Friendship is Another Word for Love

One Month Later

“Awissa! Come on!” Jazmynn yelled from the living room. “Pat’s gunna be here soon.”

I chuckled as I zipped my suitcase up. Patrick was taking us on the team’s road trip to North Carolina and Florida. Jazmynn was excited because she was absolutely in love with the team and the team was in love with her. Patrick was almost just as excited about the trip as much as Jazmynn is. I smiled to myself, the two of them have bonded this past month. If Patrick wasn’t doing something with the team he was over here hanging out with Jazmynn. He has even baby sat her so I could actually go into work and get somethings done.

The sound of tiny feet running down the hallway caught my attention. “Jazmynn, walk.” I said without looking at the door. I heard the toddler sigh, man even at two she had an attitude on her. “Chill, I’m just about ready.” Just as I finished talking, I heard the front door open just as Jazmynn did too.

“Patrick!” She yelled, running down the hallway.

“Jazmynn! Walk!” I sighed, exasperated.

I grabbed my suitcase off the bed and made sure I had everything, once I was sure I turned my bedroom light off and made my way to the living room. Jazmynn was sitting in Patrick’s lap and talking his ear off about nothing. She was still learning words, so she has this habit to repeat new words over and over again. It was a good thing, but also a bad thing because she listens to almost everything that is said around her. The team had become very famous at cleaning up their vocabulary.

“Jaz, do you have everything you want or need for this trip?” I asked.

She hesitated before answering. “Go check.” Patrick told her, placing her on the ground. She tried pouting, but Patrick just pointed to her room and she turned and stomped off .

I sighed and looked at Patrick. “She has been wired all morning. She wouldn’t sleep last night.”

Patrick just smiled and walked over to me and placed a sweet kiss on my lips. “Hi.” He chuckled.

“Hi. Sorry, I’m just exhausted and a little stressed out. She has been giving me attitude the past few days, too.” I sighed.

“I’m sorry, it doesn’t help that we told her about this at Chirstmas. Just think that once we get on the plane, the guys will entertain her. I’ll make sure of it.” He winked.

“Pat, I have everything.” Jazmynn announced, walking out of her room, hugging her bear.

Patrick clapped his hands together. “Great, now go potty and we will all be ready to go.”

Jazmynn once again huffed and made her way to the bathroom. I went into my bathroom and used it as well. Once Jazmynn was finished, the three of us made our way to Patrick’s SUV. The entire ride to the airport, I rested my head against the window and tried to get some sleep.

***

The plane ride to Carolina was nice, Jonathan took Jazmynn so that way she was out of my hair for a couple of hours. I heard her giggles coming from the back of the plane.

“So I was going to ask you this when we got back from the road trip, but would you want to move in with me after the Olympic break?” Patrick asked quietly, lacing our fingers together.

I gasped, I was not expecting that. “Um, Patrick…wow, um are you sure?”
Are you sure? That’s the best I could come up with? I mentally smacked myself and waited for his answer.

“I am.” He nodded. “Lys, I already spend so much time at your place and I already have a room for Jaz. I mean, it just seems like a good idea.”

“No, no, no, it does, but I just want to make sure you are really okay with this. I mean, you’d be giving up your bachelor pad.” I chuckled.

Patrick took my face in between his hands and turned my face so I was looking at him. “Alyssa,” He said seriously. “I want you and Jazmynn to move in with me.” He sealed his statement with a very sweet kiss.

My heart did little flips as I looked into his blue eyes. “Patrick, I would love to move in with you.” I smiled, and kissed him again.

Patrick smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. With a smile I wrapped my arm around his waist and rested my head on his chest and fell asleep. I woke up to Patrick peppering my temple with light kisses.

“Pat.” I groaned, still asleep.

I felt more than heard him laugh. “Lys.” he mocked. “Babe, we are landing.”

I sighed and sat up, stretching my back. I turned in my seat and saw that Jazmynn had fallen asleep on Jonathan’s lap and he was also asleep. I smiled and reached for my phone to take a picture.

