Bears of Burden: WYATT

by Candace Ayers

"Aiden Cooper?" Troy said, confused. He looked over at me and understanding lit his eyes. "Oh, hell no," he said. "You've been fucking this asshole?"

  Aiden heard him and only slowed his approach because he didn't yet understand the situation. Tears were filling my eyes again. More than anything I wanted Aiden here with me. I didn't to send him away, but I didn't know what else to do.

  "Aiden, what are you doing here? I told you not tonight."

  He looked from me to Troy. "Who's this guy?" Aiden asked.

  "My boss," I said, my cheeks going red. Despite what some people thought, Aiden wasn't stupid.

  "Why are you crying?"

  "I'm not," but I couldn't meet Aiden's eyes.

  "You heard her," Troy said. "She doesn't want you here." He yanked my arm, pulling me towards him.

  "Ow," I said. "That hurts." I tried to pull my arm away and Troy slapped me once across the face. That was all it took. Aiden made a tight fist that sent Troy sprawling backwards. He fell to the ground, hitting his head. When he sat up his nose was bleeding and his eyes were black. He lunged at Aiden.

  Aiden fought back, hitting Troy again. I scrambled backwards, shouting for them to stop. A few neighbors came out. One of them recognized Aiden and pulled out his phone. Then a couple others joined him and began recording the fight.

  "Troy stop!" I screamed. He got one good punch in at Aiden, but Troy was just no match. Aiden used a wrestling move he knew and flipped Troy onto his back. He punched Troy again until finally Troy stopped fighting.

  When Aiden stood back up, I took his hand, pulling him away. There were more neighbors and more phones out now.

  "You'll pay for this," Troy shouted. "Both of you."

  Aiden made one final attempt to lunge for him but I held him back and ushered him into my apartment. Tears streamed down my face.

  "That asshat is your boss?" Aiden asked, bewildered. His nose was bleeding. "Skyler, please, talk to me. Tell me what's going on."

  "I'm pregnant," I told him, unable to take it anymore. His face paled for a second before righting itself again. "It's not yours," I added quickly. "It's Troy's. We slept together. Once. Four months ago. It was a mistake, but, well.. he's been hounding me ever since. He wants me to have an abortion, but I can’t. I just can’t. He..." I began to choke on my sobs as they poured out of me. "He says if I don’t he'll blackball me from the industry. Ruin my career before it even has a chance to get anywhere. And I believe him."

  I slumped against the wall and covered my face with my hands. My body shook. I was certain that Aiden was about to walk out my front door and never look back. Instead, his strong arms enveloped me and pulled me in close against his firm body. He held me tightly and kissed the top of my head as his hand rubbed up and down my back.

  "I don't know what to do either," he said. "But what I do know is that that guy is never coming near you again." I laid my head against his chest and he held me like that for the rest of the night.

  Chapter 11

  The next night, I stood with the other reporters, watching the Knights get trampled by their opponents. Aiden sat on the sidelines. He'd been out the entire game. The videos of him beating up Troy were all over YouTube. His picture was plastered all over the internet. Troy had already announced his intention to sue Aiden and the team, unless Aiden was immediately released from his contract. Troy was trying to get Aiden kicked out of the NHL forever.

  And just to rub it all in, Troy was actually at the game. He was sitting far from me in expensive box seats with the other station owners. Billy kept glancing at me. My face had been hidden in the videos. No one had bother to focus their cameras on me, it had been Aiden they were interested in. Still, it had taken a lot of makeup to cover the black eye Troy had given me when he'd slapped me. It looked a little weird.

  "Your face..." Billy said.

  "What about it?" I snapped.

  "Never mind," Billy said quickly.

  The game ended and the Knights slunk off the court, defeated once more. Reporters fled to the locker room, eager to get a word in with Aiden.

  "Aiden, Aiden!" one reporter shouted. "How do you feel about your meeting with the Knights owner tomorrow? Think he's going to kick you off the team?"

  "Yes," Aiden answered honestly.

  "Why were you fighting with Troy Mannen?" another reporter shouted. "Was it over money?"

  "Was it over a girl?"

  "Are you on drugs?"

  The questions kept flying in. They weren't even giving Aiden a chance to answer.

