Unsportsmanlike Conduct

by Melody Heck Gatto

  "Hey," she said with a smile.

  "Hey yourself, sexy. Feel better now that you got some sleep?" He grinned at her, checked on the lasagna in the oven then turned to Gia. "Wanna relax? We have some time before dinner." He walked by her and smacked her ass.

  "Hey!" she called out, trying to smack him back but missing. "Yeah, sure. She really needed to tell him before things went any further. He needed to know. She sat down on the couch with one leg folded underneath her as he slid next to her.

  "So …" Patrick said, placing a kiss on her head. He motioned her to move closer, but she kept her distance.

  She wanted to curl up in his arms. She wanted him to say it was going to be okay. But first, she had to tell him. She took in a deep breath. "So the pre-season starts soon, huh?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

  "Yeah." He eyed her suspiciously.

  She looked down at her hands, stalling. "Okay, so I have a little problem. This morning I realized that I was late," she said softly, not looking up from her hands.

  After a few minutes of silence, she finally looked up. He was looking at her, his brow ruffled and head tilted. She didn't want to have to spell this out, but it wasn't going to be as easy as she’d hoped.

  "Late, you know? Really late," she said again, waiting for some sort of reaction. Still nothing. She wanted to shake him as her nervousness quickly turned to frustration.

  Patrick sat with a confused, scrunched up look on his face. "Late for what?"

  Oh, boys are so simple. She was aggravated, she wanted the explosion of emotions like she’d felt, but she’d have to have to spell it out before that would happen. She took a breath. "Patrick, I'm pregnant," she blurted out, and then waited nervously for his reaction. She hadn't thought this through. What if he ran? What if he wasn't ready to be a daddy?

  She stared at him. Waiting. She hoped he wouldn’t leave her too.

  Patrick's eyes got wide for a moment; he took a breath and regained his composure. He pulled her to his chest, and held her tight, kissing her forehead lightly. "It'll be okay. I promise. Don't worry."

  Her body shook in his strong arms. She wanted to believe his words, that it would be okay, but how could it be? "Patrick, you don't understand," she said against his chest. "It could be yours … or Tyler's … I don't know." She expected him to freak out and get mad. How could she be so irresponsible? She felt lower than low. Slut, she scolded herself.

  However, Patrick didn’t let her go. "It’ll be okay." He held her tighter. "So this is what was on your mind all day, sweet thing? I'm here for you, okay? Remember that. No matter what. You don't need to deal with this alone."

  "Even if it isn't …" She wanted to say, ‘even if it wasn't his baby’, but she couldn't get the words out. Who says, will you take care of me even if it isn't your baby? Seriously, what have I turned into?

  "Shhh …" He put his fingers to her lips. "I'm here for you, no matter what. Wait, I didn't hurt you since we just …" he said in a panic.

  "No." She let out a light chuckle when the color drained from his face in panic. "Sex won't hurt me or the baby."

  "Well how do you know for sure--that you are, ya know, pregnant?"

  Did he really just ask me that? Okay, I need to be patient with him. "I took a test once I realized I was late." Then she decided to clarify for his sake. His face was all scrunched up again, apparently trying hard to understand without much success. "Once I realized my period was late. Both tests were positive," she said. He tilted his head to the side, looking even more confused. "I took two tests to make sure the first one wasn't wrong." Obviously that’s why they put two in a box, right?

  "Okay, now what?" Patrick asked.

  Gia wasn't sure. "I guess now I have to figure it all out." Start by figuring out who the baby daddy is. Ugh. And get a job.

  The timer buzzed on the oven. "I know we need to talk about this but you need to eat, and the lasagna should be ready. We can discuss this more later. Let's go eat; now more than ever you need a good meal. I know you haven't been eating right. When is the last time you had a non-fast-food meal?"

  Gia shrugged her shoulders as she sat down at the kitchen table. She’d gone too many days this past week without eating at all. A few days she never even got out of bed. She wasn't usually like this, so sick over a guy. In the past if a guy dumped her, so what? She just moved on. But with Tyler, she couldn't get out of this funk, and this new bombshell wasn’t helping.

  Patrick scooped a piece of lasagna on her plate and a spoonful of green beans. Gia scoffed. She’d much rather have nice fried pieces of anything versus veggies.

