God Bless the Broken Road

The next morning I woke up to my cell phone ringing in the pocket of my jeans that I didn‘t change out of last night. Still half asleep, I turned over and dug it out.

“Hello?” I answered, trying to wake myself up.

“We just got back from practice. Can I come over?” Eric asked, chuckling softly at my state of consciousness

“Yea of course.”

Eric didn’t respond, there was just a knock at my door and the line went dead. I chuckled and tossed my phone on my bed to open the door for him. When I opened it, Eric was standing there with Dunkin Donuts coffee and a bagel for me.

“Ah, you know the way to my heart.” I smiled reaching for the coffee, but Eric pulled it away and smirked at me. “Hey, I would like that please.”

“Nope, you owe me.” He said, stepping into my room and shutting the door behind him.

“What do you mean I owe you?” I smirked, knowing exactly what he meant. Eric just looked at me and I couldn’t help but laugh. I walked over to him and went in for a kiss. Eric smiled and leaned in and right before our lips touched, I reached for the brown paper bag and Styrofoam cup and ran.

“Hey!” Eric yelled coming after me with a playful glare on his face.

“Eric, no. I have hot coffee in my hand. Do not come after-” My warning was cut of by my scream as he came around the bed so fast that I didn’t have the chance to get away from him. He wrapped his one arm tightly around my waist and pulled me into him. With his other he took the coffee out of my hand and set it on the night stand. Once I was hot liquid free, Eric pulled me closer to his body. Without a word his lips were on mine.

“Good morning.” He smiled when he pulled away.

“It will be if you let me drink my coffee.” I smiled. “Good morning Eric.” I added.

Eric laughed and let me go. “Fine, go be with your coffee more than your boyfriend. I see how it is.”

I laughed and sat on the bed, taking a much needed sip of the coffee. “So what’s on the agenda for today?” I asked, taking a bite of the bagel.

“Well, coach gave us the day off.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“Well hurry up and finish eating so we can get an early start. Oh, and I figured we can meet up with Marc.”

I squealed. “I’m done. I’m going to go take a shower.”

I made my way into the bathroom and quickly took a shower. I wrapped myself in a towel and walked into my room where Eric was laying on my bed watching TV. When he heard me open the door, he looked at me and his eyes practically bugged out of his head. I just simply rolled my eyes at him and went to my suitcase, and began pulling out some clothes. Once I had my outfit picked out I went back into the bathroom to change. Once I was dressed, I fixed my hair and did my make up.

“I’m ready.” I announced walking back into the room and slipping my jacket on.

I grabbed my room key and followed Eric onto the busy New York streets. I was never a fan of the city since I grew up in a small town in Arizona, but there was just something about the tall buildings and all the people that amazed me.

“Does Marc know that I’m even here with you guys?” I asked.

“Nope, I was going to wait and have you surprise him in the locker room before the game, you know to throw him off.” He smiled at me.

“Eric Staal, you would never do something like that.”

“You’re right.”

We walked in a comfortable silence, I was excited because I was getting to see Marc. Eric continued to lead the way to Marc’s apartment and when we got there I stole Eric’s hat from him to try and disguise myself.

“What’s his apartment number?” I asked him as we rode the elevator up to the seventh floor.

“7C.”

“Okay, I don’t want him to see you. I want to surprise him.” I smiled and Eric just laughed at me and stood off to the side. I fixed the hat so it was covering most of my face and then I knocked on the door.

When Marc opened the door, he looked confused. I didn’t say anything at first, I just stood there.

“Um, can I help you?” He asked, sounding a bit annoyed.

I smiled to myself. “Ohmygoshyou’reMarcStaal!” I gushed all in one breath and started jumping up and down. I could hear Eric around the corner trying not to laugh at Marc’s expression. I heard Marc groan and I giggled.

“Um, yeah I am. Can I help you with something?” He asked, slowly inching the door shut.

