Blinded

by Maya Hughes

  They were ushered to a club box with floor to ceiling windows, with a small row of seats right in front. There were also tables and couches throughout the room and a full spread of food.

  “I’m going to grab some food for Emma.” She left him with some of the other men who were congregating in front of the windows overlooking the field. Emma made a beeline for the chocolate fountain.

  “Oh, no you don’t, young lady!” Alex called out, pulling Emma’s fingers back when they were mere inches from causing a liquid chocolate disaster.

  “Good save,” someone called out from behind her. She turned to see an incredibly pregnant woman standing with a plate filled with fruit and cakes.

  “Your spidey senses will kick in once that little one comes out.” Alex motioned to her belly.

  “I’m sure.”

  “When are you due?”

  “Two weeks, give or take. I hope it’s take. It really needs to be take. This kid is using my stomach as a punching bag.”

  “I remember those days. But also remember that it’s easier to take care of them when they’re inside rather than outside.”

  “Good point. I’m Jess, by the way.” She shifted her plate and extended her hand.

  “Hi Jess, I’m Alex.” She clasped hands with Jess and gave her a shake. “And this little chocolate monster is Emma,” Alex said, catching Emma before she could make a second attempt at the fountain.

  “Come and sit down; we’ll move away from the temptation.” Jess motioned them over to a small round table covered in a white linen table cloth.

  “Good idea.” Gabe was chatting with some of the other guys in the box. All of them were standing with arms crossed in front of the windows, probably trying to impress one another with random sports knowledge. Picking up a plate full of food, Alex settled Emma and dug into her plate.

  “I don’t mean to pry, but I saw you come in with Gabe Stevens,” Jess whispered.

  “I did,” Alex whispered back. “Why are we whispering?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’m not used to being the one drooling over another woman’s man.”

  Alex let out a belly laugh.

  “He is quite the hottie, isn’t he?” Jess blushed.

  “Indeed. I’ve probably seen all his movies at least ten times. I don’t usually get star-struck, but man oh man.” She started fanning herself.

  “He does have that effect on many woman and some men.”

  “I know all about that. My husband is completely drool-worthy and I’m usually the one freaking out about all the attention he’s getting.”

  “Who’s your husband?”

  “Aedan O’Connell. He’s the captain of the team.”

  “Oh, great!” Jess feigned recognition and took a bite of her food. She didn’t even know which teams were playing let alone who the players were.

  Jess smiled, seeing right through the ploy. “Don’t worry, I’m married to him and I barely know anything about soccer. I don’t come to many games nowadays, but when he said that Gabe Stevens was coming, I heaved myself off the couch, got as presentable as possible, and rolled down here.”

  “You look wonderful,” Alex reassured her.

  “No need to stroke my ego; I know I’m the size of a house, but it’s all worth it for this little, well not-so-little, bump.”

  “You do, even if you don’t believe you need the ego boost.” Alex put her hand on Jess’s and gave it a small squeeze.

  “I know, I just hate feeling like this, especially with all the attention Aedan gets. But I’m sure you know all about that since you’re with Gabe freaking Stevens,” she laughed.

  “It’s been interesting to say the least.”

  “How long have you been together?” Jess leaned forward in her chair, elbows resting on the table.

  “Ugh, well, it’s complicated. We knew each other a while ago and have recently reconnected.”

  “Yes, my daddy had to be away for a long time, but now he’s back and I get to see him every day.” Both jumped, forgetting that Emma was listening in.

  “She’s Gabe’s?” Jess gasped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s none of my business.”

  “It’s fine. Yes, she’s Gabe’s.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude, I know how much I hate it when people ask personal questions.”

  “Mommy, I’m finished.”

  “Ok, sweetie.”

  “Can I go see Daddy?”

  “Sure, go ahead.” Emma hopped up out of her seat, ran over to Gabe, and pulled on his shirt. He turned, picked her up, and pointed out all the different things happening on the field.

