24 Hours with You

When Geno and I finally got back to the group of our friends in the middle of the room, James and Amber had already left the boys alone. Thank god, I thought, because I wasn't in any sort of mood to put up with her.

"Not that I'm complaining but where did James and Amber go?" I asked curious, since James was supposed to be my ride home later that evening. Sid and Kris both looked at each other with slightly wide eyes as if to say, should we tell her? Kris turned to face me again and spoke.

"Let's just say... you're going to need a ride home tonight mon cherie." He said, and it clicked.

"He took her home?!" I stated more than asked, angrily. Then Sid, being Sid, tried to take care of the situation at hand.

"I know you're pissed, heck I am too, but here isn't the best place to let out your anger, especially not if there's a possibility that there's any press around. So just please try to calm down and I'll drive you home whenever you're ready. Okay?" He looked at me kindly, waiting for an answer.

"You're right. Thanks Sid." I said. Thank God for Sidney Crosby.

"Actually, if you don't mind, could you just take me home now? I just want to get out of here." I asked, hopeful that he would understand.

"Sure thing, I'll go get my jacket and we can go." He said, then walked off to the coat room.

There was a silence that filled the air around us after he left, but it didn't last long as Geno spoke.

"What 'friend' does that? Nealsy needs lesson." He said in a hushed tone, just to make sure nobody else heard. Although I'm sure most people around us could tell what happened by that point, since I could never be very quiet when I was angry.

"Unfortunately I don't think he'll ever learn. He has priorities, and apparently sleeping with a slut is more important than being a good friend. I don't think that's going to change any time soon." I said, and with that Sid was next to me with his jacket in hand so we said our goodbyes and left.

We walked to the car in silence. I had too many things going through my head all at once. Visions of James with Amber clouded my head and I filled with pain. I really thought I had some chance but nothing compares to a good puck slut I guess. How stupid of me to believe that anything more than friendship was possible with James, when I knew before I was even friends with him, just what he was like when it came to women.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I felt Sid's hand on my arm.

"Cassie, you've been standing there staring off for at least 2 minutes. Are you going to get in the car?" He said with his signature Sid smirk. I could tell he was laughing on the inside at how stupid I probably looked when I was zoned out.

"Yeah sorry." I said, embarrassed. I opened the door to his Range Rover and he helped me up and in, then closed the door behind me. I knew he was going to question me as soon as he got in.

"Want to tell me what's on your mind?" He said as he closed the driver's side door and put his key into the ignition. I looked up at him and I could tell he was ready to listen if I wanted to talk, but I was slightly afraid that it would get back to James if I told him. He spoke again, and it was as if he'd read my mind.

"Don't worry, James won't hear a word of anything from me." He said. Although it was only a few words, it reassured me that I could put my trust in him, and so I did. We sat there in his car and he listened while I let my thoughts come out.

"I just thought that he wasn't that same ladies man that I'd heard so many things about. Over the past week, he seemed different than everything I'd heard about him. I wouldn't even have cared as much if he had told me he was going to leave or asked if I could find another ride, but he didn't. He invited me to this party with mostly people I've never met before and he just ditched me for that random slut. I just don't understand how someone could be so different, just hours apart." I said, and when I was done, a look of understanding washed over Sid's face.

"Honestly, I thought he was over the one night stands too. Since he met you he hasn't even talked about going out to a club, so I don't know where this is coming from. Especially at an event with the organization, he wouldn't usually do that even when he was desperate. And I can't believe he was thoughtless enough to just leave you without saying anything, it blows my mind." Sid said the final words with a shake of his head and he looked at me with an apologetic expression.

"You can tell can't you?" I asked. Sid was more observant than the other guys so if anybody knew, it would be him. He nodded his head in response and I kept talking.

"I thought I at least had a sliver of a chance, but after tonight, I don't think it's possible. I guess I'll just have to try and pretend like nothing's wrong and continue being friends with him, I don't want to lose that because my stupid feelings got in the way."

