Kiss and Tell

Leah pulled her dark sunglasses off of her eyes; she placed them on the top of her head as she wheeled her suitcases out into the airport lobby. Glancing around, she didn’t see anybody she recognized, just a bunch of blank faces looking around for ones who were familiar to them. Her hand tightened around the handle of her luggage.

Had she made the right choice?

She reached into her pocket to grab her phone, but within a second, she was being lifted up into the air and spun around repeatedly. She screamed, dropping her phone to the ground in order to clutch onto the mystery person who had scooped her up in the first place. Her stomach flopped and she could feel her face redden from the attention of the other people around them.

Then she was placed on her feet. She fixed her blonde, straightened hair and looked up at the culprit, “JON!”

He opened his arms again, just for her to run straight into them. She snuck her arms around his neck, squeezing probably a bit too tightly, but she didn’t care. She hadn’t seen her best friend in over a year and despite what they’d promised, she hadn’t seen him play in over a year either. This was possibly her biggest reason of returning.

“I missed you kiddo!” he exclaimed, lifting her up gently again.

She laughed as her feet touched the ground. Quickly, she picked up her blackberry and shoved it into her back pocket, before sliding her hand around her suitcase once more. With a knowing nod, she and Jonathan made their way out of the airport, eager to reconnect.

The whole way her heart was thumping in her chest. She had plenty of reasons not to come back to Chicago, reasons she was completely ashamed of. This seemed like a mistake. Especially since she only had one reason to leave home, even though it was a big reason, it didn’t seem big enough.

She squinted into the fall Chicago sun and let Jonathan load up her stuff into his SUV. She still couldn’t believe she had come back. She had deliberately cheated on her boyfriend at the time, Brent Seabrook, with his teammate, Patrick Kane. It created one of the largest messes she’d ever experienced and throughout the chaos, she’d managed to break both of their hearts, and her own as well. She could never forgive herself for what she did to them, ever.

She wondered what they’d say when they saw her, or if they’d say anything at all. She was still coping with the fact that she was in love with Brent when she’d left, and he was moving on. Would he even have any words left to say a year after the fact? Patrick was another story, he had blown her off after she’d confessed to Brent, and then as she prepared to leave Chicago, he rushed in and told her he was in love with her.

She left anyway.

She wondered for the longest time if that was a mistake. Thinking about his face as she covered her face and left anyway broke her heart to the day. She could only imagine how she’d feel if it was Brent that had brutally rejected her, and in front of their friends to boot. That was just it, though, she loved Brent, and she wasn’t in love with Patrick, so why would she stay? It wasn’t Brent telling her not to go, not to leave Chicago because well, he was still deeply in love with her.

She sighed; it had been a long time since then.

“So,” Jonathan interrupted her thoughts, shutting the door, “Are you okay?”

Leah leaned against the doorframe and looked at her best friend, “I’m fine.”

He nodded, starting up the truck, “Well, I’m glad you’re back. I’m sure everyone else will be too. Sharpie and Niklas are at the house already.”

Leah frowned, glancing at him. She could tell before she even asked that he was guilty. His brown, puppy like eyes were wide as he drove, keeping them locked on the road. He gave a nervous smile, regardless of the fact that she hadn’t said anything.

Sitting upward, she narrowed her eyes at him, “Jonathan... does anyone know I’m back?”

He laughed uncomfortably, “Um.”

Rolling her eyes, she flopped back into her seat.

“I’m sorry!” He excused himself, pressing on the gas a little harder, “I just... thought it’d be better to surprise everyone.”

Leah scoffed, running a hand through her long blonde locks, “You didn’t know how to tell them, that’s why nobody knows. You knew that they’d be pissed.”

Jonathan didn’t say anything, which confirmed her thoughts. She was forcing her way back into their lives; neither of them were going to be happy about it. One would have to face the girl who slept with his best friend while they were together and the other, the girl who tore out his heart and left it in the Chicago airport. Welcome to hell.

She let out a heavy sigh as they turned onto Jon’s street. He was sure not to say anything until we pulled into the driveway. Once he switched it into park, he let out a breath and turned to her. She really didn’t know what else he had left to say.

“You needed help,” he told her quietly, “You know you’re always welcome here... you don’t need approval to come home.”

“This isn’t home,” She scored, which made his heart drop, “And you of all people know that that’s not true.”

He smiled at her and reached over to pull her into a long, warm hug, all of the while still talking, “You know what? I missed you and I don’t give a shit what any of those assholes say about it, you’re staying with me and you’re not leaving, get it?”

She grinned, letting go of him to open the door and launch herself out onto the familiar soil, the same ground she spent months living on, “I’m back.”