Caught Between Love
Chapter 8
James was laying next to me, his hand resting on his stomach. I pulled the comforter off me and stretched beside the bed. I needed to get a run in before anyone woke up.
7am. Just me and the darkness.
I had only a few weeks left until I headed to Vancouver for national team training camp so I needed to stay in decent shape and running was the easiest option right now.
The conversation between James' mom and I keeps replaying in my head.
"His other relationships."
He never mentioned any past flings with anyone and I guess we never really talked about it either.
After my run, I sneak through the back patio, slowly running up the stairs to our bedroom so I can get a quick shower in. He was still passed out, this time his leg was hanging out from under the bed sheets.
I quickly undress and step in the shower stall, the hot water gently burning my skin. It felt good, a lot better than those ice baths I had to take all the time.
The bathroom was foggy, acting like a make-shift sauna and I sat on the counter with a towel wrapped around me. I haven't gotten a lot of alone time these past few weeks so I take all the chances I can get to just sink in my own thoughts.
I unplug my iPhone from the charging dock that was in the bathroom, wiping the screen and unlocking it. There was a message from 5 minutes ago.
S: When are you getting back to Halifax?
T: My flight leaves in like 4 hours. You're picking me up, right?
I hit send. Moments later Sid replies.
S: Of course.
A smile formed around my lips and I was about to text him back when my phone alerts me of another message.
S: I need to talk to you. Things have been left unsaid.
T: Okay, well we can talk when I get home, eh?
S: I need to talk to you now.
I hesitate texting back. Maybe if I just ignored him, I could pretend that my phone died or something.
T: I don't have any spare time, Sid. James has me busy, we only have a few hours felt together!
S: He has you doing a lot of things lately.
T: And what's that suppose to mean?
I wasn't sure to what Sid was accusing but it didn't sound very nice.
S: You've changed, Tess. You lie, you break promises and you've lost the most important thing, the one thing I adored about you. Your independence.
I've only lied once, maybe twice, and it's not like it was a huge deal, James forgave me just fine. Not quite sure what promises I broke or how I lost my so called 'independence' but it was way to early to begin a fight with anyone, let alone Sid.
T: I have no idea what you're getting at, Sid but I can tell you you're completely wrong. I'll see you in a couple hours. We can talk then.
I turn my phone off before he could text back. The bed was empty when I opened the door, James was gone. Dressing in a pair of jeans and a tank top, I scurried downstairs hoping to raid the Neal fridge.
The kitchen was packed full, it was like a family reunion. Then there was me, the outsider, the girlfriend no one really knows yet.
"Ah, Tess, good morning! Can I make you some eggs?" Deborah asks and I nod.
"That would be awesome. Thank you." I take the empty barstool next to James who was buttering his piece of wheat toast.
"Morning, babe." He leans over kissing my cheek, making everyone in the room 'aww'. I flash him an embarrassed smile as Deborah handed me a plate of the most delicious looking scrambled eggs I'd ever seen.
"Wow, these look tasty!" I grab the bottle of ketchup and pour some over the eggs and dive in fork first.
"You two really are made for each other." Pete says with disgust. James shakes his head and finished his glass of OJ.
"I don't get it." I murmur.
"Apparently you and James are the only people I know who eat eggs with ketchup. Gross!" Nick chimes in.
"Pfft. They're better this way, thank you very much!" I wink at James.
"So what time does your flight leave?" James' dad asks.
"In about 3 hours. I wish I could stay longer."
"I'm sure we'll see you before the summer is over." Mike says.
"Well, who knows. Training camp starts soon for the national team, two games with them then I have like 5 days off before I head back to Pittsburgh."
"Don't you guys play the U.S. in Toronto soon?" Becca replies.
"Hey, we do! Maybe I can get you all box seats?" Their eyes light up and Becca looks the most excited.
"That would be awesome!" She squeals.
I finish the last of my scrambled eggs and coffee before placing my empty plate in the sink.
"Babe, we should probably get to Toronto." He kisses my cheek softly. I wait downstairs talking to his parents when James comes down with my bags.
"Jesus, what did you pack?!" He teases.
"Shoes. And more shoes." I say curtly.
I say my goodbyes, Deborah handing me over her cell phone number.
