My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 321

If you say so,” he replied, but I could sense the reluctance and restrained anxiety in his tone.

“I do. Now go get some dinner, and enjoy your night.”

“Alright. I love you, Nina.”

“I love you too, Enzo. Goodnight.”

We hung up, and I was alone again in the silence of our empty home. I sank onto the couch, clutching my stomach as another wave of nausea hit me. In front of me, my food lay uneaten and cold and not the least bit appetizing. On the TV, the protagonist of the horror movie was paused just as the killer was coming up behind her.

And here I was, feeling as though the killer had already plunged his knife into my belly.

“It’s just a stomach flu,” I reassured myself. “It’ll pass.” Some paragraphs are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Jobnib.com. Visit Jobnib.com to read the complete chapters for free.I was drifting in and out of a feverish sleep, haunted by the surreal landscapes of my dreams, when a sharp pain in my stomach pulled me back to reality. This wasn’t just nausea anymore; this was something more intense, something that sent alarm bells ringing in my head.

Grimacing, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, only to be met with a staggering wave of dizziness. I gripped the bedside table for support, my knuckles turning white from the strain.

“What the hell is happening to me?” I muttered.

My wolf, usually quiet unless provoked, growled low in my mind. “You need to see a doctor, Nina.

This isn’t normal.”

“I know it’s not normal,” I snapped out loud as I stumbled toward the kitchen. “But it’s three in the morning. What doctor is even available right now?”

“Hospitals are open all the time,” she retorted. ”

You need to get checked out.”

I fumbled through the medicine cabinet, my hands shaking as I searched for some over-the-counter relief. When my fingers finally clasped around a bottle of antacid, I nearly cried out in victory. But as I twisted the cap off, my vision blurred, and for a second, I thought I was going to pass out.

“Nina,” my wolf persisted, “don’t be silly. This is serious.”

I looked at the clock. 3:47 AM. “Let me at least wait for the sun to come up,” I said, as though trying to talk myself out of the reality of the situation. “And if I still feel like this, then I’ll go.”

“You’re being stubborn and foolish,” she argued, but I ignored her, recapping the bottle and leaving it on the counter.

The walk back to the living room felt like a marathon. Every step was like fighting a losing battle against my body’s cries for help. I couldn’t go back to bed; the thought of lying flat made my stomach churn even more. Instead, I lay down on the couch, clutching a throw pillow against my abdomen as if that could somehow contain the pain ripping through my stomach.

But the longer I laid there, the more the darkness of the room seemed to close in on me from all sides.

My wolf was silent now, but I could still feel her concern. It was as if she were sitting beside me, ears pricked, eyes alert, watching for any sign of danger.

“Fine,” I finally said aloud. “I’ll go.”

“It’s about time,” she replied.

Gathering every ounce of strength I had left, I managed to sit up. My head was still spinning, but I clenched my teeth and pushed through it. I got dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, grimacing with each movement. My fingers fumbled with the zipper, but I got it up eventually.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I muttered, grabbing my keys from the bowl by the door.

“You’re doing the right thing.”

I stepped outside, the early morning air crisp and cold against my face. It helped clear my head a little and gave me that last push I needed to get into the truck. As I turned the key in the ignition, I felt the vehicle roar to life.

“Alright,” I whispered to myself, gripping the steering wheel as if it were the only thing that could keep me tethered to reality. “Let’s go.”

Nina

The sterile smell of antiseptic solution filled the air. The hospital lights overhead were blinding, casting everything with a whitish glow.

As I lay there on the hospital bed, shivering in that awful, open-back gown with an IV poking out of my arm, I couldn’t shake off the sense of dread that had overcome me since the moment I set foot in this place.

Finally, a young doctor walked in. Her white was coat pristine, and there was a clipboard in her hand.

She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, but her eyes were filled with sincere compassion.

“First and foremost,” she began, her eyes flitting up to me from her clipboard. “Mrs. Rivers, the tests came back positive. You’re pregnant.”

I felt time stop for a beat. “Pregnant?” I blurted out. “But I took pregnancy tests —”

“False negatives are not uncommon,” she interrupted, shooting me an empathetic glance.

There was a heavy pause in the room. Pregnant…

All at once, I felt angry, sad, baffled, and so, so alone without Enzo by my side. I felt as though my body had lied to me, thrown me for a loop, and taken me on this gut-wrenching journey without my consent.

