Come To Life

A few nights later Zoey and her friend Whitney sat in the crowd at a Rangers home game, courtesy of Marc Staal.

"You should totally marry this guy," Whitney smiled, taking a sip of her beer. "He's a hockey player, he's really cute and he gets you these great seats! I think he's husband material."

"He was husband material. He was almost someone's husband," Zoey muttered, picking at a thread at the bottom of her large New York Rangers pull-over hoodie.

"You've known the guy for barely three months, slow down." Whitney laughed. "You're not marrying him tomorrow."

"But I want to get married someday and what if he and I get to the point of marriage and he just doesn't want it?"

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression I was supposed to be sitting with my best friend. Her name is Zoey Simon and she actually has a backbone and doesn't worry about trivial down the road stuff like marriage to a guy she's not officially dating yet," Whitney stated. "You're driving me crazy with this. Just date the guy."

"I know, I know." Zoey sighed. "It's just so difficult."

"Relationships aren't supposed to be easy all the time," Whitney replied. "For some people they are, but for normal people they have their hardships in relationships. You have to keep at it. You can't give up. Zoey, you're an amazing person with a lot of drive and ambition, but you give up on relationships too easily. If it doesn't go exactly how you envision it in your mind then you totally shut yourself down. It's time to grow up, Zee."

"I hate that you're right," Zoey replied.

"I know you do," Whitney smirked. "Now drink your beer, eat shitty food, and watch your man play hockey."

"Yes, ma'am," Zoey laughed, and turned her attention back to the ice.

Zoey hadn't been able to forget about the conversation with her and Marc that had happened a few days ago. She didn't know why it bothered her so much that he wasn't quite ready to be in a committed relationship with her, but it did. With Whitney's "motivational speech" she decided that it was time to put that behind her. Whether she and Marc were in a relationship or not she had to be her own person. She couldn't sit around and wait for him to be ready, if she wanted to do something she was going to go and do it. It didn't mean she didn't like or love him any less.

The game was fantastic and the Rangers had won in overtime. Zoey couldn't have thought of a better way to end her night, well she could have, but she wasn't going to dwell on it.

"Are you okay to get home?" Whitney asked, pulling her keys from her purse.

"Yeah! Don't worry about me! I'm going to see if I can catch Marc," Zoey smiled. Whitney gave her a hug and then left.

Zoey weaved her way in and out of the crowd and got to one of the back gates where Marc had told her to meet him after the game.

"Zoey!" She heard a man call. She turned around and saw Marc shuffling through the snow in his dress shoes.

"This was a horrible idea," She laughed, putting her hands on his sides when he got close to her.

"Nah," Marc smirked, kissing her forehead. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"I did! Thanks for getting us such great seats," Zoey smiled up at him.

"They were good? It was too late to try and get you box seats," Marc replied.

"No! I loved actually going to a hockey game and feeling like I was at a hockey game. I've been in a box far too many times," Zoey stated, pulling him closer to him by his coat.

"Well, I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself." Marc smiled.

"Do you want to go and get cake with me?" Zoey asked.

"Cake?" Marc laughed.

"There's this new bakery that opened up near my place that I've been dying to try," Zoey stated. "I figured you probably burned off a ton of calories tonight and I figured that you should even it up and have some cake with me."

"My trainer is going to be really mad," Marc smirked.

"But isn't it worth it?" Zoey grinned.

"You're a bad influence," Marc laughed, but nodded.

Zoey smiled and pulled him towards her car. She drove back towards her part of town.

"Fancy," Marc smiled as they got out of the car and he saw the bakery.

"I'm so excited," Zoey smiled.

Zoey was surprised as Marc took hold of her hand. She didn't fight it, though. She held his hand back just as tightly and pulled him towards the bakery. They took a seat at the counter and waited for the woman who owned the place to come over.

"Ready?" Zoey smiled, holding a fork with cake on it up to Marc's mouth.

"Ready," Marc nodded, laughing. He opened his mouth letting him feed her.

"No, Marc. I don't want to do that at our wedding," Alaya stated as they looked at wedding cakes. "Feeding each other cake is juvenile and tacky."

Marc swallowed the cake and then leaned forward, kissing Zoey. Zoey put the fork down onto the plate and put her hands on his neck.

"Marc," She smiled, pressing her forehead to his.

"Do you to stay together tonight?" Marc asked.

Their relationship apparently had no rules. Marc wasn't ready for them to be an official couple, yet he was okay with them spending the night together and having sex. Zoey was okay with it, but she hated the feeling of being used. She knew Marc wasn't like that, but it was often in her mind.

She decided to get her back up and act the way that the situation asked for. She decided not to let the lack of a relationship label get her down.

"Yeah," Zoey nodded. "My place is really close."

"Okay," Marc smiled.

"Bring the cake," Zoey winked and got up off of the barstool.

Marc laughed and paid for the cake, asking the lady to wrap it up for them. Marc and Zoey held hands as they ran for her car through the snowy night. Zoey drove to her apartment, pulling Marc up the stairs. The whole time they were together that night she told herself that it didn't hurt, she ignored the fact that it was burning holes in her heart not being able to call Marc her's.

It hurt the most when they laid in bed talking until four that morning. It hurt because to her it meant everything, and she was certain it meant nothing to Marc.