Tyson Barrie. TYSON FUCKING BARRIE. Was standing in her locker room, in Markham. How the fuck was this happening. The one person Madeline could go her life without seeing was now standing in front of her. She tried to not let her anger get the best of her, but she was emotional with everything going on in her life at the moment, and this was the last thing she needed. “Outside now.” She said calmly. She slowly backed out of the locker room, as Tyson followed her lead and walked outside the locker room with her. Once they were outside, she tugged at his arm to walk onto one of the benches with her, slamming the door behind her.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Her mom said she needed to work on her anger, so she wasn’t going to blow up. She was going to use her words and calmly discuss what the hell he was doing here in Markham when he was supposed to be across the country in fucking Vancouver. “You look good Gilmore, really good.” He smirked at her, that smile that always got her right in the heart. He knew how to get under her skin. “It’s almost Ekblad soon.” She repeated. She wanted him to know that she wasn’t going to be playing games with him. “I heard, from Matt Duchene. Thanks for that by the way. My own ex girlfriend couldn’t even pick up the phone to tell me she was getting married at the ripe age of 22 to a 20 year old.” Tyson wasn’t supposed to be the victim here, she was. He was the devil, he took advantage of her, ripped her heart out and stomped on it. He wasn’t supposed to be the one you feel bad for but here she was wincing when he said that. Why did she feel bad for him? “Don’t you have a girlfriend you live with in Denver? I didn’t think you actually cared about me. We’ve been done for 5 years Tyson. We broke up 5 years ago. In like 2012. It’s 2017. We’re long over.” She was telling the truth. Their relationship was just a teenage mistake. They fell in love hard, and they fell out of love hard. Passion, hurt, mistakes, cheating, a cocktail that she couldn’t deal with anymore. “I am not going to repeat myself again Barrie. What are you doing here?” She looked right at him, his eyes dodging hers. “I came here to win you back. Why else would I be in bumblefuck canada. The backroads of Toronto for what Roberts? My trainer back at home is just as good.”

She couldn’t hear this right now, she couldn’t believe this right now. “YOU HAD 5 years. 5 YEARS! You had the summer three years ago to tell me this, to win me back. I am taken. I am getting married. We haven’t talked wedding plans yet, but my best friend just broke off his engagement so we’re taking everything slow. I AM ENGAGED. I am happy. You can’t do this Ty, you need to go. I already hurt Aaron one time. I can’t hurt him again, and you being here isn’t good for any of us. So please go back to Vancouver and Denver. I’ll see you when we play the Avs. Maybe I’ll go out to dinner with you and Matty. But you need to leave.” She stood up from the bench, and went to leave, but Tyson grabbed her wrist pulling her back to him. “You’re making a huge mistake. Maybe the reason you cheated on him with Rielly, and the fact that you guys aren’t getting married anytime soon is because you don’t love him. You still love me, just like I still love you Madeline. We’re each others first loves. We can make this work. You can leave him, come back with me to Vancouver, start a life with me in Victoria. You love Victoria and you haven’t seen Jennifer Benn in 6 years, she misses you. My family misses you, the Benn’s miss you. Jamie’s here just to hang out with you and your family again. At least think about it Madeline.” There he went, dropping this bomb on her and walking off the bench and back to the locker room. Like nothing just happened. She couldn’t breathe. He really was the devil. He was Satan.

“Mads?” She heard her name and saw Morgan open the door to the bench and stand in the doorway. “I just heard that. I mean I was walking into the locker room, and heard all of that. Are you okay?” Madeline walked off the bench and into Morgan’s arms. “I don’t know if I am okay.” Why was she always getting into love triangles. “You know you did rush into the relationship with Aaron, right after your breakup with Tyson. At least that’s what Skinner said. You haven’t been single since like Grade 8. That’s not a bad thing, but Aaron has your name, and Always and Forever tatted on him. He’s 20 and ready to make this jump with you. You’re about to turn 23, he’s about to turn 21. You guys have been at this for five years. It’s a long time. Before you guys get into what I did, breaking off the wedding to Lauren. Dating Amanda in secret. You need to figure out who you are, and who you love.”
Morgan was right. Madeline needed to figure out who she was this summer. For the sake of Aaron. She loved him so much it hurt. And she needed to figure out how she felt about Tyson, and if he can be in her life, or out completely. And she also needed to get her head back into hockey. For good.

“You’re right. I have this summer. But first let’s go get on our gear.” Morgan smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her waist and walked in with her. Second week of training, and drama is at every turn.

“You alright?” Aaron said as he kissed her forehead when she sat down next to him. “Yeah, everything’s fine.” Lies. It wasn’t. She was a wreck. But she needed to keep everything together for him. “Love you beautiful.” She smiled and kissed his lips gently. “Love you fiance.”

---

Tyson Barrie wanted to throw up when he saw Aaron kiss Madeline. He was Madeline's first kiss, her first time, her first everything. She was his. "Stop it." Morgan Rielly sat down next to him, pushing his Maple Leaf duffel next to his Avalanche one. "Stop what?" He met this kid just now and he was being a little bitch. "Let them be happy, do not get involved, or you will be dealing with me and this entire locker room. And unlike Aaron I am not scared of you Barrie. And I know what happened with you and Madeline in Kelowna, Aaron doesn't." Tyson looked him down, Madeline told him about everything in their relationship. He knew secrets no one knew. Secrets that could destroy him. "Whatever." If those secrets came out, Aaron would never look at Madeline that way again. Jamie Benn looked over at him. "You K?" He mouthed. He nodded. Things could get revealed this summer that would change everyone's lives, if he didn't stay away from Madeline. He looked over at her, smiling and laughing with Michael Del Zotto and Aaron. A little of his heart broke.

Notes