He Shoots, She Scores

It’s now closing in on April and the end of regular season hockey. For these last few weeks the guys were going to be out of town for every weekend which had both Lacey and Carrie stressed out but with grudging sighs they let it go remembering that this was their jobs.
It was a beautiful Saturday and the guys were in Ottawa leaving the girls to enjoy the day by themselves. They were lying out on Carrie’s patio just enjoying the sun and the warmth, even though by most standards a 50 degree day was not warm considering Buffalo in winter this was like a summer day for the girls.
“This is so stressful” Carrie says breaking the silence they had
“What on earth about a beautiful flip flop worthy day is stressful to you?” Lacey asked eyeing her friend like she was a three headed monster.
“Not this as in today! This is as in being engaged to a hockey player!”
“So you guys are officially engaged and I wasn’t first informed?” Carrie laughed at her friends fake hurt face shaking her head
“Not yet, not like I would mind that. But you know the whole story and so I can say that since technically it is true”
The two fell back into a relaxed silence for a moment before Lacey let out an irritated sigh
“Thanks for harshing my mellow by reminding me that the guys aren’t here” Carrie nodded
“You are welcome friend my mellow was harshed from the beginning”
Next to her Carrie heard her phone vibrate signaling a text message, figuring it was Nate she smiled figuring whatever he had to say would relax her, even if it was just a simple hello.
“Maybe the fiancé will mellow me out” she said to Lacey looking at her phone
“Let’s hope cause you could ruin someone’s high if you tried. Oo be a drug councilor people won’t ever want to touch drugs again if they talk to you when you’re stressed out”
Carrie ignored her friend reading her text and letting out a frustrated sigh. She let her phone harshly drop back onto the table startling Lacey
“Not Nate huh?”
“No Derek, this is like the 4th time this week I’ve moved from telling him to leave me alone to straight up ignoring! He’s so persistent it’s irritating!”
“Still haven’t told Nate I take it?”
“Nope” Carrie said as her phone began to ring she grabbed it quickly assuming it was Nate and pressed the phone to her ear
“Yellow” she said expecting blue to be what she heard
“Hey beautiful” The smile that was on Carries face fell instantly at Derek’s voice
“Hi Derek” she sighed
“Why don’t you answer my texts baby girl”
Carrie shivered uncomfortably at his pet names “Derek I told you to leave me alone” Carrie put her phone on speaker for Lacey to hear
“Oh come sweetheart I know you don’t mean that. So really just tell me how many goals you want me to score tonight one? Two? A hat trick? It’s all up to you”
“What will it take for you to leave me alone?”
“I don’t know perhaps a last name change?”
“So if I marry Nate you’ll leave me alone?” she asked a smile coming onto her face since that was already inevitable that she would marry Nate
Derek laughed making Carrie cringe “Not exactly love, the last name Gerbe won’t get me to leave you alone. I mean personally I think Roy sounds better anyway” Carrie and Lacey’s mouths both dropped open.
“Derek this is the last time I am going to say this, I want nothing to do with you! Leave me alone!”
“I’m sorry you feel that way honey but I can’t do that” He said hanging up the phone. Carrie let her phone drop from her hand hitting the patio with a thud
“Carrie please tell Nate about this!”
“There’s only like 3 more weeks I can handle it for 3 more weeks”
“And if they go to the play offs? They have been toggling on that 8th place spot you know that!”
“Well if and when that happens I will tell Nate”
“You better, because if you don’t I will”
Carrie sighed heavily at Lacey but nodded in agreement knowing she was right.

