Free Falling
Chapter 2
I raced down to the locker rooms after the game ended in a Detroit victory of 5-4 in a shootout over the Blackhawks. I felt giddy and excited to be seeing Henrik again. I knocked on the locker room door. Pavel Datsyuk answered it. “Who are you here to see?” He asked curiously, leaning in the doorway. I smiled.
“Henrik,” I answered simply. He smiled and stepped aside. I made my way to Henrik’s locker amidst whispers and stares. I glanced around, raising an eyebrow. “Wow, really? You’re as bad as gossiping old women,” I said. Pavel snorted and Nicklas Lidstrom laughed. Henrik emerged from the shower and glanced around.
“What’s so funny?” He asked. His eyes fell on me, and at that precise moment I realized he wasn’t wearing anything other than a towel. His eyes widened, and I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I turned away. “Ah, hi,” He said, and I saw that his face was as red as mine must have been.
“Hi,” I responded. I was fairly embarrassed, to say the least. This was the first time I’d seen a three quarters of the way naked guy, let alone a hockey player. “Um, I’m going to go over there so you can finish changing,” I said and rushed over to Pavel’s locker space. Henrik smiled at me gratefully as I turned toward Pavel. He smiled at me.
“I don’t think we were properly introduced. I’m Pavel Datsyuk, though I’m sure you already knew that,” He said. I nodded.
“I’m Kara Mastron, nice to meet you,” I said. We talked until Henrik came over fully dressed. I smiled up at him and he smiled back.
“So, are you going to come celebrate with us?” He asked. I nodded excitedly.
“Sure! Sounds like fun!” I said. Henrik looked around.
“Where’s your friend?” He asked. I waved it off.
“Probably in the Hawks locker room,” I said. He looked confused. “She’s a Kane fan,” I explained. He smiled and nodded.
“Well, why don’t we go get them and invite them to come with us?” He suggested. I nodded and we went to the locker room to get Melinda, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. I knocked on the locker room door and none other than Mr. Patrick Kane himself answered.
“Kara!” He exclaimed, pulling me into a loose hug. I smiled and pushed him away.
“PK!” I said. Henrik looked at us strangely. “Pat and I grew up next door to each other in Buffalo. We went out for about two weeks, but then we realized we were better off being just friends. I haven’t seen him in a while!” I explained. “Oh, Pat, this is Henrik Zetterberg. Henrik, this is Patrick Kane.” They shook hands, but I sensed some hostility from Henrik. I locked eyes with him questioningly, but he waved me off. I felt a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach as I went to find Melinda.
||Henrik’s POV||
As Kara went off, I turned to Patrick. “So,” I said.
“We’re best friends. I wouldn’t throw that away by trying to go out with her when I know we’re not meant to be together,” He said. I stared at him. He smiled at me. “I can see just by the way she looks at you that being with you would make her very happy. Don’t screw it up, because if you hurt her, I’ll kill you,” He threatened. I locked eyes with him and saw that he was entirely serious about it. I nodded.
“I won’t hurt her, I promise. I think I’m in love with her too much to hurt her,” I said softly. His face cleared as he smiled.
“She loves you, too. Now go get her, tiger!” He said. I laughed as I went off to find Kara.
||Kara’s POV||
Henrik came over to us, a smile on his face. I stood up and faced him. He opened his arms and pulled me into a hug. “Come on, we’re going to go,” He said. Melinda stood up and Patrick followed us. Jonathan Toews ran after us. I smiled as I got into Henrik’s car. Mel, Jon and Pat got into Jon’s car, since Pat’s car was in the repair shop. We got to the bar and found an empty table to sit at. Pavel and Nicklas joined us a little while later, and we all talked and got to know each other. Soon, the others got up to go dance, leaving me and Henrik alone with each other. As a slower song started, Henrik and I went and danced for a bit. Afterward, he pulled me out of the bar and took me to his car.
