My Hockey Alpha



Nina

The kettle whistled shrilly, snapping me out of the reverie I had sunk into. With a sigh, I set my book down and made my way to the kitchen.

It was past midnight, and the house was filled with a disquieting silence that only deepened my worry for Enzo. He'd said he was going out for a drive and would be back soon. Hours had passed, and "soon" felt like an eternity ago.

Pouring hot water into my cup, I added a tea bag, allowing the scent of chamomile to waft up and ease my worries. It was somewhat calming, but I still felt worried. Where was he?

Just as I was contemplating texting him, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway filled the air. My heart soared. Relief washed over me as I set down my cup, hurrying to the front door to peek through the curtain. Sure enough, it was Enzo's truck.This is property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

A few minutes later, he emerged from his truck.

The door opened, and there he was, looking exhausted but relieved to be home. "You're back," I said, my voice tinged with relief and a bit of annoyance. "It's late. What were you doing out there?"

Enzo sighed, setting his keys on the table by the door. "Luke and I were scouting for Edward. Didn't find him, though."

"Edward? You should've invited me," I said, arching my eyebrows.

He chuckled, but his eyes were clouded with something I couldn't quite place. "Sure," he said, smirking slightly." Next time I need to hunt down that psycho, I'll be sure to bring along my pregnant wife."

Enzo's words gave me pause. It was still early in the pregnancy, making it easy to momentarily forget that that was the case. "You're right," I laughed, instinctively placing my hand over my belly. "I almost forgot."

Enzo smirked. "That's what I'm here for." His words were light, but I could tell that there was something else in his eyes-something was off. He looked like he was on the verge of speaking, but couldn't bring himself to do it just

yet.

"Spit it out," I said. "You look like you're about to say something."

He took a deep breath, taking both my hands in his and leading me to the sofa. We sat, and he looked deeply into my eyes. "I've thought about it, and I've finally made a decision, Nina. I'm not going to quit the job."

I felt a wave of happiness flood through me, and without a second thought, I kissed him. "I knew you wouldn't regret it, Enzo. This job is too important for you to pass up."

Enzo's face lit up, a mixture of relief and elation filling his eyes. "You have no idea how close I was to giving it all up, Nina. I talked to Tim just now and even saw the team via FaceTime. Seeing their excitement, their happiness at the idea of me coming back... It was a reality check. This is important to me, too."

My heart swelled with pride. Enzo had faced his fears, weighed his options, and come to a decision that respected both his dreams and our life together. I couldn't ask for a more thoughtful partner. "I'm so happy for you," I said, squeezing his hands.

"But," he continued, his tone shifting slightly, "I do have my own stipulations about this decision.

My brows furrowed as I looked into Enzo's eyes, the curiosity almost unbearable. "Stipulations? What kind of stipulations?"

He inhaled deeply, as if gathering the courage to speak. "I want you to consider going to therapy, Nina. Your nightmares have been getting worse, even though you like to pretend that they're not. And I'm worried how they'll affect you and the baby during the pregnancy."

The room seemed to close in on me at his words. "Therapy?" I muttered.

Enzo nodded, but said nothing. My heart felt as though it was sinking; all this time, I had tried to hide my episodes, tried not to worry him. And yet Enzo, perceptive as ever, had seen right through it as usual.

But still, the idea of going to therapy made me feel almost sick. After what had happened with Edward, my last therapist?

That man had turned my mind into a maze of darkness, using his position to brainwash me, to conduct his twisted experiments. He had locked me up for days that felt like an eternity, had made me think that my entire life was a lie, just to manipulate me for his own gain.

The mere thought of sitting on another leather couch, talking about my fears to a stranger, it made my stomach chum.

"You can't be serious, Enzo," I found myself saying. "After Edward, how can I ever trust another therapist?"

He reached for my hands, holding them as if they were the most fragile things in the world. "I know what Edward did was unimaginable, sickening even. But he was just one twisted individual, Nina. One man. You can't let the acts of one deranged person dictate your life."

I felt the sting of his words, not because they were harsh, but because they were steeped in a painful truth. Edward was one man, a horrific outlier in a field that was meant to bring solace and healing.

"I'll... I'll consider it," I finally conceded, the words bitter on my tongue. "But no promises."

Enzo's face softened, and a slow smile spread across his lips. "That's all I'm asking for, Nina. A consideration."

As we sat there in the lamplight, a new thought dawned on me. "Speaking of considerations," I began, "I think it's time we shared our news with my family. I want to go visit them."

The cloud that seemed to hover over Enzo lifted instantly at my words. "That's a fantastic idea. When were you thinking of going?"

"Tomorrow?" I ventured, the idea still fresh and a bit daunting.

He stood up, pulling me along with him, a boyish excitement lighting up his eyes. "Tomorrow it is. We can pack tonight and leave first thing in the morning."

The weight of our individual worries seemed to lift at the prospect of our impending trip, replaced by a shared joy and anticipation. Here we were, about to take another huge leap in our journey together, and despite the lurking shadows of our past, we were stepping into it hand in hand.

"I can't wait to tell everyone," I said, wrapping my arms around him. "Especially my dad. He's going to be so thrilled."

"And what about your mother?" Enzo grinned, winking at me.

"My mom will be over the moon to find out that I decided to keep the baby," I chuckled. "She's probably going to start buying baby clothes as soon as we tell her."

We both laughed at that, the tension from earlier dissipating easily.

"Do you think they'll be worried, you know, given our complicated history?" Enzo asked, a hint of seriousness seeping back into his tone.

"It's hard to say," I replied, pondering the question. "But I think that they'll be more excited than anything. A new baby, a new member of the family... And..." I paused, biting my lower lip as memories of my sister floated through my mind.

"A new chance," Enzo finished for me.

I nodded, meeting his gaze. "Yes. A new chance."