Back to Square One

She just stared at me as if she was having a conversation with herself in her mind - which I observed from the changes in her facial expression. I looked back at her curiously and after awhile, her eyes widened and she hastily tore her gaze from mine.

She cleared her throat and picked up her spoon and began swirling it into the soup. “So, uhm. Thanks,” she mumbled.

“You’re welcome,” I smiled. “How was practice?”

She took a sip of the soup and looked up at me. “It was great!” she beamed. “How was unpacking?” she asked with a teasing tone in her voice.

“Leave me alone,” I grumbled and took a sip of the slushie I made.

“Join me on the ice tomorrow,” she said. I raised my eyebrows at her, and she was wide-eyed and looked like she wanted to take back what she said. “I mean, uhhh… It would be fun and I uhh.. Haven’t been on the ice with you in three years, and I – uhm. It would be some relax time for you before you start working again,” she stuttered, fumbling over her words.

“Four,” I pointed out.

She thought about it. “No, three. Remember at Mt. Rose?” she asked as she took a bite out of her sandwich.

I thought about that vacation. My stupidity days. “I didn’t ride with you,” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Yes we did,” she laughed.

I thought about it and it snapped. Audrey, black run. The triple cork, Shaun. I’ve worked on forgetting about that memory for three years, and now she just had to remind me. “Oh yeah. That was you that did that triple cork,” I mumbled.

“Naw, it was my twin sister,” she scoffed.

“Is she less stubborn?” I huffed.

“What?!” she asked with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes at her. “Nothing,” I mumbled.

“That was when we practically broke up for the first time, remember?” she asked quietly, forcing a playful tone in her voice.

“I sadly do now,” I muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I smiled at her. “I’ll go cleaned up while you finish, and when you do, go straight to the shower so you can head off to bed. I’ll clean up here,” I told her.

“Are you telling me that I stink?” she asked crinkling her nose.

“Kinda,” I joked and grabbed my stuff to take into the shower.

Once everything was fixed and done, I got into bed and turned off the lamp on my side of the bed. A few minutes later, I heard the door to the bathroom open and close, then soft footsteps coming closer before I felt somebody beside me and the room went completely dark indicating that the other lamp had been turned off as well.

I waited a few more minutes, and she was fidgeting. I could hear it, but not feel it since it was a tempurpedic bed. She then let out an irritated sigh as she sat up, and slammed herself back down.

A moment of silence came over the room before she spoke.

“You awake?” she asked softly.

I let out a soft. “Mmm,” before turning towards her. I was met with her Hazel orbs that were already on mine before I found them. “What’s up?” I mumbled.

“I can’t sleep,” she pouted.

“Come here,” I told her as I held out my arm. I was a bit surprised by my actions, and expected for her to turn me down. But she did the complete opposite - she scooted closer to me and laid her head on my arm, as I curled it protectively around her. “Better?” I whispered.

“So much better,” she nodded as she buried her face on my chest.

[cecnter]~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Morning lovebirds,” Jack sang the next morning as he walked into the kitchen while Hazelyn and I were having breakfast.

“Shut up,” Hazelyn told him, shaking her head.

“Morning,” I laughed.

“Thanks,” he told us.

“For what?” I asked him, an eyebrow raised.

“For keeping it quiet last night. I didn’t need my earplugs,” Jack winked.

“What are you talking about?” Hazelyn asked confused.

I on the other hand understood what he meant and kept it quiet. Jack though, let out an exasperated sigh and explained. “I expected you guys to have some loud make up sex, but I’m glad you didn’t.”

Hazelyn spit out the water that she was drinking right on Jack’s face, which he frowned and wiped it away.

“Jack!” Hazelyn scolded.

“Don’t you scold me, missy. You just spit on my face! Rude!” he groaned and stomped out of the kitchen. “Luke! Get out! I need to take a shower!” I heard him shout.

I cracked up, and saw Hazelyn blushing beside me. “That guy’s mentally handicapped. I’m sorry,” she apologized picking on her food.

“Nah. It’s not like I’m a stranger,” I smiled at her.



After a great day on the ice, we went back to the cottage and just decided to watch a movie and hang out while watching TV and surfed the net. I decided to log onto my facebook page that I haven’t been on in forever.

“You have a facebook?!” Hazelyn laughed leaning over my shoulder to look at my screen.

“Yeah,” I huffed. “Last time I logged on was probably 6 months ago.”

“You should add me,” she laughed.

“You have a facebook?!” I repeated her question with equal shock.

She took my laptop from me and started typing some stuff, and five minutes later, she put it back on my lap. “Done,” she smiled. “I have for awhile,” she shrugged and jumped over the back of the couch and landed in front of me. She closed the laptop, took it off my lap again, and put it on the coffee table in front of us, replacing it with her head.

I rolled my eyes at her as I pressed ‘play’ on the remote and the movie started playing. Just Friends was the title of the movie that played on the screen.

