Doing What He Does Best, Leaving. Again.
Chapter Three
“Are we there yet. Are we there yet. Yet. Yet.Yet!” The kids sang in unison in the back of the car. I tried to ignore them but it was becoming too much. Right after I told the kids we were going to Kris’s I immediately called him back and told him I would drive myself. I did not want to get stuck there for any longer than I had to and with my own car I could get away whenever I needed to. We were almost at his house when we hit a red light. It seems as if I always hit all the red lights. Looking up through my mirror I saw happiness in my kid’s eyes. I have not seen them this happy in a long time. Even though I was mad at Kris I knew what I had to do.
“SIDNEY!” The kids shrieked as Kris threw the door to his home open. They flew past him and ran into the open arms of Sidney. He picked them up into a hug and spun them around like how he used to when they were little. I stood in the doorway smiling. They loved Sidney. He was always so good with the kids as well.
“Well good to see you kiddos too…” Kris laughed as he walked by and messed up Ryan’s hair which caused a disgruntled hey to shoot from his mouth.
“We see you ALL the time dad. We never get to see Sidney anymore thanks to Asshole Bettman.” Dakota laughed as she grabbed Sidney’s hand, dragging him through the house. I tried to stifle a laugh as Kris’s mouth hit the floor. His head whipped around and gave me a pointed look so I began busying myself hanging up the kid’s jackets and my own. It was all just a diversion trying to hide my amusement from what she had said. I knew I should not be condoning this behavior but Bettman is an asshole so she is telling the truth. Kris just shook his head and began walking towards the kitchen.
“Hey wait up!” I said. I walked briskly behind him and followed him into the kitchen. Kris began busying himself grabbing beers out of the fridge. He pointed at a Twisted Tea for me and I nodded my head yes. He grabbed the bottle and walked over to me.
“Okay.” I whispered as the cold bottle hit my hand.
“Okay?” He asked skeptically.
“Yeah. Okay. I’ll give it a shot.” A small smile etched itself on Kris’s face as he stared into my eyes. Damn Kris.
“Stop it!” I pushed myself away from the counter and began walking out of the kitchen. Before I could make it over the threshold his hand caught my arm and pulled me back against his muscular chest.
“Thank you.” He whispered in my ear. He gave the side of my head a peck and began to walk out of the kitchen. Now it was my turn to grab his arm and pull him back into the kitchen.
“That’s not what I meant.” I sternly said. We were standing so close to each other. Our bodies nearly touching as he leaned back into the counter.
“And what do you not mean?” he arched his eyebrow and stared down at me waiting for my answer.
“We are not going back to the way it was Kris. I didn’t mean I would give you a chance. I meant I’d give you a chance back as a friend. I am beyond tired of fighting with you. That is all we do. It is tiring. Work and taking care of two nine year olds is stressful enough. I don’t need to be fighting with you too. I just miss how we were. You were my everything. We have been best friends since we were kids. We hung out every day. Remember how I ran away when I was 13 to your house? I spent the entire weekend there thinking I was torturing my parents but the whole time our parents were talking and they knew I was there? Or remember when you got your license and we took your dads car and drove off? We drove for hours and hours. No plans, just you, me, and the open road. I miss that. I miss our carefree relationship. Why did everything go wrong?” I broke into sobs as I tried to finish my sentence. His arms circled my waste and I clung to him as a cried. His arms tightened around me and his chest was shaking. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see a few tears slide down his face.
“I don’t know baby, I don’t know.” He whispered as he rubbed my back. We stood there in silence as I tried to collect myself.
“Thank you. I really needed that.” I whipped the tears from my eyes and leaned out of his embrace.
“We will get through this. We always do.”
“No we don’t. We get halfway through it and then sink. We are like the titanic. It’s all smooth sailing then we hit an iceberg and everything bursts into flames.” I began to leave the kitchen but Kris grabbed my arm again, but this time he was laughing.
