Gen Connelly walked into her bedroom and dropped her two duffel bags, 1 laundry bag and backpack onto the hardwood floor next to her door. She stripped off her snow covered navy Pennfield jacket and laid it down on one of the club chairs in her room. She slipped off her snow ridden Bean boots and shrugged them to the side. Her legs were shivering from the snow melting and sinking through her lululemon leggings. Her chocolate brown hair patted to her neck. Gen threw off her remaining clothes, leaving a trail in her wake leading to the bathroom. She wrapped a comfy towel around her body and started a hot bath in her crawl foot soaking tub. She slipped in and let out a moan. The hot water felt so relaxing on her freezing cold body.

She got a big Welcome back to Connecticut hug from the weather gods, as on her way home from Ithaca, NY, on her way back home from Cornell a huge snowstorm came through and blanketed the whole northeast. She was happy to be done with the first half of her Sophomore year and happy to be home in Fairfield County for a whole six weeks. Six weeks of just enjoying Christmas with her family, her brothers were expected to come home on Christmas Eve, and leave back to their NHL cities three days after, six weeks of hanging out with her friends and boyfriend. Six weeks of going to the local outdoor rink, strapping on the skates and being home. She was ready for this. She needed this. After her twenty minute much needed soak she climbed out of her tub, and wrapped the comfy warm towel around her again.

She walked into her closet and pulled out a pair of Penguins sweatpants she swiped from Connor. He always got new gear, so he wouldn't miss them. She rolled up the waistband and grabbed a Rangers thermal her brother worn under his equipment at the 2012 Winter Classic. What? The boys weren't missing their gear, they always got new things from their teams and Reebok. They had boxes of unopened NHL gear sitting in their rooms, collecting dust until they got home and went through it, giving some of it to her. She grabbed a pair of J.Crew Camp socks and her Restoration Hardware Faux fox fur blanket, wrapped it around her and bounded down the stairs and towards the living room. "Was your bath good?" She stood by the fireplace as a muscular figure wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Yeah it was just what I needed. How was your shower?" She leaned into him, and ran her fingers through his wet, thick, flow that made her swoon. "Just what I needed after driving four hours in a northeaster." She turned to face Cole Bardreau, kissing him gently, letting the blanket fall to the wayside. He looked gorgeous in a pair of J.Crew Camp socks, Cornell Hockey under armour shorts, and a Boston Bruins Prospect Camp sweatshirt. "What was that far?" He smirked kissing her again before her parents came in. "Just for being you. The boy I love." He brought her in closer, and kissed her again, then kissing her neck and tickling her. "What was that for?" She replied smirking. "Just for being you. The girl I love." She bit her lip and kissed his forehead. Her phone pinged, as the doorbell rang. "That's the Chinese food, the check's by the door. Get it? My parents are in the study. I'll tell them it's here." He nodded as he walked out of the living room and into the foyer to collect the food. Thank god she was starving.

Her phone pinged once again as she sauntered over to the couch where she had dropped it and picked it up. 2 texts from a name she thought she wouldn't ever see again. She gulped. She slide open her phone, punching in her code and clicking messages. Messages (2) From Jonathan Tanner Miller. "I heard your home for break. Patrick told me today in practice, hope you got home safe." "I need to see you, I am so sorry Genny, for everything. I need to see you." She gulped again. She had just put this summer behind her, she had just accepted Cole's official girlfriend proposal, she was happy again. Her heart was fixing the cracks that Jonathan Tanner had implemented on her heart. And now here he was again, implementing himself back into her life. She remembered one of their last fights, that stupid August day, she should of known then he was going to break her heart.

