Another Heart Calls

“You look like you didn’t sleep much last night,” Marty smiled at Patrick the next day in the locker room before practice.

“That’s because I didn’t,” Patrick replied.

“So, I’m assuming everything’s back to normal between you and Meredith? You went on that stupid date with Janelle, showed Mer that she has nothing to worry about, and then the two of you made up?” Marty asked.

“Not exactly,” Patrick said as he pulled his pads on.

Marty looked over at him. “What do you mean?”

“I fucked up last night,” Patrick said running his hand through his hair.

“What did you do?” Marty asked.

“I slept with Janelle,” Patrick stated.

“What?” Marty yelled.

“I know,” Patrick said, trying to get Marty to keep his voice down so the entire team didn’t know what he did. “I was just so pissed off at Meredith, and your words kept running through my head.”

“So, now you’re blaming this one on me?” Marty asked, as he put his skates out in front of him.

“No,” Patrick told him. “It’s just that Janelle told me that she loved me, and I told her that I didn’t love her. She kissed me and told me that we should go back to her house to make Meredith regret ever having asked me to go on that damn date. All I could think of is you saying that if you were in my situation, you’d do something to piss her off. And, at the time, sleeping with Janelle seemed like a good idea,” Patrick explained.

“There is no way you’re going to be able to get yourself out of this one,” Marty told you. “You might as well tell Meredith that you slept with Janelle now, not that I think she’s going to forgive you,” Marty said honestly.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Patrick asked as he laced up his skates. “I had the perfect girlfriend. I love Meredith more than anything, and then I go and sleep with Janelle!”

“You were pissed off at Meredith, and the only thing you could think of to do is sleep with Janelle,” Marty said, trying to make sense of Patrick’s mistake.

They heard the coach yell, and both stood up to go out to the ice. “You’ve got to get your mind off of it right now,” Marty told him. “You need to focus on hockey right now.”

Later that night, Marty was back at home with Charlotte. “So,” Charlotte began. “Did you talk to Patrick today about his date last night?” she questioned.

“Yeah,” Marty said vaguely.

“And?” Charlotte asked. “What did he say about it?”

“Can we not talk about this?” Marty begged.

“Marty, what happened?” Charlotte asked.

“Please, let’s just forget about it.”

“What happened?” Charlotte repeated more firmly.

“If I tell you, you have to promise not to say anything to anyone, including Meredith,” Marty told her. Charlotte was hesitant at first, and Marty said, “You have to promise, or I’m not telling you anything.”

“Fine,” Charlotte huffed. “What the fuck did Patrick do?”

“He slept with Janelle,” Marty answered quietly.

“What?” Charlotte boomed. “You’re kidding, right? Patrick loves Meredith. He wouldn’t sleep with Janelle because he knows that if he did, Meredith would never forgive him. So, you’re joking, right?”

Marty simply shook his head no, and Charlotte looked at him. “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch,” she muttered as she turned on her heel.

“Wait a minute!” Marty yelled, and Charlotte spun around to look at him.

“What?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

“You can’t go kill him!”

“Why not?”

“Because, it’s not all his fault.”

“What?” Charlotte asked. “How is this not his fault? He slept with Janelle. Who’s fault is it if it’s not his?”

“It’s partially Meredith’s fault,” Marty told her.

“Where the hell did you get that from?” Charlotte yelled. “How could it be Mer’s fault? Did she tell him to go sleep with Janelle? No!”

“No,” Marty agreed. “But, she was the one that told him to go on the date with Janelle.”

“So?” Charlotte said. “She did not tell him to fuck Janelle!”

“Listen,” Marty said, determined to defend Patrick. “Patrick never wanted to go on that date. He fought Meredith on it the entire time. But, she kept pushing him to do it because she didn’t believe him when he told her he loved her. He was pissed at her, and he wanted to get back at her.”

“By sleeping with Janelle?” Charlotte yelled in disbelief.

“Hey, it made sense to him at the time. Yes, Patrick was wrong, but I understand where he was coming from,” Marty told her.

“You have to be fucking kidding me!” Charlotte yelled. “You think it’s okay that Patrick slept with Janelle just because Meredith told him to go on a date with her! She said to date her, not sleep with her!”

“I’m just saying that I understand where he’s coming from,” Marty argued.

“So, you think it’s fine to sleep with someone else if you’re pissed at your girlfriend?” Charlotte asked.

“Charlotte…” Marty began.

“No, so since I’m pissed at you right now, does that give me the right to go out and sleep with someone right now?” she asked.

“It’s not the same,” Marty told her.

“Oh, really? Then what’s different?”

“Meredith pushed him on that date. He was pissed, and he slept with Janelle,” Marty replied.

“I can’t believe you! You actually think what Patrick did was fine! I’m out of here!” she yelled storming back towards their bedroom.

“What do you mean you’re out of here?” Marty asked her.

“I am not staying here with you tonight,” she told him as she pulled out a suitcase from the closet and began throwing clothes into it.

“Charlotte, come on. You’re being ridiculous. This is their problem, not ours,” Marty said, getting angrier.

“What, so now you’re pissed at me?” Charlotte questioned. “Well, why don’t you go out and fuck someone then?”