Look After You

The rest of the reception went by relatively fast, as soon as alcohol came into my system the night seemed a lot less stressful. I wasn’t angry with Sid, in fact, we had actually talked a couple times throughout the night.
However, as the night continued on, the more tired I became. Ready to leave early I gave my farewell to the bride and groom.
“Do you mind if I walk with you?” Sidney asked politely, appearing beside me.
“Sure.” I walked with him, approaching my brother. “I’ll meet you at home and don’t make an ass of yourself.” I warned Cooper knowing I’d be the one to blame if he’d do anything.
“Ready?” Sid smiled walking up behind me.
“Good to go.” I smiled back, folding my jacked in my hands. We headed to the exit and stepped out into the crisp summer night.
“So nice out.” I smiled looking up at the stars.
“Yeah, you can’t really see all the stars at night in Pittsburgh. You can see them a lot better here.” I heard Sid beside me.
“How is Pittsburgh anyway?” I pulled my eyes from the sky to meet his.
“It’s great. Good people all around. Generally a good vibe.”
“Sid.” I stopped him before he could carry on.
“What?” I could tell he was worried that I would catch his bluff.
“I’m not the press.” I hinted.
“It’s lonely, you know?” He said after pausing momentarily.
“Toronto is too.” His face lit up when I agreed.
“It’s such a large city with so many people but it feels so empty sometimes.” He carried on. I let out a quiet agreement before turning my head forward again. I found ourselves right by the ice cream shop we had gone to so many times together.
“Best ice cream in the world.” Sid leaned towards me, bumping his shoulder lightly with mine.
“What I would do for a coca mocha bowl right now.” I laughed.
“We’ll have to go. For old time’s sake.”
“Sounds like a plan.” My mind flashed back to the days where we hid in the corner away from everyone else, each enjoying our cold treat.
We kept walking, my mind replayed memories of us together in our adolescent years.
“Seems like it hasn’t changed one bit.” Sid broke the silence, obviously having the same thoughts as myself.
“Just the people in it have.” I half smiled back. My eyes turned forward once again, trying to appreciate the silence.
“Listen, I’m sorry about before, I shouldn’t have tried to get into your business about you and Brandon. I’m sure he’s a good guy, I guess I just thought…” He blurted.
“Me and Brandon talked for the first time today since high school. We’re nothing more than acquaintances, you didn’t do anything wrong.” I cut him off, reassuring him that he hadn’t offended me.
“He always had a thing for you, at least from what I saw.” Sid looked at his feet.
“I could argue that but yeah, definitely nothing happening there.” I smiled.
“Is there anything happening anywhere?” He looked at me; my eyebrows rose hoping he wasn’t hinting at anything. “Just asking as a friend.” He put his hands up, surrendering to my facial expression.
“No.” I tried to smile. “Not really. What about you?”
“No, I mean, there are girls, but none of them really mean anything. They just throw themselves at any man who has money.”
“And that’s not any man’s dream?” I sarcastically laughed.
“Just waiting for the right girl who doesn’t have a career and just wants my money.” He winked back.
“What more could you want?” I replied sarcastically again.
“So there really hasn’t been a single guy?” He changed the focus towards me.
“I mean there were college guys, but like you, they didn’t mean anything, at least they don’t anymore. And then there’s Liam but nothing’s going on there either.”
“Liam?” He jumped to reply.
“Yeah, met him in school.” I was used to people assuming that there was something more going on between Liam and myself so I wasn’t surprised when Sid questioned it.
“I think I remember Mom talking about him.” He looked forward.
“Yeah, Mom wanted me to bring him home so bad.”
“Can I ask why you two aren’t more than friends?” His eyes met mine.
“It never felt right. I’ve never looked at him at that way, even if I try to think of him like that, something’s missing.” The dangerous topic of conversation was making me feel uneasy.
The silence between us wasn’t comfortable like it would’ve been years before. I could tell he had things to say but it wasn’t the time or place to explain what happened and I felt the same way.
“So how long are you staying here for?” He slipped his hands in his pockets as he walked beside me.
“Probably until the middle or end of August, then it’s back to Toronto I think. When does training camp start?”
“Around then.” We turned down my street, I sighed in relief knowing that I was close to my bed. We continued to walk in the awkward silence as we approached my driveway, pausing just behind Cooper’s truck.
“Is it everything you thought it’d be?” I leaned against the tailgate of the truck.
“What? The NHL?” His eyes met mine as I slightly nodded. “I guess.”
“You don’t sound so sure.”
“That sounds bad, Goose” He stopped himself after my nickname poured from his lips completely unfiltered. “Sorry. Lucy. That sounds bad saying that it’s not everything I wanted. It is everything I could want out of the game. I am lucky and I know that.” He stuttered.
“But…?” I waited.
“I just hate what it did to my personal life. I lost you. I barely see my family.”
I wanted to argue that he didn’t lose me but that was a lie to both of us.
“Friends grow apart Sid.”
His deep brown eyes searched mine.
A set of headlights pulled both our gaze away from each other. A large truck that read ‘Brandon and Mike fishing” in green letters on the door pulled up my driveway.
The passenger door flung open and an extremely intoxicated Cooper stumbled out. His arms immediately took his weight as he leaned against his truck and began vomiting up whatever alcohol he had just consumed.
“You’ve got to be joking.” I sighed to myself.
“Sorry Luce, we were just having a few drinks and he somehow got like this.” Brandon tried to justify stepping out of the driver’s seat.
“Whatever.”
“You need help?” Sid interrupted as I began walking towards my idiot brother.
“I think I’ll be fine. Thanks for walking me home.” Cooper was now nearly passed out with his arm wrapped around my shoulder.
“Let me get him inside.” Brandon joined in.
“Actually Brandon, I think you’ve done enough.” Sid’s sly grin showed he’d enjoyed watching me snap at Brandon. “Sid do you want me to call you a cab or something.”
“Did you forget that I’m literally a block away?” He bugged.
“Right. Well have a good night.” I glanced between the two, trying to not notice the very obvious tension between them. “C’mon dumbass.” Cooper hung limply on my shoulder, barely being able to walk with me.

Notes

Hope you're all enjoying it :)
also, if the text is in italics then it's a flashback to Lucy's past! or it's a text message but it'll be obvious to tell :)