Sequel: Run the Show ›
Somebody Needs You
Chapter 23
Like always, Christmas was followed by New Years and sadly the Maple Leafs couldn’t end the year with a away against Edmonton, but they were allowed to fly home to celebrate with their families and Luke was one of them who took that opportunity, even though his whole family was back home in Saskatoon at the moment.
He and Katie had been invited to fly out there and celebrate the New Years with them, as well as to a few other parties, but Luke had been adamant when he stated they should celebrate it alone. Curiosity forcing her to give in, she agreed to let him plan the whole thing, even if he wasn't touching down in Toronto till after noon.
Though a part of the evening was already pretty much planned out, considering that a little something something called the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were currently taking place in up Saskatoon and Regina. Another reason that only served to add to Katie’s confusion as to why he didn’t want to go home to his family during New Years, but he was acting strange enough already that she simply kept quiet about it all.
His brother Brayden was representing Canada so 7pm was reserved for the game, meaning dinner would have to have been eaten by then. And if she was honest, it really didn’t bother her, after all, pretty much every New Years before she moved out to Los Angeles had been spent like that. The World Juniors were practically sacred in her family…
Not knowing what he was planning presented a huge problem when it came to finding something to wear, but in the end she settled on casual but still a bit dressy. Simply put she grabbed a pair of dark wash jeans and a silky top that hun slightly off one of her shoulders. When he arrived back at the apartment he states she looked beautiful and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with what she had picked.
His lack of emotions and actions she could read about drove her up the wall. Anyone who knew her, knew very well that surprises had a tendency to drive her loopy, she didn’t do well with the suspense…
Dinner passing without much trouble or anything special happening, she was a nervous wreck when the game finally rolled around. That Luke only laughed at her and appeared nervous himself, didn’t help her the slightest.
Neither did the game. Alex Pietrangelo making the score 4-4 with less than 5 minutes left of the game; she knew that her nails were at dangerous proximity to get chewed off. And the overtime period only pushed her closer to the edge. It wasn't slow and calculating, it was fast paced with opportunities going both ways and with excellent goaltending at both ends.
Penalties really wasn't her cup of tea, but that’s what it came down to and she was about ready to punch Luke when he laughed at her for hiding behind a cushion every time a player skated to get the puck before heading for the goal.
Though she saw Jake Allen’s save and screamed as loud as Luke when it was clear that Canada won over the States.
The clock well after 10pm when the game and all the interviews were over and done with, Luke – rather out of the blue – suggested that they should go out, for a walk.
“Why?” she frowned slightly as she climbed off the couch after him. It was pitch black and close to minus 15degress outside. He better have a damn good reason as to why she should go out.
“Because it’s cold and really beautiful outside,” he stated, surprising her as he stopped and turned around, quickly kissing her. “Just put on something warm and we’ll go out for a short walk before all the fireworks stars,” he did present a good cause…
“Fine,” she really hated the way he could win her over with just a look or a simple kiss. She would have to work on that…standing up against him that was.
Pulling on the UGG-boots she loved a little too much and shrugging on her coat, she finished off with wrapping a massive scarf around her neck, pulling a beanie over her head and picking up a pair of knitted gloves.
“You look like you're going on an arctic expedition,” Luke laughed at her as he zipped up his own jacket.
“Cali thinned my blood,” she complained, a slight pout forming on her lips, that was one of the few things she really hated about her time in LA.
“We’ll have you back to your Canadian ways in no time,” he promised before quickly kissing her and practically pushing her out the door.
“I really hope so,” she agreed under her breath. -15 degrees was normal for winter nights when she was growing up and all of a sudden she was shivering at just a few degrees below zero. “What’s the hurry anyway?” she questioned as they rode the elevator down. “We don’t have a time to catch,” she pointed out.
“Just bare with me,” he looked down at her as they were leaving the elevator and the look in his eyes…well, she really couldn’t argue with it.