  "Don't give me that face. You are eating the green beans. I know they aren't greasy or covered in sugar but if you eat them, I have a cupcake with your name on it." He smirked.

  "Where did you learn to cook?"

  "I learned after I was drafted with Los Angeles. I had a roommate who cooked. Why, are you impressed?" he asked with a grin.

  Taking a bite of her dinner, the flavors bounced around her taste buds. It was savory yet with a hint of sweetness. The sauce tasted almost as good as her mom's. Patrick was a really good cook. "Patrick," she said as she picked up another forkful, "this is delicious. I’m very impressed. Thank you for making me dinner." She smiled.

  “You’re very welcome. So Gia, does Tyler know?”

  “No one knows.” She looked down at her plate and pushed around her food.

  “Oh.”

  “I have no idea how he’ll react to this. I’m sorry to put this all on you, I should probably go to my sister’s instead.” Maybe this was a bad idea.

  “No, I’m glad you came to me. We’ll figure this all out, Gia. No matter what happens, I’m here for you, whatever you need. It’ll be okay, I promise.”

  When dinner was over, Patrick cleaned up the dishes. Gia helped by grabbing a rag. She started to wipe off the crumbs, but Patrick moved slowly behind, startling her. Gia let out a little gasp.

  "So," he whispered in her ear, "sex won't hurt the baby or you?"

  She could feel his smile as his warm breath tickled her cheek. Of course, he was already thinking about sex. They had been out of bed a few hours now. "No Patrick, it won't." She shook her head, smiling coyly.

  "I swear, eventually I'm going to bend you over a table. What about this one right here?" His words dripped with need and he kissed her neck.

  "In the kitchen? Really? I don’t know about that." She squirmed next to him.

  "We'll see if we can change that attitude soon." He kissed her cheek. "Now, how about that cupcake?"

  ****

  TYLER

  Tyler had been hanging around Kris and Kat's house for too long. Even I will admit that I’ve been pouting. He was Tyler Kidd, he didn't pout. This morning he’d made up his mind, no more. He decided a talk with Patrick was in order. After all, the first preseason game was only about a week away. They needed to get this out in the open.

  He had planned to bench Patrick the first few games to keep him out of his sight. He preferred him up in the press box versus on the ice with him. But that was unprofessional. Maybe he would move him to the third line. He wouldn't have to work with him on the ice then.

  He was determined to do whatever was best for the team. His team.

  He paced his living room, deciding on what he’d say to Patrick. Tyler flopped down on the couch, I should've called her. Sure, he was still pissed but he loved her. He couldn’t help it. She tore his heart out and he still loved her. If it made him look weak, so be it, he couldn’t change how he felt.

  Visions of that fateful morning filled his mind; Gia telling him she’d been with Patrick for a second time. His heart hurt all over again. He’d never felt an ache like this or such an emptiness in his heart.

  How would he move on without her? Now his stomach hurt. He wasn't prepared to make this decision. Ignoring the situation, moping around the house and hiding at Kris’s just seemed easier

  He dropped his head into his hands. Was
this his fault? Did he not give Gia what she needed? He’d been prepared to start putting her before hockey, but his valiant effort seemed to be too late.

  He needed to confront Patrick, man to man, and see what he had to say for himself.

  He had no intention of starting a fight. The thought of going into the season with such disgust for him left him sick. How can he be a good captain if he has such distain for one of his players?

  CHAPTER 14

  PATRICK

  There was a knock at the door. "Who in the world could that be?" Patrick said as he walked down the hall to the door. Looking out the front window, he saw Tyler. Oh, shit.

  Not the person he wanted to see but probably a good thing he was here. His timing couldn’t have been more perfect. "Tyler." He turned in silence, leaving the door open.

  Tyler pushed through the door into the house. “Patrick, we need to talk …” He stopped mid-sentence as his gaze landed on Gia's pink sweatshirt on the couch.

  Gia casually strolled in from the kitchen. "Hey, who's at the door?" she asked, as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. Stopping dead in her tracks, she mumbled an almost inaudible, "Shit."

  "What the hell?" Tyler exploded. "Gia?" His eyes narrowed as his glare fell on her.

