Twin Babies for my Pucking Defenders (Chicago Icebreakers #2)

21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Carter

The drive home after practice feels like a blur, my head still a mess of thoughts and frustration. I’ve been having some pretty dark days lately, and today was especially bad. After practice, I couldn’t make myself hang around with the team anymore. The noise, the bullshit, it was all too much. So, I went home.

At least the new apartment is...spectacular. It’s better than my last place. More space, more air. Something about it helps me feel better. Not that I’ve figured out how to fucking chill out properly yet. I drop my bag at the door and collapse onto the couch, scrolling through my phone before settling on calling my mom. She’s been texting me a lot lately.

“Carter?” she answers, her voice immediately soft and worried, even over the video call.

“Hey, Mom,” I say, leaning back on the couch, trying to shake off the rest of the day.

“Oh, Carter. I miss you so much, baby. It’s been too long.” She’s speaking in Slovak, her eyes scanning my face. Her eyebrows knit together as she stares into the camera. Fuck, here we go.

“I miss you too, Mom,” I reply in Slovak, forcing a smile. “But I’m okay. Promise.”

She doesn’t buy it. I can see it in her face, the way her lips purse slightly. “Are you sure? You look tired.”

“I’m fine. Just...long day.”

Her eyes soften, and she leans closer to the camera, like she’s trying to reach through the screen. “You know...you don’t have to pretend with me. I know we don’t talk about it, but...I know you struggle sometimes.”

My throat tightens, but I don’t say anything. I just let her talk.

“I can come to the US for a visit. I’ll make you some soup. You’re still my baby boy,” she says, her voice light, trying to pull a laugh out of me. And it works.

I chuckle, rubbing a hand over my face. “Soup, huh? That’s your big solution?”

“It fixes everything.” She winks.

I laugh again. “I’m really fine, Mom. I swear. You don’t need to come out here just to make me soup.”

She sighs, but there’s a small smile on her face. “Okay, okay. But you know I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

We talk for a few more minutes, just her checking in, asking if I’m eating enough, if I’m taking care of myself. The usual mom stuff. I hang up feeling a little lighter but still...off.

Without thinking much, I dial my therapist. I know I need to talk through this shit before it festers.

“Hey, Carter,” she answers, her voice calm. It’s the same tone she always uses with me.

“I had a weird moment with my mom just now,” I say, not bothering with any small talk. “She...she knows. Like, she knows I struggle sometimes. I didn’t really know how to respond.”

“That’s okay,” she says. “It’s good that she knows. It means she cares and wants to help. You don’t have to hide it from her.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I mutter, picking at the fabric of my couch. “It’s just hard. I don’t want her to worry.”

“She’s your mother, Carter. She’s always going to worry. But that doesn’t mean you can’t lean on her when you need to.”

I sigh. “I know. You’re right. It’s just...a lot.”

“I understand,” she says, her voice patient. “How’s everything else going? How are things with Jade?”

I pause, the mention of Jade hitting a nerve. “It’s...complicated,” I admit. “She’s involved with these other guys—guys who are, like, fucking amazing. Better than me. Stronger. I don’t even know why she bothers with me sometimes.”

“Carter, stop,” she says firmly. “You are worthy of love, despite what you think or feel. You are a good man. You have to stop comparing yourself to others.”

“It’s hard,” I grumble. “They just seem so...perfect.”

“Nobody is perfect,” she says. “And trust me, Jade is with you for a reason. She sees something in you that she needs, that she wants. You can’t discredit yourself like that.”

I nod, even though she can’t see me. “The guys on the team are helping me feel more at home, at least. It’s been easier to settle in with them around.”

“That’s good to hear,” she says. “We’ll keep working through all of this. You’re making progress, Carter. Don’t forget that.”

“Yeah,” I murmur. “Thanks, doc. I’ll...I’ll talk to you soon. We can schedule something.”

“Absolutely. Take care of yourself, Carter. You deserve it.”

After hanging up, I decide to go for a walk. The air in the apartment might be better, but it’s still suffocating sometimes. I need to get out, clear my head. I grab my jacket and head to the elevator, my mind still a jumble of thoughts about Jade, my mom, therapy. Fucking everything.

As the elevator doors slide open, I step in and see Finn leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone. He looks up, smirking when he sees me.

“Hey, man. Going to see Jade?” he asks, his voice casual but his eyes sharp.

My stomach tightens immediately. “What? Is she okay?”

He blinks, then his smirk fades. “Millie told me she wasn’t feeling great earlier. Axel took her home.”