Luke was right, the cold paired with the snow made for an amazing backdrop. There was no arguing it, Toronto was beautiful in winter time. And of course, all the fireworks going off now and then didn’t really make it worse…
“What are you doing?” Katie frowned slightly as he pulled her to a stop in the middle of the park. Time was inching towards midnight and during the walk they had agreed to celebrate with all other people out in the night and they were already cutting it close if they wanted to actually see any of the fireworks.
“Just bare with me,” he said once again and her frown only deepened as she saw how fidgety he was being.
“Are you okay?” she asked concerned, slightly worried that something was wrong with him and that was the reason for him acting so weird.
“Yeah, just give me a moment,” he practically pleaded as he looked over at her and she nodded slightly as she took in their surroundings and tried to keep warm where she was standing. His current mood was weird, but she had those herself so she wasn't going to hold it against him. Jumping slightly up and down she was ready to curse the Canadian weather, the air might not have been that cold, but paired it the northern winds currently making their way through Toronto, she was frozen to the bone already.
“Katie.”
“What…?” she began asking as he said her name and she turned back around, only to gasp slightly as she saw him. He was kneeling, in the snow, right in front of her, fiddling with a small, black box in his now gloveless hands. “Oh,” was the most intelligent thing that passed her lips as her green eyes locked with his blue ones that seemed to have an extra spark in them.
Every girl – even the ones who say they don’t – have at least once in their life dreamt about that particular moment, when a guy is kneeling in front of you, with a small box in his hands. Because when a guy is kneeling in front of you, it usually tends to only mean one thing…
“Katie, will you marry me?”
“What?”
Apparently, the moment her eyes landed on him, her brain checked out. At least the logical part that knew to think before allowing her to speak…
“I know that we’ve only been together a few months, but I love you more than I've ever loved anyone,” he stood up and took her hands in his as he looked her deep in the eye. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I already know that no one else can take your place in my life and wouldn’t want them to. I love you Katelyn,” he said seriously. “Will you marry me?”
That logical part could and would probably have drawn up uncountable scenarios as why this wasn't a good idea, but that part had after all already checked out …
“Yes,” she managed to choke out. Living in LA, surrounded with a world unlike any other, her views on relationships had changed, for the worse. And there were times in her previous relationships where she’d constantly been looking for things and signs of commitment. But moving back up to Canada and Toronto, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t think like that anymore.
And when she got involved with Luke, she was happy to find that it worked. And then he goes…
“Yes?” he wondered, lot letting the massive grin tugging on his lips break out completely.
“Yes,” she smiled slightly as she looked up at him and barely had time to react before his lips came crashing down against hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck she couldn’t help but smile into the kiss and pout slightly as he pulled away from her.
It wasn't part of her plans but she had yet to know a girl who wasn't happy in the middle of her getting engaged…
Simply looking at her, he reopened the box in his hands and revealed the ring she hadn’t even noticed in her surprise moments earlier. “Take of your gloves,” he instructed her smiling and she couldn’t really deny him that. Taking the simple, yet gorgeous solitaire diamond ring from the box, he easily slipped it onto her left ring finger before raising her hand and placing a soft kiss to both her knuckles and the ring now resting there.
“It’s gorgeous,” she breathed as she looked down on her hand. She’d imagined the moment when she would have a ring on her finger since she was a young girl, but this was a time when reality topped dreams and imaginations by miles…
“Just like you,” he knew he was being corny, but in his eyes it was also the truth. Taking her face in his hands he pressed his lips against hers once again, before wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up from the snow-covered ground, spinning her around and causing her to squeal in surprise.
“I love you,” he smiled as he put her back on the ground.
“I love you too,” she quickly kissed him before realizing that it had to be close to midnight. “What time is it?” she asked suddenly.
“We got eight minutes till midnight,” he whispered against her cheek. “Come one,” he smiled as he laced their fingers together, placing another kiss on her now ring clad hand before tugging her along as he began crossing the park to get up to the square to see all the fireworks.