  "Tyler, I can explain–" Gia began. Obviously, he hadn’t expected to see her here.

  Patrick looked at Gia, her eyes were wide and frightened. He turned back to Tyler. "Ty, before you say anything, there’s something you need to know––" Pain blindsided him as Tyler's fist slammed into Patrick's jaw. The force knocked him off balance. He stumbled slightly before he righted himself then reached up to feel his lip. There was blood on his hand.

  Tyler yelled at Patrick, "What the hell, Patrick? What is your fucking problem? You goddamn, cocky bastard. I'm so tired of you just taking what you want, whenever you damn well feel like it! You make me sick. I should have your ass traded! I came over here to talk to you, man to man, and figure this all out. But I never expected to find you and Gia playing house. You're un-fucking-believable."

  A thud interrupted Tyler's rant. Patrick forgot all about Tyler and turned to see Gia lying on the floor in the hallway.

  "Gia!" Patrick hurried over and shook her, trying to wake her. Was it something to do with the pregnancy? His mind raced. "Call 9-1-1!" he shouted to Tyler who stood there silent. "Call 9-1-1!” he yelled again. When Tyler still didn't move, he grabbed his phone and let out a frustrated, "Forget it."

  Gia stirred as a soft groan escaped her lips. "Gia, are you okay?" He held her and waited for her to focus on him while he ran his thumb over her soft cheek. "Baby, you okay?" he asked. Baby, please wake up.

  Gia groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. "So dizzy," she whispered. She attempted to stand up but her legs buckled under her and she fell like a rag doll back to the floor. "Patrick."

  "That's it. You're going to the hospital." Patrick picked Gia up off the floor and cradled her in his arms. Considering what she just told him, he wasn't taking any chances with her.

  "What are you doing?" Tyler shouted.

  "I am taking her to the ER to get checked out. If you want to meet us there, fine, let's go. Otherwise, I’ll take care of her. Your choice," Patrick snapped. His lip was swelling and it hurt like a bitch. He could still feel it bleeding. Patrick carried Gia to his Hummer, "Well?" he asked. "You going or what? You’re parked behind me," Patrick said, shaking his head. He had no patience for Tyler right now. Had he not flipped out like a crazy person, they could be having a civil conversation right now about the baby. Instead, they were on their way to the hospital.

  "Of course I'm coming. I’ll meet you there,” Tyler said, climbing into his sports car. He backed up so Patrick could get his Hummer out.

  Once they reached the ER, Patrick helped Gia inside. She was conscious, but still unsteady. Her eyes fluttered closed each time she tried to open them. "Patrick," she whispered.

  "I'm here, don't worry, we'll get you checked out okay?" Patrick reassured her. Looking up he saw Tyler hurrying into the ER. "Tyler, can you sit with her while I get her checked in?" he asked as he sat Gia down in the closest chair.

  Tyler nodded.

  Tyler sat down. Out of the corner of his eye, Patrick could see Tyler quietly talking to Gia.

  Patrick stood at the nurse's desk and filled out the necessary paperwork. His hands trembled as he filled out the information he knew.

  The nurse behind the counter looked at him and his swollen lip. "Do you plan on getting your lip checked out, sir?"

  "I dunno, why?" he asked, looking up from the papers. He knew he had deserved that but it did really hurt. He touched his hand to it and looked at the blood on his hand. It was still bleeding. That can't be good. "Dammit," he muttered. I might need stitches. That son of a bitch, I don't have time for this. He looked over at Gia, she didn't look much better.

  "Sir, I strongly suggest you get it looked at," the nurse responded.

  "It's not important. Gia needs looked at. Do you have a Post-it note? I need the doctor to know something important." The doctor needed to know all of the information. But he had to do it without blurting it out in front of Tyler. "Please?"

  The nurse looked at him odd but handed him a yellow Post-it note. Patrick wrote on it: She is pregnant, no one but me knows. He stuck it to the paperwork and handed the nurse the clipboard, then turned to walk back to Gia. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed his cousin's number. Gia was awake and looking at him with her big, dark eyes. He could have sworn he saw fear behind those brown eyes.

  "Kris, is Kat there?"

