You Had Me From Hello

I spent the car ride arguing with myself in my head. Never had I felt so much internal conflict within myself. The thing was our hands were still laced on the center consol. Most people would think he was just looking for another good time, but there was no attempt at seduction me, he wasn’t rubbing his thumb on the back of my hand, no, we simply just held hands. The radio played softly in the background it sounded like some Russian techno or something. Geno tapped his fingers to the rhythm on the steering wheel.

After a short 10 minute drive we ended up at a park. I looked out of the car my eyes wide in shock, it was snowing, why in the world were we at a park? He unlaced our fingers and I felt the warmth leave from my body, getting out of the car he came around and opened the passenger door for me. Even though I felt the urge to argue, I didn’t I simply grabbed his hand and hopped down from the SUV.

We walked silently through the park as the snow fell lightly. The wind was cold but that was to be expected in late December. The silence was killing me so I decided to speak. “So what made you come to the mall just days before Christmas?” I asked him looking into his soft brown eyes. “Last minute shop” he spoke to me smiling down at me. I nodded, not returning the smile he wasn’t getting away with it that easy. Yeah, that’s what I said before but here I was holding hands in the park with him.

After walking for a while he pulled me over to a bench overlooking a frozen lake. I looked over at him expectantly. He simply stared out onto the lake, the feeling of being open slowly began to slip away. I was getting frustrated, here was his chance and he wasn’t saying anything. I waited a little and when he still didn’t speak I began to get up to leave. His hand tightened around mine and he pulled me back down. Looking into my eyes he sighed.

“What I say?” he asked me his Russian accent thick because of his frustration. I looked at him like he was crazy, I wasn’t wasting my time if-. “I sorry, I stupid” he said grabbing my other hand. He leaned in to kiss me but I turned my head away from him. You could feel the hurt that he was feeling in the air. I didn’t mean to hurt him but if he thought that would do it, he was so wrong.

“You think saying that you’re sorry is going to make it better?” I began to raise my voice. “Why are you even wasting your time, I’m not like that Geno! You’re not going to get another easy lay that was a mistake, the biggest mistake of my life” I was now standing in front of him. He stood and looked at me there was pain in his eyes signaling to me that he did understand what he said. “I don’t know what I was thinking! Thinking that you might actually like me! That you might call me after you left me.” The pain felt so recent as I remembered how it felt to wake up alone that morning.

I turned to look out onto the lake, a few young boys had ventured out testing the thickness of the ice seeing if it was thick enough to skate on. “What the hell was I thinking?” I asked quietly as the tears flowed down my face. I felt two arms snake around my waist and I was pulled into a strong chest. Something inside me told me it was alright to lean back and relax in his arms. I automatically felt warmer. He seemed to be processing what he was going to say, making sure he got his words right. I spoke some Russian, that he knew, but not enough to have a conversation.

“You not another girl” he spoke softly into my ear. “I not be able stop thinking about you” he placed his head on my shoulder. “I not been with other girl since, you one of kind. I never thought would happen.” He looked into my eyes as he spoke and I turned around in his arms. Something about the way he spoke made me believe him. I leaned into him burying my face in his chest as he tightened his grip around my waist.

“Give me another chance?” he asked. I couldn’t help but smile from my position, it’s not like we had even been together in the beginning regardless I nodded into his chest. He smelled absolutely amazing, not sure what it was but it was how I remembered it from that night. As we stood there in our embrace my phone began to ring.

Groaning he pulled away enough for me to take my phone out of my front pocket. Austin flashed across the screen I smiled answering the phone. “Austin!” I exclaimed. Geno shot me a weird look, grabbing my hand and pulling me beside him on the bench. I heard a laugh come from the other end. “Hey Maddi, how’s it goin’?” he asked I laughed loudly at him. “Its goin’. What can I say? Not too bad. So what’s up?”

“Well I’m coming home over Christmas and me and Cody were wondering if you wanted to go out with us?” I squealed excitedly at the thought of hanging out with the two of them. We had been best friends in high school but our lives landed us in opposite corners of the country. There was another laugh on the other side of the phone. “Yeah? So I’m guessing that’s a yes.”

“Of course, I’m not stupid enough to turn down an evening with my two wingmen” he laughed again. Geno’s grip tightened around my shoulder, I think he was getting jealous. Looking up at him he wore a smile on his face. “Well that’s the thing, Cody’s bringing Amanda, and I was thinking of bringing Danielle-“ he slowly faded out unsure how I was going to take this news.

“Oh of course, well then I guess I can bring my man too huh?” I heard a loud thump in the background then a mumbled shit. “Maddison Laurel Couver you do not get a boyfriend without asking me first!” I couldn’t help but laugh at him. “Well if you knew who this guy was then you’d probably approve even if he was a douche.”

“Well then who is it?” I could tell he was sitting at the edge of his seat waiting for me to tell him. I smirked to myself as I leaned my head into Geno’s strong, muscular chest. “I’m not sure if you’ll know who it is” I teased him. “Shit, if you’re saying that I must know him.” I laughed again. “I don’t know, well his name is…” I paused for affect as Geno chuckled catching on to my plan. “On with it already!” Austin screamed on the other side of the line.

“Evgeni Malkin.”