A Fool's Dance

I sat up so quickly I hit my leg on the table and startled Marshall who was sleeping on the couch. I must have fallen asleep on Freddy is chest but either one was not good. I looked at the empty bottles and struggled to remember how it all went down.

I took three Tylenol and drank almost two glasses of water as I watched Freddy trying to get more comfortable on the hard floor.

I felt disgusting in all kinds of ways that a shower would not fix but I took one anyway. I wanted to scrub the lies, the feelings and especially the kiss off of me. I stood there until the water turned cold, not really feeling any better.

It was just a kiss but it was a kiss with Freddy, one of Tyler's best friends, and it was still cheating. It wasn't like me to do something like that even if Tyler did cheat on me. We could have worked through that but now, he would probably hate me and want me out.

"Morning beautiful," Freddy yawned, his arms stretched above his head showing off part of his stomach.

I was hoping he was drunk enough to forgot but he didn't. I watched Freddy start a pot of coffee and give me a cute, sleepy smile. I didn't want to smile back but I couldn't help it.

Freddy scrolled through his phone as I began doing the dishes that were in the sink. I needed to do something before I think to much about this and give myself a panic attack.

"Did you see that picture I tweeted?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee, getting a little on his top lip.

I shook my head no, still looking at the dishes.

"It's of you," he smirked and my heart began to race. He turned the phone so I could see it and I felt sick.

It was exactly what I was afraid of, me sleeping on his chest. A wave of panic washed over me as I knocked over all the cups on the counter, they shattered and I lost it. I fell to the ground trying to pick up the pieces as the tears fell from my eyes.

"Avery, oh my god are you okay?" Freddy ran over to my side, "It's okay they are just cups."

I wiped at my eyes, "Freddy I'm scared."

"What are you scared of?" Freddy asked, sounding almost clueless.

"Tyler. The picture. The kiss. I'm going to have to tell him eventually and you know he is going to break up with me."

Freddy sighed, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and kissing the side of my head. "Listen to me Avery, you don't have to tell him. We were drunk, it was an accident but definitely not a mistake," he kissed the side of my head again a small smile on his face, "And there are plenty of things he doesn't tell you. I'll even take the picture down if you'd like."

I shrugged, "Thank you but he's probably already seen it. But if he finds out you and I both know that he won't hesitate to kick me out."

"If he threatens to kick you out then I'll leave too. Avery, I will help you through this if you do tell him or better yet I'll tell him it was my fault, that I kissed you."

Part of me couldn't help but want to kiss Freddy again. The fact that he was willing to do all of this for me made me feel even worse.

"Freddy," I sighed, "I can't let you ruin your friendship with Tyler because of me."

"But I was the one who kissed you," he wiped the tear from my cheek. I was unsure of what to say or do so I just hugged him, long and tight.



Nathan's son Dylan climbed up onto my lap as we sat down in front of the glass waiting for warm ups to begin.

I bounced Dylan up and down on my knee as he giggled. I started to tickle him and he burst into a fit of laughter, I laid my forehead against his as the tickling continued. Dylan was the cutest little thing ever and was so easy to entertain.

"Dyl look," I pointed to the players on the ice, "What's your daddy's number?"

Dylan didn't say anything but searched for the familiar face, when he found him he pointed and turned to me, a huge smile just like his dad's on his face.

Nathan and Tyler both skated over to where we were sitting. Dylan stood up and his dad fist pounded the glass, the biggest grin I have ever seen on that man's face as his son clapped excitedly.

Tyler discreetly kissed his glove and touched the glass in front of me. He unloaded on the empty net and then pointed at me. I smiled on the outside and felt sick to my stomach on the inside.

I looked over at Freddy when Tyler was on the opposite side of the arena, he shrugged and went back to watching the guys.

I watched Dylan with pure joy, little kids were so innocent and unaware of reality and how terrible it actually could be at times.

"I don't trust him but I trust you," Dennis joked as his wife handed Tyler the duffle bag.

We agreed to watch their two daughters while they went out for their anniversary. Rebecca was a little skeptical at first, mainly because of Tyler, but Dennis assured her that it would probably end up being me most of the time.

"You guys go have fun," I held Noah on my hip, "We've got this under control."

They kissed their daughters goodbye, "Thank you so much." Dennis kissed my cheek, "Sorry fot adding two more kids to the mix."

I giggled and watched Tyler sitting on the couch with Story. He had turned on some Disney Channel show and was watching it with her.

I smiled to myself as I sat down on the couch next to them with Noah in my lap. Tyler put his arm around me, "This could be us in the future."

