Chapter 17

Rob's POV

I can go nowhere without hearing something about OC and Emily. Even today, I walked into the locker room after practice to see a bunch of the guys surrounding OC.

"Yeah, so I got her the ring," OC said, grinning like an idiot. He was holding open a small black, velvet box that housed a silver band with a particularly small diamond in the middle of it.

"What's that for, man?" I asked, making my way into the group.

"OC popped the question to Emily," Verchota replied absentmindedly.

"Wait, you asked Emily to marry you and she said yes?" I asked, slightly outraged. I didn't even stick around to hear OC's answer. I just couldn't deal with this whole situation anymore.

"Mac, wait up," OC called after me, following me to the hallway.

"So, congratulations," I told him. "Good luck trying to get Emily Morrison to stay in one place long enough to actually marry you."

"Look, Mac, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this," OC replied, actually sounding remorseful.

"Yeah, whatever," I grumbled. I started to walk towards the door until I felt a strong hand clamp down on my shoulder.

"Hey, I'm serious," OC said sternly. "Look, I know you and Emma got into a fight about the baby."

"Yeah, I know. She didn't know how to deal with being pregnant," I said, rolling my eyes. How many more times am I gonna get this lecture? "I'm just warning you, man. She tends to run."

"I'm not giving her anything to be scared of," OC responded in a softened tone. Oh, how naïve this boy could be.

"You don't think she'll be afraid of marriage?" I inquired. "I proposed. About a week before she met you."

"So, what are you saying? She ran to me?" he asked.

"Guess so," I muttered.

We left the arena in silence. OC seemed to be mulling our conversation over and over in his head.

"Are you over her?" he questioned, as we walked to the dorms.

"What? Where did that come from?" I asked, stalling to answer the question that we both knew the answer to.

"Well, they say you never get over your first love," OC replied. "So, I was just wondering if you're over Emma. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I was just curious."

"Ya know, curiosity killed the cat, O'Callahan," I replied, cracking a smile.

"So I've heard. Fortunately for me, I'm not a cat," he shot back, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled. "And the answer is no."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I guess I just always thought that somehow we'd get back together," I replied, walking into our room. "I thought Herb hiring her was a sign or something. It was the signal I needed to tell me that I was right, and that we'd be able to work things out."

"And then I come along," he interjected.

"Yeah, and then you come along and sweep her off her feet…again," I continued. "I thought 'Well okay, they don't seem too serious. Maybe there's still hope for me.' And then you tell me about the pregnancy thing, and she gets mad at the both of us. Then she tries to talk to me about the pregnancy thing, and we wind up mad at each other. And now, you guys are engaged. I'm beginning to think the cards are not being dealt in my favor."

"I'm not the brightest guy in the world, and I could have told you that," OC joked. "I don't care if you hate me for this, but at least make up with Emma. I think she needs someone from home."

"How did it go with her parents?" I asked, taking in his words. I really did want to hate him, but what he said really made me think.

"Her mother hates me, her brother hates me. Her dad is the only one who's cool," he explained. "According to her mom, Jack isn't a name, but a tool used to lift a car. Her brother kept trying to make us uncomfortable by bringing you up. I didn't know you were invited to his wedding."

"I didn't go," I told him. "I thought Emily would be there, and that would be too difficult. I didn't know that her mom cast her out like a leper. But, yeah, her dad has always been cool. That guy was a hippie before there were hippies. Big sports fan, too. Did he tell you Dale Earnhardt's gonna be rookie of the year?"

"Nope, don't even know who that is," OC replied.

"Oh, he and Em can give you the guy's stats if you're dumb enough to ask for them," I said with a laugh. "The two of them will go on for hours about Richard Petty and Junior Johnson and Darrell Waltrip. You can't shut them up."

"I'd rather not have Emma shut up. I'm usually in trouble when she shuts up."

"Yep, I remember that," I said, nodding fondly. "So, when did you ask?"

"When we got home from Norway," he answered. "She took her time thinking about it, and then told her mom before she told me. Her mother definitely didn't take it well."

"Yeah, I'll bet she asked when Emily was due too," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"I think she said she'd try to be in town, but she's making no promises," OC stated, taking his turn at the eye rolling. "I just don't get how you can hate your own kid that much."

"That's because you come from a loving family. Emily doesn't. She always had her dad in her corner, but her mom worshipped the ground Josh walked on. Never gave Emily a chance."

Just then a knock at the door interrupted our conversation.

"It's open!" OC yelled.

"Hey guys," Emily said, opening the door. "Just dropping off the stuff you'll need for the Harvard game."

"Thanks, Em," I replied when she handed me the envelope. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"What for?" she asked, studying my face.

"For the fight the other day. I said some dumb things," I told her. "And I just want you to know that I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, really," she replied, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek. I looked over at OC, expecting him to rip my head off. But he just smiled.

"You're in a good mood," OC said to Emily when she walked over to him.

"What reason would I have to be in a bad mood?" she questioned with a smile. "I found a great café that makes the world's best coffee, I bought a new pair of shoes, my dad called this morning to congratulate me on my engagement, and I've got you."

"You're not getting out of dinner with my folks," OC told her through a grin.

"Damn you, O'Callahan," she muttered with an overdramatic sigh.

"Get over it," he told her. "I got you something."

"Is it a puppy?" she guessed.

"No."

"A kitten."

"It doesn't breathe."

"How about a car?"

"Yeah, because I'm totally made of money."

"Are you gonna tell me what it is then?"

He dug into his pocket and pulled out the box he'd be showing around after practice. He opened it up, and pulled out the small engagement ring.

"I thought you could wear this for now, until I can afford one," OC told her, sliding it onto her thin ring finger. "It was my mother's engagement ring."

"I love it," she replied, kissing him. It was nauseating to watch. "Isn't it beautiful, Robbie?"

She was so transfixed on her ring that I didn't even need to answer. She would have never heard me anyway.

"Looks great on you, Em," I said, trying to force a smile onto my face. "OC, I'm gonna get a bite to eat with Rizzo and Rammer. See ya later."

I walked into the hall, my head hung in defeat.