Brave the Storm

“Eric! Pass me the fucking puck!” Kailyn yelled as she slapped her stick on the ice a couple times so he could hear where she was. He ignored her still and passed the puck to Jeff who had a defender all over him. Jeff soon lost the puck and the defender passed the puck up to Zach. The lack of organization of the Hurricanes power play unit led to a break away and goal by Zach, the kill strike in the 3-2 Devils win.

Kailyn glared at the other team as they gathered in a circle and patted each others’ helmets. This was getting fucking ridiculous. Not only were Eric and Kailyn fighting off the ice, they weren’t connecting on the ice when the team really needed them. They were so made at each other that they virtually only spoke when they needed to discuss hockey now. Zach looked over as she was skating to the bench and sent her a sheepish smile. She just simply looked away and hopped over the bench. Eric soon came over to the bench and took a seat next to her. Her blood was racing from frustration over the game and even more frustration towards the man at her left. Nothing was going like it was supposed to. She was supposed to have a good relationship with Eric and the team was supposed to be winning instead of losing. They had all the right components, they just couldn’t get the chemistry of the team in check and it was costing them. “What the hell was that Eric? I was wide open! You had a clear lane to pass to me!” She yelled at him.

“There were two defenders ready to collapse on you as soon as I did! I thought Jeff could handle it!” he screamed back.

“I was open for a one timer and you know it! We would have scored if you would get your head out of your ass!”

Before more things could be said, Coach Kirk came over and yelled, “Kane, Staal, rein it in and focus on the task at hand!”

The two immediately shut up and focused their attention on the rest of the game, still seething. They were falling apart, everyone knew it. No one knew how to fix their relationship with each other, so the players and fans had to hope that they could figure it out on their own and get back to having chemistry on the ice.

********

Zach and Kailyn made their way to the players’ parking lot where Zach’s car was. Kailyn was staying at his house that night before he would take her to New York for her next game. Matching step for step, they made their way to Zach’s sports car. The only noises in the past ten minutes were the sound of their car doors slamming and Zach’s car starting. As he began to drive to his house, he broke the tense silence, “You fucking sucked. Sid told me what has been going on. Don’t you think it’s time you both got your shit together and apologize to each other already? Jon doesn’t deserve the stress you are putting him through and he says Patrick is throwing a royal fit.”

Kailyn just stayed silent because she knew Zach wasn’t done. Zach was the unofficial big brother to every one of her high school friends. He was well equipped to give a lecture at a moment’s passing. She was well aware he thought she was acting childish and there was no denying it. She knew very well she was not handling the situation well. She felt bad about disappointing her friends and fans, but she just couldn’t take seeing Eric with so many girls. That was the sole reason she had yet to apologize to him. She was selfish and she thought she deserved the apology first.

“I mean you two seriously are like to fifth graders trying not to look like they are playing with their heads cut off. Either you get on with both of your lives, or I am calling a fucking intervention.”

“Zach! Just let me deal with my own problems! I can handle it!” she finally screamed.

“Well why don’t you fucking act like it! I’m tired of watching you mope around like the world ended! So life didn’t go as planned, big fucking deal! You can’t go back to Mike because he’s the lowest of the low, so just get on with it! Date the fucking captain of your hockey team, who gives a shit! Or date some random guy, just move on already! Don’t tell me you want to anymore Kailyn Marie, you have never been one to talk the talk. You just walk the walk. That’s all you’ve ever done so just get on with it already!”

So much for this slumber party. Though she knew this was going to be a long annoying night, she knew Zach had every right. He had been silently listening to her complain about everything under the sun to him and he had been nothing but patient and supportive. She knew it was past time for someone to give her some tough love. Zach was absolutely perfect for the job.

She knew she had to get on with her romantic life like she had with her new team, but she just didn't know how. She was hoping some guy would immediately come in and sweep her off her feet, but she knew that was not how things were meant to go. She had to be secure in herself before she could include another man in it. For the most part she had gotten to this stage excluding her major trust issues. She didn't see this as a fault, she thought it was rather smart but of course Zach didn't think so. He wanted her to fall in love again and experience how amazing it could be to share your pain and triumphs with someone like he did with Maya. He wanted the love he felt for Maya to be felt by another man for Kailyn. He was just convinced she wasn't helping herself by not putting herself out there.

Bottom line she just had to get over herself and let someone love her again. As she thought this, only one man came to mind...

********

Kailyn sat beside her father with Eric and his father on the other side of the small, square table facing the pair. The fathers of the Carolina Hurricanes had come in last night to spend time with their children The coaching staff was using a surprise father trip in hopes that it would brighten the players’ spirits so they could turn the lousy start of the season around. Kailyn was extremely happy to be able to see her father on this trip.

