Sequel: Stronger
Status: Finished.

Tongue Tied

TEN

Since I had broken it off with Caroline (could it even be considered ‘broken up’ since we weren’t even officially together?) I had both progressed and digressed in some ways in regards to both my training and personal life.

Training had gone full force- something I had convinced the trainers to allow me to do even though it was explained I should take it lightly by my doctors- and for a while I was able to keep up with the pace of the high intensity workouts I was going through. It wasn’t until two weeks after I had permanently shook her out of my life did the headaches and nausea return. Two steps forward, five steps back; another day, another setback.

This time I didn’t have Caroline however to help me through dealing with the nagging pain I would get in the back of my neck and the debilitating headaches that would leave me laid out in a room for three plus hours. No, this time I only had myself.

My personal life hadn’t been much better. In an effort to help take away the feelings I was still harboring about Caroline I had went on a few dates with a couple of girls that swam at the Burton’s Aquatic Center. As it turned out though they were self-centered and only cared about my money and bad-mouthing Caroline. Even with everything that had went down between us that last night, I didn’t appreciate a bunch of fake ass, bimbo bitches talking bad about somebody I had thought I loved.

Since dating had turned to a dud, I spent most of my free time now at home with the Lemieux’s. Every once in a while I would ask Alexa if she had heard from Caroline or knew how she was doing (too scared just to call her up myself and see if anything had changed) but Alexa always shrugged it off and said she “went to go visit family somewhere in Southern California.” The thing I found interesting was that she never told me about any family in Southern California, and I basically knew all about her (or so I thought).

After training was cut short and I was not allowed anywhere near CONSOL, I had decided to take a trip back home to Cole Harbour in an effort to take all of the pent up energy I was feeling and spend some good quality time with my family.

It hadn’t gone as well as I had planned, though.

The first night after I flew in my mother had invited me over for dinner. My sister, who was also in town only for her Spring Break, had thought it would be a fantastic idea to steal my phone right before I had left my parents house and then not let me know until the next morning when I picked her up to take her to lunch.

By the time we had entered Billy’s Dinner I had been already peppered with a thousand questions in regards to what was happening so far with my concussion recovery, but the one question she blindsided me with shortly after drinks had been delivered I hadn’t been expecting.

“So who is Caroline?” she asked with feigned surprise. I ducked my head and grabbed my phone from my sister’s hand. When I looked down at it, it was opened to the last text message I had sent Care: “Hope you’re having a good day at work. I have a surprise for this evening. (:” It made me sick to my stomach. First of all because my sister had probably read through all of the text messages between us (and some of them had gotten on the short hand of racy) and second because I had kept those text messages for the sole purpose that I missed Caroline.

I missed her smile, I missed her smarts, I missed her personality, I missed being able to tell her everything that I wasn’t able to tell anybody else. But I didn’t miss the problems that she had, and wouldn’t let me help her with.

“Nobody.” I replied back quickly, taking a quick sip from my Strawberry Milkshake. Instinctively I remembered how the first time I went out to lunch with her we had Strawberry Milkshakes.

“Oh really? Should I read from the text messages? Because some of them get pretty steamy and I’m sure they would ruin your perfect little hockey prince reputation.” My eyes darted around the hometown dinner and back to my sister. Shit, she had read them.

“Don’t.”

“And why wouldn’t I?” She countered. I thought long and hard about any dirt I had on her that I could use as ammo, but came up with nothing. For being a fifteen-year old kid she was pretty squeaky clean, at my age- even though nobody realized it at the time- I was pretty much a goddamn heathen. “—And then I’m going to—” Taylor began and before I knew what I was doing, I kicked her underneath the booth. “Ouch!”

“Please.” I was pleading with her. Nothing would be more embarrassing than my fifteen-year old sister reading my sexts… Well my mother might be more embarrassing, but I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“Who is she?” She repeated as soon as our food was set down on the table and Darla, our waitress, had walked away. I tried to change the subject and dismiss the whole conversation with talking about my fries, but it wasn’t working.

“She’s nobody.” I lied, pushing my food around my plate. Sensing I wasn’t telling the whole and entire truth, she pressed on.

“Oh really? Shall I read on?” I shook my head. “Then tell me who she is.”

“She was my physical therapist.” That probably wasn’t exactly the best way to explain who the person was I had been having such intimate text messages was. She raised her eyebrows towards me. “Like she was my PT. After I was done with PT I tried asking her out…” I trailed off, this was the most uncomfortable part of the conversation.

“And?”

“And she has a lot of problems right now.”

“And you can’t help her with those problems?” Could I?

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.” This time, I was lying. I could help her with her problems.

“Everyone can help someone.” Could they? Especially in this case?

“Maybe.”

“No, not maybe. Always. Especially if you like that person, a lot, that’s when they need the most help… From somebody they can trust.” As much as she had a point, I didn’t know if I could be the one to help Caroline get the help she needed. Besides, would she even want me to even help her?

“Just think about it, big bro.” She smiled before taking a bite of the hamburger she had ordered.
♠ ♠ ♠
So what do you think is going to happen next? Do you think Sid is going to help Caroline or no???

Now I know this might not coincide 100% with the way Sid's concussion went, but bear with me because I needed to change it for the point of the story. I think the next chapter will be the last one and then a sequel (which I promise to be longer)!! And the Jordan story will be up by no later than Monday night!!

Thank you to all 107+ of you that are reading and commenting on this story. I live for hearing about what you think of it, so leave me anything! :)

Also, I know this is short. It's a filler before everything happens, so bear with!