“What are you taking a picture of?” Patrick asked.

“Jaz and Jonny are asleep together.” I smiled, pointing to the back of the plane.

Patrick chuckled and placed a kiss to my head. He was trying not to show his jealously over Jon. I’ve told him more than once that there is nothing to worry about because Jazmynn loves him. I stood up and went to grab the sleeping toddler.

“Hey.” Jonathan whispered.

“Hi there, have a nice nap?” I asked.

“Actually yeah.”

“Thanks for watching her.” I reached for her, but she snuggled closer to Jon. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I got her, just have Pat get my bags for me?”

“Are you sure?

He nodded and managed to stand up without waking up Jazmynn. I smiled and placed a kiss on Jonathan’s cheek before heading to where Patrick was waiting for me. As we filed off the plane, Patrick wrapped his arm around my waist.

“Jon, would like you to get his bags for him.” I told Patrick as we walked into the terminal.

“He can get his own bags.” Patrick spat before heading to the baggage claim.

“Patrick!” I yelled after him, he didn’t stop. I looked between Jazmynn and Patrick’s retreating back.

“Go. Tazer’s got her. If she wakes we will be there. You need to go stop Patrick before he get’s lost.” Sharpie said from next to me.

I turned and gave him a hug. “Thanks Sharpie, I don’t know what I would do without all of you.”

“Go nuts.” He laughed. “Now go.”

I turned and literally ran through the airport terminal to the baggage claim. I got to one carousel and looked around for Patrick, but didn’t see him anywhere. I continued to circle around the other carousels, just as I was about to give up, I spotted familiar blond curly hair in the corner. I stopped running and just stood there looking at him. He looked so sad, so defeated. Slowly, I made my way over to him and sat next to him.

I didn’t say anything, I just wrapped my arm around his shoulder and waited for him to move.

“Patrick,” I whispered. “What‘s wrong?” I asked

He didn’t say anything, he just shrugged my arm off his shoulders and stood up, walking away from me. I sighed and stood up.

“God dammit Patrick. What the hell is your problem? You were fine on the plane, what changed from ten minutes ago to now?”

“Why don’t you go fucking ask fucking Jonathan.” He spat at me.

I threw my hands in the air. “Is this what this is all about. My freaking daughter fell asleep on one of my friends? Patrick, Jazmynn loves you. She asked me if you were her daddy.” Oops, I wasn’t going to tell him this way.

Patrick stopped walking and turned to look at me, confusion clearly written on his face. “What did you say?” He asked quietly, walking towards me.

I sighed and sat down on the bench, pulling him down with me. “The first night at my apartment, when you guys played the Rangers, when I put Jazmynn to bed she asked me if you were her daddy now that I was her mommy.” Tears burned my eyes as I looked at Patrick.

“What did you tell her?” He asked

I bit my lip. “I told her no.” I whispered.

Patrick looked disgusted with me, he stood up with a curse and looked down on me. “Why the hell did you tell her no? Alyssa, I love Jazmynn like she’s my own freaking daughter. But apparently you’ve been completely blind to everything.”

“Patrick, this was before you and her started hanging out all the time. What did you want me to say, ‘yes Jazmynn, Patrick is your daddy. But he may not always be here.’” I glared at him. The look of hurt that crossed his face didn’t stop me. “Think about it Patrick, at the time she finally came home with me we’d been dating for one week. One week, not one year or even a month, a week. So at the time forgive me for trying to protect my daughter. She loves you, if you left it would break her heart, not to mention mine.” I huffed, trying to keep the tears at bay. I crossed my arms to hide the fact that my hands were shaking.

“God dammit Alyssa, you don’t realize that I’m not leaving do you?” He asked, clearly upset and maybe even a little hurt. “I just asked you to move in with me. Does that not mean anything to you?”

I looked around us and finally realized that we had drawn attention to ourselves with our little fight. People were finally realizing who I was fighting with and they were pulling out their cameras and cell phones.

