Unsportsmanlike Conduct

by Melody Heck Gatto

  "You should go get that looked at," Gia said.

  "We’re here with her, go on. I saw Tyler in the hall." Tilting her head she shot Patrick a confused look. "What happened anyway?" Kat asked.

  Patrick waved his hand. "Fine, I’ll go. Be right back," he said, glancing at Gia as he walked out of the room with the doctor.

  Dr. Simon took Patrick to an empty cubical, closed the curtain and put on a fresh pair of gloves. He cleaned the wound and brushed a small amount of liquid on his cut.

  "It is called liquid stitches. Ever have this before?" the doctor asked him.

  "No, surprising enough." He hadn't needed stitches in a long time during a game. He’d been pretty lucky. "Anything I need to know about them?"

  "I didn't use much, so you might not feel it. Just watch getting it wet, that's all. It dissolves pretty quickly. Did you want to tell me how your face got busted up?" the doctor asked. "I know it isn't hockey season yet." He grinned at Patrick.

  "A misunderstanding, that's all." Patrick stood up. "I need to get back to Gia." He could care less about his lip; he’d had worse injuries.

  "Okay, stop at the desk outside first and give the nurse this paper." The doctor handed him a yellow paper. "And your insurance information. Then I’ll see you back in her room."

  CHAPTER 15

  GIA

  "Gia, what the hell happened?" Kat exclaimed, flailing her arms around. Then she quickly grabbed onto Gia's hand to comfort her. "Why are you here and what happened to Pat's lip?"

  "Where is Ian?" Gia asked, looking to Kris for anything resembling a calm and rational response.

  "Ian is with your parents," Kris answered. "He's fine."

  Oh no, so our parents know. Great. Gia groaned.

  "So? What happened?" Kris asked as Patrick walked back in the room. "And what happened to Pat?"

  Kat didn't give anyone time to answer. "Will someone please tell us what the hell is going on, and why is Tyler standing in the hallway?"

  "I passed out," Gia said. "That's all. I'm fine. I just–"

  "She passed out,” Patrick interrupted. “Honestly, I don't think she has been eating. I invited her over for a home cooked meal tonight. We ate, Tyler showed up to talk to me, didn't know Gia was there and--" He reached up to touch his swollen lip, the pain was starting to set in.

  "–And once he saw me, he hauled off and belted Patrick right in the mouth."

  Patrick nodded. "Yeah, I never saw it coming. Then I heard Gia fall. I didn't like how gray she appeared or how dizzy she continued to be, and since I knew …" Gia shot him a look. "I mean, I was nervous about her fainting, so I wanted to get her checked out. Just to make sure everything was okay."

  Kat eyed him suspiciously. "And why won't Tyler come in from the hall?"

  Gia and Patrick shook their heads and shrugged almost simultaneously.

  Kat looked back and forth from Gia to Patrick, who kept his eyes on the floor. "What’s going on here besides the drama we already know about?"

  Gia sighed heavily and then waved for Kat to come closer. Her stomach flopped at the thought of telling her. Why did Patrick have to call them? She wasn’t ready to do this. The shock of the news would be bad enough, but her sister would be so disappointed in her baby-daddy drama. Gia took a deep breath before she whispered in Kat's ear. "I'm pregnant. But shhh,” she quickly added.

  Kat’s eyes grew wide as a forced smile slid across her face. “Oh, wow. Gia, that’s really exciting news.”

  “Oh, Kat.” Gia’s lip wobbled. “This was not how any of this was supposed to go.”

  “Gia, honey, it will be okay. Things have a way of working out.”

  I need to tell Kat the whole story. But how will she react? Oh god, I really messed up. Her eyes burned and a tear threatened to escape. “Kat, I messed up.”

  “Oh G, it’ll be fine. It’s not that bad, really.” Kat pulled her close.

  “Kat, there’s more.” She held her breath for a minute before she whispered again, barely audible, “I don’t know which one is the father.”

  “Oh, G.” Kat’s face dropped, but quickly turned back into a smile. “G, it will be okay. Do they know?”

  “Pat does.”

  Before she could say anymore, the hospital room door swung open and Dr. Simon returned. "Okay, Gia, you are definitely dehydrated. Have you been eating and getting plenty of fluids?"

