Second Best
One
It was a cold, overcast day in Pittsburgh. I quickly walked down the hill in just my suit and knew instantly I should have at least worn my coat. Walking through the building again just felt right. This felt right. We had the past week to catch up with everyone and a few guys from the WBS Penguins. When we got in the lockerroom we just knew it was time to bring our A game. I tried as hard as I could to focus through warmups, but I just felt a little nervous getting back out there. When it was time for us to skate out I took a deep breath. I just knew.
She's here.
I didn't see her at first. Not until the lights came up. Then she was right in front of me. Her long, wavy, black hair splayed out across her shoulders. I nearly choked on my mouth guard. She was wearing HIS jersey. I tried to act like I didn't see her, but she had to have seen me. I thought I was going to throw up right there in the middle of the ice. She just had to wear his fucking jersey here. Just to piss me off. God, she's such a bitch.
But she's really not. I fucked up.
"Nealer! You ok bud?" Duper asked me when we got back on the bench.
"Y-yeah. What's up?"
"You like zoned the hell out."
"She's here" I whispered to him as they did the whole ceremonial puck drop thing.
"Stop thinkin about her man."
"I can't. She's wearing his fucking jersey" I try to calm down, but my fingers feel like they're on fucking fire.
"Then just show her what she's fucking missing, eh?" He smirks. That stupid ass red jersey looks like a tiny fleck across the ice from me.
Fucking Prust. Of all fucking guys. I don't know what the fuck he has that I don't. We'll only play Montreal a few times this season, but that doesn't make it feel any better. It doesn't make it hurt any less.
"Pass puck!" I heard Geno scream. I looked down to see the puck on my tape and when I looked back up someone was coming at me. For a second I couldn't breathe. I was laid out like a pancake. It took a second to get up, but when I did, I looked in the stands. She was maybe in the third row back. She was standing and staring at me with wide eyes. When I got up to skate, she slowly sat back down and stared at her phone.
As we changed lines I sat on the bench in a daze. I hated this feeling. I couldn't help reminisce about all our good times.
"Babe" I whispered close to her ear. She rolled over and faced me.
"Yeah Jamesy?" her face buried into my chest. My heart started to race.
"I love you." I said staring at the wall. We'd only been seeing each other for 6 months, but we were like lock and key. She was confident and sociable and I was a little awkward. I thought we worked well at least.
She looked up at me. Her chocolate eyes staring into mine. Her fingers began to trace circles on my chest.
"I love you too James." I never felt happier.
"Geno's line! Geno's line!"
"James!"
"James get your ass out there!" Dan screamed at me. I jumped off the bench and onto the ice. I was horrible the whole game. I took stupid penalties and no matter what I did I couldn't get a shot past Price. As out timeout was over I saw Prust smirking at me from across the ice.
"What?" I yelled.
"Nothing, just thinking about how I'm gonna nail Reese tonight."
I don't know what happened after that. I saw red. The next thing I knew I was on top of him and punching his face in. A few guys pulled me off and I sat for the rest of the game in the locker room.
We lost. 5-0. I watched Flower walk in and slam his stick into the holder. I hung my head down and Duper took his seat next to me.
"Hey, chin up man. It's just one girl" I nodded, but I knew he was wrong. All the guys showered and got dressed. They started to file out when I saw her walk up to the locker room door.
"Hey." She said quietly. Just seeing her again, so close, almost made me hard. She wore a sheer seafoam blouse and black leggings with black stilettos. I looked at her up and down.
"Hi" I said fastening my cufflinks.
"How are you?" she asked stepping in the room.
"Good." I faced her and stuffed my hands into my pockets.
"You look good." She kept getting closer and closer to me.
"Thanks" I said staring at the ground. She was right in front of me and put her small hand on my chest.
"You look really good in purple. I really like this suit on you-"
"Stop" I said pulling away from her.
"I just-"
"You just what? Wanted to rub it in my face that your boyfriend's team slaughtered us? Wanted to remind me that you left me for the next player on your list?" I said snidely crossing my arms.
"Jamesy" she pouted. My blood boiled.