“Did you really just compare us to a ship?” he laughed. I shook my head yes and couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Danielle, I know I cannot change anything. I messed up twice. And I know we aren’t going to be in a relationship again. I have hurt you too much. But I’m not going anywhere. These past years have been great, well besides us fighting. I love Dakota and Ryan. I really do. I could never leave them.” Tears began to swell in his eyes. I leaned forward and hugged him. Hoping that the words he said he really meant.
“SIDNEY!” The kids shrieked as Kris threw the door to his home open. They flew past him and ran into the open arms of Sidney. He picked them up into a hug and spun them around like how he used to when they were little. I stood in the doorway smiling. They loved Sidney. He was always so good with the kids as well.
“Well good to see you kiddos too…” Kris laughed as he walked by and messed up Ryan’s hair which caused a disgruntled hey to shoot from his mouth.
“We see you ALL the time dad. We never get to see Sidney anymore thanks to Asshole Bettman.” Dakota laughed as she grabbed Sidney’s hand, dragging him through the house. I tried to stifle a laugh as Kris’s mouth hit the floor. His head whipped around and gave me a pointed look so I began busying myself hanging up the kid’s jackets and my own. It was all just a diversion trying to hide my amusement from what she had said. I knew I should not be condoning this behavior but Bettman is an asshole so she is telling the truth. Kris just shook his head and began walking towards the kitchen.
“Hey wait up!” I said. I walked briskly behind him and followed him into the kitchen. Kris began busying himself grabbing beers out of the fridge. He pointed at a Twisted Tea for me and I nodded my head yes. He grabbed the bottle and walked over to me.
“Okay.” I whispered as the cold bottle hit my hand.
“Okay?” He asked skeptically.
“Yeah. Okay. I’ll give it a shot.” A small smile etched itself on Kris’s face as he stared into my eyes. Damn Kris.
“Stop it!” I pushed myself away from the counter and began walking out of the kitchen. Before I could make it over the threshold his hand caught my arm and pulled me back against his muscular chest.
“Thank you.” He whispered in my ear. He gave the side of my head a peck and began to walk out of the kitchen. Now it was my turn to grab his arm and pull him back into the kitchen.
“That’s not what I meant.” I sternly said. We were standing so close to each other. Our bodies nearly touching as he leaned back into the counter.
“And what do you not mean?” he arched his eyebrow and stared down at me waiting for my answer.
“We are not going back to the way it was Kris. I didn’t mean I would give you a chance. I meant I’d give you a chance back as a friend. I am beyond tired of fighting with you. That is all we do. It is tiring. Work and taking care of two nine year olds is stressful enough. I don’t need to be fighting with you too. I just miss how we were. You were my everything. We have been best friends since we were kids. We hung out every day. Remember how I ran away when I was 13 to your house? I spent the entire weekend there thinking I was torturing my parents but the whole time our parents were talking and they knew I was there? Or remember when you got your license and we took your dads car and drove off? We drove for hours and hours. No plans, just you, me, and the open road. I miss that. I miss our carefree relationship. Why did everything go wrong?” I broke into sobs as I tried to finish my sentence. His arms circled my waste and I clung to him as a cried. His arms tightened around me and his chest was shaking. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see a few tears slide down his face.
“I don’t know baby, I don’t know.” He whispered as he rubbed my back. We stood there in silence as I tried to collect myself.
“Thank you. I really needed that.” I whipped the tears from my eyes and leaned out of his embrace.
“We will get through this. We always do.”
“No we don’t. We get halfway through it and then sink. We are like the titanic. It’s all smooth sailing then we hit an iceberg and everything bursts into flames.” I began to leave the kitchen but Kris grabbed my arm again, but this time he was laughing.
“Did you really just compare us to a ship?” he laughed. I shook my head yes and couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Danielle, I know I cannot change anything. I messed up twice. And I know we aren’t going to be in a relationship again. I have hurt you too much. But I’m not going anywhere. These past years have been great, well besides us fighting. I love Dakota and Ryan. I really do. I could never leave them.” Tears began to swell in his eyes. I leaned forward and hugged him. Hoping that the words he said he really meant.