Worth The Wait

CH 18

Sid woke up in complete peace. He had fallen asleep holding the woman he didn’t ever want to be without and she was finally able to tell him the truth. Flashes of the prior night fluttered his brain and he smiled as he reached his arm across the bed, but his eyes popped open when he realized Phoebe wasn’t sleeping next to him. The pit in his stomach automatically pulled him from his groggy state. He didn’t know what to think except she up and left him. He motored his legs and quickly jumped out of bed, making his way out of his bedroom and into the living room.

When he swiftly walked into the living room he finally laid his eyes on Phoebe who was making her way into it from the kitchen. She was wearing one of his button down shirts and clearly had on nothing underneath it. It was completely closed and too big for her, and even though her hair wasn’t done and her eyes still showed some exhaustion, when her face lit up at the sight of Sid and she smiled at him he couldn’t help but think she looked more beautiful than even the night before. She was his.

She walked to him and he wrapped his arms around her waist, settling her into the crook of his neck. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you in bed?” He let out a sigh of relief. “God, I thought you left me.”

She pulled away and looked at him, resting her arms around his neck. “No! No way! I’m sorry sweetie, I didn’t want to wake you up, you need your rest. I’ve been cleaning this house! I didn’t realize last night how messy this place was. Clothes everywhere, dishes piled up, garbage scattered! Geez, have you just not been cleaning at all?” she joked.

Sid blushed a little in embarrassment. “Truth? No. After you left and I thought you…anyway, I couldn’t function. I didn’t do anything but play hockey.”

She reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips. “I’m sorry I’ve caused you so much pain.” She stroked his face and looked into his eyes. “But I’m here now, I should have been here all along and I will always be yours. Now. Let’s get this place straightened up, if it gets any messier you won’t be able to find your way out.”

Sid ran his hands on the smooth, bare skin of her thighs. “Hm,” he grunted. “I’d rather take my shirt off you first,” he kissed her neck. Phoebe giggled as Sid lifted her up and she gladly wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her to the bedroom and placed her down on his bed, unbuttoning his shirt so that he could take it off of her. “God,” he sighed as he hovered above her. “You’re so beautiful.”

*********************************************************

Phoebe could have stayed in bed wrapped up in Sidney all day. They stole kisses and shared jokes, giggling and playfully touching one another. These were the moments Sid had been waiting for, he thought about the first night he fell asleep with Phoebe in his arms. He thought about their slow transition from falling asleep on the couch to him routinely sleeping next to her in her bed and the insane amount of self control he needed to demonstrate as he would merely hold her and fight himself from doing anything more. Then they made love and nothing had ever felt more right. She was his now, finally, and he had everything he could ever want.

Sidney then thought about all the complications and obstacles they’d had to overcome. And they weren’t done yet. He dreaded her going back to Philadelphia. He was afraid Mike would somehow convince her to stay, even though he knew in his heart that nothing could come between them anymore. “Please come back from Philly,” he almost had puppy dog eyes looking at her.

She lightly traced his face with her hand. “I promise you,” she said softly. “Nothing is going to keep me from coming home. This is where I belong. Please trust me.”

“I do. I just don’t trust him.”

“He doesn’t matter anymore. You and I know everything about each other. We know where we stand and we know we love each other, right?” Sid nodded. “There’s nothing left to question. I’m never going to hurt you again.”

Sidney smiled at her in relief. “You’re the best.”

Phoebe smiled back and quickly kissed him on the tip of his nose. “No, I wouldn’t say that. You got me beat by a mile.”

“When are you going to go back by the way?”

“Well, I have to go back to my place to shower and change and all that. On top of the fact that I don’t want to leave you, I guess I’m going to leave tomorrow and try to be back within a day or two.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, it’s like ripping off a band-aid. I just want to get it over with as soon as possible.”

“Even though I won’t physically be there with you you know I’m here for you right?”

“Of course I do. Besides I don’t think it’d be the best idea for you to come. I need to give all of them time to absorb all the information I’ve been keeping from them for so long. Hey, there’s actually two people that will definitely be excited about all this.”

“I’m guessing Richards isn’t one of them?” Sid teased.

“No. But Tommy and Rebecca are going to be thrilled. They adore you. Rebecca actually told me that at my…bridal shower. She told me she liked you better than Mike and asked where you were.”

“Oh she did, did she?” this amused him.

“Yep.”

“And what was your response to this wise little girl?”

“I told her that I liked you better too,” she laughed. “I missed you. But you already knew that.”

“Trust me, you have no idea.”

“What do you want to do today?” Phoebe asked after contemplating what Sid meant.

