I want to, but I can’t, so I let Garrett peel it off, leaving me in my T-shirt before he tucks the blanket back around my shoulders.
I grip his shirt, tugging him back to me. “Kiss me, please.”
He does, long and deep, warm hands on my face before he whispers a “Sweet dreams” against my lips and pulls away.
It’s not long before knocking on the door wakes me.
Knocking is the wrong word. It starts that way but quickly spirals to slapping and knob-jiggling, Carter’s irritating voice chanting, “Gare. Gare. Gare.”
I direct my brain to sleep through this, ignore the onslaught of questions. But even without seeing him, his presence is overpowering.
“Where is she? Is she okay?”
“She’s okay,” Garrett whispers. “She’s sleeping still.”
“What did he say?” Carter demands. “Did he fucking touch her?”
I tune out the conversation, but my eyes flutter open when a pair of soft hands land on my face, and Olivia’s smiling face comes into view.
“Hi. I brought you a cinnamon bun cappuccino.”
I manage to sit up, rubbing at my eyes with my fists. “You came with Carter? Why?”
A flash of hurt dances in her dark eyes. “Because you’re my sister, one of my best friends, and I love you. If you’re hurting, I don’t want you to do it alone.” Her arms come around me, a suffocating, wonderful hug. “We’re stronger together, Jennie.”
My heart thumps at the promise, the love, and I jump when her stomach kicks against mine. I pull back, looking at her round belly. “Holy shit. What the fuck was that?”
Olivia smiles. “Your niece or nephew saying hi to their aunt.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Carter whines, marching across the living room. “Jennie felt him move?”
“Or her,” Olivia mutters. “Baby Beckett loves Auntie Jennie.”
I squeeze her hands. “Thank you for coming.”
Carter sweeps me off the couch and crushes me against his chest, my feet dangling above the floor. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
“I’m okay,” I remind him, the words muffled by his shoulder. “Garrett was there.”
“It should’ve been me.”
Carter was born a protector. It’s part of what makes him a good leader, an amazing captain. His team is his family, and he won’t let anybody touch them. It also makes him an incredible brother, even if a little—or a lot—overbearing at times.
But when our dad passed, when Carter put taking care of me and my mom above taking care of himself, and when my boyfriend and friends broke my heart? It pushed him to a whole new level. He struggles with guilt, believing he failed at protecting me, and now he’s hell-bent on keeping me safe from heartache.
I get it, I really do. But he couldn’t protect me then, and he can’t protect me now. Hearts break and people get hurt. It’s inevitable, and it’s unrealistic for him to think he might be able to keep me safe forever.
But now, as I meet Garrett’s stare over Carter’s shoulder, I’m painfully aware that there’s one heartbreak I never want to experience, one person I never want to lose, and right now, he’s wearing a gentle, patient smile all for me.
So do I keep allowing fear to tighten its grip on me, to control my life?
Or do I take Garrett’s hand and ask him to jump with me?
CHAPTER 26
THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER
JENNIE
“I’m gonna vomit.”
“You are not. Quit being dramatic.”
“I am. I’m gonna do it.” I’m not lying.
“If she doesn’t, I will.” Olivia places one hand on her stomach, the other over her mouth. Her face pales right on time, and Cara rolls her eyes, yanking her candy dish into her stomach.
To be fair, Olivia might actually vomit. She’s been on this pregnancy health kick lately, but we went for lunch earlier and she kinda said fuck it and threw it all out the window. She had a platter of tacos and a basket of chili cheese fries. She’s been moaning and groaning for hours now.
“There’s nothing wrong with my snack.” Cara sticks her hand inside, grabs a whole-ass handful of Skittles and M&M’s, and dumps them—together—into her mouth. “It’s de-wish-us.”
Olivia gags, lurching forward, and I gather her hair at the nape of her neck and rub her back. She’s become such a good actor since becoming a Beckett. I’m so proud of my Pip-squeak.
With another exaggerated eye roll, Cara hauls her candy to the kitchen. “You guys fucking suck. If you’d just try it, you’d like—”
“Absolutely not.” I release Olivia’s hair and sink back, picking up my plate of Pop-Tarts. Garrett left me a box of my favorite kind before he left: Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae.
Cara lifts a brow at me from where she shovels her snack into her mouth at the island. “We don’t have that flavor here, Jennie. That’s exclusive to the States.”
I hum around my bite.
“You know who always has fun flavors of Pop-Tarts?” This handful isn’t big enough to hide her shit-eating smirk. “Garrett. Yeah, gets them sent special from Adam’s mom.”
“Really? Wow. I’ve never met Adam’s mom. Is she as sweet as he is? Sounds like it.” Deflection: A+. Cara opens her mouth, but I shove a snack between my teeth and point at the TV. “Boys are on.”
Cara sinks beside me with an acceptable snack, and Olivia snuggles into my side as the boys start zipping around the ice, warming up for their game.
It takes Olivia approximately ten seconds to go from snuggly to growly, shoveling popcorn into her mouth while she mutters beneath her breath, scowling at the TV.
“What are you on about, Pip?” I ask, stealing a queso-covered nacho chip from Cara.
Olivia gestures wildly at the TV. “Look at them! Damn vultures. Swoop right in.”
“Who swoops in?” I answer my own question when the camera pans over the half-dressed women shaking their signs behind the glass.
Beckett, show me a hat trick and I’ll show you a sex trick!
You can put it in my 5-hole, #87!
My nose scrunches with disgust. “Ew. Don’t worry; he’s not paying them any attention.” In fact, he skates over to one of the cameras at board level, and when he stops there to talk to it, the camera on the TV switches to that feed.
“Hi, princess!” he shouts from behind the glass. “Miss you!” He skates away with a wink, and Olivia’s entire face lights, body humming happily.
“See? Nothing to worry about. We didn’t even have to fly to Montreal so you could bump ’em with your belly and show ’em who’s boss.”
“Oh look.” Cara grips my forearm. “Garrett’s got his own fan section tonight too.”
I hate the way my head whips and the frantic “What?” that leaves my lips. But worst of all? I dropped my nacho chip.
My eyes trail the rink on TV, and I find Garrett without hesitation. He’s tall and broad as he floats around the ice, right before he crashes into Carter from behind, shoving him into the boards. It’s followed quickly by Emmett crushing both of them to the boards and Adam dog-piling on top when they sink to the ice, and I’m too annoyed with the group of women two rows up to find it cute.