"Call me if you need anything, dear." Her arms wrap around me and her Chanel perfume floods my senses.
"Will do. Thank you for your hospitality, it was fun!" I walk outside, James loading my bags into the back of the rental Jeep. I climb in the passenger seat, waving goodbye.
The drive to Toronto was quiet and serene. James s holding my hand the entire time and I could feel him glance over to me every now and then. So,entices he could be so adorable, other times, he could be a pain in my ass.
"So why are we getting here so early?" I look over at James, he was smiling, even behind those stupid sunglasses, I could tell he was trying to avoid eye contact.
"Nealer, spill it." I demand.
"Uh, I changed your flight."
"What do you mean you changed my flight?" Confusion sets in.
"I'm going to Halifax with you." He flashes me that 100-watt smile. He thinks he's being adorable and this couldn't have come at a worse time.
I find my phone, turning it back on hoping to get a hold of Sid before we get to the airport. Just my luck, my phone died, the stupid thing won't even turn on. Getting a hold of Sid was nearly impossible if he didn't recognize the phone number.
"Can I use your cell?" I ask James.
"What for?" He digs in his pocket pulling out his black iPhone and handing it to me.
"I need to confirm a car for pickup at the airport."
"The charge might be low, I didn't hook it up last night. We can always worry about it when we get there."
"Yeah but.....fine." I hand him back his phone. "When do we land?" I ask.
"11:15."
My original flight lands at 11:45 so maybe we can bypass Sid at the airport. I mean, the chances of him being there that early is unlikely.
We get to the gate to begin boarding our flight, my nerves at full alert. I hate flying.
The pilot gets on the overhead speaker.
"We'll be landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia in approximately two hours. The skies are clear which should make for an easy flight."
I stare out the window as the plane takes off, James holding my hand in comfort.
"We'll be there soon, babe. I can't wait to meet your family."
One deep breath and the beginning of a pounding headache, I reply.
"Yeah, me too. Should make for an interesting trip." I say amused.
Sometimes you just have to face your biggest fear, fear of confrontation, fear of betrayal and fear of loss. All of these could happen, might happen and most likely will happen. I'm between a rock and a hard place, caught between two friends.
And I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
7am. Just me and the darkness.
I had only a few weeks left until I headed to Vancouver for national team training camp so I needed to stay in decent shape and running was the easiest option right now.
The conversation between James' mom and I keeps replaying in my head.
"His other relationships."
He never mentioned any past flings with anyone and I guess we never really talked about it either.
After my run, I sneak through the back patio, slowly running up the stairs to our bedroom so I can get a quick shower in. He was still passed out, this time his leg was hanging out from under the bed sheets.
I quickly undress and step in the shower stall, the hot water gently burning my skin. It felt good, a lot better than those ice baths I had to take all the time.
The bathroom was foggy, acting like a make-shift sauna and I sat on the counter with a towel wrapped around me. I haven't gotten a lot of alone time these past few weeks so I take all the chances I can get to just sink in my own thoughts.
I unplug my iPhone from the charging dock that was in the bathroom, wiping the screen and unlocking it. There was a message from 5 minutes ago.
S: When are you getting back to Halifax?
T: My flight leaves in like 4 hours. You're picking me up, right?
I hit send. Moments later Sid replies.
S: Of course.
A smile formed around my lips and I was about to text him back when my phone alerts me of another message.
S: I need to talk to you. Things have been left unsaid.
T: Okay, well we can talk when I get home, eh?
S: I need to talk to you now.
I hesitate texting back. Maybe if I just ignored him, I could pretend that my phone died or something.
T: I don't have any spare time, Sid. James has me busy, we only have a few hours felt together!
S: He has you doing a lot of things lately.
T: And what's that suppose to mean?
I wasn't sure to what Sid was accusing but it didn't sound very nice.
S: You've changed, Tess. You lie, you break promises and you've lost the most important thing, the one thing I adored about you. Your independence.
I've only lied once, maybe twice, and it's not like it was a huge deal, James forgave me just fine. Not quite sure what promises I broke or how I lost my so called 'independence' but it was way to early to begin a fight with anyone, let alone Sid.
T: I have no idea what you're getting at, Sid but I can tell you you're completely wrong. I'll see you in a couple hours. We can talk then.