Ever since her mother died, she and her father Kevin had become extremely close. They only had each other after her mother had passed and she made it work by having a very close relationship with her father. Kevin had devoted his life to his only child and was behind her no matter what dream she chose to follow. He was extremely supportive and generous with his time even though he also had a business to run. She truly appreciated everything he did for her. She knew he was the one man she could always count on.

It turned out that Henry Staal and Kevin Kane had sat beside each other on the flight to New York and naturally got to talking about their pro hockey playing children. Once they had discovered who exactly the other was, they hatched a plan together to reunite their son and daughter as friends.

Cue the awkward dinner that Eric and Kailyn now had to endure after explaining their sides of the story in the privacy of their rooms. Henry and Kevin didn’t take no for an answer and made them attend the dinner. This wasn’t exactly what she wanted to deal with after being chewed out by Zach. She sighed as she complained to Sidney via texting under the table. She looked up and smiled sheepishly when she had been caught by Henry who had discretely cleared his throat. “So what exactly is bothering you two?”

“He’s fucking sluts,” Kailyn said through gritted teeth.

She hated men like Eric who went after women that threw themselves at him. It was just because they were a guaranteed thing. No guy wanted to chase a girl who he had genuine feelings for; he just wanted instant gratification and to not have to work to get a woman’s attention. They just didn’t feel like taking a risk, so they didn’t go for someone who would make them truly happy. A woman that once they had gotten proof the worthiness of the man would adore him for the rest of her life. She truly believed these men dull, lazy, and incapable of keeping the attention of one woman.

“Well she’s dating the enemy!”

“Jon isn’t the enemy! He is my friend. He’s also kind and considerate unlike you!”
Kevin raised an eyebrow, “I still don’t get why you two are letting your personal problems affect your game. You both know better than that.”

Henry nodded his head in agreement, “No matter what issues you two have with each other, you can’t forget that there are other players you are disappointing by not playing your best with one another,” he told them sternly.

Kailyn felt guilt seeping into her body at Henry’s words. They had completely ignored the needs of their own teammates and in turn disappointed both of their fathers. Their team couldn’t afford them being selfish. They had to look after each other, end of story. The relationships built in a team was what made a team successful; it was not solely on talent and hard work alone even though those were extremely important components. They had forgotten that and this is why they were paying the price.

“You two are right,” Eric said, “Kai, if I stop ‘fucking sluts’ will we be okay again?”

“I’ll stop stringing Jon along so we can be friends,” she agreed.

“Thank God,” both parents said with relief clear in their tones.

“Make up Dark Knight marathon in my room?” Kailyn asked with a small smile.

“Let’s go!” with that the two ran out of the restaurant and to the hotel laughing the whole way much to the amusement of their fathers.

*****

“Hey babe! Awesome skills competition, you and Kaner killed it.” Eric said as he, his brothers, and their girlfriends came up to the large table that Kailyn had reserved so they could all eat dinner together. Eric walked over to Kailyn and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

She grinned up at him, “Thanks Rick. I missed having your hot ass out there with me though.”

By that time, everyone one at the table was staring at the pair with wide eyes. They were probably wondering what the hell had gotten into Kailyn at this point. Patrick most likely thought she was on drugs, Jonathan probably figured Kailyn had gone mentally insane, Zach never pretended to know the method behind her madness, Maya was probably aiming to beat up Eric because the only conclusion she could come to was that Kailyn was drunk, and Sidney, well Sidney was always in the know.

“I’m confused. Are you confused?” Patrick asked Jonathan in a worried tone. They had made up the second that Kailyn had broken things off with Jonathan. Jonathan nodded and they both looked at Kailyn.

“Jordan I thought you said they were fighting?” Hayley asked while glaring at him.

He groaned, “They were fighting last I knew! Why the fuck does everyone get mad at me?”

Well there was no chance that Kailyn would leave that question rhetorical. She couldn’t resist taking a stab at Jordan that he had so clearly walked into, “Probably because you are an idiot and you place yourself in other peoples’ business.”

“Whatever.” Jordan glared at her and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Well can you please just tell us what the hell has gotten into you two?” Maya asked impatiently. She simply stared down the both of them until she got her answer.

“Nothing has gotten into us, why are y’all acting so weird?” Kailyn asked her in return.

“Well maybe because he just called you babe and you have nothing to say about it. Also the fact that you would never in your right mind call someone ‘hot ass.’ You are completely against pet names and everyone knows it,” Maya shot back.

Kailyn looked at Eric with a questioning glance, “Did you know that?”

He shook his head in the negative in return, “I did not. You called Jonathan babe when you were going out with him.”

Sidney, who had been silent through the whole encounter finally rolled his eyes, seemingly having enough of the conversation, “It’s called flirting idiots. It’s how they are choosing to address their predicament. So long as nothing comes of their fun, they both feel comfortable practicing this art to help their sexual tension. And no one thinks I have any game other than on the ice,” he rolled his eyes. “Now can we please act like semi mature adults? Our waitress is coming over.”