  My heart broke into a thousand pieces. This was all my fault. I had to do something to make it right.

  "It's not his fault," I said, quietly at first. Then louder, "It's not his fault! IT'S NOT HIS FAULT!"

  Everyone stopped and stared at me. Billy moved to turn the camera off but I told him to keep it rolling. "Aiden Cooper is a good man," I said, facing the camera straight on. "He was fighting Troy Mannen because..." I took a deep breath. "He was defending me." Tears flowed freely over my face now. The makeup I had so painstakingly applied began to wash away.

  "Not long ago, Troy Mannen, who is my boss at KGLB... we slept together. It was a one-time thing, but I’m pregnant." I was self-conscious of all the cameras in the room, now trained on me, but forced myself to continue.

  "Troy... yesterday he tried to blackmail me into having an abortion, but I refused. He told me if I didn't terminate the pregnancy, that he would not only fire me, but see to it that I never worked in this industry again. Then he hit me." I rubbed at the makeup I'd been hiding my black eye with. Mixed with my tears, the makeup rubbed away easily. There were gasps all over the locker room. Even Aiden's coach looked stunned.

  "Aiden came along as Troy was trying to hurt me. That's the part no one saw on the videos. The part where Aiden was only coming to my defense. He won’t lose his job because I’m sure that the owner of the Knights has no intention of firing a good and honorable man like Aiden Cooper. Not when Aiden Cooper exemplifies all that the Knights and the NHL stand for- honor, bravery and courage."

  I suddenly felt lightheaded. My legs started to crumple and I felt myself rushing towards the floor. Aiden's strong hands reached out to steady. He pulled me up and held me to him, wrapped in his arms. "I love you," he whispered.

  "Did you hear that?" someone shouted, excited, as cameras went off. Then Aiden, attention seeker that he is, kissed me.

  "Hey!" someone shouted. "Troy Mannen's in the stadium. Let's find him!"

  Reporters, eager to jump on the bandwagon, fled the room. Aiden stayed right where he was, with his arms wrapped around me and his heart beating in time with mine.

  Chapter 12

  Billy sat next to me as we watched Aiden score another goal. The crowd cheered as the announcer's voice blared across the stadium. "That's four in a row for Knights center Aiden Cooper." There was another roar as the announcer said his name.

  "Is he really as great a guy as the papers make him out to sound?" Billy asked. Then he looked over at me, smiling ear to ear. My baby bump was showing now, but Aiden said it just made me look that much more beautiful. "Look who I'm asking," Billy said. "Of course you're gonna think he's great. You're his girlfriend." He laughed to himself and shook his head.

  It was weird being thought of as Aiden Cooper's girlfriend, but It was definitely official now. After the whole Troy ordeal, we discussed our future together. A future we both wanted.

  "It's kind of crazy to think how much he's changed," Billy said.

  "Not really," I replied. "Everyone is multifaceted, it’s just a matter of which facet you choose to let shine." I glanced at Aiden who winked at me. Billy nodded with understanding. Troy would never change facets. He hadn't just been fired, he'd disappeared off the face of the Earth as far as I knew. Right after the station told him to get out, he'd tried to get a job elsewhere, but no one wanted to hire a man with his reputation for beating on and bullying women. Before he'd left Los Angeles, he'd said he never wanted to see me again, and that
he was going somewhere where they'd never heard of hockey. That had been three months ago and true to his word, I hadn't heard from him again.

  The Knights won their game easily and the rest of the players jumped on Aiden, congratulating him. Reporters started to head to the locker room to ask their questions but before they could file out, Aiden grabbed a microphone and started talking. Everyone stopped moving.

  "Thanks, folks, for coming to the game tonight," Aiden said, smiling. "Three months ago it looked like I might not be playing hockey anymore, and tonight, we're on the verge of hitting the playoffs." The crowd cheered.

  "A lot of people think it's me that's to thank for the turnaround this team has taken, but that's not true. Everyone on this team has worked equally as hard at creating the awesome outcome we’ve been experiencing, including our fabulous coach." The crowd cheered and a few of the players patted Coach on the back. "But there's only one person, who has made a difference in turning my life around. Her name’s Skyler Larkin. Skyler, where are you? Come out here, please."

