He Shoots, She Scores

With Lacey
Lacey was curled up on the couch cell phone in hand texting Marcus happily. Her phone buzzed and she looked down from the TV expecting to see Marcus’s name on her screen and instead she seen Tyler’s, the message was a simple hello but with the way he had acted before Carrie and Nate’s wedding and since then and his reaction to her talking to Marcus lead her to believe this was him checking up on her.
She took a deep breath before texting back a short hi. It wasn’t long before cordial small talk turned into an interrogation of who she was talking to and how was Marcus, Lacey let out a frustrated sigh it was like he only wanted to know what was going on because she was talking to someone. She began typing quickly and much too angrily for a touch screen phone laying it all on the line “Who do you think you are? Who do you think I am? You only want to see me breaking, you only want me because I’m taken”
His response was denial only frustrating her more she ignored his text and went back to watching TV until her phone rang seeing Tyler’s name angered her and she answered it with a snappy hello
“Lacey, you have to listen to me about him”
“No I don’t I don’t have to listen to you about anything! This stopped being your business when you walked away from me”
“Lacey”
“Tyler you don’t even want my heart, you just like to know you can still be the one to break it!”
She slammed her finger down onto the touch screen ending the call she tosses her phone on the couch getting up and walking away to clear her head.
After a half hour Lacey walked back into the room looking at her phone and only seeing text messages from Carrie, Marcus and a few other friends she smiled to herself proud of herself for standing up to Tyler for once and for all. It only took a beat for her smile to fade, this was it whatever there was for her and Tyler it ended today that’s what the silence said to her. She took a shaky breath after all this she expected this moment of realization to be easier, that she would feel relieved but all she felt was lonely. The loud knock on the door pulls her out of her dazed state stunting whatever memory that was sure to make her cry. She gets up and heads towards the door to open it wondering who was at the door. She opens it to see Tyler standing in her door way.
“Tyler?” she says shaking her head not believing her eyes
“What the hell do you mean I only want you because you are taken? You’re officially dating him now?”
“It’s none of your business”
“That’s a no”
“No that’s an “it’s none of your business”. You broke up with me remember? And this cordialness when we are forced to see each other and your checking in on me and being nice and flirty one second and then being a total douche the next is killing me!”
“Damn it Lacey, this is the last thing I wanted! I never wanted to hurt you we never seem to be on the same page anymore!”
“Same page? You’re in a whole different book! One second you’re calling me at 4am telling me how much you love me then you show up to Carrie and Nate’s wedding and for most of the night you ignore me! This is just… its exhausting you know, it’s obvious that we are never getting back together we just aren’t made to!”
Tyler let out a sigh running his hands frustrated through his hair which was growing out again quickly.
“Lacey I wish I knew what to say to you”
“Yeah I wish you did too, but there’s nothing to say Tyler. Just leave, get out of my house please”
“Just remember Lacey my love is one of a kind”
“Tyler please don’t do this just go, don’t you think this is hard enough for me? Don’t you think we’ve both been through enough? Please I am begging you to just go”
“He can give it a try, take a walk in my shoes, feed you some good lines. Let him take his best shot be he can’t be me he can’t love you like I can”
“Tyler just drop it! You were not the best candidate in the world for a boyfriend or do you forget that it was your allegations that broke us up in the first place! If your love is one of a kind I’m glad because if that’s what love is like I never want to experience it again!”
“I bet he walks away the second time get tough he won’t stick by you I can feel it!”
“Just like you?”
Tyler frowns but reluctantly nods; he takes a deep breath stepping closer to Lacey brushing the hair out of her face he plants a soft kiss on her forehead before turning to leave.
She stood there for a minute hanging onto the door until his car was out of sight; she slammed the door shut sliding down it the tears that were threatening to fall before hand falling freely.

With Tyler

It had been a week since he’d last talked to Lacey, it was killing him he wanted so badly to be the one she would turn to and he knew it was his own fault but nothing he could do right now would make it better.
He was sitting on the couch lazily petting Max and as he looked around his home everything in it somehow reminded him of Lacey, pots and pans strewn through the kitchen made him think of her love for baking and learning how to cook things and them cooking together. Her volleyball sitting abandoned in the corner was of course a huge thing to aid to making him feel sad
“Max buddy I have got to get out of this house, how about you go visit the neighbor for a little bit while daddy goes out?”
He got off the couch and walked the dog next door his neighbor taking him in with no problem, he got in the car and headed to the arena he needed to clear his head and the best way he could think to do that was to skate.
He did laps and drills for over an hour skating until his legs felt numb when he finally stopped to catch his breath he noticed for the first time how alone he was not only in the 18,000+ seating arena but just in general, he moved from home to play hockey pretty much only had his team mates and his dog out here and the girl he loved was dating his team mate, he leaned against the wall trying to catch his breath.
He took a deep breath and started skating again, faster he flipped the puck in harder practiced slap shots everything he did he put his whole heart into the only thing ringing in his mind ‘there’s nothing else, all you have is hockey’ and he went faster it wasn’t until he snapped the only stick he brought with him over the boards in frustration that he stopped, his chest heaving out of breath
“I need a drink”
He took his skates off showered and changed and headed to the nearest bar. He sat down tentatively his muscles already feeling the pain from working too hard, he ordered his drink and then just stared at it for a while before taking a sip, then finishing it in 3 swallows and ordering another.
He’d lost count after 6 rounds and was starting to remember what he came to forget when the bartender told him he was being cut off.
“My team mate stole my girl. I should kick his ass” he slurred
“Yeah sure buddy, do what you gotta do, just don’t do it here. Let me call you a cab”
Tyler nodded solemnly, when the cab arrived he stumbled out of the bar and then after the brief ride into his house passing out on the couch.
Waking up the next morning he could feel the tension in his muscles and the headache and stomach ache a tell tale sign of over working and over drinking. Getting up he showered changed his clothes took some aspirin and a Gatorade and started over, repeating the previous day’s activities, this was how it was going to be skating drinking and sleeping, what else did he have?

