Page 55 of Fighting Chance

“He never shut up about you while you were gone.” Cindy places a kernel of popcorn in her mouth. “Literally not one day went by where Kieranwasn’tasking about you.”

Sighing, I turn toward the TV just as the players start skating onto the ice. “That’s because he’s never had a woman say no to him before. He’s like a dog with a bone.”

“A relentless dog,” Bella murmurs before taking a sip of her drink. “I have to admit, I miss Totti’s.”

Cindy clicks her fingers. “We need to go, next week.” She turns to me. “And I won’t take no for an answer. If Bella hasn’t told you, I’m pushy.”

“Next week it is,” I say. I just don’t admit that I’ll be drinking mocktails.

No one directly said that alcohol would create an adversereaction to my medication, but being a trial drug, I suspect it’s because they don’t even know yet. I’m not ready to take that leap of faith yet, and why would I? I’d probably spend the entire night paranoid about triggering a flare-up. As much as I want to let loose, I can have fun without alcohol.

Cindy’s lips part right as Emmy suddenly springs up off the floor. With the golden retriever teddy bear clutched in her arms, Emmy sprints for the TV, coming to a skidding stop before it.

All three of us girls pop off the couch, beyond confused on what the hell made her?—

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” Emmy shrieks, jumping up and down and clapping her hands together.

My jaw drops.

“Surely not,” Bella whispers.

I’m about to say—hell, I have no clue—but the camera pans to Kieran again and Emmy goeswild.

“Daddy! My daddy!”

I’m not sure what I’m stunned at more. At hearing Emmy’s voice again, the soft innocent lilt, or that the words she’s so excited to keep repeating are because of Kieran.

Either way, my heart is pounding a thousand miles an hour while simultaneously feeling like it’s melting.

“I wonder if her mom put the games on for her,” Bella whispers.

“She must have. She knows which one he is,” I say. “But Emmy hasn’t called Kieran Daddy, though.”

“It could be the jersey number,” Cindy suggests, her tone just as dumbfounded.

Bella’s eyes widen. “It’s because Kieran’s helmet is on. She can’t see his face.”

Quickly pulling out my phone, I hit record just as Kieran skates past on the TV screen, making Emmy squeal again. Bambi is beside her, bouncing on her paws. She can’t hear Emmy’s excitement, but her infectious joy is obviously spreading.

I’m not going to send it to him; something tells me he should be alone when he watches this. I do, however, fire off a text.

LAYLA

bring your jersey and helmet home with you

please

Cindy reads the text over my shoulder before she lets out a hoot of laughter. “He probably thinks he’s getting lucky.”

“As if.” I wave her off. “He would never actually sleep with me. It’s just a game to him.”

Pocketing my phone, I watch the TV before realizing it’s grown silent. The girls are looking at me like I’m… I don’t know how they’re looking at me, actually.

Frowning, I ask slowly, “What?”

“You genuinely believe that?” Cindy whispers.

“Believe what?”