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As soon as Tyler pulled up to the apartment building, Allie found herself feeling sad that the two had to part. They had had a great night, and she didn't want it to end.

Tyler had been nothing but a gentleman. He had stayed by her side for the better part of the night, only leaving when he had to do something for the team. She had thoroughly enjoyed his company - the cheesy lines were far and few between and he had been incredibly pleasant.

All of this was the reason she found herself opening my mouth and asking something she would have never thought to ask weeks, or even days, ago.

"Do you want to come in?"

***

"Anything planned with the guys later tonight?" Allie called back to Tyler as she hung up her coat in the closet by the door before heading into the kitchen.

Tyler followed, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning against the doorframe. "No. I was gonna go home and sleep or something," he said honestly with a chuckle. "Then you invited me in and I thought there might be food, so I went for it," he said teasingly. She glanced over her shoulder and laughed as she grabbed two water bottles from the fridge. "Besides," he added, "They're not as nice to look at."

Allie's stomach flip-flopped, even though on the outside, she rolled her eyes. She shut the fridge door, turning to put the water on the counter. She changed the subject, opting instead to ask Tyler if he was actually hungry.

"Not really," he answered. Allie heard the shuffling of his feet as he approached her. She stood on her tiptoes to grab a box of crackers for herself as Tyler leaned against the counter beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the black leather of his jacket.

"You can take your jacket off," she commented with a laugh.

Tyler chuckled and followed Allie back out into the living room. She threw the bottles onto the couch and turned back, only to come face to face with Tyler in a black t-shirt with a yellow Bruins logo on the front. Her eyes immediately traced down his arms. The shirt hugged his arm muscles, and Allie had to force herself to look back up at his face. He raised his eyebrows with an amused smile, and Allie blushed. She took his jacket from his hands, brushing past him to hang it up.

When she returned, Tyler had settled himself onto the couch. Allie joined him on the other side, reaching for one of the water bottles and cracking it open as she reached for the remote. She was about to press the 'on' button when Tyler spoke.

"Thanks for coming tonight."

Allie glanced at him with a smile. He had been thanking her all night. She waved her hand in a no-nonsense motion before replying, "I told you. It was fun."

Tyler smiled back, and their gaze held for a moment before Allie turned back to the TV, her cheeks undoubtedly a nice shade of pink.

"What do you want to watch?" she tried to change the subject.

Allie felt his eyes on her face as he responded, "You."

Despite the incredibly ridiculous line, Allie found herself flushing even more. She fiddled with the remote in her hands before standing up and saying quietly, "I'm going to change."

She rushed into her bedroom, her mind spinning. Why did he continue to feel the need to say these things? She, of course, wouldn't be a normal girl if she wasn't somewhat flattered by the smooth lines. But she wasn't stupid, either.

Allie sighed as she slipped of her dress. She grabbed the pair of pajama pants that she had thrown on her bed that morning, and a baggy t-shirt. She threw her hair up into a messy bun, and didn't even stop to check her appearance in the mirror. She didn't care - she was confused, and annoyed.

She almost regretted inviting him in.

Allie took a deep breath before stepping back out into the living room. Tyler had turned on Sportscentre - typical - and Allie slowly made her way back to her seat. He glanced at her, but she kept her eyes on the Senators vs Sabres highlights on the television. Not that she was really paying attention, though.

"Sorry." Tyler broke through the silence.

Allie didn't budge, but she felt her jaw clench. She shrugged.

"I'm used to it."

Tyler sat up, leaning forward. "Allie." She took a moment before she looked over at him with raised eyebrows, trying to keep her composure. His brown eyes stared back at her with sincerity as he shifted closer. "I can't help it," he admitted. "I'm not... I'm not used to actually liking someone and being... real all the time, or whatever."

Allie bit her lip, looking down at her hands. He liked her? She felt her stomach begin to twist, but she shook her head. How was she supposed to know if this was another one of his lines? "I don't know, Tyler..."

"Allie, I mean it," Tyler insisted. "When I first met you, I thought you were going to be boring. Not the type of girl I'd ever go for-"

"Thanks," Allie muttered sarcastically.

"It's a good thing," Tyler continued. "You're not boring. You're adorable. You're... Interesting. I don't feel stupid around you even though you're ten times smarter." Tyler shook his head, looking away before looking back at Allie. "If you were any other girl, I wouldn't apologize for any of this," he stated bluntly. "I find myself caring about your feelings, and that's different for me." He paused. "Like... I really, really want to kiss you but I don't want you to run away."

Allie's stomach flipped over and she swallowed hard. She took a deep breath before interrupting the silence with a timid, "I wouldn't run away." What was she doing?

Tyler met her eyes and Allie felt goosebumps form on her skin. "No?" Tyler breathed as he moved closer. Allie found herself immediately shaking her head. Her hands were trembling. Tyler smiled a bit, his face now inches from hers. She stared at him with wide eyes until he quickly turned his head and pressed his lips to her cheek. Allie breathed out as he pulled away, looking down at her hands. Had he just lied about wanting to kiss her? She immediately felt vulnerable. "I'm going to kiss you," Tyler spoke and Allie looked up at him. "But not right now. I'm going to kiss you when it feels right."

Allie felt herself smile slightly, even though she was disappointed. She nodded. "Okay," she responded quietly.

Tyler was quiet for a moment before adding, "I really like you, Allie."