Status: Work in progress...
Brave the Storm
Chapter 12
Eric woke up with a smile on his face. He smelled the familiar scent of Kailyn’s green apple shampoo. He kissed her on the forehead and got out of bed to take a shower. He was on top of the world at this moment. The only woman he loved besides his mother was sleeping in his bed after she confessed her feelings to him the night before. He was so happy that he was humming as he washed his hair. Shortly after, he got out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He smirked and decided to give Kailyn some of the view she enjoyed so much. He went into his room and greeted, “Good morning Sunshine!” His gaze fell on the empty and made bed before him. He shrugged it off and dressed. He figured she was downstairs making breakfast. He walked down the stairs and made his way into the kitchen. He instead found the second oldest Staal drinking coffee and leaning against the sink. He looked up when he heard his brother’s footsteps. Marc’s face showed him that something was very wrong. “What happened? Is everyone okay?” he demanded urgently.
Marc looked anywhere but Eric’s face as he explained the situation. “The guys elected me to stay back and tell you.” He sighed and looked at his brother, “Kailyn left and I assume by the way she was acting, you weren’t supposed to know until she was gone.”
Eric’s heart plummeted to the ground.
*****
Eric was seething. He was furious with her for giving him such immeasurable hope and then crushing it with a brutal force when she closed his house door that morning. Now she was skirting around him and trying to make silent amends to their relationship. She was generous with the puck and passed it to him more than she took a shot, shots that would surely have been goals if she would just take them. As if the glory of scoring goals would appease the anger he had towards her. She knew very well that he was displeased with her by the way he was barking orders at practice. They couldn’t afford to be on rocky terms and as a result, threw away their playoff contention.
He couldn’t figure out what the hell her problem was. One minute he was the closest person to her and the next he was her mortal enemy. He honestly had no idea what to do with her any more. He was done skirting around the issue. This was the last week of hockey for a few months and he was running out of time. He had to get her to understand now, before they went their separate ways and she had the whole summer to be left alone. He had to make a move.
*****
At the end of the second to last game of the season and another loss sent Eric over the edge. He held Kailyn by the wrist as the rest of the team went to the locker room. The team knew very well that Kailyn and Eric had to talk things out with each other, so they cleared everyone out of a near vicinity to them. The team figured some yelling would ensue and it was better for both of their images if no one was around to hear it.
When everything was all clear, Eric gently pushed her against the wall with one strong arm so she would look up into his eyes. “Are you happy now? You crushed me and now our chances at playoffs, are you done being childish yet?” he asked her.
“I’m not being ch---"
“Don’t even let that sentence come out of your mouth Kailyn Kane. You’re being so immature about all of this! So you had a bad marriage, get over it! It’s not all that uncommon anymore! If you would just get past your rough days, you would see that there is another man just waiting around to take care of you! One that loves you despite all you put him through! You honestly can’t make up your mind between me and him? Seriously Kailyn? He doesn’t want you anymore! If you go back to him, you will be just as unhappy as you are now. You go back to him, you will be just another puck slut sitting in the WAG box, is that what you want?”
He could see the tears in her eyes as she miserably responded, “He’s familiar and the safe choice to make. The scariest thing about you is the fear that you will leave me too. How do I know you won’t leave me in the dust just like he did? At least now I know I will never have that good of a relationship with him. I know what I’m getting into.”
“I’ve been there for every tear, every phone call, and every moment you spend thinking about him. I’ve been there to pull you out of your darkest times! Shouldn’t that given me some sort of credit in your warped brain?” He stepped impossibly closer to her. Their bodies molded against each other completely. Even with all the pads, they still felt a connection with each other and relished being this close. Eric softly put a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “To get a reward, you have to work for it, you know that Kai. That’s what we both have done to get where we are in our careers. Now you just have to risk your one more time, but with. One more time and after that I’ll spend every day making you realize that it was the best decision you could ever make.” He softly connected his lips with hers.
I've been waitin' for so long
For somethin' to arrive
For love to come along
Now our dreams are comin' true
Through the good times and the bad
Yeah, I'll be standin' there by you
*Kailyn’s POV*
She felt on fire when his lips molded against her own. It was as if she had been asleep for the last year and with a kiss, she had been set free. She knew in that moment with the utmost certainty that she would never love anyone like she loved Eric. Being with Mike was nothing like being with Eric. This was a love that built her back from the ground up. Eric didn’t hide her in his shadow; they stood together and made each other better people.
And his kiss, it consumed her whole being. His kiss would be all she would ever want. No one would ever to compare to him. She had fallen for him, body, mind and soul and it scared her. She had never felt anything like it. If she wasn’t careful she would quickly become addicted. She knew what she had to do. She broke apart from him and pushed him away. She abruptly left skates still on and all, leaving Eric for the last time.
