Someone To Save Me

Chicago. The flight was short especially when I slept the whole trip. It was the only thing I could do to combat the nerves I felt stepping back into the city that I had fled from a month ago. I was relieved to see a poorly disguised Patrick Sharp waiting for me with his girlfriend Vivian, as I walked out of the baggage claim area. Viv knew that I had to leave because of something that happened and that Sharp knew what that was but she didn’t press to know more. She was a nice girl from his hometown, apparently they had dated in high school but ended things before he left mutually, somehow they got back in touch around Christmas and have been together ever since.

“Katie” he said stepping towards me, pulling me into a brotherly hug. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too Pat” I said stepping back. “Hey Viv.”

“Hey it’s good to see you again” she said with a smile before giving me a hug.

“When does your sister’s flight come in?” Pat asked as he placed my bags into the back of his SUV.

“Tomorrow at 10:30. Then it’s off to Ohio.”

“Really you’re only going to stay one night?” Viv said turning towards me with a sad face as we pulled away from the airport. We genuinely get along, not the fake ‘you’re friends with my boyfriend so I’m going to pretend to be nice to you’ kind of thing.

“Sorry Viv, I have to get back. There’s this Gala I promised Sid I’d go to with him” I said. “If I didn’t have that I would have loved to stay a little longer with you guys.”

“Maybe another time then” she smiled before turning back to face forward in the car.

Sharp took my bags to his guest room before joining me in the living room. Viv had to go into work so they said their goodbyes after she changed.

“So, how are you Katie?” he said concerned.

“I’m good, it’s a lot better. They took out the stitches a couple days ago so I now have a crazy scar that’s luckily hidden” I said. “I’m glad that I left Pat, but I do miss you guys. If I didn’t have Sid to take care of me it would have been just as good to have my brothers.”

“He’s taking care of you then.” I nodded. “Good otherwise I’d have to beat him up.”

“Don’t beat him up I like his face the way it is” I smiled.

“Pittsburgh . . . How do you like it?”

“It’s a nice city, I mean it’s not Chicago, but Chicago isn’t Pittsburgh either. All the guys there are really great, none of them hit on me like Kaner which is a blessing. . .”

“Well you’re dating their captain. Of course they won’t hit on you.”

“Well that and a few of them are dating my friends so I’d kick their asses if they did.”

“I was really scared when Crosby told me what happened” he said quietly.

“Pat” I said holding back tears. “You really are like a brother to me. And I’m sorry you had to witness all that.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong Katie” he said.

“I know but . . .” I wiped my face. “GAH! I don’t want to think about it anymore. I just want to forget that it ever happened. It’s over it’s done and I can’t change it so I’m content with forgetting, or at least trying to.”

“Alright, I won’t say anything any more I promise” he said with a smile. “What are we going to do today?”

“Don’t you have a practice?”

“It’s optional.”

“You always go to optional practices.”

“Well you’re here.”

“Don’t pull that shit Sharp. I’ve been to that arena how many times? Get your shit together and lets go. The boys will be mad If they find out that I’m here and you kept me in hiding.”

“Alright give me 5 and we’ll go.”

“I’m going to grab my camera and something to read” I said smiling.

I made my way down to the stands as Pat went to up his gear on. I was almost to the steps when I felt arms wrap around my waist making me tense and drop my bag, I felt his hot breath on my neck, and everything from the night I’ve been trying hard to forget came flooding back in an instant. I started to hyperventilate at the unfamiliarity of the person carrying me back towards the locker room.

“Look who I found” I barely heard still unable to breath properly.

“Kaner you fucking idiot!” I heard Pat yell before I was set down on the bench.

“What?” he said defensively.

“Katie, it’s ok it was just Kane. Take a deep breath, you’re alright. He’s just a dumbass” Pat said sitting next to me wrapping his arms around me lightly rubbing my back.

“What did I do?” I heard Kaner ask as I realized that it had been him.

“You don’t fucking come out of nowhere and carry off a rape victim you fucking idiot” I said dryly.

“Umm, I hadn’t told them that part . . .” Pat said looking down at me.

“Awesome” I said letting my head fall between my knees. I drew in deep breaths taking my time to exhale. When I finally straightened back up I was 10 faces looking back at me with concern and fear.

“Katie, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to . . . I was just excited to see you” Kaner said.

“It’s ok, you didn’t know. I thought for sure that you’d tell them” I said turning towards Pat.

“I didn’t think you’d want me to” he said quietly.

“Don’t you all have a practice to get ready for?” I said as they all continued to stare at me not knowing what to say. Half of the mumbled something under their breath before going back to getting ready and most of the rest just shook their heads before walking out of the locker room, leaving Sharp Kane and Towes standing/sitting by me. My ‘brothers’ one who always had my back, one so focused on his job that he was oblivious to the world around him until it was screaming at him, and one that was annoying and over egar but you loved none the less.

“Really, did that really happen to you” Towes said sitting on the other side of me.

“Yea” I whispered.

“That’s why you left?” Kaner asked. I nodded. “And now you’re with Crosby.”

“Yes, I’m ‘with’ Crosby” I said getting slightly annoyed.

“Kaner shut the hell up” Pat said.

“What? Why is he so high and mighty now? We would have been there too. We didn’t get a chance.”