  “It’s okay, really. It’s not a secret or anything, it’s just not something we’ve really talked about in public.”

  The two spent a little bit more time chatting and Jess promised to invite them over the next time they were over. Apparently, Gabe had been a staple at their place whenever he was in town. Alex liked Jess, she seemed so normal and she could use all the normal she could get nowadays.

  The blare of the pre-game festivities drowned out the rest of the sound in the room. The guys had opened the doors facing the field and walked out to watch from in front of the glass.

  “Match is about to start,” Jess said, wiping her mouth, and standing.

  “I guess we should go get some good seats. It was great talking with you.”

  “You too and don’t be a stranger!”

  “We won’t,” she said, giving her a hug, and walking over to her two favorite people.

  He smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. Wrapping her arm around his waist, Alex laid her head against his chest. Someone knew now; it was only the beginning. More people would find out, and she needed to prepare herself.

  Holding onto his two girls settled him in a way he didn’t know was possible. He sat watching the game with Emma on his lap and Alex tucked into his chest. He’d met Aedan a couple of years ago at some charity event and they were always crossing paths at those types of events, especially when he was filming in Europe.

  When Aedan found out that he would be filming in Scotland, he invited him down to the match. With a tight filming schedule, he didn’t have a lot of consecutive days off, so this was the perfect chance to take Alex and Emma down to London to explore.

  The game was fast paced and much more enjoyable than it was on TV. Emma was standing on her seat jumping up and down, screaming once he’d let her know she was rooting for the team in red. Even Alex was on her feet during the final minutes of the game with the score at 2-2. Aedan streaked down the field, passing the ball to a teammate before sprinting ahead and getting the ball back and scoring a solid goal that whacked the back of the net. Their entire box screamed and cheered, jumping up and down at their win. Alex and Jess were cheering together, Jess holding her heavily pregnant belly.

  “Maybe you should hold back on the celebrating.” Alex laughed.

  “Probably a good idea,” Jess said, taking a seat. “It was really nice meeting you. And next time you’re in London, give me a call and we can hang out.”

  “Next time I’m here, I will.”

  They ended the evening with a passed-out Emma between them in a taxi on the way back to the hotel. He threaded his fingers through hers over Emma’s head and he pulled them to his lips. Alex’s heart fluttered as she leaned over to him and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.

  Perfection.

  26

  The next day, they had a little time before they had to head back to the train station. Emma had begged to go to the café around the corner from their hotel once she’d spied the huge cupcakes in the windows. She’d been reluctant to say yes because those things were about the size of Emma’s head, but Alex relented once Emma and Gabe both started giving her puppy eyes.

  “Fine, fine, we can go, but you,” she said, pointing at Gabe. “Have to deal with her during her sugar rush on the train ride. I’m absolving myself of any parental responsi
bility from the time she takes her first bite of that thing until we get back to the house in Edinburgh.”

  “Understood, ma’am!” He saluted as they stood outside of the café doors.

  “Oh, my god, you’re Gabe Stevens!” A teenager and her friend shrieked as they stepped into a small cafe. “I loved you in Stargazer! Can I please get a picture?” she asked, practically hyperventilating.

  He glanced back at Alex and Emma. She nodded, shooing him forward. Far be it from her to deny a true fan her chance for a pic with him. Alex had to admit that it was cool to see fans go ga-ga for him. Even Jess had flipped a bit and she was married to a professional celebrity soccer player. He’d done well for himself and that unsure guy that she’d first met, who doubted he’d ever make it, had certainly made it.

  “Sure, no problem,” he laughed, taking the teen’s phone. He took three pictures with them selfie-style. Alex took Emma to order a cupcake and ordered two coffees for her and Gabe. The teens ran out of the café shrieking once their photoshoot with he was finished. He pulled up a chair and sat. She slid the coffee to him and he took a sip.

  “So good, just the way I like it. How did you know?”