"I know you don't want to lose his friendship but he needs to know what he did wasn't okay. Whether you have feelings for him or not, it's still a shitty thing for him to do."

"I know. Thanks for this Sid." I said.

"Any time." He replied, and with that, he turned his attention to driving as he started the car and pulled out of the lot.

The next morning I woke up with the bright sun shining right into my room, willing me to get up for the day. I rolled over and checked the clock. 1:00 pm. I picked my phone up off the bedside table and noticed that I had a few texts waiting for me.

From: James

I'm sorry. Call me when you get up.

That was the last thing I wanted to do so I ignored that text and moved on to the next one.

From: Josie

Want to go out for coffee later? :)

I liked the idea of hanging out with Josie, she was such a sweet girl and I thought that girl time was really what I needed. I sent her a quick text to let her know I was in and she said she'd pick me up in an hour and we could go to Starbucks together.

By the time I was finished getting ready it was 1:45. I decided it was best to call James sooner rather than later so I dialed his number and waited to hear his voice on the other end. He picked up on the first ring.

"Cass. I'm so sorry that I left you, I.." I didn't let him say any more.

"Are you really? Because it seems to me you got a pretty good trade off."

"Amber is a really nice girl okay? Just let me apologize." He responded. I could hear the slight frustration in his voice.

"Look James, you don't have to justify anything to me, you can have one night stands with whoever you want." I replied.

"Cassie, you're making this harder than it has to be. I'm sorry, what I did was wrong. Please forgive me, you're my best friend." He said the last words with true sincerity, but that didn't stop me from getting angry.

"I'M making this hard? You left me in a room full of people, most of whom I'd never even met before, just so you could find a one nighter instead of being stuck with me all night. That's a true friend right there. That's okay though Sidney took care of me when you didn't, he was a better friend to me than you were, that's for sure." He needed to understand that this wasn't something he could just apologize for and it would be over.

"I know and I'm trying to apologize but how am I supposed to when you keep getting angry at me! I really am sorry, I know it was a bad position to put you in and I promise you that nothing like it will ever happen again. Will you please accept my apology?" He pleaded with me and I instantly felt bad for giving him so much shit, but it all needed to be said. Of course I couldn't resist his apologies any longer though.

"Okay.."

"Okay, and for the record it isn't a one night stand, I think I might like Amber." He said and I nearly dropped the phone. Dead silence ensued and I had no idea what to say.

"Cass? You there?"

"Yup, just shocked. James Neal actually likes someone? Who knew." I joked, trying to lighten the mood and hide my annoyance.

"It does happen Cass, you just never knew." Before I got to ask what he meant by that there was a knock at my door. I assumed it was Josie so I said my goodbyes to James and hung up the phone.

When she came in she decided that I needed a little more than coffee to get me feeling better, so we decided to pick up our coffees instead and go shopping for the day. It was fun having a girl to hang out with again, because no matter how great a guy is, he will never understand girls like other girls do. We talked about everything, starting from things like music and ending with things like stories of the night James and I met, which she surprisingly didn't know.

"That's tragically romantic." She said, making me laugh as we were walking through the mall.

"Romantic?" I said and laughed again at her comment, not really understanding her thought process on that one.

"Well okay maybe not romantic, but very cute. Your Prince came and swept you up when you were heartbroken, I can't pen a better story than that." She looked at me and smiled.

"I wouldn't really call him a Prince and it also doesn't matter because he's not exactly available." I said, a wave of sadness washing over me.

"What do you mean not available! He invited you to the party last night did he not?!" She looked around then to make sure nobody was listening in as she realized she got a little bit too loud for the mall setting.

"Yes but he left with someone else and now he thinks he likes her so..." I whispered.

"That is some fucked up shit Nealer." She said. I nodded in agreement and we walked into Macy's. It was always my favourite place to shop. That's why it was unfortunate that the first person I saw when I walked in was their newest employee, Amber.

Notes

I'M AGGRESSIVELY SORRY ABOUT THE LONG TIME. I just finished exams so I thought the best way to celebrate would be with a new chapter. Hope you guys like it!

xox -Katee