Last Chance

I opened the door to see her standing there. She looked up at me as she tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. My stomach did the usual flip flop that it always did when I looked at her as I greeted her. "Hey! How was practice?" I asked, waving her into my room.

"Hard, I'm actually pretty tired. Coach is intense, but I love it. Sorry I'm late, traffic sucked." She smiled as she looked around.

"I noticed that yesterday, you'd think with the traffic that you would be driving in Toronto or something."

She chuckled. "You have no idea, it could be minus twenty and workers will still be out doing construction. You couldn't pay me enough to work in that cold."

"You do work in the cold." I reminded her.

"Yeah, but not minus thirty." She laughed.

"Well, are you hungry? She we get something to eat?" I asked as I grabbed my keys.

"I'm starving!" She replied with a smile.

"Perfect, the restaurant downstairs has amazing food." I said, opening the door for her.

"Such the gentleman. Opening the door." She teased me. What I wouldn't give to swat her ass as she said that. Easy Crosby, I reminded myself.

-----May 2003-----

I couldn't believe my year at St. Mary's was almost over. We had won nationals, and I had made amazing friends. I knew that Jack and I would stay in touch, we had so much fun together.
"Earth to Crosby? He bud, what's going on?"

"Shit, I forgot her birthday. She's going to kill me!"

"Who? What? Where?" Jack asked as we grabbed our lunch in the cafeteria.

"Kelly. It was her sixteenth birthday yesterday and I was supposed to call her. Fuck, she will never let me live this down."

"We've been hanging out all year and this is the first I hear of anyone named Kelly. Who is she?" Jack asked, grabbing an extra helping of french fries.

"She's my best friend back home. We've been friends since we were eight."

"I thought I was your best friend!" Jack pouted.

"Haha, Jack. It's different. With Kelly it's different."

"Do you LOVVVVE her?" He nudged me out of the line.

I looked up at him. I couldn't love her, hell I'm only fifteen. "No, of course not." I said, shaking it off. "We just get along really well. She plays hockey too, so we train together a lot in the summer.

"I see." I said, raising his eyebrow at me. "Well then, what are you going to this 'girlfriend' of yours for her sixteenth birthday?"

"Shit, I have no idea." I sighed.

----------

"So what's your schedule like for the rest of the week?" I asked as we waited for our food to arrive.

"I have practice Wednesday and Thursday morning and then again on Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure I'll survive." She chuckled. "Then next week we have our first exhibition game before we leave in a couple weeks for Europe."

I smiled at her. "Think you can make a bit of time to hang out with me?"

"Anything for you Mr. Crosby."

"Are you teasing me?" I asked.

"Have you ever known me to not tease you? Of course I am. I bet you missed my teasing soooo much the last five years haven't you?"

Shit, what was she doing to me? Luckily our server arrived and I could change the subject.

"So what do you want to do after lunch?" I asked, hoping she wanted to spend time with me.

"I want to do nothing. I'm exhausted. I want to sit on my couch, have a beer that I know I'm not supposed to drink, and watch trash TV as a fan blows cold air on my face. No air conditioning in my apartment. How about you?"

"I want to hang out with you, you're the reason I'm here. I've missed you Kel, I just want to catch up. But I totally get why you would want to just hang out and do nothing by yourself."

"Come on Sid, I'm not letting you out of my site if I don't have to. I've been away from you for far too long." She blushed as the words came out of her mouth and I felt my mouth go dry.

"Well then? What are we waiting for? A whole afternoon of doing absolutely nothing, can't remember the last time I did that. I just gotta run up to my room and grab a couple things, wait for me in the lobby. I'll be back in ten minutes" I signed the bill and made my way upstairs.

I pulled my keycard out of my pocket and raced to my room. I grabbed the box out of my suitcase and then headed back to the lobby.

"What's that?" She asked as she gave her valet ticket to the door man.

"You'll see. And we can take my car if you want."

"Hell no, I know you like to think you can drive like you can skate, but I know the truth Sid. I'm driving."

"I'll have you know that I have never even gotten a speeding ticket." I stuck my tongue out at her.

Her car arrived and we climbed inside. Making sure to put my seatbelt on. She thought my driving was bad? It was nothing compared to hers.

"I missed you." She said out of nowhere. I looked over at her and smiled.

"I missed you too Kel, more than you'll ever know."

She pulled out into the traffic and I clenched my fists as she changed lanes without turning on her blinker or checking her blindspot. If I make it back to her place alive I'll remind myself to not let her drive anymore.

******

We spent the afternoon doing exactly what we said we would do, nothing. We just talked and hung out, and I felt myself falling harder and harder for her. I needed to tell her, sooner rather than later.

As the night rolled along I decided to make my exit, knowing that what she was about to receive was going to make it or break it for me, for her, for us.

"Hey Kel?"

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna pack it in, but before I got I want to give you this." I handed her the box. "Just don't open it until I leave. Okay."

"Okay." She said hesitantly.

"You'll know what to do when you go through everything."

"Okay, she I be worried Sid?" She asked.

"I hope not, It's more me who should be worried. I promise you'll get some more answers out of this okay."

"Alright."

I stood up to leave and jumped up from the couch and wrapped her arms around my waist. I felt my heart jump as I put my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Good night Kel. I'll call you tomorrow and we'll make plans since you have the day off."

"Good night Sid." She said as she pulled back from me. "Now get lost so I can open the Pandora's Box." She laughed.

"I love your laugh." The words were out of my mouth before I knew what I said. Fuck.

"I'll call you later, now get lost." She said, opening the door for me.

I made my way outside and then realized that she had driven home. I was stranded. "Shit Crosby! Way to think that one through." Oh well, I guess it was a good time to go for a walk.