"Hopefully with boys though," I looked at him with a smile that nearly matched his.

"I'm bored," Story said jumping down from the couch.

I led the girls into our bedroom and sat them down in front of the mirror Tyler used more than I did,
"How about some makeovers?"

Tyler took a seat behind Noah as I began to do Story's makeup, "What colors?"

She pointed to the blue and the pink eyeshadow as I put it on her. I put on some pink lipstick and sent her to Tyler to braid her hair.

"Would you like one too Ty?" I teased.

He puckered his lips out as I smeared pink lipstick on them. His eyes bugged out, his eyebrows raising in shock as I busted out laughing. "Avery!"

The girls started laughing as well, Tyler lunged at me, knocking me over and kissing me in an attempt to get the lipstick off.

"Ew," Story giggled. Tyler used the back of his hand to wipe the rest of the lipstick off of his face as I did the same.

The girls fell asleep on the couch and I watched from the kitchen as Tyler covered them with blankets, pausing for an extra look at the sleeping beauties.

He wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up and spinning me around. "Good job tonight honey," I teased.

"You did good too darling," he hopped up onto the counter. I stepped up on my tiptoes, my hands pressing down on his legs as he kissed the tip of my nose.

"I think we should never call each other that ever again," Tyler chuckled, as I leaned against him, my forearms resting on his thighs. He wrapped his arms around me as I smiled. I liked the idea of Tyler and I being parents someday.

"You would make a great mom," Freddy said on the silent walk back to the apartment. Ever since the kiss things had been slightly awkward but we tried to not let it ruin of friendship.

"Well that isn't going to be happening in my future," I sighed, hugging myself the night air a bit chilly.

"Avery," Freddy's sigh was a little heavier than mine, "Things will work out and if not there are plenty of fish in the sea."

I rolled my eyes as we neared home, silence falling over us once again.

When Tyler got home, the silence was broke by slamming doors and things dropping. Freddy and I looked at each other although I'm sure his expression didn't match mine.

"Ty, what's wrong?" I tried to ask as he stomped through the house.

"I don't want to talk about it," he sounded more irritated than angry as he popped the top off of his beer bottle and slammed the door to the bedroom.

After about half an hour, I lightly knocked on the door, opening it just a crack, "Can I come in?"

"It's your room too isn't it?" it came out harsher than I expected it too.

"Ty," I sighed, climbing into the bed next to him, "What's wrong?"

He sat there, silently staring at the wall. He was either trying to figure out what to say or he wasn't going to talk to me about it. I watched his brows furrow and his face soften but still he didn't say anything.

I tried not to roll my eyes as I sighed. I felt stupid for trying to help him, for trying to be there and show him that I really do care.

"Everything," he finally admitted quietly. "You saw how shitty I played tonight and how I've been around here lately. This isn't me," his eyes were fixed on his lap where his hands were placed.

I bit back my lip as guilt washed over me. I placed my hand on his knee as I moved a little closer to him.

"Freddy told me you were drinking because of me," he looked at me but then looked back down at the bed.

I cursed Freddy in my mind as Tyler turned to face me, taking my hands in his. "Avery," he hesitated,
"I'm really sorry."

We laid there for hours, hand in hand as we stared up at the ceiling in silence. The hours ticked by on the clock, Tyler moving closer and closer to me.

"It's nearly 3 am," I said quietly as he rolled onto his side to face me. "You should probably get some sleep."

"I wish I could be a better person," his eyelids were heavy with exhaustion and his words were soft and full of truth. "I wish I could be better for you."

This is not how this is suppose to be, I wanted to disappear. I placed a kiss on his nose as he opened his eyes to look at me.

His lips crashed onto mine in the first passionate kiss we shared in a while, he rolled over onto me, placing his hands beside my head.

"Avery," he breathed. I knew what he wanted and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to, even if it was for him.

I bit down on my lip as he placed kisses on my neck and along my collar bone. I wanted to, especially when he looked up at me, the look in his eyes and the way his kisses felt.

He kissed me right out of my shirt, throwing it on the ground below the bed, his lips only leaving mine to take another piece of clothing off.

"Tyler," I breathed as his kisses became more frantic and his hands explored my now naked body.

"I want you," he whispered in my ear as he kissed my neck. I nodded, this is what I had wanted since February, I just wanted my Tyler back.

In this moment it felt like nothing had changed, we weren't the liars we had become. We were the old Avery and Tyler who loved each other.

And maybe this would be a step in the right direction to fixing our failing relationship.