I turn my phone off before he could text back. The bed was empty when I opened the door, James was gone. Dressing in a pair of jeans and a tank top, I scurried downstairs hoping to raid the Neal fridge.
The kitchen was packed full, it was like a family reunion. Then there was me, the outsider, the girlfriend no one really knows yet.
"Ah, Tess, good morning! Can I make you some eggs?" Deborah asks and I nod.
"That would be awesome. Thank you." I take the empty barstool next to James who was buttering his piece of wheat toast.
"Morning, babe." He leans over kissing my cheek, making everyone in the room 'aww'. I flash him an embarrassed smile as Deborah handed me a plate of the most delicious looking scrambled eggs I'd ever seen.
"Wow, these look tasty!" I grab the bottle of ketchup and pour some over the eggs and dive in fork first.
"You two really are made for each other." Pete says with disgust. James shakes his head and finished his glass of OJ.
"I don't get it." I murmur.
"Apparently you and James are the only people I know who eat eggs with ketchup. Gross!" Nick chimes in.
"Pfft. They're better this way, thank you very much!" I wink at James.
"So what time does your flight leave?" James' dad asks.
"In about 3 hours. I wish I could stay longer."
"I'm sure we'll see you before the summer is over." Mike says.
"Well, who knows. Training camp starts soon for the national team, two games with them then I have like 5 days off before I head back to Pittsburgh."
"Don't you guys play the U.S. in Toronto soon?" Becca replies.
"Hey, we do! Maybe I can get you all box seats?" Their eyes light up and Becca looks the most excited.
"That would be awesome!" She squeals.
I finish the last of my scrambled eggs and coffee before placing my empty plate in the sink.
"Babe, we should probably get to Toronto." He kisses my cheek softly. I wait downstairs talking to his parents when James comes down with my bags.
"Jesus, what did you pack?!" He teases.
"Shoes. And more shoes." I say curtly.
I say my goodbyes, Deborah handing me over her cell phone number.
"Call me if you need anything, dear." Her arms wrap around me and her Chanel perfume floods my senses.
"Will do. Thank you for your hospitality, it was fun!" I walk outside, James loading my bags into the back of the rental Jeep. I climb in the passenger seat, waving goodbye.
The drive to Toronto was quiet and serene. James s holding my hand the entire time and I could feel him glance over to me every now and then. So,entices he could be so adorable, other times, he could be a pain in my ass.
"So why are we getting here so early?" I look over at James, he was smiling, even behind those stupid sunglasses, I could tell he was trying to avoid eye contact.
"Nealer, spill it." I demand.
"Uh, I changed your flight."
"What do you mean you changed my flight?" Confusion sets in.
"I'm going to Halifax with you." He flashes me that 100-watt smile. He thinks he's being adorable and this couldn't have come at a worse time.
I find my phone, turning it back on hoping to get a hold of Sid before we get to the airport. Just my luck, my phone died, the stupid thing won't even turn on. Getting a hold of Sid was nearly impossible if he didn't recognize the phone number.
"Can I use your cell?" I ask James.
"What for?" He digs in his pocket pulling out his black iPhone and handing it to me.
"I need to confirm a car for pickup at the airport."
"The charge might be low, I didn't hook it up last night. We can always worry about it when we get there."
"Yeah but.....fine." I hand him back his phone. "When do we land?" I ask.
"11:15."
My original flight lands at 11:45 so maybe we can bypass Sid at the airport. I mean, the chances of him being there that early is unlikely.
We get to the gate to begin boarding our flight, my nerves at full alert. I hate flying.
The pilot gets on the overhead speaker.
"We'll be landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia in approximately two hours. The skies are clear which should make for an easy flight."
I stare out the window as the plane takes off, James holding my hand in comfort.
"We'll be there soon, babe. I can't wait to meet your family."
One deep breath and the beginning of a pounding headache, I reply.
"Yeah, me too. Should make for an interesting trip." I say amused.
Sometimes you just have to face your biggest fear, fear of confrontation, fear of betrayal and fear of loss. All of these could happen, might happen and most likely will happen. I'm between a rock and a hard place, caught between two friends.
And I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
Aghh I need an update! This is great!
2/3/21