With Derek

Derek rolled his eyes at his phone Carrie was so frustrating, what she even saw in Nate baffled him. For one thing Gerbs was not a goal scoring type of guy he was just the little guy. With a chuckle he started to scroll through his contacts if Carrie was going to ignore him it was simple he would for now pick a girl that wouldn’t. He settled on one and text her asking how many goals she wanted scored by him in her honor and almost instantly got a reply this girl was nothing like Carrie for one thing she probably couldn’t tell a hockey puck from a baseball but she would give him attention and that’s what mattered. Her response made him sigh in aggravation ‘one in every inning’ proved his point that baseball and hockey were apparently easy to confuse. He tossed his phone down as Nate and Tyler walked into the locker room.
“Carrie just text me” Nate said and Derek wanted to puke at the smile that spread across Nate’s face just getting a text message from a girl that should be his. Nate’s laughter caught his attention “You gotta love this girl ‘you better score a goal for me tonight, or I won’t kiss you goodnight, wait who am I kidding the only reason I won’t kiss you goodnight is cause you are in Ottawa, you butt head’ only my Carrie would text me that, Enzo can you believe her”
“Only if you can believe Lacey hers to me says ‘puck into the back of the net plus you equals you still having your dog when you get home’ Gerbs she took Max as a goal hostage”
“The reverse psychology of great girlfriends”
“Or the true statements of total psycho’s but still good girlfriends”
“Or the sappy proclamations of relationships that will never last” Derek mumbled going unnoticed by Tyler and Nate. Derek looked down at his phone when it vibrated some girls name popping up that he barely remembered, he got an awesome thought upon reading her text message ‘goal tonight would equal a great welcome home gift’ he responded quickly with a sure thing and winking face tossing his phone into his duffle bag and changing quickly his mind working on a fool proof plan that would not only get him Carrie but would ensure Nathan Gerbe would not be a threat for him anymore. The guys all got ready quickly and headed out for morning skate, with Thomas Vanek being out for at least this game Lindy changed up the lines, Derek wanted to protest upon finding out that he and Nate would be on the same line but he decided it wouldn’t matter because after this game he would have his girl anyway.
They got through morning practice alright and then the guys got to head back to their hotel rooms until time for the game later. Derek grabbed his phone seeing a text message from Amber he smirked knowing this would easily be his best plan ever. Going into his contacts he changes Carrie’s name adding her last initial to it and then changes Amber’s name to Carrie. Already loving his plan he goes back to being typical flirtatious Derek.

With Carrie

It was almost time for the game and Carrie was getting settled on the couch to watch it. Lacey left a little while ago to let Max out again and then go home because the guys would be home tomorrow so she didn’t need to sleep over. With the first goal coming off a Senator’s stick Carrie sighed. The first period passed without another goal and Carrie was slightly irritated. As the puck dropped for the second period though she let the first period pass from her mind, as the puck went sailing onto Nate’s stick she found herself holding her breath and as the light behind goalie lit up Carrie’s jaw dropped. She picked up her phone knowing Nate wouldn’t get the text until after the game she text him anyway congratulating him and telling him how proud she was.
The game passed by quickly and they were tied at 3 the tying goal coming from Marcus Folingo who was up from Rochester. Carrie as always felt herself getting nervous as they started the shoot out. She let out a sigh of relief when the Senators didn’t score but groaned when Brad Boyes missed. The second senator missing raises her hopes as Jason Pominville steps onto the ice and effortlessly puts the puck behind the goalie. The 3rd senator misses and Carrie finds herself on the edge of her seat as Tyler steps onto the ice as he shoots the puck Carrie’s eyes widen seeing it sail into the back of the net. She calls Lacey quickly and they talk for a while before they both decide to go to bed.
Carrie just started to really fall asleep when her phone rang, hoping it was Nate excited about the game and not Derek who was starting to make her skin crawl she reached for her phone. Through sleep blurred eyes Carrie could see Nate’s face and name on her phone as she answered.
“Hey handsome, congrats on the win”
“Wrong guy Carolyn”
“What? Nate what are you talking about?”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out that you are still talking to Derek? God Carrie I feel like an idiot, I’m starting to understand your whole plan I get it you don’t want an arranged marriage but did you have to take it this far? Did you have to make me actually fall for you?”
“Nate, I don’t know what’s going on, I’m not talking to Derek, he actually creeps me out”
“Oh come on Carrie! You can’t expect me to believe you he showed me your texts! How he said he scored his goal against the Rangers for you since you were so excited when he scored against Boston in the shoot out the night before, which he also said was for you”
“Nate he’s lying! You have to believe me” she could feel herself starting to cry Lacey was right she should have told Nate what Derek had said to her after the Boston game she was regretting keeping her mouth shut this whole time.
“I have to believe you? Why, the day I met you, you were practically all over him! Why should I believe a single word out of your mouth right now?”
“Nate, y-you can’t do this to me. Why would you ever think I would want Derek?” it was taking all of her power not to cry as he started talking again
“Come on Carrie you obviously think he’s a better hockey player than me, I know he’s a better hockey player. But I better warn him, you may find another hockey player to leave him for maybe Vinny Lecavalier, or who knows maybe Sidney Crosby, or whoever else you feel like playing next”