  “What? You think I don’t pay attention?” she said. He slid his hand under the table and rubbed her knee.

  “I know you do. Thank you.” He took another sip and turned to Emma.

  “Where’s my cupcake, young lady?”

  “You can have a bite of mine.” Emma offered him her cupcake and he took a huge bite.

  “Daddy!” She squealed. “You almost ate the whole thing!”

  “I’m sorry. I looked so good I couldn’t resist.” Emma pouted with her arms crossed over her chest and peeped up at Gabe with her bottom lip sticking out. “I guess this means we’ll have to buy another one and split it.” He chuckled.

  “Yes! Yes!” Emma hopped up and down and followed him to the counter to order another cupcake. She was more than happy to share if it meant she ended up with more cupcakes.

  They had a leisurely morning wandering around before they got back on the train for the four-hour trip back to Edinburgh. Emma was bouncing around the train car and Alex let him handle it like she said she would. He would have to learn that you didn’t sugar a kid up before putting them in an enclosed environment unless you wanted to invite some serious trouble and angry glares from anyone else occupying your space.

  She eventually took pity on him and pulled a coloring book and crayons out of her emergency stash. He shot her a grateful look and they all ended up spending most of the trip coloring and playing I Spy, which was a little tricky when they were speeding past scenery, but they made it work. Emma’s sugar rush ended about fifteen minutes from their station and he carried her into the car.

  The pulled up to the cottage a little before dinner and Emma spent more of the meal attempting to chew her food in her sleep. When her head hit the table, Alex called it quits.

  “Ok, missy, it’s time for bed before you choke on your food.” Alex stood and moved to pick Emma up.

  “I’ve got her.” He stood and hoisted Emma up onto his shoulder. She barely moved even though she still had a little bit of spaghetti hanging out of her mouth. Alex chuckled, following him up the stairs. They got her changed out of her clothes and into her pajamas. He grabbed a wet washcloth and wiped the spaghetti off her face as she grumbled in her sleep and swatted his hand away. Putting her hand over her mouth, she had to back out into the hallway to contain her laughter.

  He came out of Emma’s room, threw the cloth into the bathroom and took Alex’s hand as they walked down the stairs.

  “Remind me never to feed her that much sugar before we travel anywhere,” he said wearily.

  “I tried to warn you,” she teased.

  “I know, I know. I will forever defer to your expertise when it comes to sugar consumption and Emma,” he said, chuckling. They gathered the dishes and began cleaning up. This was all starting to feel normal. A normal family life. This is how it should be, always.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Lesley’s going to stop by set tomorrow. It will be great to catch up!” he said, then there was a crash from behind him.

  Alex was crouched on the floor picking up broken pieces of the plates she’d been carrying to the sink. She looked up at him with daggers in her eyes. Not just daggers, but tears.

  “You’re going to have Lesley come here tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, why? I haven’t seen here in a while and she’s down in Glasgow filming for a new TV series.”

  “You would actually have her come up here knowing that Emma and I are here?” Alex gritted out as she moved jerkily around the kitchen. She seemed unable to decide what to do with herself.

  He stared at her bewildered. He’d remembered that Alex and Lesley had gotten along the last time they’d seen each other.

  “I saw those pictures Gabe, the pictures of her leaving the hotel the night after we broke up. I saw her leaving the hotel in a shirt of yours that I’d worn back when you were filming Stargazer and in a pair of your boxer shorts,” she said, standing up with the pieces of broken plates in her hands. She stomped to the trashcan to throw them away.

  “Alex, that was just publicity. I told you what the studio wanted. They wanted the press coverage and for people to speculate about if there was something going on with us.” He hadn’t even thought about the pictures that had been in the tabloids after Lesley left the hotel when he puked on her. Yet another screw up on his part because—of course—Alex would have seen them.

