Secret

It had been an entire week without any word on Natalie and saying that I was worried would be an understatement. Everyday my phone was ringing off the hook by friends and family who were trying their best to help, but I was hardly buying any of their stories. I heard rumors that she was in Dallas, back in Philadelphia, and even in Ontario. I could hardly believe any of them, and with Dan calling me almost every hour for information, it was hard to give him any hope.

I felt my phone ringing beside me and already I knew who it was without even checking the ID.

"Hi, Dan." I smiled into the phone hoping to hear something better than the usual.

"Hey sis, any word on Nat yet?" Dan asked, quickly getting to the point.

"I'm sorry Dan, I haven't heard anything. I tried to call Kris but he kept sending me to voice-mail. No doubt he knows about what's happened. He probably doesn't even want to talk to me." I told him, being brutally honest.

"God, you have no idea how awful I feel about what I did. It was the biggest mistake of my life and now I've lost the only thing important to me. It was just a stupid fuck up and I was drunk when I sent that message, I didn't know it would get out that way Tor." he told me, his voice cracking ever so slightly.

"Dan you sent it through twitter, everyone knows about it. It's pretty much the most talked about scandal out there and that's without anyone acknowledging you have a wife." I told him.

"I know Tori, I know I'm a fuck up." Dan growled, obviously not enjoying our conversation.

"Listen Dan, I've got some things I have to do before I go to this benefit tonight for work. I'll call you later." I told him, hoping to leave the conversation before it got worse.

"Fine, I'll call you later." He told me, hanging up.

As soon as I got off the phone I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. I have been so stressed out for the past two weeks. When my boss, the editor of the Chicago Tribune, Mike Ross, asked me if I would care to go to a charity benefit tonight to support underprivileged kids acquire hockey equipment, I figured it'd be a great way to relax, have some fun with friends from work, and have an excuse to dress up nicely. After pulling out the dress I had bought a few nights ago and a lovely pair of heels, I picked up my iPhone and dialed the familiar number of Patrick Kane.

"Hey babe, what's up?" He asked, the sound of loud chatter and a sports game being played behind him.

"Where are you, Pat?" I asked confused. He was supposed to be getting ready to accompany me to this benefit.

"I'm at The Boundary with some of the guys, why?" He asked totally nonchalant.

"Patrick, you're supposed to be getting ready! You're my date for tonight! Remember, we were supposed to go to this benefit together." I reminded him, a bit annoyed that he completely forgot.

"Shit Tor, shit I'm so sorry. I'll leave right no-" He began, but I cut him off.

"Listen Pat, it's fine. You go out with the boys, I'm just going to go to this benefit alone and come back home later." I told him, hanging up before he had a second to respond.

I was so incredibly annoyed that Patrick could just completely forget that we had plans already made. I reminded myself that things like this, his constant partying mood and the random girls he liked to call every once and while were the exact reasons that after so many attempts to start an actual, real relationship, I have always turned him down. Groaning, I walked over to my bathroom and decided to get ready for tonight. After applying some light make up and slipping on my dress I was ready to start my night off without Patrick Kane.

Once I had arrived to the benefit, I quickly found the two girls in my department that I could actually stand, and gave them each a hug.

"Madison, Jessica, how are you guys?" I asked them as Madison had passed me a glass of champagne.

"We're good, trying to keep up with all the work they're hounding us with at the Tribune, how are you? How's school going?" Jessica asked curiously.

"It hasn't started yet, I'm going to my first class next week though and I'm just hoping I'll be able to get through with ease." I admitted truthfully.

"Well hopefully you'll be able to relax a bit," Madison laughed while I gave her a smile.