With Nate

Through his rant Nate heard something in the background of the phone that broke his heart no matter how mad he was right now he couldn’t deny that in just a month he went from knowing a girl from a picture he was supposed to marry to being head over heels in love with her, and all the time she was playing him, but the sound of her sob that broke through the phone killed every fiber of his being. He closed his eyes and went quiet just listening to her crying part of him happy that he had broke her just as badly as she had broken him, and the other part wishing he was in Buffalo curled up on the couch watching some chick flick only she liked and talking about her favorite vacation or his first hockey game. Shaking that from his head he heard her speak softly.
“When you decide that you want to hear the truth, call me. It really hurts I never thought you would ever be the one to break me into a million pieces, for a minute I actually let you hold my world together. So if you for even one millisecond actually believe I would choose Derek or Vinny Lecavalier, or Sidney Crosby… Nate I don’t care if you go out on the ice and score a goal every night, or end the night with a plus or any of that you are sadly mistaken I stupidly fell in love with you. Only for you to take a hammer to my heart, I hope you’re happy I really do. I’ll be out of the house by the time you get home tomorrow”
And with that she hung up. It took everything for him to not throw his phone across the hotel room. He couldn’t deny that her tears sounded so real so broken but he seen the texts on Derek’s phone he willingly showed Nate how could he deny that. Nate hung his head for a moment he thought about calling her back, just to hear her side of the story, just to stop her crying, he wanted to rewind the day go back to being oblivious to her game he was happy then.

With Carrie

Carrie flung her phone regretting it as it sailed towards the wall but short of slamming into the wall lands safely with a thud on her bed. She slid down the wall her face beat red in anger and wet with tears. She took a deep breath hoping to calm herself but all that did was give more fuel to the crying. Even though it was almost 2 in the morning she did the only thing she could think of she called Lacey
“Carolyn Anderson you better have an excellent reason for this call”
“Lacey, I need you here now” Carrie says her voice hoarse from crying
“Carrie are you crying? What happened? I’m on my way I swear I’ll come in my pajamas its 2am no one is going to see me. Don’t move, unless you’re not by your locked front door, then move to unlock it”

With Nate

Nate sat in the hallway of the hotel his head in his hands. The only thing going through his mind was the girl that broke his heart. How did he never notice that all this time he was being played? He let his mind wander back to a day off they had spent together.
It was one of those typical western New York days where it was cold enough that you wore your coat but you weren’t totally positive if it was going to snow or rain. Carrie had decided it was the perfect day to just lie around the house in their pajamas and relax. So that’s what they did they spent all day tangled up on the couch watching movies and talking. Nate couldn’t help but smile at the memory, the way she looked at him, how comfortable he was with her. He didn’t remember falling asleep but he remembered being kissed awake.
“You looked so adorable asleep I couldn’t take it I had to wake you up, I wanted to kidnap my own boyfriend” she said and he yawned letting out a groggy laugh
“I don’t think it’s considered kidnapping if I’m willing to go, and I’m not a child”
“You’re probably right, but the real reason I woke you up is because you have a death grip on my waist and my bladder is going to explode” he laughed at her before pouting
“You don’t really love me at all, you just love your bladder”
“Mm I do love you, but I don’t think you will love a wet couch. Let go of me and I’ll bring you back a cookie”
“Bribery? Ok sounds good” he lets go of her waist as she jets off to the bathroom.
Nate snapped back to reality, how could something that seemed so genuine, so perfect have been all an act. He was so stupid to not see the signs that he was being played, there was no way her and Lacey could always text each other like they claimed how could they even have that much to say every single day without getting sick of each other? That had to be when she was texting Derek behind his back, he should have known. He leaned his head back against the wall rubbing his hands over his face of all the people she chose Derek, he felt like such an idiot a love sick heartbroken idiot.