“Kaner listen to me before I smack the hell out of you” I said. “He was there. He was there and stopped him, he called the police and the ambulance and Sharp. He was there during it all. Now quit bad mouthing my boyfriend before I kick you in the junk.”

“I have my cup on already” he said in a mocking tone.

“Extra small right?” I joked making every guy that was left in the room laugh.

“I hate you” he replied.

“So you’re not denying it” I continued as Pat and Towes continued to get ready.

“Should I start talking about your boyfriends cup size?”

“Have you been checking out my mans package? I didn’t know you swing that way. I totally would have been your beard if you would have just told me Kaner.”

“HOLY SHIT WOMAN! How the hell did this become about my sexual orientation?”

“Are you failing to deny it again?” I said with a smile as he pulled on the top of his uniform.

“I’m just not dignifying that with a response.”

“I’ve always thought that Brooks Laich had dreamy eyes don’t you?” I continued to taunt him.

“Dreamy eyes?” Towes said.

“Shut it, don’t kill my fun” I said.

“I have to, practice is going to start any minute now.”

“Jonny you kill my buzz. . . Buzz killer” I said with a pout.

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“Charlie!” I shouted seeing my sister walk out of the crowd in my direction. I moved my aviators to the top of my head and walked to greet her.

“Katie! I missed you sis!”

“Same here. I know you just got off the plane but are you ready to go? Nonie and Poppy are waiting for us to get there. They seriously called like 5 times this morning.”

“You mean Nonie called 5 times this morning” she said getting into the car.

“Yep. So when we get to Pittsburgh, I have to go to this thing . . . it’s a formal kind of deal.”

“You’re just going to abandon me?”

“No” I replied starting the familiar trek to Columbus. “You can go too if you’d like. One of the guys has an extra ticket. We’ll just have to find dresses in Ohio.”

“This isn’t you trying to set me up is it?” she asked.

“No” I said with a smile, little did she know. “I want to hang out with my baby sister but I promised Sid that I’d go to this with him.”

“The boyfriend. Who you have yet to tell me about.”

“Yes Sid is my boyfriend. He got us some awesome seats for the Pens game on Tuesday” and every other home game while you’re here.

“Sweet I like him already” she said with a smile.

“Trust me you’ll love him.”

“How long have you been together?”

“Umm let’s see . . . January . . . 3 almost 4 months. We met back in early November and talked non-stop until I came back to visit for New Years and we made it official.” She nodded in satisfaction before turning to look out the window.

“Katie why’d you move? You can tell me” she asked randomly after a few minutes. “You’re not pregnant are you?”

“No, Sid and I, we haven’t yet.”

“You haven’t? You’ve been living together for a month already!”

“Well, I . . . we . . . Its not like I don’t want to, or that he doesn’t want to. It’s hard to not notice that he wants to . . .”

“Then why don’t you?”

“That’s kind of a tough situation.”

“How so, you either do or you don’t.”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“What is it then? I mean if you’re not preggo, and you both want it, then why not?”

“Because, Charlie the reason I moved to Pittsburgh with Sid is because of Brice.”

“What does that jackass have to do with anything?”

“That jackass is now in prison for attacking and raping me” I said flatly. Charlie and I have always had the relationship that made it difficult to keep secrets from each other.

“Are you serious?” she asked turning to face her entire body toward me.

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t Nonie and Poppy know?”

“No. And we will keep it that way.”

“Holy Hell.”

“Kind of an oxymoron.”

“I can’t even fathom . . . Why Pitt? Why not back to Ohio or even up to Montreal?”

“I needed Sid, Charlie. He was there, like actually there.”

“Like he caught him?”

“Yea, called the cops and took care of me.”

“Wow, I haven’t met him yet and I seriously want you to marry him.”

“You and about 20 other people.”

“Damn” she said dropping the subject entirely. This is what I love most about Charlie, she knew the exact moment to stop asking questions. “So this ‘formal’, what’s it for?”

“The Children’s Hospital.”

“Oh, well that’s nice.”

“Yea, he really loves this one.”

“What does he do?”

“Umm . . Well . . . He’s Sidney Crosby.”

“SIDNEY CROSBY!” she yelled nearly jumping out of her seat.

“Yea” I smiled.

“Who am I taking a ticket from exactly?”

“I don’t think I’m going to tell you . . . I’m going to let it be a surprise.”

“A penguin?”

“Perhaps?”

“A tall blonde Penguin?”

“No Rupp is married, he’s taking his wife.”

“Another tall blonde Penguin.”

“Maybe” I shrugged.

“I can’t believe you’re dating Sidney Crosby. How did you even meet him?”

“I came to visit Al Megs and Janie, I met them at this pool hall for lunch after my flight came in and I was minding my own business playing a game with Al and we’re talking about how I secretly liked the Penguins and how cousin Gerry when he found this out say that he had the facial hair of a . . .”

“12 year old Iranian girl.”

“Yea, and I hear laughter behind me. When I turned around to see who had been eavesdropping on us, I come face to face with him and half of the team.”

“Wow, so how did the dating start?”

“Well I beat him in a pool game and then left. We kept being in the same place that entire night. Al had tickets to the game. He ended up at the club that we went too, we started talking at the bar and left together just walking around talking. By the end of the week we were talking everyday. I visited again in December for New Years and we decided to give it a shot.”

“That’s cute. I can’t believe that you guys have been together this long and haven’t had sex yet.”

“I’m pretty sure it would have happened the next time we saw each other.”

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