  “Did the studio also want you to fuck her?” Alex spat out with such venom that it made him recoil.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I saw you Gabe. I saw you the day after I left; I came back to the hotel.”

  His head whipped back like he’d been slapped.

  “You did?”

  “Yes, I did. And I heard Lesley in the shower and I saw you laid out on the bed in nothing but your boxers. She was saying something about how dirty she’d gotten,” Alex said, tears streaming down her face.

  “Alex, no. NO! I did not sleep with Lesley. We’ve never been more than friends.”

  “I saw you, Gabe! I saw you laying there on the bed we’d slept in, made love in, and not less than twenty-four hours later you were in there with another woman,” she accused. He closed his eyes. He realized exactly what happened. He moved to Alex to try to pull her to him.

  “No, don’t touch me. You have no idea how hard it was for me to know that I mattered so little to you that in less than a day you were in bed with her.”

  “I wasn’t. I didn’t. I drank myself stupid the night you left. When I woke up the next day, I was completely hung over. Lesley came over to talk about the press tour and I puked all over her. She was covered. She asked to take a shower because it was rank and she was gross. I gave her some clothes to wear after.” He pleaded with her to believe him.

  “And then to know I was pregnant and you wouldn’t even speak to me. Do you have any idea how humiliating that was for me?” She completely ignored everything he’d said. “To call day after day to try to get through to you? To email for months?” she said through her tears that were flowing down her cheeks and dripping off her chin.

  “No, I can’t imagine, but Alex, I didn’t cheat on you. I didn’t. Why didn’t you come to see me once you were pregnant?” He attempted to wrap his arms around Alex.

  She moved out of the range of his arms, pushing him away. “Why didn’t I come to see you? I did come to see you. Even after what I’d seen with Lesley. I knew you had a right to know about Emma. So, I came to see you.”

  “What? When? And Alex about Lesley—,” he sputtered, stunned.

  “I don’t know, I must have been, twenty-six or twenty-seven weeks pregnant. I just couldn’t believe that you wouldn’t respond to me. I scrounged up the rest of my savings from the fall and I bought a ticket and I flew to LA.”

  “I waited outside of Aaron’s office buildi
ng for four hours. They finally set security on me and told me if I came within one hundred yards of you, I’d be arrested.” The stress of everything finally came crashing down and she broke down in sobs and fell to her knees. “Do you have any idea how horrible that was for me? To know that you would screw me, cheat on me, and then just throw, not only me, but our unborn child, aside?” His heart broke even more knowing that getting involved with him had caused her so much heartbreak.

  He dropped to the ground next to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Shh, shh, shh, I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry, you have no idea how sorry I am. Not just about Aaron, but about everything,” he said as he began to rock her back and forth.

  She calmed a bit and started to wipe the tears from her face. “When I finally got home, there was a check waiting for me. It was for three hundred thousand dollars. There was a no-contact agreement saying that I wasn’t to come within one hundred yards of you in exchange for the money.”

  He gaped at her, completely unable to believe that Aaron had been so underhanded when dealing with her and that he hadn’t seen through Aaron earlier. He was kicking himself and trying to figure out how he could convince her that he hadn’t cheated on her with Lesley.

  “I know some people will think it makes me a terrible person, but I cashed it. I had one year left of school and I knew if I was doing this on my own—finish school and making something of myself—I needed that help,” she continued.

  “I don’t care about the money! I don’t care, I’m glad you took it. You both needed it.”

  “Yeah, we did. I used enough to get me through school, pay for Emma’s daycare and then I put the rest in a trust for her. It’s at more than five hundred thousand now. But I didn’t touch it after that first year. Not after I graduated from school.” Alex’s eyes started to tear up again. “I got a good job and was able to support the two of us.”

  He pulled her to him and ran his hands down her back and caressed her hair.

  “Alex, I’m not mad. I’m not upset. I don’t care about that money at all and I’m glad that at least there was a little help for you when you needed it most and I couldn’t be there with you.”