“I love this movie,” Hazelyn gushed. “Ryan Reynolds is a heartthrob,” she laughed.

“I’m better than him,” I laughed looking down at her.

“Sure,” she said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

“Would you still love me even if I was that fat?” I joked.

“You’re already that fat and I still love you,” she shrugged.

I gasped. “I can’t believe you,” I pouted.

“Stop being a baby,” she chuckled and poked my cheek. “Let’s just watch the movie you big baby,” she smiled and turned out attention back to the TV.



A couple of days passed and my secretary just took her first trip to give me some papers, meaning I had so much work. I was in front of my computer all day for the first few days prior to my secretary’s arrival. Hazelyn would wake up, I was already on the desk up until she came back and fell asleep, I’d still be on the desk.

After the third day, she snapped. “Ryan Jerome Dolciani. Go get some fucking sleep,” she shouted at me.

“I did,” I mumbled as I kept reading the papers.

She shook her head at me. “I am going to make you breakfast and you are going to eat. And then when I get home tonight, we are going to eat dinner together and you and I are going to go to sleep at 9. You are not going to get up tomorrow until I bring you breakfast in bed,” she told me.

I sighed and stood up, and faced her. “Hazelyn Mae, I am alright. Don’t you worry. This will be over soon,” I told her.

“Ry, please, just do it for me,” she pleaded before walking out of the room.

She came back 15 minutes later with a plate of pancakes, a bowl of fruits and a glass of some kind of smoothie. She cleared the table from my laptop and papers, and put it in a neat pile on the corner of the desk before putting the food in front of me.

“Haze,” I sighed. “You didn’t have to do that,” I told her.

“Yeah I did. You haven’t eaten a proper meal in two days,” she scolded.

“It’s okay. It happens all the time,” I shrugged as if it was no big deal.

She gasped. “Well, it is not happening anymore Mister. You are going to be eating proper and healthy meals. You are going to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, and you are not going to stress about those,” she said pointing at the papers.

I rolled my eyes at her and began to eat the meal she prepared. “Fine,” I agreed after I took a bite of the pancakes.

“Good,” she piped up and smiled. “Well, I’m gonna go train. Tonight, okay?” she grinned and kissed me on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight hot stuff,” she winked and laughed, walking out of the room with her stuff for the day’s training.

For the next two days until I finished all my paperwork, Hazelyn kept doing what she did the first day. She’d turn off my alarm and let me sleep in and bring me food before she leaves for training. She would also make me food while she’s having her lunch break and after her training. I felt bad, but I couldn’t argue. She warned that if I did, I’d have to sleep with one eye open.

I was finally done, and I checked into the office for when my other secretary was supposed to fly in for more papers, but they said that there weren’t important papers for the week, meaning I get it off. So she’s just gonna be flying in to take them.

I put off my papers to the side, and looked at the time. It was still 3 in the afternoon, meaning I still had another 3 hours before Hazelyn comes back home. I cleaned up the table and the entire room and decided to rearrange the room as well. In short, I did a thorough cleaning of the room.

After I cleaned, I decided to shower and I looked at the mirror for the first time in four days. I almost stepped back looking at how much of a mess I was. I had a five-o-clock shower telling me that I needed to shave, my hair was everywhere and the bags under my eyes were unflattering.

I stripped out of my clothes and stepped into the warm shower and took my time cleaning myself. I finished dressing up exactly when Hazelyn walked into the room, clearly exhausted.

“You okay?” I asked when she plopped herself on the bed.

“I’m just tired,” she frowned and laid down. I took her boots off for her, along with her socks and set them next to the door.

“You hungry?” I asked as I sat next to her head on the bed.

She looked up at me and pouted. “I am,” she said.

“Maybe you should take the day off tomorrow,” I suggested.

“I’m fine. I’ll be fine after tonight’s sleep. As long as you’re here waiting for me after,” she winked. “Especially if you looked that fine,” she laughed.

I shook my head at her. “Go take a shower and we’ll go grab some food, kay?” I told her as I grabbed her arms, pulling her up from the bed, but she just pulled me down on top of her. I forgot how I actually had to try to move her. It was easy, but not as easy as I expected it.

“This is awkward,” Hazelyn laughed as we were face to face, and usually the guy would be at the bottom.

“Yeah,” I laughed awkwardly.

She looked into my eyes and I got lost in her Hazel pools. Before I knew it, our lips were touching and fireworks were going off. I know how corny that sounded, but it was definitely amazing. The way her lips moved with mine, and the way that nothing changed except for the fact that she got better. If that was even possible.

The kiss got more heated as I flipped us over, having her hover over me so I didn’t have to hold myself up.

“Whoa shit. And they said they were bestfriends,” Scotty laughed as he popped his head into our room. “I’d love to have a bestfriend like that,” he hooted. Hazelyn and I jumped away from each other and looked towards the doorway where the guys were all staring at us with goofy smirks on their faces as the both of us just blushed intensely and looked at our feet guiltily.