  Gia shook her head.

  Kat walked over to Patrick, patted him on the shoulder and smiled. She looked at her husband. "Kris, we should go check on Tyler. Tell him the doctor is back." Kris got up and went with Kat.

  "You can't deprive yourself of vitamins and nutrients, Gia. Especially since you're pregnant," he said quietly. "You need to make sure you stay hydrated and eat properly." He paused as he heard voices outside the room.

  The door to the room opened. Kat walked in first, then Kris and finally Tyler.

  The doctor waited for them all to come in and shut the door. "Okay, Gia will be fine provided she takes better care of herself. Luckily, she isn't bad enough to need treatment. No I.V. necessary, but she does need to go home and rest."

  "I will make sure of that, she will come home with me." Kat quickly answered. Gia shook her head and rolled her eyes, but before she could speak Kat added, "No arguments."

  "Okay then," Dr. Simon said, clapping his hands together. "Someone will be in with your release papers and some follow-up instructions. Gia, take care."

  Gia looked at the door, making sure it shut. She sat up in the bed, slid her flip-flops on, and then stared at her pink toenails for a few moments. Having Patrick and Tyler in the hospital room was very unnerving and it was easier to focus on her toes than to have this conversation. But she needed to tell Tyler. She took a breath and looked up to see both men watching her. Patrick sat on the chair at the foot of the bed, and Tyler stood motionless by the doorframe. He looked as though he was ready to run at a moment’s notice. Patrick had never left her side even with all her craziness.

  Patrick looked at her, his dark eyes filled with concern. Her body warmed as he watched her. Having him here gave her a sense of calm and made her feel like things were really going to be all right. Looking at Tyler, she just felt lonely.

  "Ty, we need to talk. It concerns me, you and Patrick." Her heart pounded against her chest and her insides did somersaults. What would he say? He already hated her.

  Tyler hung his head and shuffled his feet. He winced, looking down at his now swollen hand and shook it.

  "I know you hate me, but you need to know something." She took in a deep breath, and quickly said, "I'm pregnant." His expression didn't change. He stood stone-faced with one foot out the door.

  An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

  "Pregnant?" Tyler quickly looked up at her. His gaze moved to Patrick, who didn't look shocked by the news.

  "Yes."

  "Does this mean?” He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head.

  "Yeah," she answered simply. Seriously, she felt like scum. How could I not only sleep with two different men, but without protection? Yep, I am scum.

  "Shit, this is a lot to take in. Pregnant?” He looked at Patrick and shook his head. “Hell. What do you want me to say? That I’m thrilled that I might be a daddy? Or better yet, maybe I could be Uncle Ty if it’s my teammate’s baby? Oh yeah, fucking great, G. When you mess up, you really go big.”

  “Tyler, please. Not here. This is exactly the kind of stress that put Gia in that hospital bed to begin with.”

  “For once, you’re right. Gia, I’m going to go before I put my fist through the wall. I just … I don’t even fucking know.” Shaking his head, he threw open the door, slamming it against the wall, and walked out.

  "Ty, where are you going? Let's talk about this!" Patrick yelled to him.

  Seriously? He's just going to leave? Gia looked down at the floor as she tried to stand up. A tear rolled down her cheek.

  Patrick jumped up and pulled her into his arms, cr
adling her head against his chest. She closed her eyes as warm tears leaked onto his shirt.

  Patrick held her tight. She looked up at him with wet cheeks. He reached up, and wiped them with his thumb. He kissed her lips lightly. His lips were so warm and soft, and his arms were the only place she wanted to be. All this time she had missed what was right in front of her. He wasn’t just that cocky bastard she met at the pool party. He was caring and loving, her safe haven.

  ****

  TYLER

  Tyler started his car. His head was spinning. Gia pregnant? Gasping for air, he couldn't breathe. His life was crumbling around him. Was he ready to be a dad? He was still struggling with how to forgive Gia so they could possibly co-exist, and now this? He passed a minivan. I am not ready for that. He liked his little Aston Martin sports car.

