All Chapters of Accidentally Yours, Hockey Captain: Chapter 181 - Chapter 188

Alex’s POVThe first thing I noticed was the silence. Not the heavy, empty kind that used to fill the locker room at 2 AM — the kind that felt like waiting for something to break. This silence was soft. Warm. It wrapped around the cottage like sunlight through curtains, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, I didn’t feel the need to fill it.I woke up slowly, no alarm, no sharp knock at the door, no voice telling me where to be and when. Just the morning light filtering through the window, and Emily curled against my side, her head resting on my chest, her hand splayed gently over her bump. Her breathing was steady and soft, and I lay there for a long time, just watching her, memorizing the way the light touched her face, the way her eyelashes brushed her cheek when she shifted in her sleep.It was strange — this quiet. For years, every day had been scheduled, measured, owned. Every minute accounted for, every choice made for me. Now? Now we had nothing but minutes. H

Emily’s POVSome days, I still stand in front of the mirror just to stare. To make sure it’s real. That this is happening — that after everything, after all the lies and the cages and the nights I thought I’d lose it all, I’m here, safe, happy, growing a life. My belly has rounded out, soft and warm and undeniable, a gentle curve that shows more every morning when I wake up. It’s not just a feeling anymore. It’s not just a possibility. It’s them. Our baby.And Alex? He’s completely, beautifully obsessed.It started small — a hand resting low on my back when we walked, a palm pressed gently to my side while we watched TV, his thumb moving in slow, steady circles like he was memorizing every change. But lately? It’s constant. He wakes up and the first thing he does is rest his hand over my bump and say good morning. He talks to the baby while he makes coffee, while we eat dinner, while we sit on the porch watching the sunset. He stops at every little shop in town whenever we drive into

Alex’s POVThe arena looked different when I walked through the doors that morning. Brighter. The same high ceilings, the same blue seats, the same familiar scent of ice and rubber and floor wax — but something had shifted. The weight was gone. The air didn’t feel heavy anymore. No one was watching from the shadows. No one was timing my laps or counting my strides or deciding how much I was worth.This was just… ice. Just a game. Just mine, if I wanted it.I stood by the locker room entrance for a long moment, one hand resting on the cool metal frame, breathing it in. Some of the guys were already there — pulling on skates, laughing, calling to each other across the room. No one stared. No one whispered. Jax looked over, caught my eye, and gave a short, easy nod — nothing more. No jab, no smirk, no dig. Just hey. Like I belonged.I changed slowly, pulling on the gear I hadn’t touched in weeks, every piece feeling unfamiliar and right all at once. When I stepped out onto the ice, the c

Alex’s POVThe hours stretched soft and endless after we walked through those hospital doors — warm lights, quiet voices, the steady beep of machines, and Emily, always Emily, right beside me, gripping my hand so tight I thought my bones might ache. I never stepped away. Not to sit, not to drink, not to breathe without her. Every time she breathed hard, I breathed with her. Every time she squeezed my hand, I squeezed back twice as hard. Every time she leaned back exhausted, I wiped her face, kissed her forehead, told her — You’re incredible. You’re so strong. I’m so proud of you.She didn’t give up. Not once. Even when it was long, even when it hurt, even when she whispered, “I don’t know if I can,” she held on, and I held her, and together we kept going.And then — the room shifted. The nurse’s voice softened. “She’s coming. One more big push, Emily — you’re almost there.”I leaned in, my forehead pressed to hers, my voice nothing but breath. “You’ve got this, Em. Look at me. I’m rig