With Carrie

After hanging up with Lacey, Carrie headed slowly down the stairs and unlocked the front door. She turned and headed for the living room stopping at the book shelf to grab the box of tissue she sat down on the couch blowing her nose. She took a deep breath groaning in aggravation as a hiccup escaped.
“How does everything go from great to crap in under 20 minutes?” she asked aloud to no answer
Leaning her head back onto the couch she stares at the ceiling feeling her eyes well up with tears once again. She let her guard down, she listened to Lacey and let Nate in, and now she was doing something she promised herself she would never do, she was crying her eyes out over a guy. But Nate Gerbe was not any guy; he was perfect at least to Carrie. She closed her eyes tightly in hopes to stop a new round of tears from spilling out. She sat silent her mind wandering
Just about a week ago on a couple of days off for the Sabres Nate convinced Carrie to take the day off from school it was a beautiful sunny day and Nate made them a picnic lunch to eat out on the patio. Carrie took out paper plates and cups and grabbed the ever present iced tea out of the fridge. Just as she was finishing setting up the table Nate walks out with a plate full of sandwiches
“Who did you make all those for?”
“Mostly me, but I figured you could have a couple”
“Hungry much”
“It takes a lot to keep up this great hockey player physique”
Carrie reached over and poked his stomach him giving her a quizzical look “I wouldn’t say great…. You’re a little squishy” Nate’s jaw dropped open
“Oh no you did not just tell me I’m squishy!” Carrie nodded and laughed squealing as he chased her around the table he caught her easily and she squirmed trying to get away from him
“Say you’re sorry”
“No”
“Say it or else”
“Or else, what?”
He grabbed the gallon of tea off the table behind her and Carrie’s eyes got huge
“No, do not! Ok, ok I’m sorry you’re not a little squishy” he let go and Carrie bolted off for the other side of the yard “You’re a lot squishy” she yelled and he ran after her.
After finally eating the two settled down laying on the lounge just enjoying the weather. Carrie snuggled closer to Nate and his chuckle rang through her ear.
“Don’t laugh when I’m trying to sleep your laugh sounds weird in my ear like that”
“I apologize, but who said you could sleep”
“But I’m tired” Nate stuck his tongue out at her and she rolled her eyes laying her head back on his chest. They both fall silent and Carrie relaxes letting her breathing fall into a pattern. Just about the time sleep was starting to take over Nate moved slightly planting a kiss on top of Carrie’s head
“I love you Carrie” he whispered and Carrie sat up her hand on his chest to hold herself there
“You what?”
“You’re still awake… oh boy”
Carrie smiled at his suddenly nervous face “Come on what did you say” she said and she could feel his heart beating a mile a minute under her hand. Nate caught her smile and smiled back
“You heard me”
“I did, but you thought I was sleeping so I want to hear it again” Nate shook his head and Carrie’s jaw dropped “You butt head” she said getting up off the lounge to walk into the house.
“You don’t have anything to say?” Nate asked standing behind her nervousness evident in his voice.
“I didn’t hear anything” she turned around to walk away again. Nate reached his hand out grabbing the belt loop of her pants and pulled her back. “Nate! You just gave me a wedgie!” he couldn’t help but laugh at her face as she turned around to look him in the eye
“Sorry” he said trying to hold in his laugh
“No you’re not”
“No, I’m not. But I do love you, and your wedgie” Now it was Carrie’s turn to laugh
“Well that’s a good thing cause it would be really hard for me to say I love you too to someone who didn’t love my wedgie”
The front door opening snapped Carrie back to her present reality. Lacey turned the corner just as Carrie opened her eyes. She could tell from Lacey’s face that she too had been crying
“Lace…”
“Can we ugly cry together please?” she asked and Carrie nodded handing her a tissue
“What happened?”
“Apparently defending the truth gets your boyfriend to practically dump you. I’m so pissed at Derek Roy I could scream”
“I’m so sorry Lacey. You were right I should have told Nate 2 weeks ago when Derek started this crap”
“I don’t blame you Carrie, look at you, you’re a mess I can’t blame you even if I wanted to! Derek Roy, I can blame him”
“Well, I need to pack at least my clothes I told Nate I would be gone by the time he got home tomorrow”
“I brought Adele, you bring the tissues and we’ll fit as much as we can in our cars”
Carrie nodded standing from the couch to head up to her room. She stopped standing next to Lacey she engulfed her in a hug and they just stood there and cried for a minute
“Look at us! We’re falling apart over guys we’ve known for a month” Carrie said blowing her nose
“Yeah but these aren’t the guys we went to high school with. These are…. Were the dream guys the ones you plan a family with”
Carrie nodded sighing and pulling Lacey up the stairs to pack
The girls finished packing Carrie’s clothes and loading that into their cars and getting everything else in boxes to be picked up later and were about to leave at 4:30 am. Before walking out of the house Carrie leaves her house key and a note on the kitchen counter for Nate. The two get in their cars and drive towards Lacey’s house, deciding against waking up Carrie’s family up this late. They slump their way into the house and up the stairs collapsing on Lacey’s bed both drained from packing and crying.
“Lacey I can’t sleep” Carrie says after tossing and turning for almost an hour
“Me either. I’m too mad, and sad”
They turn on the TV hoping for it to lull them to sleep which fails and at 8:30am they give up trying to get any sleep and Carrie calls her dad. She explains what happened and listens to her dad’s frustrated rant. When he finally stops he calls her sister and brother in law to get more hands to help move the rest of Carrie’s things back home. The girls changed their clothes and did their hair and makeup trying to look somewhat presentable and not like they didn’t sleep all night.