I was biting my lip to keep from laughing so hard. How could he not tell it was me? Eric was about to die down the hallway. “I just wanted to let you know that I want to have your babies.” I flung myself at Marc and he stumbled backwards into his apartment.

“Whoa! What the hell are you doing?!” He screamed pulling me off of him.

I pouted. “Is that any way to treat your sister?” I asked.

“My sister?” Marc looked at me harder and started laughing. “Mackenzie! What the hell are you doing here?” He asked picking me up and spinning me around.

I laughed and hugged him. “I came with Eric.” I smiled, kissing his cheek. “How are you Marc? I’ve missed you.”

Marc hugged me tighter. “I’ve missed you too, Kenzie. I’m doing good, ready to beat Eric tomorrow.” He smiled over my head to his big brother. “Why didn’t you tell me that she was coming?”

“Because this was way more fun. I wish I would have known she was going to do that because I would have recorded it and showed it to mom and dad the next time I saw them.”

Marc smiled. “We actually already saw it.” A voice from behind Marc said.

I squealed and jumped out of Marc’s arms and ran to Linda who was laughing. “Linda, I didn’t know you guys were coming down.” I smiled, hugging my second mom.

“Well we needed an excuse to see our kids and we figured Eric’s birthday and the fact that their teams were playing against each other was a good one.”

“Are you guys going to Raleigh for the Pens/’Canes game?” I asked. “Jordan is coming.”

Henry came out of the kitchen and smiled at me before giving me a hug. “He told us, so yes we will be down there.” I squealed again and everyone laughed at me.

That afternoon, we hung out with Marc until he had to go to practice and then Eric and I hung out with Linda and Henry for a little while. Even though I was only gone for a few weeks, I missed Henry and Linda like crazy. We made plans to meet up for dinner after Marc got home from practice. So Eric and I went back to the hotel to change. I was in the best mood ever, the Staals were the greatest people in the world. I loved being around them.

“I’m glad you didn’t tell me what you were thinking for when Marc opened the door. That was great.” Eric laughed as we walked down the streets hand in hand.

I laughed with him. “His face was priceless. I was trying so hard not to laugh.”

“I liked seeing you go all fan girl and puck bunny on him.”

“I liked seeing your mom and dad.”

Eric pulled me into his side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “I know, I hate spending my birthday alone.” He admitted quietly.

I looked over at him and kissed him. “Not this year.” or ever again. “You’ve got me.” I beamed at him.

He flashed me that Staal smile and my stomach flipped. “That’s right, I do have you and I’m very happy about that .” He said before he kissed me. I smiled into the kiss and turned in his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck. Those three little words were on the tip of my tongue, waiting to be said. The way I felt when I was with Eric was something I never thought I would be able to feel. Butterflies were attacking my stomach as Eric hugged me closer to him. Once again those three words were dying to escape. “Come on, let’s go back to the hotel.” He whispered.

I giggled quietly and took his hand as we walked to the hotel. When we got there we hung out with a few of the guys on the team and Eric told them what I did to Marc and they all started laughing.

“I like you.” Erik Cole announced after all the chatter stopped.

I blushed. “Well thank you, I like you too.” I smiled. It was true, I was starting to warm up to the guys and break out of my shell. “Alright guys,” I said getting up. “I’m going to head back to my room. I have to get ready for dinner. Have a good night.”

When I got back to my room I pulled out the new dress I bought and laid it on my bed along with all the accessories that went with it. I plugged my curling iron in and started getting ready. I had no idea where we were going, but I figured it was somewhere fancy by the way Linda was going on about making sure I had time to get ready.

I slipped into my blue chiffon dress and curled the ends of my hair. As I was applying the final touches on my make-up there was a knock at my door. I looked over myself in the mirror one last time before opening the door. Eric was standing on the other side of the door in his suit, the one that I knew for a fact he would be wearing tomorrow.

“Hey,” I smiled.

He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was looking me up and down before he answered. “Hey, wow. That dress looks amazing on you.”