“You mean we can’t stay in bed all day?”

“No! We have to join the living. I’d like to finish cleaning this place.”

“I don’t care what we do. I just want to be with you as long as I can.”

“Stop acting like I’m leaving and never coming back!” she laughed. “You’re making me sick to my stomach with guilt. I’m going to be back immediately, I told you that!”

“I know. I just feel like we wasted so much time.” He brushed the hair out of her face.

“You’re probably right, but everything has it’s own perfect way of working itself out, and we have the rest of our lives ahead of us to make up for the time we lost.” She reached and kissed him. A lingering kiss that stirred up feelings in him that made it hard for him to pull away.

“I have a request,” Sid whispered with his lips still connected to hers.

Phoebe moaned, beckoning him to continue speaking.

“I have a game tomorrow night. Can you postpone your trip home another day and come to my game? You have no idea how much it’d meant to me. You can leave early the following morning, just please be there.”

Phoebe thought about it for a mere second. “Okay. I’m going to get bitched out anyway, what does one more day matter. I don’t want to leave you as it is.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I love you. I can’t say no. I don’t want to say no to you.”

“Thank you,” he pressed his lips to hers again.

*************************************************

After spending all day in bed and doing minimal cleaning Phoebe cleaned up and showered while Sid headed off to the arena with the promise of meeting him there. She let the hot water pound on her body and ease her muscles. She was so happy her stomach was in knots, but she knew at the same time that she was going to have to confront her entire family in Philadelphia that didn’t understand. To them it was an irrational decision, a heartbreaking choice that would devastate Mike, a selfish fling. In reality it was anything but. Her choice to be with Mike was the real mistake. The fact that he’d never treated her right, the way he cheated on her without conviction, and to top it off she was never really in love with him…she knew that after she fell in love with Sidney and finally experienced what a real relationship was suppose to be; how someone who loves you is willing to do anything for you. That was worth fighting for and that was what gave her the courage to finally stand up for herself.

Phoebe sat in the stands watching the love of her life on the ice. She wasn’t afraid to admit that anymore. She didn’t have bad seats, not with Sidney being the captain of the team and the face of the league. Anything he wanted, he got, and he wanted his girl to sit where he could see her.

All night, as focused as Sid was on the game, he kept stealing glances at Phoebe. She couldn’t stop smiling at him. Everything was different from the last time she was at his game…when they were “just friends” and forbidding themselves from admitting they were falling in love.

Sid scored two goals that night and he made it no secret that he was looking at Phoebe after each one. After the game was over, she couldn’t wait to get down to the locker room to see him. Watching him do what he did on the ice drove her mad. It amazed her how different everything was from her relationship with Mike to her relationship with Sid. Phoebe didn’t have a problem getting access into the room and immediately started scanning it for the massive group of people that surely surrounded her boyfriend. His gorgeous body caught her eye and she couldn’t wait to get to him, to run her hands over his skin.

“Hey,” she quickly spun her head to see Jordan was talking to her.

“Hey," she responded hesitantly.

“Sid told me everything before the game. I’m glad you're back. For his sake,” Jordan was relatively cold with her.

“Ah, thanks?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I like you, and I think you and Crosby are perfect for each other. Just don’t hurt him again. Don’t walk out again or mind fuck him anymore because he loves you and he couldn’t do it again.”

Phoebe froze trying to find the right words. “I…Jord it wasn’t like that. I’ve loved him all along.”

“I know, but I’m telling you if you’re gonna hurt him in the long run, then just leave now and don’t come back. Let him move on.”

“Jord…I’m not going to leave him.” She was so genuine he knew she was telling the truth.

Jordan smiled at her. “Good, because you two just need to get your shit together.”

She let out a laugh, more so because she was nervous. “Trust me, we’re finally on the right page…at the same time.”

“I knew you would be,” he winked at her. “Go see him, that’s why you’re down here isn’t it?” She nodded. “I’ll catch up with you guys later then.”

“Okay.” Phoebe walked over to Sid and wrapped her arms around his waist. He bent down and kissed her in a slightly inappropriate way but neither one of them cared. “You played fantastic tonight.” He looked her in the eyes and smiled at her, “thanks babe.”

After Sidney was fully dressed he grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with Phoebe’s. He led them outside, past the fans and few lingering media that were snapping their flashes. “I’ll follow you to your place?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

Sid held onto her hand as long as he could and kissed her one last time before they separated for their cars. One thing he didn’t account for was the frenzy he’d just sent the media into, seeing him so obviously in love with a girl who was just as in love with him.