  "Yeah, she is. How are things? Haven't heard from you in a while."

  "Yeah, we can catch up later cuz. I have Gia in the ER, she …" he tried to get the info out before him or Kat freaked out, but Kris interrupted him.

  "What? What happened?" Kris exclaimed.

  Patrick could hear Kat firing off questions in the background. "What's wrong with G? Is she okay?"

  What the hell? Did she have supersonic hearing? He needed to appease Kat's fears without saying too much. "I don't know. She passed out and she didn't look right to me, so I wanted to get her checked out. I don't know yet if it is necessary for you to come down or not. They haven't taken her back." He dabbed at his painful lip with his hand.

  "We’ll be right there!" Kat called into the phone. She must have grabbed the phone from Kris. Patrick hadn’t realized he’d been talking to her.

  "Sorry, bro, she grabbed the phone," Kris apologized. "Guess we’ll be down."

  "Alright, see you soon." Patrick put away his cell. "Well, your sister is on her way."

  "You’re making too much of a fuss over me. There isn't anything wrong," Gia complained and tried to stand up.

  "Well, I want to hear that from a doctor. Considering. So sit down and relax."

  Gia shot him a pointed look.

  Did she think he was going to blurt it out? C'mon, he had more sense than that.

  Tyler got up and started to pace while they waited.

  A white-haired nurse appeared out of the long hall, "Gia Torella?"

  Patrick helped Gia stand and supported her as she made her way to the nurse. Patrick could feel Tyler following close behind. He had been so focused on Gia, he had almost forgotten about him.

  The nurse grabbed a wheelchair from the hallway for Gia and wheeled her to a room with a single hospital bed. "The doctor will be in shortly," she said as Gia settled onto the bed. "We’ll need to take some blood, though." Another woman in scrubs entered the room with a cart and test tubes.

  Gia took a breath as the phlebotomist tied a rubber tourniquet above her elbow and tapped her arm. Immediately she found a good vein, prepared the syringe and started to draw Gia's blood. "You have good veins. That always makes it easier." When she was done, she smiled kindly at Gia and patted her gently on her wrist. "The doctor will be in shortly, hon. Try to relax." With that, they both left.

  Patrick pulled a chair over and sat beside Gia. "So
I guess Ty won't be joining us. He never came in from the hallway."

  "You told them, didn't you?" Gia snapped.

  "I included it with your paperwork. What? They need to know. I also noted that no one else knows." He smiled, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry, okay? It's your secret to tell."

  Gia let out a little breath. "I guess that could be what the blood tests are about."

  "Just relax, it’ll be okay," Patrick said as he patted her thigh. He wasn't sure if he was convincing her or himself. He was worried, not knowing what was wrong with her or if the baby she carried was okay. For the first time, he realized he was concerned about the baby.

  A quick knock at the door, and the doctor walked in. He held the paperwork Patrick had filled out. Patrick noticed the note was tucked in the papers. The doctor looked at Patrick as he stood up from his chair.

  "Hi, I am Doctor Simon." He held out his hand to Patrick. "Are you the one that brought Ms. Torella in today?"

  "Yes, well, I mean we brought her in." He looked around for Tyler and pointed out the door. Where in the hell was he?

  "You are going to get that lip looked at, aren't you?" Dr. Simon said to Patrick. "It looks like it needs a stitch or two."

  "Okay, sure I will. But after Gia is checked out," Patrick said reluctantly. "I don't want to leave her alone."

  The booming sound of Kat's voice broke the silence of the stale hospital air. "Tyler. Hi. Is she in here? Thanks!" Kat rushed into Gia's room with Kris following behind her. "G! What happened? Patrick? Oh my god, what happened to your face?" Kat ran to the bed, wrapped her sister up in her arms and looked over at Patrick for answers. Her gaze landed on the doctor and she quickly backed away. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you, doctor. I didn't mean to interrupt."

  "No worries," he said, waving his hand in the air. "I just need to take a look at her and then wait for her blood work to come back." The doctor checked her eyes, pulse and listened to her heart. He took her blood pressure, which was a little low. He excused himself, but not before looking at Patrick. "Now that she has company, you can come with me. I can get you fixed up and back in no time."