With Nate

Nate splashed cold water on his face trying to wake himself up, he didn’t sleep at all the night before his mind constantly thinking of Carrie and Derek together, he was so hurt and angry he didn’t know what to do but he honestly didn’t know if he could ever face either of them again.
He grabs his things and heads out of his hotel room to meet the rest of the team downstairs to leave.
“Gerbs you look like you haven’t slept in week’s man!” Jason says spotting Nate first
“Just too hyped after that goal last night” he says faking a smile for the team besides Tyler only Roysy knew about what happened last night and the two of them only knew the part where Nate seen Derek’s texts to Carrie.
“How’s Carrie?” Derek asks quietly with a smug smile on his face
“You would know” Nate says walking away from him
“Oh come on humor me, you talked to her last night didn’t you? What happened fill me in what did she tell you? Did she leave anything out you want to know?”
“You know what Derek, I have to work with you for the rest of the season so just shut the hell up now, make it easier on both of us”
With that Nate walked away catching up to Tyler
“I take it you broke up with her?” Tyler asks and Nate only nods
“I just about broke up with Lacey too, something tells me she’s got a secret too”
Nate shook his head in shame as they continued out of the hotel and to the bus that would take them to the airport. They both tried to sleep on the short flight home to no avail. Landing in Buffalo the guys grab their bags and head out
“I’ll meet you at your place Gerbs, even if you don’t want me there it will be you against her family you’ll need backup” Nate sends an acknowledging nod Tyler’s way silently thanking him.
Getting in his car Nate drives quickly home, noticing that Carrie’s car isn’t in the driveway. He gets out of his car and heads towards the door unlocking it and walking inside tossing his bag on the floor. He heads towards the kitchen and sees a note on the counter

Nate,
I don’t know what went wrong or what’s even going on. I told you I’d be gone when you got here so I am, I’ll call before I come back for the rest of my stuff, my house key is under the paper. I will try to talk my parents out of this wedding but if I can’t then I will see you in about a year and for the record I will be the one on the white dress who will still be stupidly in love with you.
Love always,
Carrie