With Carrie
Carrie was spending the morning laughing with the other Sabre player’s wives and girlfriends helping with a fundraiser at children’s hospital. While it was pretty much required for the wives to make an appearance at least occasionally at functions to show their support for the team and the community this one was actually something Carrie enjoyed she played with a group of kids building an intricate Lego city when she overheard 2 of the player’s wives talking
“Yeah I guess he just collapsed, exhaustion or something. Jason said he’s been at the arena every day for the past two weeks”
“You know Thomas told me the same thing, you have to give it to Tyler though he’s a dedicated player”
Carrie’s ears perked up at the mention of the name Tyler, though there were two on the team something in her gut told her it was Enzo
“Dedicated yes, but also stupid ever since he broke up with that Lacey girl that’s all he does Jason said is skate”
“Oh really I heard he’s also developed a bit of a drinking problem and Lindy’s not happy”
“Well maybe I’ll still be nice and send a get well basket, any idea how long ECMC is keeping him?”
“Thomas said probably over night just to get his fluids back up”
Carrie smiled at the kids pretending not to hear the conversation going on behind her, she casually checks her phone and lets out an audible and extravagant sigh “I’m sorry guys but I’ve got to go, do you think you can all handle the city without me?”
A bunch of children’s whines and protests followed and Carrie only smiled “I’ll come back soon I promise ok?” The kids nodded in excitement and Carrie stood from her spot on the floor
“Carrie honey where are you going so soon?” Jason Pominville’s wife asked sweetly
“I’m supposed to be headed out for an early lunch with my sister and then a little shopping” Carrie lied effortlessly sort of she was supposed to meet her sister, but that wasn’t until tomorrow. She waved to the other wives and girlfriends and left quietly.
By the time she got to her car she had called Lacey 6 times every one going to voicemail. She tosses her phone across the seat of her car and slides in starting it and taking off quickly. She got to Lacey’s home in the falls at record speed surprising even her that she didn’t acquire a speeding ticket also, she got out of the car slamming the door phone in one hand keys in the other and tried calling Lacey once again, still no answer. Seeing Lacey’s dad’s truck Carrie knocks lightly on the door until he answers
“Hi Carrie, Lacey isn’t up yet but you can be my guest and wake the beast” when Carrie didn’t laugh his face turned serious “What’s wrong? You can tell me”
“It’s Tyler, he’s in the hospital. I just really need to be the one to tell her this” her dad only nodded and Carrie headed as quickly as she could up Lacey’s narrow stairs. “Lacey”
“No I don’t have to work and its summer, no go away I am sleeping”
“Lacey you need to wake up and look at me”
“What?” she mumbled her face still in the pillow
“Lacey, look at me!” Lacey sat up hearing the urgency in her voice and looked at her with wide eyes “Lacey I was at Children’s today and some of the wives were talking”
“Carrie if you are trying to get me to volunteer with you, I can’t I’m too busy”
“Tyler is at ECMC”
“Myers right? Its Tyler Myers” Carrie only shook her head “What happened?”
“I don’t know the details Lace, I just over heard Jason and Thomas’s wives talking and I guess he just collapsed today on the ice. They think he’s just dehydrated apparently he’s been at the arena every day for the past 2 weeks and” she took a deep breath looking sympathetically at her friend
“And what? Don’t end a sentence with and Carrie!”
“And he’s drinking again Lacey”
Lacey got out of bed pacing the length of her floor “He just collapsed, and he’s drinking and…. 2 weeks? You said the past 2 weeks?” Carrie nodded clearly confused “This is because of me, he showed up here 2 weeks ago, we had a fight I was really mean and now he’s in the hospital cause I… I pushed him”
“Lacey”
“Carrie you don’t get it your fairytale will fall together at some point cause even as stubborn as you both are you are in love, but the man I love thought I would cheat on him and we can’t go back, you and Nate have a life time to fix it Tyler and I are over and this is what happens!”
“Do you want to go see him?”
“No, I do but I can’t do that, I thought this was over everything has been going great with Marcus and then all of a sudden Tyler decides to I dunno try to make a mends and then I’m back at square one because he has me so confused!”
“Lacey why didn’t you talk to me about this?”
“Did you not just marry a man that is acting like he hates you, don’t you have enough on your plate right now?”
“I don’t care if I have a bus full of children with the stomach flu Lacey if your finger hurts because you scrapped it I want to know, you sure as hell have done more than enough for me”
“Ok you want to know what I’m feeling? I’m feeling like I could fall for Marcus Foligno, and I’m scared because when I look at Tyler I still want that and maybe I’ll get burned again no matter how I choose but that’s where I am. Then you come here and tell me this and all I can think about is Tyler, what am I doing Carrie?”
“I can’t tell you that answer”
Lacey just nodded sitting on her bed in a huff and sniffling back the round of tears that were about to come, Carrie quietly sat next to her friend and put her arm around her shoulder as she cried silently.