Turbulence

The constant ringing next to me woke me from my light slumber. Without thought, I reached over, grabbed my phone and put it to my ear. “Hello?” I asked, groggily.

“What the hell, Cee?”

“Patrick?”

“Where you expecting someone else?”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone,” I confessed, yawning. “Is there something you need?”

“I got a really nice piece of news this morning.”

“That’s nice?” I asked, unsure as to why he was calling me. “Don’t you have someone else you can call? I’m exhausted, let me go back to bed.”

“Since when were you and Avery an item?”

“Excuse me?” I suddenly felt alert. “What are you talking about?”

“You should probably check the tabloids. There’s a nice little piece about Avery and my, and I quote, ‘sloppy seconds’. Did you really think that you would get away with dating him in secret?”

“I’m not dating Sean.”

“I don’t know, Cee, you’ve been avoiding me lately, and this would be a great explanation why.”

“Maybe so,” I argued, throwing my legs over the edge of the bed. “Not that I need to explain myself to you, but I have been friends with Sean for a few years. He helped me open my bar, so every once in awhile I decide to visit him.”

“And what? Since we aren’t together, you two make out in the middle of a club?”

“It wasn’t like that,” I told him, standing up and walking out of the room.

“What was it like, Cee?” Patrick spat through the phone. “Because it doesn’t really make sense to me.”

“I don’t really know what happened, Pat. He just randomly kissed me, even though I told him that I am seeing someone.”

“You’re seeing someone?”

“Shit,” I grumbled. “I have to go.” I hung up before the man could argue.

“You okay?”

I turned to look at the source of the new voice. “Yea, I’m alright.”

“Do you want to talk about last night?”

I shrugged and sat at the dining table. “I don’t really know if I can figure out what happened. One moment I was having a decent time, the next moment, Sean was kissing me. I don’t even know why he did it. I mean, he knows I am with someone, who I am really into.”

“And just out of no where, he kissed you?” Marc clarified. “I’m not surprised. I’m guessing the person on the phone was not your lover.”

“No, he was my ex-boyfriend, Cameron’s father.”

“Sean told me it was Patrick Kane.”

“Yea,” I nodded, not feeling the need to lie to the ginger, who had given me a place to sleep. “We were together for awhile, and split when I got pregnant.”

Marc just nodded, and started busying himself with breakfast. “Are you feeling alright this morning?”

“I’m alright. I tend not to drink too much if I go out.”

“That’s good,” Marc smiled, placing a pan on the stove. “Have you talked to the guy that you are dating?”

“Today? No.” Confusion flooded my mind. “Should I?”

“The tabloids probably got a couple of photos from last night. I’m sure that your lover wouldn’t want to find out about the kiss in that way.”

“You are probably right,” I agreed. “The only problem is that he is one of Pat’s teammates, and they are on a road trip. Not only is it likely that he knows, but he also hangs out with Pat, which could lead to an awkward conversation, since no one really knows about us.”

“I can see how that might be troublesome.”

“It’s probably best that I give him a call, but I’m not really sure what to say.” I looked down as my phone started to ring again. “Speak of the devil,” I mumbled, causing Marc to laugh. “Hey.”

“How are you?”

“I’m alright. How was your first night in New York?”

“I have a feeling you might already know.”

“I might have heard a thing or two that Patrick was telling the guys.”

“Jonny, I’m really sorry. I’d like to say I can explain, but I’m not sure how. The events of last night are very scattered.”

“Okay.”

“What?” I was taken aback by his lackadaisical response. “You’re not angry?”

“I’m a little pissed,” Jonathan confessed. “But I know that you wouldn’t purposely do something to hurt me, or anyone else, so there must be another reason that there is a huge photo of you and Avery locking lips all over the tabloids.”

I groaned, and ran my free hand over my face. “It was so strange. I told Sean I was taken, but that’s not the weirdest part.”

“What happened?” Jonathan pushed, with a quieter voice.

“Just before Sean assaulted my face, one of Patrick’s perky lady friends approached me. She was asking about Pat and I, and I lied to her.”

“Lied, as in?”

“I told her Pat and I were better than ever,” I told him, sheepishly. “I’m really sorry. It just came out.” I sat silently, waiting for Jonathan to say something. “Are you still there?”

“Yea,” he muttered, a total different mood taking over his voice. “I’ll call you after our game.”

Shocked, I never had a chance to say goodbye before he hung up. “That can’t be good.”

“You alright?” Marc asked, placing a place of eggs, toast and sausage in front of me.

“Thanks,” I smiled at him as he sat next to me. “I have a feeling I am going to be in a fight when I get back to Chicago. Jonny just hung up on me, which is never a good sign.”

“Things will work out,” Marc assured me. “I’m sure he will understand, once you get it all figured out in your head, that is. Plus, if I know anything about Jonathan Toews, he will be more than willing to hear you out.”

I chuckled, knowing that he was right in most cases, but when it came to my past relationship with Patrick, I knew he wouldn’t be so open to conversing.