Blue Lines(100)

She let out a breathless sigh as she moved her foot up the back of his calf.

“Well, let’s not waste time.”





Chapter 22



Erik knew it was going to be a bad day when he woke to Piper crying.

“Sweetheart?” he asked, sitting up to look down at her. She was holding her side, taking in deep breaths. He took her into his arms and looked down at her questioningly. “What’s wrong?”

“Damn Braxton Hicks.”

“Still?”

“Yeah,” she cried as she nodded. “I called the doctor again, and they are too irregular to be anything else. I didn’t want to wake you. I know you have camp in the morning. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry. What can I do?” he asked, running his hands up and down her arms.

“Can you get me some more water? He said that I might be dehydrated.”

Well, that didn’t sound good. Hopping out of the bed, Erik rushed through the house to get a tall glass of ice water. Almost falling over Stanley, Erik rushed back to the room, handing her the glass. She drank it quickly, her face full of tears as she let out deep breaths.

“They are going away. I’m sorry for waking you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Anything else you need?” he asked, glancing at the clock. It was three in the morning. He had to get up in a few hours to leave for camp and he knew he was going to be tired. Piper had been having these pains for the last three nights since her birthday, and they made him nervous. They hadn’t even gone out for her birthday with her parents or to dinner with Audrey and Tate because she had been so tired the last couple of nights. These Braxton Hicks were taking everything out of her and he wanted nothing more than to fix everything for her.

“Hold me?”

He smiled as he crawled into the bed, pulling her close. She snuggled into him and closed her eyes, but something was still off. Her body was tense and it worried him.

Erik slept little that night and woke tired and groggy. The first day of training was usually the day when Coach Bacter noticed who had been working through the summer and who had clearly just sat on their ass watching baseball games. Erik had worked hard and wanted that to be known, but he knew that he wasn’t going to be at his best.

After taking a quick shower, he came back into the room to find Piper sleeping soundly. She was so beautiful and he hated to leave her. It made him nervous, and he knew he would worry constantly about her until he got home. Running his fingers along her jaw, he moved her hair out of her face, leaning down and kissing her on her cheek before leaving.

Driving to the arena, Erik couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen. He read that the Braxton Hicks meant her body was getting ready for delivery. She was only thirty-five weeks; five left to go. She was concerned that if the baby came early there could be something wrong and Erik had to admit that worried him, too.

He had told his father that he didn’t love the baby yet, but that had changed with each day that went by. He loved Dimitri and he couldn’t wait to hold him in his arms. He just prayed and hoped that the baby was healthy and strong.

Pulling into the parking lot of the rink, he parked his car and got out, reaching for his bag in the backseat. His mind was full of Piper, and as he started for the back door, he wondered if should call her and if she was awake.

“Erik!! Woohoo! Erik!”

Erik turned to see a group of girls waiting by the fence, waving with seductive grins on their faces. A part of him knew he should have just waved and kept going, but they were fans. He loved fans. Tucking his phone back into his pocket, he threw his bag over his shoulder and made his way over to where they stood. There were three of them, all blondes with big breasts and nice trim waists. One of the girls wore a short skirt with a shirt that didn’t leave anything for the imagination. The other girl, the youngest-looking one, wore a skintight purple dress that had the Assassins emblem on the chest. The last girl’s jeans hung low on her hips while her shirt didn’t cover her breasts at all.

Puck bunnies.

His mind was telling him to walk away but he didn’t. He wasn’t sure what he was thinking as a smile came across his face before reaching for a puck one of the girls had held out for him to autograph.

“Are you ready for the season?” one of them asked.

Erik nodded as he signed the paraphernalia they held out for him. “I am; are you guys ready?”

“So ready,” one of them cooed. “Can I take my picture with you?”

Erik glanced up as his heartbeat quickened. The girl was gorgeous, slutty gorgeous, the way he used to like his females. Pinning her with a grin, he said, “Through the fence?”