  My cheeks turned red. Aiden held out his hand for me and Billy gave me a push. I stepped onto the ice and started to slide. Aiden scrambled over and helped to the middle of the rink.

  "What’s going on?" I whispered. He just smiled at me.

  "Skylar Larkin," he said, kneeling on the ice. My jaw dropped. He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and the crowd in the stadium grew completely silent. You could have heard a whisper from the other side of the stadium.

  "I never would have believed I could meet a woman as kind as you, as beautiful, as funny, or as strong. You've changed my life immeasurably and I never want to be without you. I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I love you more than hockey. Will you marry me?"

  For a half a second, I forgot to breathe. "Yes, of course!" I screamed. Throwing my arms around him. The crowd cheered. Aiden kissed me and spun me around. "I love you too," I told him as he slid the ring on my finger. It glowed bright in the stadium lights.

  "The only thing left to do," Aiden said, "is figure out how this adoption stuff works. Our baby is gonna grow up with a father. And if it's a girl, she's gonna be the first girl to ever play pro hockey in this rink."

  I smiled as the baby kicked, adding its seal of approval.

  THE END

  HOLDING

  STORY DESCRIPTION

  Mia made one mistake – one.

  She secretly dated her best friend, Rachel’s brother, whom she’d had a crush on since third grade. But, that one mistake changed Mia’s life forever.

  Logan doesn’t regret the love he gave to Mia, if it were up to him, they’d be married by now. It clearly wasn’t up to him, when Mia dumped him three years ago in an email. Logan went on to pursue his dreams of playing pro football, and has made a huge success of his talent. He never saw Mia again….

  Now, his sister Rachel has called everyone back home to Oakville for her lavish, over-the-top wedding.

  The upcoming nuptials leave Logan with questions- Will Mia be there? Has she moved on? Can he rekindle their spark? Can he convince Mia that she’s the only woman he’s ever truly cared for?

  Mia is not looking forward to the wedding. She is a terrible liar and she has secrets that she’d rather keep buried. One in particular- her three-year-old daughter, Emma.

  How will Mia explain why she forfeited her Harvard Law scholarship in favor of working at SmartMart?

  Chapter 1

  Mia stood at register, waiting for the next person in line to hurry up and make their decision. Candy or no candy? Gum or no gum? A rather large, gray haired woman made a face at Mia as she eyed the chocolates, as if Mia was somehow personally responsible for tempting her. The man behind her grumbled and shuffled his feet.

  "Come on lady," he yelled. "It's not rocket science."

  The woman glared back at him then turned her wrath on Mia. "I don't like the way you're looking at me," she said. "Where's your manager?"

  Great. The only thing Mia needed less than a root canal was to drag Mr. Rayner over to her register. Why couldn't anyone who shopped at Smart Mart actually be reflective of the store's name. "Ma'am," Mia started her attempt to placate the woman.

  "Ma'am? Did you just call me ma'am?"

  Mia sighed, realizing her error. "I'll just get the manager for you."

  She signaled Mr. Rayner, who came over and took the woman aside, apologizing for something Mia never did. At least her third hour on register was over. Lara brought a new drawer to replace Mia's, who gratefully left her post in search of fresh air. Mia tried to sneak past Mr. Rayner for her last break of the night, but he caught her opening the back door to the alley with the bench.

  "Mia, a minute please?"

  Mia paused. She was so close to the fresh air—well, alley fresh air, but at least there were no fluorescent lights—but she turned into Mr. Rayner's office instead. He sat on top of his desk, leaning against the edge. He pushed out a chair for her with his foot and she took it.

  "Mia, why do you insist on making things difficult for yourself? I can help you if you'd just be a little nicer to me." He reached out an arm and tried to grope Mia's shoulder. She jumped out of her chair and took two steps back. This was an old game.

  "I have a boyfriend," she lied.

  "No you don't," he laughed, as if the thought was too ridiculous to entertain. "Come here why don't you?" He opened his arms and Mia considered relenting. She was so tired of working double shifts and standing at register for three hours at a time. But then Mr. Rayner licked his lips and Mia's stomach churned. Things were bad, but they weren't that bad.