I blushed. “Thanks, it’s not too dressy is it?” I asked, spinning in a small circle.

Eric grabbed my hips and pulled me into his chest. “Not at all, you look beautiful. I almost don’t want to take you out just because I know people are going to be looking at you.”

Hearing Eric admit that shocked me a little. He didn’t have to worry about other guys checking me out. Not that many guys were even checking me out, most eyes were on him. If anyone had the right to be jealous it was me, but I have been pretty good at hiding it.

“Eric, no one is going to be looking at me. Especially when I’m going to be with Eric and Marc Staal, half of the hockey family.” I chuckled

Eric placed a sweet kiss on my lips. “You are wrong, do you not know how many guys I see checking you out. Mackenzie, I know we’ve never talked about it, but you are young. It’s not just guys my age checking you out, it’s teenager too.” He sighed. “Kenzie, I’m jealous of teenagers.” He sounded a little disgusted by that.

I pulled Eric into my room and shut the door. I turned and saw that he was sitting on the bed. “Eric, are you serious? You get jealous? Why?”

He looked up at me with shock in his eyes. “Why? Mackenzie, you’re beautiful. You’re telling me that you don’t notice the looks you get when you go out?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t because I’m usually too busy being watching all of the girls fawning over you.” I told him.

Eric got up off the bed and grabbed my arm. “Hey, listen to me. You don’t have to be jealous, okay? There’s no way someone else is going to grab my attention. You‘re my girl, it‘s just you.”

I smiled. That was the first time either of us acknowledged one another as ‘theirs’. “Eric, I have a serious question for you. How do you feel dating an nineteen year old when you are going to be twenty-six tomorrow? Does it bother you?”

Eric was shaking his head even before I finished talking. “No, it doesn’t bother me. When you feel the way I feel about you, age doesn’t matter at all. All that matters is you.”

I smiled, I was really falling for him. Especially when he kept saying things like that. “Are you ready to go?” I asked. He nodded and together we went to catch a cab.



Dinner with the Staals was very nice. Linda gushed over my dress and the boys and I were picking on each other. After the talk Eric and I had in my room, I did notice the eyes on me. There weren’t as many eyes on me as there were on Marc and Eric. People came up to the table and talked to the boys. Some of them even wished Eric a happy birthday. One girl though wouldn’t leave after Eric clearly dismissed her. She was standing over his shoulder and kept talking and touching his arm.

I tried my hardest to keep a pleasant smile on my face and hold my own conversation with Marc, but my eyes kept flicking to the blond talking to Eric. I could tell that Linda and Henry were uncomfortable with the girl and they knew that I wasn’t liking her presence either.

I excused myself from the table and went to the bathroom. I needed to calm down. “Easy there Mackenzie,” I whispered to my reflection. “He’s not flirting back with her, he’s just being a pleasant guy” Once I was calm, I made my way back to the table where the girl was gone. “Sorry about that guys.” I smiled at the table. Eric reached under the table and grabbed my hand, giving it a tight squeeze. I looked at him and smiled. I knew I could trust him.

When dinner was finished we went back to Marc’s apartment so Eric’s family could give him their presents. As the night wore on, I was starting to falling asleep, so Henry drove Eric and I back to the hotel.

Eric stopped me before I went into my room. “Hey, I’m sorry about that tonight. I tried to get her to leave, but she just wouldn’t.” He said

“Eric, I understand. I’m not upset, you weren’t flirting with her. I trust you.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled and gave him a kiss goodnight. When I was alone in my room, I changed into my pajamas and laid in bed thinking. I had a new feeling tonight that I have never had with any other guy I dated before. I felt possessive of Eric, like I wanted wrap my arms around him and yell ’he’s mine’.

That’s what you call love, sweetie. I heard my mother’s voice whisper in my head. I smiled at the sound of her voice and fell asleep. Yeah, I wasn’t just falling in love with Eric, nope I was in love with him already.