A Missing Puzzle Piece
Chapter 2
Nicole’s POV
Ilya pulled my aside.
“What?” I asked.
“I thought you said she’s a hockey fan? She would know who Marty was if she was a hockey fan, Nicole.” Ilya said firmly.
I sighed. I knew this was going to come up. “She is. Or was.” I began. “She was in a car crash when she was 19. She forgot most of her childhood. Most of everything before the car crash, actually. She WAS a hockey fan. But her former boyfriend plays in the NHL, so when her sister and mom were trying to fill her in on what had happened before,”
“They left it out because they didn’t want her to go crawling back to him and they didn’t want her to get hurt.” Ilya finished.
I nodded. “Exactly. I was going to tell her, because I knew her before the crash, but her mother made it clear she didn’t want Molli to know. Molli is a hockey fan.”
Ilya nodded. “You said her ex played in the NHL?”
I nodded. This conversation was going the wrong direction.
“What was his name?”
I sighed. “Ilya I honestly have NO IDEA.”
Ilya closed his eyes and exhaled. “Nicole I need you to tell me. Its not right for Molli to not know.”
“We can’t put her life back together!” I hissed. “And you actually think after 7 years she’ll believe US?”
Ilya shook his head. “Nicole, we need to do this.”
My blood was boiling. This was my best friend’s FUTURE. I wasn’t about to change it. “Ilya, no.”
“Why not?”
I sighed. I tried not to scream at him. “Ilya, this is her life. What if we told her and it took a turn for the worst?”
“This is the right thing to do Nicole! Can’t you see?”
“Can’t you see I’m not going to change her whole life? After her mom and sister lectured me,” I trailed off as my voice cracked. I shook my head. “No. She’s my friend. I can’t do that to her. She’s your friend too.”
Ilya was struggling not to scream at me. I could see it in his eyes. “Yes. She is my friend. And that’s why we HAVE to tell her.”
I couldn’t give in. I wanted Molli to know who she really was too. But not this way. I wasn’t going to interfere. “Ilya, I’m not changing her life like this.”
“What if we changed it for the better?”
“What if we changed it for the worst?”
We were both quiet as we stared into each other’s eyes. I looked down at the floor, not being able to take his piercing stare anymore. “I’m sorry Ilya. I really, really am.”
He wrapped his arms around me, and I could tell the fight was over. “I know you’re trying to protect your friend. But you’re trying to protect her from herself. And she needs to know who she actually is.”
I nodded. “Maybe you’re right. But I seriously don’t know her ex-boyfriend’s name. He could be here for all I know.”
Ilya nodded, still holding me. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
Travis and Molli walked over to us. “Hey Mol, hey Trav.” I greeted them.
Molli smiled. “Hi.”
“What have you been up to?” Ilya asked.
Travis nodded to Molli. “Well, I’ve met some people. David Clarkson, Patrik Elias, Mark Fayne and Travis’s brothers Darcy, Kelly and Nolan."
Molli’s eyes were so bright and I smiled. She was so innocent.
“They’re all great.” I said. I nodded to Travis. “Thanks for showing her around.” It sounded like Molli was my child. But in reality, Molli acted more like my mother.
Travis nodded. He looked at Ilya, whose eyes were filled with concern. He thought Travis was Molli’s ex!
“Can I talk to Travis for a second?” Ilya asked.
I nodded, and led Molli away, before casting a glance at Ilya and Travis. They were already deep in conversation. Ugh! Molli’s secret was going to get out to everyone EXCEPT Molli!
The thought of that made me sick, and I made a mental note to talk to Travis about that later, before it could get around.
Ilya pulled my aside.
“What?” I asked.
“I thought you said she’s a hockey fan? She would know who Marty was if she was a hockey fan, Nicole.” Ilya said firmly.
I sighed. I knew this was going to come up. “She is. Or was.” I began. “She was in a car crash when she was 19. She forgot most of her childhood. Most of everything before the car crash, actually. She WAS a hockey fan. But her former boyfriend plays in the NHL, so when her sister and mom were trying to fill her in on what had happened before,”
“They left it out because they didn’t want her to go crawling back to him and they didn’t want her to get hurt.” Ilya finished.
I nodded. “Exactly. I was going to tell her, because I knew her before the crash, but her mother made it clear she didn’t want Molli to know. Molli is a hockey fan.”
Ilya nodded. “You said her ex played in the NHL?”
I nodded. This conversation was going the wrong direction.
“What was his name?”
I sighed. “Ilya I honestly have NO IDEA.”
Ilya closed his eyes and exhaled. “Nicole I need you to tell me. Its not right for Molli to not know.”
“We can’t put her life back together!” I hissed. “And you actually think after 7 years she’ll believe US?”
Ilya shook his head. “Nicole, we need to do this.”
My blood was boiling. This was my best friend’s FUTURE. I wasn’t about to change it. “Ilya, no.”
“Why not?”
I sighed. I tried not to scream at him. “Ilya, this is her life. What if we told her and it took a turn for the worst?”
“This is the right thing to do Nicole! Can’t you see?”
“Can’t you see I’m not going to change her whole life? After her mom and sister lectured me,” I trailed off as my voice cracked. I shook my head. “No. She’s my friend. I can’t do that to her. She’s your friend too.”
Ilya was struggling not to scream at me. I could see it in his eyes. “Yes. She is my friend. And that’s why we HAVE to tell her.”
I couldn’t give in. I wanted Molli to know who she really was too. But not this way. I wasn’t going to interfere. “Ilya, I’m not changing her life like this.”
“What if we changed it for the better?”
“What if we changed it for the worst?”
We were both quiet as we stared into each other’s eyes. I looked down at the floor, not being able to take his piercing stare anymore. “I’m sorry Ilya. I really, really am.”
He wrapped his arms around me, and I could tell the fight was over. “I know you’re trying to protect your friend. But you’re trying to protect her from herself. And she needs to know who she actually is.”
I nodded. “Maybe you’re right. But I seriously don’t know her ex-boyfriend’s name. He could be here for all I know.”
Ilya nodded, still holding me. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
Travis and Molli walked over to us. “Hey Mol, hey Trav.” I greeted them.
Molli smiled. “Hi.”
“What have you been up to?” Ilya asked.
Travis nodded to Molli. “Well, I’ve met some people. David Clarkson, Patrik Elias, Mark Fayne and Travis’s brothers Darcy, Kelly and Nolan."
Molli’s eyes were so bright and I smiled. She was so innocent.
“They’re all great.” I said. I nodded to Travis. “Thanks for showing her around.” It sounded like Molli was my child. But in reality, Molli acted more like my mother.
Travis nodded. He looked at Ilya, whose eyes were filled with concern. He thought Travis was Molli’s ex!
“Can I talk to Travis for a second?” Ilya asked.
I nodded, and led Molli away, before casting a glance at Ilya and Travis. They were already deep in conversation. Ugh! Molli’s secret was going to get out to everyone EXCEPT Molli!
The thought of that made me sick, and I made a mental note to talk to Travis about that later, before it could get around.
11/30/12