  He was too young for this shit. He glanced in his rear view mirror; there was no way a car seat would fit in the backseat. His hockey stick didn't even fit in there. He was only twenty-one years old. Sure, I like kids but my own? He shook his head. His heart pounded and his head continued to spin.

  How did I get in this predicament? Baby daddy drama. Really? “Patrick might be used to this. I'm sure he left a string of woman in L.A. claiming he's the daddy," Tyler mumbled.

  Patrick really wasn't that bad. They used to be friends. If Gia hadn’t–or if he’d just stayed home more … No matter how many “what ifs” or “should haves” he thought of, the situation remained the same. Gia was pregnant. What if it was his baby?

  He pulled into his driveway. He needed to figure all this out and get his head on straight before pre-season began. She had looked so comfortable with Patrick at the hospital. When did she get so coz–

  Shit, I just walked out on Gia again. I can't believe I did that.

  "She’s really with Patrick now."

  ****

  GIA

  Patrick took Gia's hand in his as they walked out of the hospital room. Kat and Kris waited by the front desk. She looked around for Tyler, but he was nowhere in sight. Where did he go? Did he really leave? Again?

  "You feel okay?" Patrick asked, drawing her attention back to him.

  "Yeah. I mean, I guess." Am I supposed to feel different? She was just tired. Having him beside her helped, especially with his strong hand holding hers. She snuggled against his shoulder.

  "Ready, Gia?" Kat asked.

  "Yeah, but Patrick is going to drive me, okay?" Gia answered. "I have a duffle bag of clothes in his car anyway."

  Kat looked at her sideways.

  "I had planned on having Patrick drop me off at your house tonight. This whole pregnancy thing has me rattled, and I didn't want to be alone.” Actually, had things gone differently, she probably would’ve been in Patrick's bed right now, spending the night with him.

  "Okay, meet you at our house. We have to go pick up Ian at Mom and Dad's anyways. Do you need me to stop and get you anything?" Kat asked as they walked out to the parking lot.

  "No, I'm fine. See you at your house," Gia called as she stepped up into Patrick's Hummer. As soon as Patrick got in and shut the door, she let out a deep sigh.

  "Hey, I know what you might like," Patrick said, smiling.

  “What’s that?”

  "How about we stop and grab a cookie?"

  Gia just shrugged.

  After stopping off at Snickerdoodles Bakery to get a few treats, Patrick pulled into Kris's driveway. Gia could see that Kat and Kris weren’t home yet. As happy as she was to spend a few days with Ian, she would have preferred to be back at Patrick's house.

  Patrick got out and opened Gia's door, helping her to the ground. She had the bakery bag and Patrick grabbed her overnight bag. Getting out her keys, she let them into the dark house. Gia turned the foyer light on, walked into the living room and turned on a few lights as she went. Her mouth dry, she needed an ice water or something.

  ****

  PATRICK

  Their cookies finished, Patrick reached over and gently pulled Gia close to him. He cradled the back of her head as she looked up into his eyes. He winced as his lips brushed against hers and his fresh wound stung. Pulling back, he searched her eyes. For the first time in days the sadness was gone. Why did Kat have to dictate where she stayed? He was more than happy to have her at his house. He didn’t want to leave her side.

  “Did that hurt?” She ran her thumb delicately along his lip. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about me, Gia. Tonight we’re all here to take care of you.” He laid his forehead against hers. “As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”

  He pulled back, hearing Kris's Jeep pull into the driveway. Kissing her nose, picked up the plate and took it into the kitchen. He heard the front door open and his cousin’s voice filled the hallway. It warmed his heart to hear Ian cooing at the sight of his Aunt Gia.

  Kat came into the kitchen, picking up the bag with her cookie in it. "For me?" she asked.

  Patrick answered, "Of course. And cuz, I was going to get you a carrot, but the bakery was all out of fresh veggies."

  Kris laughed sarcastically and flipped him off, muttering "ass" before laughing.

  Patrick smiled at Ian who was in Gia's arms. In a goofy voice, he said, "Ooooh, your Papa called Uncle Pat a bad word!" Ian cooed and grabbed at Patrick's nose. Gia looked good holding a baby.

  "I never pegged you for a baby-kinda-guy." Gia eyed him.