And just like that, my entire fucking brain is on her. My pulse kicks up, and I can’t think about anything else except making sure she’s all right. Fuck, why didn’t I check on her earlier? I should’ve fucking called. What if she’s sick? Or hurt?

Without a word, I punch the button for the lobby and step out of the elevator as soon as it stops, my pace picking up as I walk toward the exit. My head’s racing, a mess of worry and guilt. I need to see her. I need to know she’s okay.

I shove the door open and step into the cool evening air, pulling out my phone to call her. My fingers fumble with the screen, too distracted to focus, but finally, I find her name and hit dial. It rings, once, twice, three times. Come on, Jade, pick up.

Just answer, Jade. Fuck. Why didn’t I call her earlier? It rings again, and for a second, I think she’s not going to pick up. Then the line connects, but it’s not Jade who answers.

“Yeah?” Axel’s voice, deep and rough, cuts through.

My grip tightens on the phone as I climb into my car. “Axel? Where’s Jade? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” he says, his voice casual, too casual for my fucking nerves right now. “She had a stomach bug earlier. I made her some peppermint tea. It settled her stomach.”

I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding, but something feels...off. There’s a groan, low and drawn out, and then Jade’s voice, soft and breathy in the background. “Axel...”

The fuck?

I blink. “Wait, are you…?”

“Yeah, we’re kind of in the middle of something right now, Carter,” Axel interrupts, another groan escaping from him, followed by a faint whimper from Jade.

For a moment, I’m frozen, stuck between disbelief and...amusement. My lips twitch into a smile, and a chuckle escapes before I can stop it. “Jesus, man. Bad timing, huh?”

Axel laughs, and I can hear the smugness dripping from his voice. “Yeah, real bad timing. You sure you wanna keep talking, or...?”

“Axel!” Jade’s voice cuts in again, breathy, desperate, and holy shit—she’s moaning. Begging. “Please...please make me come.”

I press my palm against my forehead, trying to shake the images that flash in my head. It’s no use. My cock twitches, hardening against my jeans, and suddenly, I’m not sure if I want to laugh or fucking lose it.

“You better hang up, man,” Axel’s voice breaks through again, low and gravelly. “Unless you wanna hear things you can never unhear.”

I swallow, hard, my throat tight. My brain is telling me to hang up. Walk away. Be the better man. But fuck, my cock is screaming something else. Before I can stop myself, the words come out. “No way, Axel. I wanna hear our girl scream.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then Axel lets out a low, rumbling laugh. “You’re a sick fuck, Carter.”

“Damn right,” I mutter, shifting in my seat as I press down on the hard bulge in my jeans. Fuck, I shouldn’t be doing this. But I can’t help it. The sounds coming through the phone are intoxicating. Jade’s whimpers grow louder, more desperate, and I bite my lip hard enough to draw blood. I wish I was there. Wish it was me making her beg.

“Axel, please,” she moans again, her voice shaky, almost breaking.

“Fuck,” I groan quietly, palming myself harder. My cock is straining against my jeans, and every whimper, every gasp from her, just makes me harder.

“Listen to her,” Axel mutters. “She’s fucking close. She’s begging for it.”

I close my eyes, imagining the scene. Axel’s fingers buried deep inside her, her body arching, her lips parted, eyes glazed over in pleasure. And all I can think is how much I wish it were my fingers. My cock inside her. My name on her lips.

“Fuck, Jade,” Axel grunts. “Come for me, baby. Come all over my fingers.”

I’m barely breathing at this point, my chest tight, hand pressed so hard against my cock it fucking hurts. Jade lets out a sharp cry, and I know. She’s there. She’s falling apart, and I’m fucking aching to be the one who made it happen.

“Good girl,” Axel whispers, his voice almost drowned out by Jade’s moans. Then he groans—loud, deep, guttural—and I know he’s coming too. Fuck, the way he says her name. It’s possessive, raw. And suddenly, I’m right there with him, right on the edge.

The room goes quiet for a moment, except for the sound of their heavy breathing through the phone. My cock is throbbing in my hand, desperate for release.

“I’m coming over,” I say, voice rough. There’s no fucking way I’m staying away.

Axel laughs, still breathless. “Bring food, then.”

“Fine,” I mutter, already heading for the door. “But you better fucking save me some of her.”

“Wouldn’t dream of leaving you out, man.” Axel’s voice is full of laughter, but there’s a seriousness there too. Like he knows, like we both fucking know that we’re in this together.