It felt a bit isolating here sometimes, knowing that I had to keep my real nature a secret.

That was the one thing about the werewolf realm that was appealing; there was no need to hide the truth. And yet, there was so much there that was unappealing, too.

Sarah noticed my hesitance and quirked an eyebrow. "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it—"

"Oh, no," I said, snapped back to the present all of a sudden. "I just don't know where to start, that's all. It's been a... rollercoaster. To say the least."

Sarah let out a wry chuckle. "I feel that," she said. "My first pregnancy was the same way."

I raised an eyebrow. Sarah, who didn't look much older than me and currently appeared to be about five months pregnant, had already had a first child. "How many children do you have?" I found myself asking.

She smirked and patted her growing bump. "This is my third."

"Your third?" I asked, then immediately stopped myself when I realized how I sounded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. It's just shocking, that's all."

"No worries," Sarah replied with a laugh. "I get that all of the time. I'm only twenty seven, and when people hear I'm on my third pregnancy, they're usually shocked."

I paused for a moment, thinking. I supposed that maybe people would look at me in the same way, someday. "I'm only twenty-one," I said a bit sheepishly. "I'm not really showing my bump yet, but I'm sure people will be shocked when I do."

Sarah nodded. "They certainly will. Being a young mom comes with a certain... stigma attached to it. People often think that you're stupid, or you don't know how to use birth control, or that you're trapped."novelbin

"I don't feel trapped," I muttered, my hand touching my belly.

"Me neither." Sarah grinned. "But you know, that first pregnancy really was a learning curve. Now, I feel like I've got a pretty good understanding of what I'm supposed to do; not just with the pregnancy, but with parenting."

"How did you get to that point, if you don't mind me asking?" I replied. "I feel like I'm going into this blind. It was a surprise pregnancy not unwelcome, but still a surprise."

"Well," she began, a wistful smile on her lips, "I read a lot of books, joined a few online forums. But the best advice I got was from other moms. They told me to trust my instincts and take each day as it comes. And for the record, it's okay to feel lost. You're allowed to just figure stuff out as it happens."

Our conversation flowed easily as Sarah continued to share stories from her first pregnancy and offered tips on everything from dealing with morning sickness to finding comfortable sleeping positions.

I found myself laughing more than I had in a while. It felt nice to talk to someone who understood my situation: another young mom.

However, just as I was beginning to relax, the cafe door opened.

And in walked Lea, accompanied by her entourage of friends.

"Shit," I muttered, hiding my face with my hand. Sarah's gaze followed mine, and her eyes narrowed.

"Look what the cat dragged in," she whispered.

Lea stopped in the doorway, her predator-like eyes snapping over to us. "Say something, Sarah?" she hissed, sauntering over to us. She paused then, recognizing me. "Oh, if it isn't the hockey star's housewife."

"I'm not a "I began, but Lea cut me off by whirling around on her heel and walking away, her friends on her trail. "Geez," Sarah said with a slight scoff as we watched them walk away. "Hormones, much?"

"I thought this sort of behavior would have been left behind in high school," I muttered.

Sarah laughed. "Yeah, right," she said, then leaned forward, lowering her voice. "From what I hear, Lea cheated on her boyfriend and that's how she got pregnant. The baby daddy, of course, took off. Apparently the boyfriend is still in the picture, although she's always on the prowl for someone 'better',"

I narrowed my eyes. That explained why she was so intrigued by my marriage with Enzo; she was jealous, after all. "Look, just ignore her," Sarah said gently. "Once you stop giving her attention, she'll move on to someone else."

"I wouldn't wish her on my worst enemy," I retorted with a chuckle.

Sarah smirked. "Yeah. Tell me about it."

Then, something unexpected happened. A patron, a middle-aged woman with an angry look in her eyes, walked up to Lea's table with a cup of coffee in hand. She seemed to recognize Lea and paused to speak to her.

I couldn't make out what exactly was said, but it seemed as though the word 'homewrecker' was used. And then...

In an instant, the woman's hand jerked, and the coffee spilled all over Lea's lap. She shrieked, jumping up from her seat, her face contorted in anger and shock.

"Ugh! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Lea cried out, her shirt and pants stained with the brown liquid. "You bitch!" "Serves you right, you little slut," the older woman said before storming out, the door slamming behind her.

Lea was livid, her face red as she tried to wipe the coffee off her clothes. Her friends were in a frenzy, offering napkins and water, but she just slapped their hands away and growled obscene remarks, directing her anger at them now instead of the woman who had just spilled coffee all over her.

Meanwhile, Sarah and I exchanged glances, trying to stifle our laughter. It was hard not to feel a sense of poetic justice in the moment, even though I knew I shouldn't.

"Come on," Sarah said, standing up. "Let's get out of here before she comes for us next."

We left the cafe, stepping out into the cool afternoon air. Once outside and out of sight of the cafe, we burst into laughter, the tension and discomfort from earlier melting away in the wake of the unexpected incident.

"Oh, that was too good," I gasped between fits of laughter,

Sarah nodded, wiping away tears from laughing so hard. "I shouldn't laugh, but... that was kind of karma, wasn't it?"

I nodded, still chuckling. "Definitely karma."

We stood on the sidewalk for a few moments, our laughter echoing down the street.

"Thanks for the tea, Sarah," I finally said. "And for everything else."

"Anytime, Nina," she replied. "And remember, you've got a friend in me. Anytime you need to talk, or laugh, or just escape mean girls, I'm here."

I nodded. "I'll remember that."