The benefit dragged on some more after our short lived conversation and I hadn't really realized just how boring benefits were without Patrick by my side. Sure, Patrick and I weren't the perfect couple; we weren't a couple at all to be honest. Yet, when he wasn't around, I found myself wishing he was. Any chance I could, I checked my phone, wishing he'd send me a message. I know that it's completely childish for me to act like this, Patrick had asked me numerous times to start a real relationship with him, and I always turned him down. I knew exactly how Patrick's mind worked and I know that even though he doesn't admit it, there have been times when he had some other girl sleeping beside him and it drove me wild. Patrick and I were so similar at times, yet complete opposites, and I know for a fact that we'd only cause each other pain.

"Is everything alright?" I heard a voice ask from beside me.

I quickly turned my head to the stranger that had so kindly pulled me out of my thoughts and gave a small smile to the Chicago Captain that I had rarely ever spoken to.

"Is it that obvious that I'm miserable?" I asked, a bit annoyed at myself, I used to be so good at hiding my feelings.

"A little, you seem a bit in pain standing here alone." He chuckled, causing me to smile.

"I'm sorry, I just forgot how painfully boring these benefits were." I admitted as he smiled.

"Now how could a beautiful girl like yourself not be having fun?" He asked, with a playful smirk on his face.

I smiled to myself, was Jonathan Toews honestly hitting on me? Surely he had to know of the relationship I shared with his teammate. Patrick did have a hard time keeping things to himself.

"It's hard to have fun when there's a lot going on in your mind." I told him honestly.

"Well how about I take your mind off it all, would you care to dance?" he asked me, hope in his eyes.

"I'd actually love that." I admitted, taking the hand he held out and following him to the dance floor.

Jonathan and I danced around to the soft sounds of the Orchestra playing around us. Dipping and twirling across the floor, I was having a great time dancing and talking to the oh-so-serious captain. I don't know how he did it, but he sure made everything leave my mind. With many drinks and dances, I had finally decided to go home. Jonathan not wanting me to have to pay for a cab, decided to have his driver drive me home. I personally thought it was just an attempt to get me alone with him. As we sped away from the lovely hotel, Jon and I laughed together while reminiscing on the night.

"Thank you so much for tonight, Jon. I really needed it." I told him, a slight slur to my words.

I looked out the dark tinted windows and realized we had finally made it to my apartment.

"It was no trouble. It gave me an excuse to get close to you." he smiled causing me to smirk.

"And now, why would you want to do that?" I asked him, curiously.

"There's something about you, I'm not quite sure what it is yet. But there is something about you I'm just dying to figure out." He admitted.

"Well, then you have a long road ahead of you." I chuckled as he smiled.

"I don't mind traveling down it." He smirked, leaning in to kiss me.

I kissed him back, not wanting the moment to end. Unfortunately, all too quickly it had to, and suddenly he was pulling away from me, causing me to pout.

"I'm sorry, but you're too special to me to lose you over a one night stand." He told me, a smile on his lips.

"Well then, I wish you luck on your journey. Hope to see you on the other side." I smirked, walking swiftly out of the car and into my apartment.

Once inside, I let the realization hit me of what I just did. I had just openly kissed Patrick's team mate without him having any clue of the situation I was in. And the worst part, I couldn't help but like his lips on mine. I was so confused that my head was spinning a million miles a minute and the one person I could normally always talk to about this was missing somewhere around the world. Getting completely fed up, I grabbed my phone and called the one person I knew could get through to her.

"Hello?" He asked, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"Kris, it's me." I told him, and I heard his breath catch in his throat.

"Tori, why are you calling me?" He asked, a bit annoyed.

"Listen Kris, now's not the time to bring up the past. There's more important things going on than us. Your sister's missing and I have no idea where she is." I admitted to him, my voice becoming hysterical.

I felt the tears falling down my face as the realization that I pushed my best friend away from the one place she should never have to worry about not being accepted in.

"She's here, she's with me Tori. Please, I'm beginning you don't tell anyone else. She'll hate me." He begged as I began to control my tears.

"Thank you Kris. Thank you so much." I thanked him as I quickly hung up the phone.

I was finally at peace knowing that Natalie was safe and sound, yet in the back of my mind I was slowly coming up with ways to try and get her back to the Windy City.