Page 16 of Flashback for the Forward

With my throat feeling like it was lined with razor blades, I rasped, “It’s been a long time.”

“Wait, do you two know each other?” There was a hint of accusation in Aiden’s tone.

“Cole was a teammate of my brother’s.” While technically the truth, it didn’t cover the full extent of our relationship.

Suspicion fading away, Aiden acted as if he shared the burden of our grief. “Bennett was one of a kind.”

Cole’s lips pulled into a sad smile. “Yeah, he was.”

“I miss him every day,” I whispered.

Aiden’s hand found my hip, pulling me into his side and putting on a show of offering me comfort while murmuring against my temple, “I know, baby.”

“Uh . . .” My ex-boyfriend shifted on his feet as he watched the display of affection, not knowing it was as fake as the purses sold in Chinatown.

With no way to avoid it, I was forced to make an introduction. “Cole, this is Aiden, my—”

“Husband,” Aiden finished for me.

This time, I didn’t dare correct him. What did it matter at this point anyway?

“Oh.” Cole’s eyebrows shot sky-high. “Congrats. I had no idea.”

A grin stretched across Aiden’s face. “Thanks, man.”

Shoving both hands into his pockets, Cole rocked back on his heels. “Catch me up. What else has been going on in your life since the last time we saw each other?”

“Well,” I began. “I’m a teacher.”

“Was a teacher,” Aiden was quick to point out before explaining, “Bridget stopped working so that she can stay at home when the baby gets here.”

My ex’s eyes not-so-discreetly dipped to my midsection. “Wow. Congrats.” He let out a strained laugh. “Jeez, I sound like a broken record.”

Lord help me because I couldn’t stay silent, blurting, “I’m not pregnant.”

“Yet.” Aiden’s grip on my hip grew painful. “But we’re actively trying, so it won’t be too much longer before we’re announcing to the world that our little bundle of joy is officially on their way.”

Not if I have anything to say about it.

Cole opened his mouth, but quickly shut it when the phone in his hand chirped with what sounded like an incoming text. He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Shit.” Glancing up, he flashed us an apologetic smile. “As much as I’d love to stay and chat some more, I’ve gotta go.” His gaze softened along with his voice. “It was really great to see you, Bridget. Maybe we’ll run into each other again sometime.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Though I highly doubted it with how tightly Aiden kept me locked up.

Then he was gone, leaving me behind with my abuser.

And I wondered how much longer it would be before I lost the will to survive.

Chapter 5

Cole

“Minor penalty. Tennessee number seventy-one. Two minutes for slashing.”

The referee’s voice boomed through the arena’s speakers in Nashville, receiving a chorus of boos from the home crowd.

It was easy to complain when you weren’t the one whose hands took the brunt of a carbon fiber stick being wielded like a baseball bat.

Fuck. The Rockers’ defenseman got me good. My knuckles throbbed, the pain radiating toward my wrists, and I removed my gloves to assess the damage.