  "Okay, it's getting late," he said after Kat gave him an irritated look. He couldn't blame her; she was just worried about her sister. They all walked towards the front door.

  Kat hugged Patrick and whispered, "Thanks for being there for her."

  Kris, now holding Ian, gave Patrick a fist bump and a pat on the shoulder.

  Patrick leaned down and kissed Gia softly so as not to hurt his swollen lip. He pulled away and quietly said, "I'll be back tomorrow, sweet thing." He looked over at Kat and Kris and waved. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

  CHAPTER 16

  GIA

  "Well ladies, it’s been a long day. I'll take our little guy to bed. Kat, meet you upstairs, baby," Kris said. "Goodnight, Gia."

  "C'mon sis," Kat said as she took her arm and led her into the kitchen. The air conditioning was on, and it made the stone floor cool under Gia's bare feet. "Let's talk," Kat said as they sat down at the breakfast nook in the kitchen.

  "Thanks for letting me stay with you," Gia said softly.

  "Of course. I'm always here for you, no matter what." She smiled at Gia. Kat took her cookie out of the bag and started to break each petal off. She handed two to Gia. "They really make the best cookies ever," Kat said.

  Gia nodded in agreement. "So what are we talking about?"

  "You. How did this happen?" she asked.

  "Kat, I thought Mom went over this with you. After all, you did have Ian," Gia snarked. She could sure use a beer right now. Guess that was out.

  "Ha ha, very funny. You know what I mean." Kat frowned.

  "Yeah, I know. Well, after Ian's baptism lunch, I had way too much to drink and–"

  "Well, duh. I could've told you that."

  "Do you want to hear this or not?" Kat nodded so Gia continued. "I ran into Patrick in the hotel. He’d left his phone in the ballroom by mistake. After a less than graceful attempt to walk to my room, he helped me, and one thing led to another. I tried to resist but just couldn't." Gia recalled the events that led up to this.

  "Yeah, I get that. He seems to have that effect on most women, plus he's so damn cocky."

  "So anyway, I gave in. I liked it, every single second. Kat, the sex was goddamn amazing." She stopped and took a breath. "Then, once Tyler finally came home things happened. I wanted to tell him, but he was so loving and attentive. Totally uncharacteristic. It was nice and I got swept up in the moment. By morning I didn't want to lie to him and wanted to be with him, not Patrick. You know the rest."

  "You seem to spend a lot of time with Pat now," Kat asked.

  "Well, I hav
e been leaning on him a lot because he’s there for me. I feel so safe with him. Even tonight, I saw nothing but support and comfort in his eyes, where I only saw fear in Tyler's. He's young, and I get that," Gia confessed.

  "So, what happened after Ty walked out?"

  "I was a mess. I cried all day long and wanted to come here and vent to you, but Tyler was already here. Where was I supposed to go? I hopped in the car and somehow ended up at Patrick's house. Next thing I know, we ended up in bed."

  Kat shot her a less than thrilled look.

  "Look, I’m not proud, but it’s what happened. At first I thought Ty and I were just on a break. He doesn’t want me anymore and that’s understandable, but he doesn't want anyone else to have me either."

  "So you kept falling into Pat's bed?" Kat asked. "Only once qualifies as an accident, G."

  "That's not the point and I can’t change the past. I slept with them both. So … I have no idea whose baby it is."

  "Okay, Gia. I don't doubt that you are attracted to Pat. He’s a great guy just like his cousin. But, what are you going to do? Do you think Tyler will come around? What if he does?"

  "I really don't think he will. If I didn’t get it before, the look in his eyes tonight told me for sure we were over. Besides the fact that I ended up in the ER after he showed up at Patrick's house and caused a scene. I think the stress finally got to me. I don't remember much after that until I was in the hospital," Gia said.

  A small grin formed on Kat’s lips. "So what’s really going on, G?"

  "I think I've fallen for Patrick," Gia said quietly.

  ****

  Gia woke to Ian's cries. Looking around, she remembered she was in the spare bedroom at Kat's house. What time is it? The clock read almost ten thirty. "Shit, it's late," she muttered. Kat must be in the living room with the baby and the sound was coming right up the stairs.