“Henrik, what-“ My question was cut off by his soft lips capturing mine. I pulled him closer and we stayed like that until the need for air overcame us both.
“I’m in love with you,” He said, and he captured my mouth with his once more. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
“Henrik,” I answered simply. He smiled and stepped aside. I made my way to Henrik’s locker amidst whispers and stares. I glanced around, raising an eyebrow. “Wow, really? You’re as bad as gossiping old women,” I said. Pavel snorted and Nicklas Lidstrom laughed. Henrik emerged from the shower and glanced around.
“What’s so funny?” He asked. His eyes fell on me, and at that precise moment I realized he wasn’t wearing anything other than a towel. His eyes widened, and I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I turned away. “Ah, hi,” He said, and I saw that his face was as red as mine must have been.
“Hi,” I responded. I was fairly embarrassed, to say the least. This was the first time I’d seen a three quarters of the way naked guy, let alone a hockey player. “Um, I’m going to go over there so you can finish changing,” I said and rushed over to Pavel’s locker space. Henrik smiled at me gratefully as I turned toward Pavel. He smiled at me.
“I don’t think we were properly introduced. I’m Pavel Datsyuk, though I’m sure you already knew that,” He said. I nodded.
“I’m Kara Mastron, nice to meet you,” I said. We talked until Henrik came over fully dressed. I smiled up at him and he smiled back.
“So, are you going to come celebrate with us?” He asked. I nodded excitedly.
“Sure! Sounds like fun!” I said. Henrik looked around.
“Where’s your friend?” He asked. I waved it off.
“Probably in the Hawks locker room,” I said. He looked confused. “She’s a Kane fan,” I explained. He smiled and nodded.
“Well, why don’t we go get them and invite them to come with us?” He suggested. I nodded and we went to the locker room to get Melinda, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. I knocked on the locker room door and none other than Mr. Patrick Kane himself answered.
“Kara!” He exclaimed, pulling me into a loose hug. I smiled and pushed him away.
“PK!” I said. Henrik looked at us strangely. “Pat and I grew up next door to each other in Buffalo. We went out for about two weeks, but then we realized we were better off being just friends. I haven’t seen him in a while!” I explained. “Oh, Pat, this is Henrik Zetterberg. Henrik, this is Patrick Kane.” They shook hands, but I sensed some hostility from Henrik. I locked eyes with him questioningly, but he waved me off. I felt a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach as I went to find Melinda.
||Henrik’s POV||
As Kara went off, I turned to Patrick. “So,” I said.
“We’re best friends. I wouldn’t throw that away by trying to go out with her when I know we’re not meant to be together,” He said. I stared at him. He smiled at me. “I can see just by the way she looks at you that being with you would make her very happy. Don’t screw it up, because if you hurt her, I’ll kill you,” He threatened. I locked eyes with him and saw that he was entirely serious about it. I nodded.
“I won’t hurt her, I promise. I think I’m in love with her too much to hurt her,” I said softly. His face cleared as he smiled.
“She loves you, too. Now go get her, tiger!” He said. I laughed as I went off to find Kara.
||Kara’s POV||
Henrik came over to us, a smile on his face. I stood up and faced him. He opened his arms and pulled me into a hug. “Come on, we’re going to go,” He said. Melinda stood up and Patrick followed us. Jonathan Toews ran after us. I smiled as I got into Henrik’s car. Mel, Jon and Pat got into Jon’s car, since Pat’s car was in the repair shop. We got to the bar and found an empty table to sit at. Pavel and Nicklas joined us a little while later, and we all talked and got to know each other. Soon, the others got up to go dance, leaving me and Henrik alone with each other. As a slower song started, Henrik and I went and danced for a bit. Afterward, he pulled me out of the bar and took me to his car.
“Henrik, what-“ My question was cut off by his soft lips capturing mine. I pulled him closer and we stayed like that until the need for air overcame us both.
“I’m in love with you,” He said, and he captured my mouth with his once more. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.