“Patrick, maybe we should finish this at the hotel?” I suggested

“No, we are not finishing this at the hotel, because once we get back to the hotel I plan on spending the free time that I have today with Jazmynn and you are more than welcome to join us if you’d like.” Patrick stormed off and grabbed his bag off the carousel. I noticed he let mine pass before grabbing Jazmynn’s. He passed me with a glance or a word.

“Fuck.” I sighed and grabbed my bag as it passed again. I also grabbed Jonathan’s gear for him before following Patrick. When I caught up with him, I could tell that he was really pissed. “Patrick, of course you asking us to move in with you means something to me. It means that you care about us, that you are planning on sticking around.”

Patrick stopped dead in his tracks and dropped the bags he had been carrying, once again drawing attention to us. “Alyssa, why the hell can’t you wrap it around your brain that I am sticking around? Do you want to know something?” He didn’t wait for a response, he just continued on. “ I would love for Jazmynn to call me daddy, hell I would love for you to call me your husband.”

I wasn’t the only one that gasped, all around us men, women, and children gasped. “Pa-Patrick what are you saying?” I asked quietly.

He sighed, clearly exasperated and ran his hands through his hair. He didn’t answer my question, he just turned to me and slammed his lips to mine. All around us people started whistling and cheering. This kiss was way different then our other kisses, this one curled my toes and caused my heart rate to sky rocket. It wasn’t filled with passion or want. No, this kiss was filled with emotions, he was pissed at me, sad, and even a little jealous. I kissed him back with just the same about of force. When he finally broke the kiss we were both breathing heavy.

“What I’m trying to say is that I fucking love you Alyssa, I have for the past two fucking years.” He admitted.

The tears were back. “You love me?” I whispered. He loved me

Patrick nodded. “Yes, baby, I love you. I love Jazmynn as well. Yes, I was serious about wanting you to call me your husband, but not yet. Eventually, though.” He kissed me again, and this kiss was sweet. “Let’s go get Jazmynn and spend the day together.”

I nodded and readjusted the bags I was carrying. Patrick switched with me so that I was carrying my bag and Jazmynn’s and he was carrying the hockey gear. We reached the bus and sat in the back, where Sharpie now had a sleeping Jazmynn. Sharpie passed her to Patrick and gave me a wink before putting his Ipod on. The entire bus ride to the hotel Patrick held my hand and I rested my head on his shoulder.

“Patrick, I love you too.” I whispered.

He turned to me and placed the sweetest kiss I have ever received.

When we reached the hotel, the boys had to report to their rooms and then a team meeting before they were given free time, so while Patrick was doing all that, I took Jazmynn to our room and woke her up.

“Good morning sleepy head. Did you have a nice nap?” I asked her, tickling her stomach.

She nodded and snuggled into my side. “Where’s Pat?” She asked, still half asleep

“He’s with the boys right now, he will be over here as soon as they are done. He wants to take us out. So you need to go to the potty and then we need to get you changed.”

“Otay.” She screeched and jumped off the bed and ran right for the bathroom. Twenty minutes and some tears later Jazmynn was in her purple princess dress that Uncle Sharpie and Aunt Abby got her. Ten minutes later I was in black skinny jeans and a purple V-neck. Just as I finished with my make-up there was a knock at the door.

Jazmynn was latterly bouncing by the door, waiting for me to open it. As soon as I did, she launched herself at Patrick’s legs. The smile on his face was like<s> a kid on Christmas</s> he just won the Stanley Cup. He looked over the toddler’s head and smiled even more at me.

“Hey you.” He whispered.

“Hey. Are you ready to go?” I asked

“Yeah,” He pulled Jazmynn away from his body. “You ready to spend the day with me and your mommy Jaz?”

“Duh.” She smiled and Patrick and I chuckled.

The three of us made our way out onto the streets of Raleigh and just walked around. Jazmynn demanded that Patrick carry her on his shoulders and he was more than happy to do that. That afternoon together I realized that Patrick wasn’t going anywhere and he really did love the two of us.