You Can Let Go Now

Elizabeth rang Sidney's doorbell twice before the door was opened. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him stiffen for a moment before returning the action. Even though it's only been a week, it feels like it has been forever since she had last seen him.

“Hi there,” he breathed into her neck. She felt her neck hairs stick up.

He opened the door for her to come in and standing there was Max Talbot. “Oh! Hi, Max, how are you?”

“Très bonne. Yourself, belle femme?” Max replied after kissing her on the cheek.

Elizabeth blushed, his french accent would make anyone swoon. She recovered and found her voice, “I'm good as well. You're here to see the cup?”

“Yeah, and I guess spend a little time with this one,” he said while giving Sid a slap on the back.

“Awww, how cute,” Elizabeth joked.

“I am cute,” Max retorted. She raised her eyebrows and bit, “Yeah, that's what McKenzie thinks.”

Sid busted out laughing when Max was speechless. Elizabeth couldn't help but to start giggling when she heard Sidney's girly laugh. It was hard not to.

After Max recovered, he wrapped his arm around Elizabeth and said, “I like her, Sid. She's a keeper.”

“Damn dude, she's hot,” Max commented as they watched McKenzie and Elizabeth dance together at the bar.

Sidney took a sip of his coke and replied, “Yeah, I think you already figured that one out when you went to bed with her.”

Max chuckled and said, “Well, her too. But I was talking about Elizabeth.”

Sidney's eyes fell onto Elizabeth, who was wearing a shiny black tank top with ripped jean shorts. Her hair was straightened and she had a nice amount of make up on.

He shrugged, “Yeah, she does look nice.”

“Nice? Buddy, she's smoking. I mean, I'd take her home in a second,” Max said, voicing his thoughts.

“You'd take anyone home,” Sidney countered. Max took another chug from his beer and shrugged in agreement.

Both of the men watched the girls for another moment before Max turned to his friend and asked, “So, how have things been?”

“They're...okay. Better than before. Trying to stay busy, you know?” Sidney answered honestly. There was a reason Max Talbot was his best friend. His outgoing, funny, outrageous personality was the exact opposite of Sidney's quiet and reserved one. He could do things that Sidney couldn't without being judged and Sidney sort of lives through that. Not only that, but he is serious in the right moments and Sid trusted Max with his life.

“Yeah, well you seem a lot better than back in Pitt,” Max observed. Sidney knew that the last time most of his teammates saw him -besides the ones that came out at the start of summer- he was not in the best shape. He had drunkenly yelled at one of the guests at Mario's Stanley Cup party when she mentioned his girlfriend. His teammates were too shocked to try to calm him down. The loud, angry voice was heard by most of the attendants and Mario came and apologized to the woman and calmly brought Sidney back in the house, where he had an emotional break down in front of someone he considered a second father. After he gathered his emotions and promised Mario he wouldn't have another drink, he went back outside to celebrate a little more quietly.

It wasn't a time Sidney liked to think about. After the accident to all the way until he left for home, he had been on edge and angry a lot. He would snap at his teammates and family members for the smallest of things. Sidney had been lost, especially for someone who always had his emotions under control.

“I'm not sure I could have gotten worse,” Sidney only half-joked.

“The situation was understandable. We don't blame you for anything,” Max promised.

“I said some pretty nasty things to you guys,” Sidney argued.

“Kris was the same way about Luc though, probably worse, and we never blamed him,” Max reminded him.

Sidney, wanting to change the subject, asked, “So how has your summer been?”

Max and Sidney were talking about lighter subjects for a while when Elizabeth and McKenzie came back over to the table. “Come dance with us,” McKenzie beggedinvited, holding her hand out for Max.

He obliged, but not before winking at Sid. Sidney shook his head at his friend and turned to Elizabeth. She gave him a knowing look and he shook his head again. “Please,” she begged, “Don't leave me by myself.”

He laughed and joked, “No, I'll watch from here and make sure no one tries anything.”

A flash of emotion, maybe disappointment, crossed her face then she stuck her tongue out and walked away, making sure to shake her ass. Sidney couldn't help but to stare.

Sidney sat at their table and watched as many guys came over and danced with her. He didn't have to guess why so many guys wanted her. She was gorgeous and she loved to have a good time.

He felt his annoyance build as she let guys grab her in inappropriate places. She clearly was drunk and he obviously wasn't the only man in the bar who noticed. His cheeks grew red as the man she was dancing with started kissing her.

She didn't know what she was doing, and he knew that. She was very drunk. He's gone to bars with her and seen her drunk but this was different. Sidney stood up and walked over to her and this guy. He stepped in and whispered loudly in her ear, “Liz, come dance with me.”

She shook her head and continued grinding with the stranger. “No. I'm fine,” she said.

He took her arm and tried to pull her away but she narrowed her eyes. “Please Liz, you're drunk. You don't even know him.”

“You didn't want to dance earlier. I'm just having fun. You're not my father,” she stated angrily.

Sidney was starting to get annoyed. This douchebag was probably just looking for sex and he didn't want her to give herself away like that. “I know that. But I want to dance now,” he said calmly.

“Please dance with me,” he asked, grabbing her hand.

She looked at the stranger, who still had his arm draped around her waist. Then she looked back at Sidney and smiled, she couldn't resist the invitation to dance with him.

He smiled and brought her body close to his as she started grinding him. She turned around and held her head close to Sidney's. He felt her hot breath move from his neck until her lips were inches from his. Before he knew it, her lips were on his.

Immediately, he back away and broke off the kiss. She frowned at him and he said, “Liz, I'm sorry, I can't.”

She looked like she could have slapped him. She didn't, however she said, 'fuck you' and walked away.