Oh, once in your life you find someone
Who will turn your world around
Bring you up when you're feelin' down
Yeah, nothin' could change what you mean to me
Oh, there's lots that I could say
But just hold me now
'Cause our love will light the way
Marc looked anywhere but Eric’s face as he explained the situation. “The guys elected me to stay back and tell you.” He sighed and looked at his brother, “Kailyn left and I assume by the way she was acting, you weren’t supposed to know until she was gone.”
Eric’s heart plummeted to the ground.
*****
Eric was seething. He was furious with her for giving him such immeasurable hope and then crushing it with a brutal force when she closed his house door that morning. Now she was skirting around him and trying to make silent amends to their relationship. She was generous with the puck and passed it to him more than she took a shot, shots that would surely have been goals if she would just take them. As if the glory of scoring goals would appease the anger he had towards her. She knew very well that he was displeased with her by the way he was barking orders at practice. They couldn’t afford to be on rocky terms and as a result, threw away their playoff contention.
He couldn’t figure out what the hell her problem was. One minute he was the closest person to her and the next he was her mortal enemy. He honestly had no idea what to do with her any more. He was done skirting around the issue. This was the last week of hockey for a few months and he was running out of time. He had to get her to understand now, before they went their separate ways and she had the whole summer to be left alone. He had to make a move.
*****
At the end of the second to last game of the season and another loss sent Eric over the edge. He held Kailyn by the wrist as the rest of the team went to the locker room. The team knew very well that Kailyn and Eric had to talk things out with each other, so they cleared everyone out of a near vicinity to them. The team figured some yelling would ensue and it was better for both of their images if no one was around to hear it.
When everything was all clear, Eric gently pushed her against the wall with one strong arm so she would look up into his eyes. “Are you happy now? You crushed me and now our chances at playoffs, are you done being childish yet?” he asked her.
“I’m not being ch---"
“Don’t even let that sentence come out of your mouth Kailyn Kane. You’re being so immature about all of this! So you had a bad marriage, get over it! It’s not all that uncommon anymore! If you would just get past your rough days, you would see that there is another man just waiting around to take care of you! One that loves you despite all you put him through! You honestly can’t make up your mind between me and him? Seriously Kailyn? He doesn’t want you anymore! If you go back to him, you will be just as unhappy as you are now. You go back to him, you will be just another puck slut sitting in the WAG box, is that what you want?”
He could see the tears in her eyes as she miserably responded, “He’s familiar and the safe choice to make. The scariest thing about you is the fear that you will leave me too. How do I know you won’t leave me in the dust just like he did? At least now I know I will never have that good of a relationship with him. I know what I’m getting into.”
“I’ve been there for every tear, every phone call, and every moment you spend thinking about him. I’ve been there to pull you out of your darkest times! Shouldn’t that given me some sort of credit in your warped brain?” He stepped impossibly closer to her. Their bodies molded against each other completely. Even with all the pads, they still felt a connection with each other and relished being this close. Eric softly put a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “To get a reward, you have to work for it, you know that Kai. That’s what we both have done to get where we are in our careers. Now you just have to risk your one more time, but with. One more time and after that I’ll spend every day making you realize that it was the best decision you could ever make.” He softly connected his lips with hers.
I've been waitin' for so long
For somethin' to arrive
For love to come along
Now our dreams are comin' true
Through the good times and the bad
Yeah, I'll be standin' there by you
*Kailyn’s POV*
She felt on fire when his lips molded against her own. It was as if she had been asleep for the last year and with a kiss, she had been set free. She knew in that moment with the utmost certainty that she would never love anyone like she loved Eric. Being with Mike was nothing like being with Eric. This was a love that built her back from the ground up. Eric didn’t hide her in his shadow; they stood together and made each other better people.
And his kiss, it consumed her whole being. His kiss would be all she would ever want. No one would ever to compare to him. She had fallen for him, body, mind and soul and it scared her. She had never felt anything like it. If she wasn’t careful she would quickly become addicted. She knew what she had to do. She broke apart from him and pushed him away. She abruptly left skates still on and all, leaving Eric for the last time.
Oh, once in your life you find someone
Who will turn your world around
Bring you up when you're feelin' down
Yeah, nothin' could change what you mean to me
Oh, there's lots that I could say
But just hold me now
'Cause our love will light the way
♠ ♠ ♠
The song is Heaven by Bryan Adams. And a cliff hanger, I know, I'm the worst kind of terrible person. I'm working on the next chapter as soon as I post this, so it will be a short wait hopefully.