Reaching the crowds just before the stroke of midnight, she made sure she got her kiss from Luke before both of them enjoyed all the fireworks going off around the entire city. It was definitely a New Years that needed to be celebrated…
He and Katie had been invited to fly out there and celebrate the New Years with them, as well as to a few other parties, but Luke had been adamant when he stated they should celebrate it alone. Curiosity forcing her to give in, she agreed to let him plan the whole thing, even if he wasn't touching down in Toronto till after noon.
Though a part of the evening was already pretty much planned out, considering that a little something something called the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were currently taking place in up Saskatoon and Regina. Another reason that only served to add to Katie’s confusion as to why he didn’t want to go home to his family during New Years, but he was acting strange enough already that she simply kept quiet about it all.
His brother Brayden was representing Canada so 7pm was reserved for the game, meaning dinner would have to have been eaten by then. And if she was honest, it really didn’t bother her, after all, pretty much every New Years before she moved out to Los Angeles had been spent like that. The World Juniors were practically sacred in her family…
Not knowing what he was planning presented a huge problem when it came to finding something to wear, but in the end she settled on casual but still a bit dressy. Simply put she grabbed a pair of dark wash jeans and a silky top that hun slightly off one of her shoulders. When he arrived back at the apartment he states she looked beautiful and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with what she had picked.
His lack of emotions and actions she could read about drove her up the wall. Anyone who knew her, knew very well that surprises had a tendency to drive her loopy, she didn’t do well with the suspense…
Dinner passing without much trouble or anything special happening, she was a nervous wreck when the game finally rolled around. That Luke only laughed at her and appeared nervous himself, didn’t help her the slightest.
Neither did the game. Alex Pietrangelo making the score 4-4 with less than 5 minutes left of the game; she knew that her nails were at dangerous proximity to get chewed off. And the overtime period only pushed her closer to the edge. It wasn't slow and calculating, it was fast paced with opportunities going both ways and with excellent goaltending at both ends.
Penalties really wasn't her cup of tea, but that’s what it came down to and she was about ready to punch Luke when he laughed at her for hiding behind a cushion every time a player skated to get the puck before heading for the goal.
Though she saw Jake Allen’s save and screamed as loud as Luke when it was clear that Canada won over the States.
The clock well after 10pm when the game and all the interviews were over and done with, Luke – rather out of the blue – suggested that they should go out, for a walk.
“Why?” she frowned slightly as she climbed off the couch after him. It was pitch black and close to minus 15degress outside. He better have a damn good reason as to why she should go out.
“Because it’s cold and really beautiful outside,” he stated, surprising her as he stopped and turned around, quickly kissing her. “Just put on something warm and we’ll go out for a short walk before all the fireworks stars,” he did present a good cause…
“Fine,” she really hated the way he could win her over with just a look or a simple kiss. She would have to work on that…standing up against him that was.
Pulling on the UGG-boots she loved a little too much and shrugging on her coat, she finished off with wrapping a massive scarf around her neck, pulling a beanie over her head and picking up a pair of knitted gloves.
“You look like you're going on an arctic expedition,” Luke laughed at her as he zipped up his own jacket.
“Cali thinned my blood,” she complained, a slight pout forming on her lips, that was one of the few things she really hated about her time in LA.
“We’ll have you back to your Canadian ways in no time,” he promised before quickly kissing her and practically pushing her out the door.
“I really hope so,” she agreed under her breath. -15 degrees was normal for winter nights when she was growing up and all of a sudden she was shivering at just a few degrees below zero. “What’s the hurry anyway?” she questioned as they rode the elevator down. “We don’t have a time to catch,” she pointed out.
“Just bare with me,” he looked down at her as they were leaving the elevator and the look in his eyes…well, she really couldn’t argue with it.
Luke was right, the cold paired with the snow made for an amazing backdrop. There was no arguing it, Toronto was beautiful in winter time. And of course, all the fireworks going off now and then didn’t really make it worse…
“What are you doing?” Katie frowned slightly as he pulled her to a stop in the middle of the park. Time was inching towards midnight and during the walk they had agreed to celebrate with all other people out in the night and they were already cutting it close if they wanted to actually see any of the fireworks.
