The same horror hit Ben as his spine snapped straight and his eyes shot to me, wide with understanding.
“Fuck. Was it—it was Roman? You talked to Roman.” He dragged his hands down his face then lifted his gaze to mine, and the sorrow struck me like a bolt of lightning. “We have a daughter?”
I must have nodded. I wasn’t entirely in control of my body, to be sure. “We have a daughter.”
His throat bobbed as his eyes traveled over my face. Though I wasn’t sure he was really seeing me. His eyes were glazed and far away, like he was drifting over the last few years, finding all the empty spaces where Katty should have been.
I pulled myself together, tucking the gaping loss aside to gather Ben back to the moment.
“Her name is Kateryna, but we call her Katty.”
He jerked at the sound of my voice and stared at me like he was confused until what I’d said settled. Then he licked his lips.
“Katty,” he whispered with reverence. “Kateryna.”
I nodded. “It’s Ukrainian. Where I was born. I thought it would be nice…”
“Itisnice. I love her name.” He scooted forward in his chair, eagerness replacing despair. “When can I meet her?”
“I don’t know. I’m honestly a little overwhelmed and need a minute to think.” That was an understatement. “Can we talk tonight? I have to go back to work, then I have class, but I can call after Katty’s in bed.”
“Yes,” he practically shouted. “Yes, please. Call me tonight.”
“All right.” My head was spinning so fast I was about to shoot out into orbit. “I think I should go. This is a lot, and I have to work, a—”
Ben took my hand and squeezed it gently. “Don’t freak out, Mazzy. I’m counting on you to be the levelheaded one. I’m about to blow.”
I looked at him, and something about the wetness clinging to his lashes and the flush in his cheeks settled me. He was as overwhelmed as I was. Maybe more so. Seeing that made me feel not quite as panicked. This was crazy, life changing, but at least I wasn’t going through it alone.
Not this time.
I squeezed his hand in return. “Hey, Ben?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you rather find out you have a four-and-a-half-year-old daughter or slam your face into a plate of steaming hot spaghetti?”
It took a beat, but his smile returned, full blast. “Daughter. Definitely a daughter.”
Chapter Ten
Ben
AssoonasMazzyBelle Emerson left the stadium, any semblance of sanity I had left fled with her. I was pretty sure I’d given my coach a vague excuse for not returning to practice, but it could have come out as caveman grunts. Staying wasn’t an option. That was all I knew. If I even tried to return the pitch, I’d end up decapitating a teammate.
My brother’s head, on the other hand, I wasn’t so worried about. If he lost it, that was on him.
A ball of fury blazed in my gut, and the drive across town had done nothing to dampen it. Roman was fortunate Nate was in his office when I swung open the door. He was going to need someone to hold me back. I’d never been more angry in my life—and certainly never at my brother.
“Roman!” I shouted as the door hit the wall. “What did you do?”
Startled, he jumped to his feet. “Ben? What are you doing here?”
Nate stood too, and I shot by him, rounding to Roman on the other side of his desk. Not giving Roman any time to brace, I shoved him, and he went down hard, his chair rolling several feet backward.
“What’s happening?” Nate swung around the desk to get between us, laying his hand on my heaving chest. “Are you okay?”
“No!” I threw my arms up and tossed my head back. “Not even a little.”
