Scoring with the Wrong Twin (Ice Chronicles Hockey #2)

32. Savannah

32

Savannah

The hospital lobby smells of antiseptic and anxiety, the kind of place where you feel unwelcome even when you’re needed.

I hesitate just inside the doors, but before I can second-guess my decision, Aubrey spots me. Her eyes light up, and she hurries over, her growing belly making her steps a little slower than usual.

“We’ve missed you so much,” she says, pulling me into a warm hug.

Emma strides up next, relief painted on her face. “Took you long enough to get here. We were starting to think you’d forgotten about us.”

I manage a small laugh. “Not a chance.”

Sean gives me a nod from a few steps away. “He’s been asking for you,” he says simply, his tone encouraging without pushing.

Jack is quieter but gives me a small, approving smile. “Good to see you, Savannah.”

Their warmth chips away at my nerves, but my stomach still twists as I approach Blaze’s room. Aubrey touches my arm lightly before I go in.

“You’ve got this,” she whispers.

Taking a deep breath, I step inside.

Blaze is propped up against white hospital pillows, his face pale but still sharp, his cocky smirk intact.

“Well, look who finally showed up,” he says, his tone teasing, though his eyes betray something deeper—relief, maybe.

“Blaze,” I manage, standing awkwardly just inside the door.

He gestures toward the chair beside his bed. “You planning to hover there all day, or are you gonna sit?”

I huff out a breath and sit, gripping the edge of the chair. “How are you feeling?”

“Been better,” he admits, his smirk softening. “But seeing you here? It’s a start.”

The tension is unbearable, and I blurt out the words that have been choking me for weeks.

“I left because I thought… I thought you needed to be with Delaney. If that’s your baby, I didn’t want to stand in the way. I refuse to be—” My voice cracks, and I swallow hard. “I won’t be a homewrecker.”

His brow furrows, his smirk fading completely. “Savannah, stop. That’s not what’s happening here.”

“But how could I know that?” My voice rises, my frustration spilling over. “She’s pregnant, showing up out of nowhere, claiming you're the father, and what am I supposed to think?”

Blaze sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You could’ve asked me instead of running.”

I look away, shame prickling at my skin. “I didn’t know how to stay without feeling like I was betraying everything I stand for. My dad… you know he left us for someone else. I watched my mom fall apart because of it, and I swore I’d never be that woman.”

Blaze leans forward, wincing slightly but undeterred. “You’re not that woman. You never were. And Delaney? The baby isn’t mine. At least, I’m ninety-nine percent sure.”

My head snaps up. “What?”

“She asked me for money,” he says, his voice steady. “She said if I didn’t want to be with her and the kid, I should at least pay to help them start over somewhere else. But something about it didn’t sit right. So I hired a PI. If the kid’s mine, I’ll step up. But until I know for sure, I’m not handing her a damn cent.”

I stare at him, my heart pounding. “You… you don’t believe her?”

He shakes his head. “Not entirely. Her story’s full of holes, and the timing feels off. But Savannah…” His voice softens. “You need to trust me. Trust that I’ll do the right thing, no matter what.”

I want to argue, to hold onto my fears and doubts, but the sincerity in his eyes cuts through my defenses. He’s asking for something I’ve always struggled to give—faith in someone else.

“You’re asking a lot.” My voice trembles as I whisper.

“I know,” he says, reaching out to take my hand. His touch is warm, grounding. “But I’m asking because you matter to me. More than I’ve let myself admit.”

The walls I’ve built around my heart waver. I take a shaky breath and nod, though the leap terrifies me.

“Okay. I’ll try.”

His smirk returns, softer this time. “Good. Because I’m not letting you run again.”

The tension between us shifts, the air heavier but no longer suffocating. For the first time in weeks, I feel like I can breathe again.

***

“So, since you’re already doing the chauffeur thing, how about moving into my cottage with me? You can keep an eye on me. You know, make sure I’m resting, eating… bathing. Help me with all that.”

Blaze leans back in the passenger seat, a smirk plastered on his face as I drive toward the ranch.

I roll my eyes so hard I might sprain something. “Help you bathe? Seriously? Are you that helpless?”

“I can be, if you help me bathe.” He laughs. “Doctor’s orders.” His voice drops, playful but with just enough heat to make my stomach flip. “No overexertion.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“And you missed me,” he fires back without missing a beat. He leans his head against the seat, the smirk softening into something more sincere. “C’mon, admit it.”

I glance over, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning. “I’ll admit you’re persistent. Does that count?”

He laughs, the sound warm and deep, and for a second, the tension that’s been sitting between us melts away.

When we pull up to his cottage, I hop out first, grabbing his bag from the back. “Welcome home, Ice. Don’t expect any turn-down service.”

Blaze gets out slowly, wincing a little but too proud to let it show.

His cottage is cozy, filled with a mix of rugged charm and his personal touches. I set his bag down near the couch and turn to find him leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, watching me.

“Thanks for bringing me back,” he says softly, his voice losing some of its usual edge.

“Of course.” I busy myself adjusting the pillows on the couch, trying to avoid the intensity of his gaze. “Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t do something stupid like try to chop firewood or lift a tractor.”

“Savannah.” His tone stops me in my tracks. I look up, and his eyes are locked on mine. “I mean it. I’ve missed you.”

My heart does a stupid little flip, but I’m not about to let him know that. “You’re just saying that because you’re high on hospital Jell-O.”

He steps closer, his movements slower than usual but deliberate. “I’m saying it because it’s true.”

The air between us thickens.

“Blaze…”

“I know I screwed up. I know you have every reason not to trust me after everything with Delaney. But none of that means anything if you’re not here.” His hand brushes mine, and I freeze, caught in the pull of his voice. “Move in here with me.”

I blink, trying to process the words. “Move in with you? Blaze, we’ve barely figured out—”

“I don’t care.” His grip tightens, grounding me. “We’ll figure it out together. Just don’t leave again.”

My chest tightens. “And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then I’ll fight for it until it does.”

For a moment, all I can do is stare at him. Then, without thinking, I close the space between us and kiss him. It’s soft at first, tentative, but when his arms wrap around me, pulling me against him, the kiss deepens.

My hands find their way to his chest, and I can feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath my palms. His lips leave mine, trailing down my jaw to the spot just beneath my ear. A shiver runs through me, and I grip his shirt like it’s the only thing keeping me upright.

“Tell me you missed me,” he says.

I press my forehead to his, my breath hitching. “I missed you.”

His mouth finds mine again, and the world fades away.