  "I'm going on break," she said.

  "Fine," Mr. Rayner said, straightening up. "But that old bat complained about you. I have to make a record of it. That makes three complaints this month Mia. One more and you're facing suspension."

  Mia bit her lip. She only had an hour left. "Can I go now?" He nodded like he was doing her a favor and she scurried away while she still could.

  Mia was almost out the alley door when Jake ran up to her.

  "Hey, Mia." He was out of breath. "Glad I caught you. Listen, there's a hot party on for tonight. Can you cover me?"

  "Doesn't your shift start in like an hour?"

  He lifted his shoulders. "So?"

  Mia wanted to slam his head against the wall. Jake knew she'd never turn down an extra shift. She and Emma needed the money too badly. But she was so tired. She pictured the pink princess dress Emma had gone crazy for at Smart Mart the other day. Who would have thought that fake satin was so expensive?

  "Fine," she said.

  "Thanks," he said, grinning. "That's awesome."

  She watched Jake run off and a pang of jealousy hit her heart. He was only a year younger than her, yet his life was so different. She was twenty-one. She should be going to parties instead of... but that was a horrible thing to think. Emma was the one good thing about her life.

  She stepped outside and sucked in the cool night air. Late August was always a peaceful time for the weather in Wisconsin. Football would be starting soon, and she was sure to see Logan splashed across the screen even more as the weeks went on. She never could get away from him completely. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she looked with shock at the number. It was from Rachel. She hadn't talked to Rachel in three years. Not since Logan was drafted and they both moved to San Francisco.

  Mia, I'm getting married this weekend. I need help. I can't make it in Oakville by myself. Please come. I've missed you.

  Mia turned off her phone and drew in several deep breaths. Why would Rachel be getting married in Oakville? She'd heard people in town talking about the wedding. Her fiancé was some big shot Hollywood actor. Shouldn't they get married there, in L.A.? She went back inside. Her ten minutes were up.

  Work lasted forever. Mia walked through the door of her tiny apartment to find Emma asleep in Tera's arms. It wasn't quite dawn. Mia shook the babysitter gently and paid her double what she'd promised. The money was a
lmost too precious to part with, but it was worth it to keep Tera coming back. She's the only one who would come down to Harvest Road with any regularity. Everyone else deemed the area too poor to set foot in.

  Mia moved Emma back into her bed, kissed her forehead and returned to the living room. Their couch was starting to fall apart and Mia made a mental note to keep an eye out at the Goodwill. Logan's face flashed across the screen when Mia turned the TV on. She knew she should go to bed. She had to be back at work in a few hours, but Logan's face smiled at her and she couldn't turn away. She remembered the last time she'd seen him... the night they'd finally made love. It had only been three years ago, yet it felt like decades. Even now, his face was smooth and tan and he stared at her from the TV screen with wild blue eyes and a smile too charming for his own good. In these moments, she missed him even more than she would have believed possible.

  Chapter 2

  Logan stood for the cameras with his back straight and a smile on his face. His sand colored hair swept back over his head, and the girl on his arm—Crap! What was her name again?—kissed his cheek as the lights kept flashing.

  "Hey Logan! Over here!" shouted a reporter. The blonde on his arm threw her body over his, like she was a blanket, or maybe a snake. She coiled one leg around him and pulling him close with both her arms. His face smacked against hers hard; it felt like he'd just been tackled. She ran her tongue over his lips, and he continued to smile for the cameras as if he was enjoying it all. In truth, he wanted to run away from this woman and the cameras and just go sit in a library or a coffee shop somewhere and be alone.

  He was twenty-six and already tired of the girls and the fame. It was great being the best quarterback in football, but all he really wanted now was to play the game. He didn't care about the other stuff, like the money or the girls or even the trophies. Okay, maybe he still cared a little about the trophies, after all, he wasn't crazy. But the girls were a dime a dozen. He flashed back to college. Just before he'd gotten drafted to San Francisco, he and Mia had shared a magical night together and a promise that she'd ultimately broken. He couldn't stop his heart from fluttering when he pictured her face of cream and her golden hair falling around her shoulders like a string of halos.