"Don't call me that"
"Can we just talk?" she begged.
"Talk? Oh now you want to talk?! A month and a half later? After you're new boyfriend's team beats us?You're not worth my time."
"James just listen to me!" She screamed, her eyes tearing up. "I'm sorry. I was scared okay! We were getting serious and I was scared! I don't do relationships."
"Except with him" she was silent.
"I still care about you." I scoffed loudly and let out a laugh. She just gave me a look. I took a deep breath and sat in my stall. She stood in front of me and ran a hand through my hair. I blinked hard and gulped.
"Hey, come on babe, what are you doin in here?" I heard him call from the hallway.
"Just saying bye to Nealer." She gave me a kind smile and a peck on the cheek.
"You still have my number right?"
I nodded.
"Text me" She walked towards Prust and he swiftly picked her up. He pushed her into the doorframe and kissd her hard. My eyes darted away. I cleared my throat and he set her down, smacked her ass, and left.
Why did you break up with me?
Idk, it was just too intense for me. Idk how to commit.
But you can date Prust?
I was on vacay in Mtl. Not sure how it happened really.
Then why are you talking to me?
I want us to be friends. I miss you. You were my best friend.
Well it was your choice to never answer my calls.
I'm sorry. I knew this would happen.
What? That I'd be mad.
No, that our friendship would be ruined. We shouldn't have dated to begin with.
We can start over, go slower.
But...Brandon.
Well. idk what to say.
I'm sorry.
It's fine. You move to Montreal?
No. I still live here.
I can't believe you're dating another hockey player.
What do you think I'm a puck bunny now?
No. Are you happy?
Yeah. I think I love him.
That was it. That was the dagger through my heart.
Why are you telling me that? Are you trying to hurt me?
You're my best friend. Nobody talks to me anymore. Do you know how hard that is?
Maybe you shouldn't have broken my fucking heart.
"James, I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore." she said standing in the doorway.
"Babe can we just talk about this later-"
"I'm saying I don't love you anymore. I'm sorry, I can't just pretend for all your teammates and friends that I'm happy." the lights turn on behind her and everyone came out from hiding in silence. No "Surprise". She looked mortified. Everybody looked so awkward. They had nothing to say. There was nothing to be sad.
"Happy fucking birthday. I said walking out of our condo.
She's here.
I didn't see her at first. Not until the lights came up. Then she was right in front of me. Her long, wavy, black hair splayed out across her shoulders. I nearly choked on my mouth guard. She was wearing HIS jersey. I tried to act like I didn't see her, but she had to have seen me. I thought I was going to throw up right there in the middle of the ice. She just had to wear his fucking jersey here. Just to piss me off. God, she's such a bitch.
But she's really not. I fucked up.
"Nealer! You ok bud?" Duper asked me when we got back on the bench.
"Y-yeah. What's up?"
"You like zoned the hell out."
"She's here" I whispered to him as they did the whole ceremonial puck drop thing.
"Stop thinkin about her man."
"I can't. She's wearing his fucking jersey" I try to calm down, but my fingers feel like they're on fucking fire.
"Then just show her what she's fucking missing, eh?" He smirks. That stupid ass red jersey looks like a tiny fleck across the ice from me.
Fucking Prust. Of all fucking guys. I don't know what the fuck he has that I don't. We'll only play Montreal a few times this season, but that doesn't make it feel any better. It doesn't make it hurt any less.
"Pass puck!" I heard Geno scream. I looked down to see the puck on my tape and when I looked back up someone was coming at me. For a second I couldn't breathe. I was laid out like a pancake. It took a second to get up, but when I did, I looked in the stands. She was maybe in the third row back. She was standing and staring at me with wide eyes. When I got up to skate, she slowly sat back down and stared at her phone.
As we changed lines I sat on the bench in a daze. I hated this feeling. I couldn't help reminisce about all our good times.
"Babe" I whispered close to her ear. She rolled over and faced me.
"Yeah Jamesy?" her face buried into my chest. My heart started to race.
"I love you." I said staring at the wall. We'd only been seeing each other for 6 months, but we were like lock and key. She was confident and sociable and I was a little awkward. I thought we worked well at least.
