The Right Kind of Wrong

Dressed in the Fighting Sioux sweatshirt she’d forced herself to buy her second day in Grand Forks, Emily had reluctantly made her way towards the famous arena and sitting in her seat she had almost started biting her nails again. She hadn’t realized just how much anxiety would the linked to something as simple as hockey game…

The first period passed in somewhat of a daze as she tried to follow the play taking place below and she barely registered that the score was tied during first intermission. Which she had spent avoiding the people around her.

She had never felt so uncomfortable at a game of any sort before and she would be lying if she said it didn’t worry her at all. It was scary not knowing if things she really had had no control over was going to plague the things she loved in life…

Running her fingers through her hair, as the puck dropped on the ice below, kicking off the second period, she licked her lips slowly and tried to let the excitement and atmosphere in the arena sweep her up.

Halfway into the second period, Chris managed to get the puck into the back of the net off a rebound, just seconds after killing a too-many-men penalty and as the whole arena erupted in cheers she froze in her seat. Not able to move, she was brought straight back to a time when things like these where amazing and she was the first one to her feet, cheering for Erik and his teammates.

Feeling everything was closing in on her, a squeaky sound made its way up her throat and she forced her way through the crowd. Running up the stairs and didn’t even glance back at the ice as she made her way out through the large doors and practically ran down the hall, desperate to get out, to leave the hockey game behind…

Sitting curled up in a booth in the back of an all-night open diner just outside of Grand Forks, sipping on maybe her fifth cup of coffee and drawing stick figures in the salt she’d previously emptied out on the checkered plastic table covers, Emily had long since given up on trying to find a meaning with everything that happened to her. She had done everything for Erik, she’d given up her own dreams for him and this is what she got?

She didn’t even like coffee!

“You're one tuff girl to track down.”

Glancing up at the man sitting down on the other side of the table, his size standing out against the small chairs, she didn’t say anything and simply looked at him.

“Do you know how many places I've looked for you in?” Chris asked as he leaned back in the chair and looked back at her. “I don’t think I remember them all.”

“That was kind of the point,” she mumbled softly.

“Kelly said she saw you leave halfway into the game,” he commented. “Right after my goal.”

“It was a nice goal,” she shrugged.

“Are you okay?” he frowned concerned as he observed her, for the first time seeing her uncomfortable.

“I just had to get out,” she replied evenly.

“You didn’t answer the question,” he pointed out.

“I know,” she nodded, looking back down at the small salt hill she’d made on the table. “And I guess I wasn't,” she added softly.

“You're not going to tell me, are you?” he asked, watching as she spread the salt out and once again began drawing figures in it.

“No,” she shook her head, feeling less than talk-active at the moment, all she really wanted was to be left alone to wallow in old memories and heartache. She had really thought that she was getting over Erik, not that something as simple as a hockey game would bring her back to a time she didn’t want to think about, to something that only caused her to want to cry.

Neither of them saying anything, Emily continued drawing in the salt and Chris kept watching her. Something about her intrigued him in a way he hadn’t experienced before and he simply couldn’t stay away, she was like a puzzle he just had to figure out…

“How long have you been here?” he asked suddenly.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, glancing up at him.

“How did you even find this place?” he wondered glancing around at the diner. “I've never been here.”

“I drove around,” she shrugged. “I didn’t know where to go so I just…I ended up here.”

“Do you want me to drive you home?”

“No,” she smiled softly. “I just never realized that you can’t run from things, cause they always catch up with you,” she said honestly. “And somehow I'm going to have to deal with that, I just don’t know how yet,” she admitted.

Talking softly, Chris ordered himself a coffee and seeing the sour face Emily made every time she sipped her probably cold coffee, he asked for hot chocolate for her, something that made her smile despite the emotional turmoil that was taking place on the inside.

Sitting there they didn’t keep track of the time, but they both knew it was getting late and despite having run out from the game the same evening, she was well aware they were playing another one the following evening so when it started to brighten outside, she decided that it was time for them to leave.

Holding the door open for her, he gently placed his hand in her lower back as he led her towards her eye-catching car. There really weren’t that many VW Beetles driving around Grand Forks…

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home?” he checked as she was standing between the open driver side door and the car.

“I'm sure,” she nodded. “I feel a lot better now,” she admitted as she looked up at him. Not able to read the expression in his eyes, she slowly licked her lips as she waited for him to say, do something.

Knowing that he was entering dangerous territory, he leaned forwards slightly, surprised when she didn’t back away from him. His deep brown eyes locking with her hazel colored ones, a hint of a smile passed over his features before he eliminated the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. Momentarily not moving, she soon returned the kiss and even grasped the side of his shirt with her hand to keep him from moving away from her.

Breaking the kiss, they looked at each other before he sent her a wide smile and turned around, heading back towards his own car.

Watching after him as he left, she forced her own breathing to slow down and sucked her lower lip between her teeth. Saying that she hadn’t been expecting that was an understatement…