My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 353

Sure,” I answered, managing a polite smile.

She sat down beside me, her shoulder brushing mine. “You don’t look so good,” she said. ” Everything okay?”

I sighed, rubbing a gloved hand over my face. “I’m fine.”

“Are you lying?” she prodded gently, her eyes searching mine.

Realizing that there was no backing out of this, I finally shrugged. Some paragraphs are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Jobnib.com. Visit Jobnib.com to read the complete chapters for free.”Alright, you got me. Nina and I had a… disagreement last night. Over something you said at dinner, actually.”

“Oh.” Her face flushed slightly. “What did I say?”

“Nothing, really,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. “It’s just… When you asked how we met, she seemed so hesitant. And it’s made me realize…

Maybe there are things that I didn’t realize about our relationship.”

Mila cocked her head so that her hair fell into her eye. “What do you mean?”

“I think she might be embarrassed by how we met,” I said. “And I can’t help but wonder if she’s a little embarrassed of me, too.”

“Embarrassed?” Mila looked genuinely shocked, but there was something else behind her eyes, something I couldn’t quite read. “Why would she be? You’re like the epitome of the ideal man, Enzo.” I shook my head. “It’s not that simple, Mila. We’re newlyweds, expecting our first child. It’s a lot.”

“Newlyweds? How long have you two been together?”

“Including dating? A little under a year.”

Her eyes widened. “A year? And you’re married?

With a baby on the way?”

Now, it was my turn to be taken aback. “Yeah.

What’s so surprising about that?”

She hesitated, biting her lip as if weighing her words. “Don’t you think it’s a bit… rushed? You barely know each other.”

“I know it might seem that way to you,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I couldn’t exactly tell her about being fated mates, how the bond between Nina and me was destined. “But when you know, you know. You know?”

“Yeah, but knowing doesn’t mean jumping into things.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me, a mixture of concern and something else in her gaze. ” You didn’t get to live your lives as a couple first, to really explore each other without the responsibilities. Isn’t that a bit saD?”

Her words stabbed at me, pricking at something that I hadn’t thought of before. She wasn’t right… was she? “But we love each other,” I said, maybe a little more softly than I intended.”

“Love is great, but it’s not a magic fix-all for your problems, Enzo,” she said.

I blanched slightly. The concept of marrying your fated mate this early on wasn’t unheard of in my world, but… Maybe it was a little too fast for the human world. “Are you saying we’re destined to fail?” I asked.

“No, I didn’t say that,” she said softly, her hand finding my arm. “But maybe you should take some time, just the two of you, before this new chapter in your lives starts. You’re still so young.”

I stared at her, my thoughts swirling in turmoil.

Was she right? Had we rushed into things? Nina and I hadn’t dated like ‘normal’ couples. We hadn’t gone through all of the ups and downs of a typical relationship because we had been too focused on surviving.

We had dived headfirst into marriage and now into family life, guided by the unshakable belief that we were fated to be together. But what if that wasn’t enough? What if, years down the line, we looked back and regretted not giving ourselves the time to just be young and in love?

I glanced at the clock, almost time to get back on the ice. “I have to go. Thanks for the talk, Mila.”

“Do you think any differently now?” she asked as I stood up.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But you have given me something to think about.”

She nodded, offering a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was something else in her gaze, something that I really couldn’t read this time. It wasn’t… hope, was it?

“Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me,” she said, her voice low and husky.

“Sure,” I muttered, walking away, my mind a churn of thoughts and questions I had no answers for.

For the first time since I met Nina, a seed of doubt had been planted in my mind, and I didn’t know what to make of the unsettling feelings sprouting from it.

Nina

I meandered through the marble halls of the museum, the art surrounding me a comforting distraction that I sorely needed. Each painting and statue had its own unique beauty to it, and I eventually found myself in the Ancient History section, gawking at a pair of clay vases with depictions of women on them.

“Lovely, aren’t they?” A voice suddenly pulled me out of my reverie. I glanced up to see a museum attendant standing there, an older man, his hair neatly combed to the side. “The vases.”

“They really are,” I said, leaning in to look a little closer. “The details are phenomenal.”

“Usually, you ask about my day, too,” I teased gently.

He blinked, as if he was just waking up. “I’m sorry.

How was your day?”

“It was nice,” I said cautiously, deciding not to mention the spectral shadows I kept seeing out of the corners of my eyes. “The museum was really fascinating. So many artworks, sculptures, pieces that make you think, you know? But let’s talk about dinner. Have you thought about where you want to go?”

“Actually, I was thinking we could just do room service at the hotel,” he suggested. “I’m a bit tired, so I figured…”

“That sounds perfect to me,” I said, hoping to inject some levity into the conversation. “We could order some delicious food, cuddle up with a movie, maybe get a little frisky?” I smirked playfully.

He chuckled, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, sounds good.”

By now, I knew that something was up. Enzo was never like this, especially not when the concept of sex and a movie came up. “Did something happen at work?” I asked, cocking my head. “You know you can vent to me if you need to.”

“Really, I’m fine,” he responded almost mechanically. But the rigid set of his jaw, the absence of the usual warmth in his voice — everything pointed otherwise.

“No you’re not,” I said. “Come on, talk to me. Are you still upset about our argument last night? Is that what’s going on?”

He sighed deeply as we came to a red light and finally turned to look at me, his eyes meeting mine for the first time since I had gotten into the car. ” No, Nina. It’s not about last night.”

“Then what is it? Look, about last night —I’ve been doing some thinking, and you’re right. I should be proud of our story, of us. I’m really sorry for making you feel like you’re someone I’m embarrassed-about. I love you, Enzo,” I said. “And I do trust you.

To my core.”

“I appreciate that, Nina. I really do,” he said, but the warmth I was so used to hearing in his voice was strangely absent.

“Then what is it? You’ve been distant since you picked me up. If it’s not about the argument, what’s going on? Is it work? Did something happen at practice?” I pressed, my heart pounding in my chest. I felt the walls closing in and had to know what was behind his emotional barricade.

Enzo paused, letting out another deep sigh. The car was silent for some time as the light turned green and we began to move again, and for a moment, 1 wondered if I had struck some sort of concrete wall that would take a stick of dynamite to burst through.

But then, out of nowhere, he dropped a bombshell over me that I had never expected. He glanced at me, our eyes meeting for a moment that felt like an eternity. And what he said next made my blood run cold.

“Do you ever think that maybe we.. got together too fast?”