Nate crumpled the note throwing it towards the garbage. He heard a knock at the door and knowing it was Tyler yelled for him to come in. It was only a few minutes before his phone rang a picture of Carrie popping up on the screen he quickly hit the answer and put the phone to his ear “I’m home” he says hanging it up before she could even respond. The time flew before there was a knock on the door. Opening it Nate was face to face with Mr. Anderson
“Nathan, I expected so much more out of you, son” he says shaking his head at Nate who just looks at the floor unable to tell his possible future father in law that Carrie was the reason this was happening.
Carrie’s dad, sister Ana and brother in law Paul walk in and head upstairs Carrie and Lacey following them slowly. Nate felt his heart ache looking at Carrie but he pushed that away as they moved stuff out of the house.
They were just bringing down the dresser when Nate walked upstairs to see Carrie, Ana and Lacey still standing in the empty room
“Carolyn, Nathan the two of you talk before we ever pull that moving truck away. Lacey come on” Ana says pushing Lacey towards the door.

With Carrie

Carrie watches her sister and Lacey leave the room and walk down the stairs. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Nate lean quietly against the wall; she hangs her head too nervous to look at him. Quietly Carrie takes one step towards him and then another moving slowly until she is standing directly in front of him. She slowly raises her eyes to see his staring right back at her letting a sigh escape this apprehension this silence was killing her.
She wasn’t totally sure of what she was about to do but when her lips found his she could feel her stomach knot up and her heart ache all at the same time. He hesitated for a moment and Carrie was sure when she felt his hands move that he was going to push her away but instead they locked around her waist pulling her closer, she moved her hands up to lock tightly around his neck. Something about this kiss told her this was really over and with that realization she felt a tear slip down her face and then slowly she felt his hand move to wipe it away never breaking the kiss. Finally Carrie pulled away from him looking deeply into his dark brown eyes, where earlier all she seen was anger she now saw pain and love and it made her broken heart shatter even more
“Nate” she whispered resting her forehead on his he places soft kisses against her lips in attempts to keep her quiet if only to distract him from reality for a moment. “One word, just one word and we can forget this all happened, be happy, just one little word. Nate just tell me to stay”
As quickly as his eyes softened they hardened with anger again “Be happy? What is your definition of happy Carrie? You get both the bad boy and the guy your parents like? How is that happy?”
“I don’t want Derek, I want you! I swear to you I was not and am not talking to Derek Roy” Carrie could feel the tears starting to sting her eyes again
“Oh don’t even start the fake tears again” he says pushing her away from him “You don’t talk to him? That’s a load a bull and you know it! Matter of fact I would bet half the time you say you’re hanging out with Lacey you’re with him” Carrie’s eyes widened at his accusations
“She is my best friend! We’ve known each other for the last 5 years and they were not always the best of times that we got each other through she’s my sister!”Carrie turned in a huff to leave
“I bet” he started causing Carrie to stop walking and turn to face him “I bet those weekly “Sleep over’s” with “Lacey”” he says emphasizing sleep over and Lacey with air quote he lets out a snide chuckle “I mean come on its Derek Roy, every girl sleeps with him”
His words hit her like venom and without a second thought she slaps him her hand stinging instantly and a welt appearing on his face
“Yes Nate, of course that’s exactly what happen! I sleep down the hall from you spend every moment you’re not away on some road game or at practice with you! Pick one day to spend with my best friend but yes instead I lie to both of you and screw the man whore! I have more dignity than that you asshole!”
She left the room running down the stairs and out of the house before collapsing on the porch sobbing

With Nate

As she left the room he felt something inside him break, how could he accuse her of that, and then again how could he not. He lifted his hand to rub his cheek where her hand made contact he had to admit she had a great slap. The thought of Derek kissing her ran through his mind and he turned in anger sending his fist through the wall. He stopped then resting his head against the wall taking deep breaths to try to calm himself but all he saw when he closed his eyes was Carrie with Derek and it was tearing him up inside.
Nate Looked at the crack in the wall feeling it was much like his life right now. He thought he was solid that nothing could break him. But then Carrie came along like an angry mans fist and broke his tough exterior, leaving a hole right in the middle of him.