Page 51 of Hooking
Chapter 26
Channing
It’s the end of March, and there’s only a handful of games left of the season before playoffs begin. After we spoke to management about our relationship and pregnancy, I made the decision to fill the team in. Let’s just say the baby daddy jokes have been relentless. They have a point; how many scares can a guy have before it becomes real.
Well, at least this time, this is real. Very real. Cassidy has been working from home most days since she’s had several spikes of high blood pressures and pre-term labor scares. It worries me that something might happen when I’m on the road, but I know she’ll be in good hands. Her parents flew into town a few weeks ago and have been constantly checking on her when I’m gone.
It sucks that she hasn’t been to many of the home games the second half of this season. Since she’s been worried the pressure of the game will cause her to actually go into labor, but tonight, she’s attending alongside her parents.
I’m taping my stick in the locker room when Brooks takes a seat on the bench beside me. His eyes are filled with worry as he watches me lay each line.
“Has Cassidy heard from Burch lately?” he says when I rip the tape with my teeth.
I lean my stick against the locker, turning back to look at him for a moment. “Not that I know of. Why?”
He releases a ragged breath before pushing to stand, grabbing his phone from his locker. “Look, it could be nothing, but Misty Raines has a blog now, and she posted a photo of Cassidy today.”
“Okay—”
“Hugging Burch outside Café DuPont.”
She went out to lunch today with her mother. Why would Burch be there? He doesn’t even play for Carolina, whom we play tonight. Why wouldn’t she tell me she ran into him? All these thoughts rush through my head as I feel my anger building.
“The blog—” I say, through gritted teeth. “The blog, let me read it.”
“You’re sure?”
I stare into Brooks’ eyes, warning him to cut the shit. Reluctantly, he loads the article on his phone and hands it to me. My blood runs cold as I read the headline.
Burch reunites with Reynolds for baby bliss.
It wasn’t too long ago that Vince Burch and his former fiancée Cassidy Reynolds called it quits at the altar, due to a cheating scandal. It also wasn’t too long ago that Seattle’s very own Channing Halloway professed his love for Burch’s former flame. However, it looks like that fling has slowly fizzled out.
Burch and Reynolds were seen embracing and sharing a very intimate lunch today at Café DuPont before his team is set to play the Skipjacks tonight. Burch was recently traded to Carolina before the trade deadline with hopes that his grit will help lead Carolina to their second Stanley Cup.
Sources close to the former couple have stated that they aren’t exploring options with one another seeing that Reynolds is nearly eight months pregnant and carrying the hockey star’s first child. No news on how she revealed the baby news to Burch yet, but we can positively say we are 1000% ecstatic for the on-again off-again, long-standing couple.
Those not familiar with the couple’s timeline, they were high school sweethearts before parting ways at the start of college. He was drafted, and she went to pursue a degree in business administration. The couple reunited a few years after graduation but broke up a few weeks later due to rumors of Burch’s wandering eye. However, the couple reunited and soon became engaged only to have their engagement end on their wedding day.
Subscribe and follow along for more hockey gossip.
Xoxo Misty Raines
My vision blurs as I see red. This woman just won’t quit. She first goes in on a scam with her cousin to make it seem like I fathered a child when I didn’t. Then she comes along to try to discredit me as the father of Cassidy’s baby. And for Cassidy to not tell me that she ran into Burch today. I just saw her before coming to the arena. Not once did she mention this little rendezvous.
What if she didn’t tell me about this meet up because the blog is right. Cassidy is really carrying Burch’s child. Heck, she claims she hadn’t slept with him for months before the wedding. I was the only one. Yet here she is meeting him. Hugging him. And by the look of the photo, smiling at him with excitement.
Fuck, it’s another Madelyn and Natasha all over again. She lied to me. What’s worse is she knows my history. I trusted her with it. Yet she still went along with it. Fuck. I’m stupid.
“You all right, man?” Brooks asks for my side, his hand gripping my shoulder tightly.
No words come out as I clench my jaw and finish getting dressed. I don’t know how I’m going to get through the game tonight, but one thing I do know is Cassidy and I are over, and Vincent Burch is my brand-new punching bag on the ice tonight.
Chapter 27
Cassidy
“Isn’t it nice to get out of the house, dear?” my mother says as we wander down Main Street toward Café DuPont.
