You Always Go And Rescue Me

Ch. 4

When I woke up in the morning I already had a text from Zach. We had planned on seeing each other as much as possible. He was going on a road trip in a few days and the thought of not seeing each other for any extended period of time was something that didn’t sit well with us.

Over the course of the next week we spent as much time as we could together. We went to dinner, we got coffee, we would get lunch, go to the movies, but the end of the night usually was spent cuddling on my couch and watching a movie. I couldn’t get enough of him, his kisses made me weak in the knees-nothing like I’d ever experienced before, and I knew he cared about me. I vowed never to date a hockey player, but he was so different than the rest. He was sweet and considerate. He bought me flowers and paid attention when I told him about stuff I liked.

On one of our dates I mentioned briefly how much I loved chocolate covered strawberries and the following night he showed up at my door with them. He always found new ways to surprise me, and I hated that he was going to be gone for a few days, but that’s the life of a hockey player.

When I woke up on the morning he was leaving for his road trip, I had a text already waiting for me:

Good morning gorgeous, I haven’t stopped thinking about you. I know won’t see you for a few days, but every goal I score will be for you. I’m gonna miss you.

I knew he was leaving for a three-day trip, I knew I wouldn’t see him for a couple days and I knew I was going to miss him more than I wanted to. Luckily for me I would be busy doing what I did best, work. Well, it was what I did best because it was what I dove myself into to distract me from my life, but I could feel things shifting, I wanted to be with him. I never allowed myself to get attached but with him it was different.

I was busy working, but considering my job it was easy to find out what was happening during Zach’s games. I watched as he stripped the puck from the other team, got a breakaway and scored. I swear he pointed at his heart, I was hoping for it actually, but I knew it was stupid to read into it too much.

That night when I was home getting ready for bed Zach called.

“Hey Sarah! How was your day? Did you catch the game by any chance?”

“My day was busy. I did catch the game, well, the important parts. Nice goal!”

“I scored that for you, beautiful. Did you see the secret little message I was trying to send you?”

I laughed. He did point to his heart and he did it for me. All I wanted at that moment was to jump into his arms and kiss him, but I couldn’t.

“Oh I saw it. I wanted to congratulate you and it was a little discouraging knowing you couldn’t know that.”

“I knew. Too bad you couldn’t be there. Would you be utterly weirded out if I said I missed you?”

“Yes,” I flatly said.

“I knew it!” he said matter-of-factly.

“Ha, no. Stop asking me things like that, because I miss you too.”

I could tell he lit up and was flashing his wonderful smile. “Well, I’ll be home in two days. Want to do what we usually do- watch a movie at your place or something?”

“Sure, I’d like to cook you dinner if you don’t mind doing that.”

“Absolutely! We’ll figure out the detail as it gets closer, but I’m going to bed, and you should too because it’s getting late.

“Okay, yeah. I’m looking forward to it.”

“…Sarah?”

“Yeah Zach?”

“Be careful, alright? I couldn’t deal if something happened to you.”

I got butterflies in my stomach. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay. I have to be okay, we have a date in two days!”

He laughed as his mood lightened as we hung up. I couldn’t stop thinking about him and in the short while I knew him, I could tell his heart was amazingly big. It wouldn’t have been presumptuous to say I was falling for him.

The following night I had to work, and I didn’t get home until well after midnight. I was at the Garden doing work for the Rangers and praying I wouldn’t have an encounter with Sean. I hadn’t seen him since the night he attacked me; the night I met Zach, and I knew once the Devils got back from their road trip that I would end up covering them a lot more. As I was hailing a cab to take me home my phone rang. It was Zach. He was checking to make sure I got home alright and asked me about my day. I could tell he was exhausted and told him to get some rest. When I finally got home ,I went straight to sleep so that I could wake up early and plan what I was going to cook for Zach, but right before I fell into my dreamy state I got a text from Zach telling me he missed me and was counting down until we were together.

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ZACH’S POV-

I couldn’t believe how badly I had wanted this road trip to be over. I missed her. It was all about her, I couldn’t get her out of my head. I wasn’t usually this lovesick puppy, but it was different with her, and even though I hadn’t know her very long I knew I was falling for her. When you know, you just know.

I was trying not to be too obvious. I would text her throughout the day, we’d go back and forth, and I’d call her at night. I would be completely lying if I said I didn’t think about Sean. The thought of him hurting her put knots in my stomach, and the look in his eyes the night I pushed him off of her was a look of control, complete and utter focus, hell it scared me for her. I wasn’t there and knowing he probably wouldn’t leave her alone, and I wouldn’t be there if something happened drove me mad.

