Love, Lies, and the NHL.

I traced my fingers over the small photo of a young boy and young girl. The boy had shaggy brown hair and big cooked smile. The girl, small with chubby cheeks and long blonde hair. They were about 10 years old at the time the picture was taken. I sighed and placed the photo back into it’s space in the album.

The girl in the photo was me, Aimee Hallifield. The boy, was Brandon Sutter. My ex-boyfriend. When the photo had been taken, Brandon and I were kids. Innocent, happy to just play hockey together and throw water balloons at each other.

Fast-forward to our teenage years, we’d started dating when we were fifteen and were blissfully unaware of what ‘love’ really was. We thought we’d be together forever…that’s when it happened. When we were eighteen, things changed. We’d grew apart and he’d cheated on me…

We fought, broke up and he was drafted to the NHL. Fast-forward to today…I had just turned 25 and was standing in a coffee shop in Pittsburgh when I saw him. He’d grown so much since I’d seen him last…

I hid my face, hoping he wouldn’t see me. “Aimee?” his soft voice called, walking towards me. “Aimee Hallifield?”

I sighed, it was time to face the ghosts of my past. “Brandon.”

“Aimee! It’s great to see you!” he exclaimed, hugging me. I pulled away from his grasp and his expression changed. “What’s wrong?”

“Things haven’t changed Brandon…” I whispered

“Aimee…that was years ago! We were kids!”

“You broke my heart, Brandon!”

“I was eighteen! I was just a kid…”

“You still knew enough to know that what you did was wrong! You haven’t even tried calling me in years…my number hasn’t changed. My address hasn’t changed.”

“Aimee…I’m sorry. I’ve just been busy.”

I bit my lip and looked away from his gaze. Tears fell down my cheeks, “You’ve never apologized for what you did. Not in six years. Six years, Brandon! It’s taken you six years to even mutter an apology to me!”

Brandon looked away, “I wanted to talk to you so many times…I just didn’t know what to say. I was just a kid when I cheated on you…I had no idea what love really was…”

“You could have said something to me Brandon. You could have called or wrote…”

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you…there were times I’d type you number in, but hang up before it’d connect. I was so angry at myself for what I did.”

I looked at him, hurt still filling my eyes, “I can’t forgive you, Brandon. I’m sorry.” I started walking away from him and he followed after me.

“Aimee, please give me another chance!”

“Life doesn’t give second chances, Brandon. You had your’s. You blew it.”

“Aimee…”

“Brandon, I’m engaged.” I replied

Shock filled his face, “What?”

“I’m engaged. I’m getting married tomorrow. That’s why I’m in town.”

“You’re getting married? But…”

“Good-bye, Brandon.” I stammered, leaving him behind. I took a deep breath as I hailed a cab, going back to the hotel. I let the tears fall that I’d been holding in for years.
In the morning, I’d be married to my fiance Derek…
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I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The white gown fit me perfectly. My hair was hanging in lose curls around my shoulders. I was getting married soon, but my mind was elsewhere…
I couldn’t stop thinking about Brandon. He was the first guy I’d ever loved. I still loved him, but things could never work. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my fiance…but he wasn’t Brandon. Derek and I never connected as well as Brandon and I did. “Aimee, honey are you ready?” my mom asked

I looked at her with tears forming in my eyes, “Mom…”

“What is it honey?”

“Mom, I saw Brandon last night.” I sighed

“You did?” she asked, stunned. “Well, I guess he plays here now.”

“Mom, I still love him.”

My mom sighed, closed the door and sat down, “Honey, let me tell you something about me I that I’ve never told anyone before. I was just like you, my first boyfriend and I met when I was really young. We’d broken up when we went off to college, because things just fell that way. Every day I wished he’d call me. Every day I wished he’d come back into my life, but he never did. Then, 25 years ago, I saw him again. We talked and laughed and had an amazing night together, but he told me he was married. Had three children. I told him I was pregnant and engaged. We left each other that night and never looked back. I was with your father and he was with his wife.”

“What do you mean?”

My mom started crying, “I mean, that I would never trade you and your sister for anything in the world, but If I had a chance to do it over, I would have tried to make things work with Mike before it was too late.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Once you find true love, Aimee, it’s hard to find it again.”

I nodded, “I know what I have to do, mom.”

My mom hugged me and kissed my cheek as I grabbed my keys and purse. “Tell Derek I’ll explain to him later.” I rushed out of the church, my wedding dress still on, and drove as fast as I could to the Consol Energy Center. I knew they’d be leaving soon for a trip to DC. “Brandon!” I yelled, seeing him about to hop on the bus.

“Aimee?” he asked, confused hopping down.

“Uh, Sutter…we gotta go.” Sidney Crosby said, looking confused

“Hang on a minute!” Brandon called back, running towards me, “Aimee what are you doing here?”

“I can’t marry Derek. I’m still in love with you, Brandon. I’ve always been in love with you. I thought that maybe if I got married to Derek, I’d forget you…but I can’t forget you.”

Brandon looked at me, “I’ve always loved you too.” I ran to him and kissed him as he held me tightly and I never ever wanted him to let me go.

Notes