“But,” she continued, “that’s not all. More conclusive tests may be necessary, but I suspect that your pain might be from endometriosis. Have you been diagnosed before, or had any issues with your menstrual cycle?”

I furrowed my brow and shook my head. I knew a lot about endometriosis from my classes, but I never thought I had it. But then again, now that I thought of it…

“I guess I knew in a way,” I said thoughtfully. “My cycle was bad when I was younger, so I’ve been on birth control pretty much since I started getting my period. I never thought much of it.”

The doctor nodded slowly. “The right birth control can be a life saver —more metaphorically than literally —when it comes to endometriosis. But the pregnancy is exacerbating your symptoms. It’s no wonder you’re having intense pain and nausea; those symptoms are common in early pregnancy when one has endometriosis.”

“So what does this mean?” I asked, feeling my palms begin to sweat from the nerves.

“Well,” the doctor said with a sigh, “it could make for a very difficult pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Your chances of miscarrying will be naturally higher, especially right now due to your extreme symptoms. I’d like you to stay the night here so we can keep an eye on you and keep your fluids up.”

Nodding numbly, I watched her walk out, the door clicking softly behind her. And then, I was alone again, trapped in the maze of my thoughts. This was a life-altering curveball, and I had no idea how to even begin processing it.

I wanted to talk to Enzo, to hear his voice, to find solace in his strength, but I also couldn’t bear the idea of sharing news like this over a simple phone call.

I’d had friends who had done it before, and it was like a heavy period, something that I could handle.

Something that I could handle on my own, quietly, without having to change anything.

But was that truly what I wanted?

Nina

The familiar scent of home enveloped me, instilling me with a sense of calm as I walked through the front door. The bag of medications and pamphlets was still clutched tightly in my hand, but I wasn’t quite ready to face reality and read what the doctor had given me. Not yet, at least.

With a sigh, I shuffled to the living room and slumped onto the couch, sinking into its plush pillows. My body felt weak and deflated, like a balloon that was half-empty. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to have Enzo’s arms around me. And for a brief second, I almost grabbed my phone to give him another call.

But I couldn’t. I imagined that he was busy meeting the team and having a good time —or at least, that was what I hoped. And I didn’t want to be the person responsible for ruining that. Besides, thanks to the medicine the doctor gave me, my stomach no longer felt as though it was turning inside out. Maybe, I thought to myself, I could actually bring myself to eat some food after I had some rest.

Just as I was about to succumb to the pull of exhaustion, a knock on the door jolted me from my stupor. A quick glance at the clock told me it was already past noon. Who could it be? With a groan, I pushed myself up from the couch and made my way to the door.

As I opened it, my eyes met Luke’s concerned gaze.

The expression on his face shifted from casual friendliness to worry in an instant.

“Nina… you look like hell. What happened?”

“Thanks, Luke,” I said with a half-laugh as I opened the door a little wider. He stepped inside, but his gaze was too knowing still. It was especially so as his eyes wandered across the mess: uneaten takeout containers, tangled blankets, and pillows on the floor.

“Have a party last night and not invite me?” he asked.

I hesitated, my mouth opening and closing as I wondered how much to reveal. “It… was a long night,” I finally said.

Luke walked past me, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for clues about my current state. “A long night at the hospital, you mean,” he finally said, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the bag of medications on the coffee table.

“You always were too perceptive for your own good,” I muttered, returning to the couch and sinking into its soft cushions.

Luke sat down beside me, the lines of worry in his face deepening. “Talk to me, Nina. What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath, my eyes dropping to my hands that were nervously fidgeting in my lap. It was no use trying to keep the truth from Luke, that much was true. “I’m pregnant, Luke.”

Luke looked stunned, his mouth hanging open for a few seconds before he managed to speak. “Wow, that’s…that’s big, Nina. Have you told Enzo?” The mere mention of Enzo’s name tightened the knot in my stomach. “No. And I’m thinking I might not.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?” I sighed. “I’m considering… maybe having an abortion without telling him. This would be so hard on both of us, Luke. On our relationship.”

Luke looked at me, and for the first time ever, I saw what almost appeared to be a hint of anger in his eyes. “You can’t be serious, Nina. You can’t make that kind of decision all on your own. Enzo would never forgive you for it.”

I blinked, taken aback by the forcefulness of his response. And as his words sank in, a fresh wave of realization washed over me. He was right. I was letting my fear and uncertainty cloud my judgment.

This wasn’t just about me; it was about us — me and Enzo. And he deserved to be a part of whatever decision was made.