She looked up at me. Her chocolate eyes staring into mine. Her fingers began to trace circles on my chest.
"I love you too James." I never felt happier.
"Geno's line! Geno's line!"
"James!"
"James get your ass out there!" Dan screamed at me. I jumped off the bench and onto the ice. I was horrible the whole game. I took stupid penalties and no matter what I did I couldn't get a shot past Price. As out timeout was over I saw Prust smirking at me from across the ice.
"What?" I yelled.
"Nothing, just thinking about how I'm gonna nail Reese tonight."
I don't know what happened after that. I saw red. The next thing I knew I was on top of him and punching his face in. A few guys pulled me off and I sat for the rest of the game in the locker room.
We lost. 5-0. I watched Flower walk in and slam his stick into the holder. I hung my head down and Duper took his seat next to me.
"Hey, chin up man. It's just one girl" I nodded, but I knew he was wrong. All the guys showered and got dressed. They started to file out when I saw her walk up to the locker room door.
"Hey." She said quietly. Just seeing her again, so close, almost made me hard. She wore a sheer seafoam blouse and black leggings with black stilettos. I looked at her up and down.
"Hi" I said fastening my cufflinks.
"How are you?" she asked stepping in the room.
"Good." I faced her and stuffed my hands into my pockets.
"You look good." She kept getting closer and closer to me.
"Thanks" I said staring at the ground. She was right in front of me and put her small hand on my chest.
"You look really good in purple. I really like this suit on you-"
"Stop" I said pulling away from her.
"I just-"
"You just what? Wanted to rub it in my face that your boyfriend's team slaughtered us? Wanted to remind me that you left me for the next player on your list?" I said snidely crossing my arms.
"Jamesy" she pouted. My blood boiled.
"Don't call me that"
"Can we just talk?" she begged.
"Talk? Oh now you want to talk?! A month and a half later? After you're new boyfriend's team beats us?You're not worth my time."
"James just listen to me!" She screamed, her eyes tearing up. "I'm sorry. I was scared okay! We were getting serious and I was scared! I don't do relationships."
"Except with him" she was silent.
"I still care about you." I scoffed loudly and let out a laugh. She just gave me a look. I took a deep breath and sat in my stall. She stood in front of me and ran a hand through my hair. I blinked hard and gulped.
"Hey, come on babe, what are you doin in here?" I heard him call from the hallway.
"Just saying bye to Nealer." She gave me a kind smile and a peck on the cheek.
"You still have my number right?"
I nodded.
"Text me" She walked towards Prust and he swiftly picked her up. He pushed her into the doorframe and kissd her hard. My eyes darted away. I cleared my throat and he set her down, smacked her ass, and left.
Why did you break up with me?
Idk, it was just too intense for me. Idk how to commit.
But you can date Prust?
I was on vacay in Mtl. Not sure how it happened really.
Then why are you talking to me?
I want us to be friends. I miss you. You were my best friend.
Well it was your choice to never answer my calls.
I'm sorry. I knew this would happen.
What? That I'd be mad.
No, that our friendship would be ruined. We shouldn't have dated to begin with.
We can start over, go slower.
But...Brandon.
Well. idk what to say.
I'm sorry.
It's fine. You move to Montreal?
No. I still live here.
I can't believe you're dating another hockey player.
What do you think I'm a puck bunny now?
No. Are you happy?
Yeah. I think I love him.
That was it. That was the dagger through my heart.
Why are you telling me that? Are you trying to hurt me?
You're my best friend. Nobody talks to me anymore. Do you know how hard that is?
Maybe you shouldn't have broken my fucking heart.
"James, I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore." she said standing in the doorway.
"Babe can we just talk about this later-"
"I'm saying I don't love you anymore. I'm sorry, I can't just pretend for all your teammates and friends that I'm happy." the lights turn on behind her and everyone came out from hiding in silence. No "Surprise". She looked mortified. Everybody looked so awkward. They had nothing to say. There was nothing to be sad.
"Happy fucking birthday. I said walking out of our condo.
11/25/13