---

Gen knew that the boys had just ended a tough training session and would probably be hungry. So she grabbed a bunch of sandwiches for J.T., JVR, Jack and her for lunch and headed over to their beach house. It was a warm August day and her and J.T. had just celebrated their three month anniversary. She was happy or at least she wanted to be happy. Paige Ryan and Brayden Caldwell their two exes were still in their lives and while she was trying her hardest to wipe the slate clean, and Wipe Brayden away, J.T. wasn't trying so hard with Paige. They were texting all the time, and snap chatting, and video chatting. It was like J.T. had two girlfriends. Not one. And it disturbed her. Why couldn't he just be happy with her? He knew they had history, a long one, childhood. But why couldn't they be happy making a new history? Together. She walked into the house and was gladly greeted by Jack's dog Maggie. "Hey Mags, where's the boys?" She didn't see cars outside but she thought that they had probably parked in the garage to keep the cars cool. She dropped the lunch on the kitchen island and went looking for the boys. "Jay? Jacky? Jamesy?" She yelled but no response. She walked up the stairs to J.T.'s room, and opened the door. There he was shirtless, sitting in a towel wrapped around his waist. Laughing. His Laptop opened. "I can't believe he did that. Right in front of her? That kid. Haha I miss the Burgh crew. You guys should come here one weekend. We'd have a blast." She knocked and he looked up at her with a look. "Hey Paige, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." He exited out of Skype and closed his laptop. "Hey you should of knocked." He walked into his closet and she walked in, sitting on his bed. "Sorry I was looking for you guys." He walked out in a pair of athletic shorts. "Still, knock." She shook her head. "Why should I have to knock on my boyfriends door?" He rolled his eyes at her.

"Because I was having a conversation Genny." She rolled her eyes this time. "With your ex girlfriend. Which is weird. Should I call up Brayden and invite him to town?" He grabbed a New York Rangers tee with his name and number on the back. Conceeded. "Do whatever you want. Did you bring lunch over?" She nodded. "From Oscars?" She nodded again. "Did you remember the mayo this time?" She nodded. He let out a sigh and walked out of the room, the door swinging back and slamming shut. She texted Cole. "He has such an attitude problem. No wonder the team gets pissed at him so easily." She shouldn't be texting his best friend behind his back, but Cole was her best friend too. "Just roll with it, he'll calm down." He answered. She walked downstairs to find all three boys hauling food into their mouths. "Hey Gen!" JVR kissed the top of her forehead. "What's up Gen?" Jack asked as he made her a plate. "Nothing much boys." She took the plate from him and sat down next to J.T. placing her hand on his thigh. He shrugged it off. "Sorry I don't want your ex girlfriend here J.T. it's not so crazy." He rolled his eyes. "We're friends, she's in my friend group. There's nothing I can do." Gen grabbed her celine bag off the island and slipped on her Jacks. "Yeah you could not invite her to my town, and my home. That would be awesome. Tell me when she's coming, I'll invite Brayden. It will be a Ex Convention. You guys broke up, you moved on. So actually move on." She took her Ray Bans out of her bag and slipped them onto the top of her way. "Maybe we shouldn't of broken up." J.T. muttered. "Wow Fuck you J.T." She stormed out. "Wow dude seriously? Gen's amazing, your ridicilous. So many guys would love to be her boyfriend. Go after her."

Gen got into her Range Rover and was about to pull out of the driveway when J.T. came out and stopped her. "I am sorry Babe. I love you. I am sorry. It's just been a day, I am tired and not thinking. Don't leave come on, come eat with us." She rolled down her window. "Fine." She put the car in park and got out. "Love you." He repeated. "Love you." He kissed her. "I am lucky to have you, don't go anyway Gen Connelly." She smirked. "I am not going anywhere."


*********
"Gen this Chinese food is out of this world." Cole took her out of her trance and she smiled at him. "Like so good." She sunk into him as she grabbed her bowl of food off the coffee table. "Thanks for coming home with me babe." He kissed her forehead. "No problem babe. I am just going home for Christmas Eve, Christmas and then two or three games and I'll be back here with you." She let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I need you here." Her eyes started closing, as she placed her food back on the table and sunk into Cole more, falling asleep on his chest. He was her home, wherever he was. She wasn't going to let J.T. get to her, or break this up. He was just a summer fling, nothing else, nothing more. Just someone to get Brayden off her mind. He wasn't Cole.

Notes