“Just bare with me,” he said once again and her frown only deepened as she saw how fidgety he was being.
“Are you okay?” she asked concerned, slightly worried that something was wrong with him and that was the reason for him acting so weird.
“Yeah, just give me a moment,” he practically pleaded as he looked over at her and she nodded slightly as she took in their surroundings and tried to keep warm where she was standing. His current mood was weird, but she had those herself so she wasn't going to hold it against him. Jumping slightly up and down she was ready to curse the Canadian weather, the air might not have been that cold, but paired it the northern winds currently making their way through Toronto, she was frozen to the bone already.
“Katie.”
“What…?” she began asking as he said her name and she turned back around, only to gasp slightly as she saw him. He was kneeling, in the snow, right in front of her, fiddling with a small, black box in his now gloveless hands. “Oh,” was the most intelligent thing that passed her lips as her green eyes locked with his blue ones that seemed to have an extra spark in them.
Every girl – even the ones who say they don’t – have at least once in their life dreamt about that particular moment, when a guy is kneeling in front of you, with a small box in his hands. Because when a guy is kneeling in front of you, it usually tends to only mean one thing…
“Katie, will you marry me?”
“What?”
Apparently, the moment her eyes landed on him, her brain checked out. At least the logical part that knew to think before allowing her to speak…
“I know that we’ve only been together a few months, but I love you more than I've ever loved anyone,” he stood up and took her hands in his as he looked her deep in the eye. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I already know that no one else can take your place in my life and wouldn’t want them to. I love you Katelyn,” he said seriously. “Will you marry me?”
That logical part could and would probably have drawn up uncountable scenarios as why this wasn't a good idea, but that part had after all already checked out …
“Yes,” she managed to choke out. Living in LA, surrounded with a world unlike any other, her views on relationships had changed, for the worse. And there were times in her previous relationships where she’d constantly been looking for things and signs of commitment. But moving back up to Canada and Toronto, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t think like that anymore.
And when she got involved with Luke, she was happy to find that it worked. And then he goes…
“Yes?” he wondered, lot letting the massive grin tugging on his lips break out completely.
“Yes,” she smiled slightly as she looked up at him and barely had time to react before his lips came crashing down against hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck she couldn’t help but smile into the kiss and pout slightly as he pulled away from her.
It wasn't part of her plans but she had yet to know a girl who wasn't happy in the middle of her getting engaged…
Simply looking at her, he reopened the box in his hands and revealed the ring she hadn’t even noticed in her surprise moments earlier. “Take of your gloves,” he instructed her smiling and she couldn’t really deny him that. Taking the simple, yet gorgeous solitaire diamond ring from the box, he easily slipped it onto her left ring finger before raising her hand and placing a soft kiss to both her knuckles and the ring now resting there.
“It’s gorgeous,” she breathed as she looked down on her hand. She’d imagined the moment when she would have a ring on her finger since she was a young girl, but this was a time when reality topped dreams and imaginations by miles…
“Just like you,” he knew he was being corny, but in his eyes it was also the truth. Taking her face in his hands he pressed his lips against hers once again, before wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up from the snow-covered ground, spinning her around and causing her to squeal in surprise.
“I love you,” he smiled as he put her back on the ground.
“I love you too,” she quickly kissed him before realizing that it had to be close to midnight. “What time is it?” she asked suddenly.
“We got eight minutes till midnight,” he whispered against her cheek. “Come one,” he smiled as he laced their fingers together, placing another kiss on her now ring clad hand before tugging her along as he began crossing the park to get up to the square to see all the fireworks.
Reaching the crowds just before the stroke of midnight, she made sure she got her kiss from Luke before both of them enjoyed all the fireworks going off around the entire city. It was definitely a New Years that needed to be celebrated…