I didn’t get into details much with the guys. Since Trav and I live together and room together on road trips it was easy to talk to him about stuff. Besides, he and I knew each other well enough to tell when something was going on.

I was in our hotel room texting Sarah when Trav walked in from a celebration party with the guys.

“Yo man, why didn’t you come out with us tonight?”

“I don’t know, I just wasn’t in the mood.”

“You still texting that girl?”

“Yep.”

“This is the chick that you fought Avery off of, right?”

I nodded my head as I read the text I received from Sarah.

“How can you be this hooked with a girl you haven’t known that long? Hell, you haven’t even banged her.”

“It’s not like that man. She’s different. She’s gorgeous and smart and she wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s just so….pure, she’s freakin’ perfect.”

Travis rolled his eyes. “Oh man bro, she’s already getting to you. Whatever, if she’s as great as you say she is then I’m happy for you.”

“Who?” Jamie Langenbrunner walked in. “What’s going on?”

“Oh nothing. Loverboy over here has got it bad for the girl he saved.” Trav caught Jamie up.

“From Avery?”

We both nodded our heads.

“You looking for some gratitude sex?” Jamie was obviously kidding, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

“NO! That’s the best part. She won’t put out. She told Zach she’s saving herself,” Trav’s patronizing unbelief made it’s way to Jamie.

“No way man. Seriously?”

I just looked at him. “Yeah. She’s so different Jamie.”

“Wow, you do have it bad huh? Well, girls like that are hard to find and if he cares about her, let him be.”

I looked at Jamie and thanked him with my eyes. I didn’t want to hear anymore about this. I had extremely strong feelings for her, and I knew Trav was just being a dick to mess with me. I didn’t care what he knew I just didn’t feel like talking about it anymore. She was perfect and Trav was just jealous, besides, I knew he was happy for me even if he didn’t understand her.

When we got back home the next night some of the guys went out. Trav drunk-dialed me a little after one thirty in the morning and I knew it was time to pick him up. When I got to the bar to get him I noticed that Marc Staal was there, he and I knew each other from when we were kids. I went over to get Travis so that he didn’t drive home and Marc came up to me.

“Hey man I heard you took out Sean.” He laughed as he waited for my response.

“Yeah, he was being a dick.”

“Going after Sarah again huh?”

I just looked at him. “How’d you know that?”

“Well it’s no secret he’s been wanting to get in her pants for a long time now, since she started working there. She’s hot AND she’s a virgin.” I could tell he had definitely had a few beers. “Sean always goes after her but she doesn’t date any of us.”

“She isn’t interested in him so he should just give it up already.”

Marc looked at me surprised. “How do you know? You trying to get with her too?”

Trav came over to join our conversation. “He’s not just trying to get with her, he’s got it bad for her.”

“Zach, man, good luck with that. She had her heart ripped out a few years ago and she hasn’t gone out with anyone since I’ve known her.”

“What?”

“A lot of the guys like her, she gets asked out a lot, but she has yet to say yes. Her college boyfriend cheated on her or something cause she wouldn’t give it up, so she hasn’t dated anyone in a while.”

I just looked at him. “How do you know this?”

“I’ve talked to her a few times, we’re kind of friendly. About six months after she started I asked her why she wouldn’t go out with any of the guys. She told me about her college boy and said that she hasn’t dated much since and that she’d never date a hockey player because they’re always on the road and always sleeping around.”

“That’s messed up.” I couldn’t believe someone could do that to someone so wonderful.

“Yeah man, so if you’re getting anywhere with her, good luck. She’s a great girl but don’t screw it up.”

It was at this point in the conversation that Travis started puking on the floor.

“Alright man, I think it’s time to go,” I said to Trav as I helped steady him on his feet.

As we turned to leave I heard Marc.

“Hey Zach!”

I turned to look at him.

“I don’t know what you have going on with her, but if I were you I wouldn’t trust Sean around her. She can’t stand him, she wants nothing to do with him, but I wouldn’t put it passed him to do something. He isn’t used to getting rejected, and she’s a huge challenge for him. Clearly by the way he acted the other night, just watch out, especially if he knows you’re with her. He’s gonna go after her- he wants her, bad, and he’ll stop at nothing to have her.”

The way he said “nothing” made me sick to my stomach. I knew he was being honest and looking out for her but Sean was capable of so much damage. All I knew was that the guys respected her, I was crazy about her, I couldn’t wait to see her, and I would do everything I could to make sure she was safe and that she trusted me.