Last Christmas

Tyler parked his car a few houses down from where the Christmas party was being held. His teammate Alex, and his wife Amanda were throwing a party on Christmas Eve for the guys on the team who didn’t have a family to spend it with. The Dallas Stars had a game on the 26th of December and there was no time to fly home for the holidays. Tyler’s mother and sisters were going to fly down later that week so the Seguin family could have their own little Christmas together.

The bottle of wine that his mother suggested he’d bring was being held in his right hand, as his left hand carried the bag that held his Pollyanna gift that he bought the previous morning. It was his fifth Christmas in Dallas and he still wasn’t used to the fact that there was no snow. Christmas time in Dallas was so different from Boston and back home in Canada. Sure people had lights and their tree up, but Christmas wasn’t Christmas without snow. In the back of his mind, none of that really mattered because all he cared about was that this Christmas going to be better than the last.

“Tyler!” Amanda Goligoski smiled cheerfully, “You look quite handsome.”

He grinned at the petite blonde as they embraced each other in a hug. “Thanks, you look almost as beautiful,” he joked. “Where can I put these?”

“I’ll take the present and you can put the wine in the kitchen. Alex should be in there doing who knows what. If you’re hungry there’s plenty of food in the dining room. Don’t be shy.”

He thanked her before he made his way over to the kitchen. He said hello to a few of his teammates and their girlfriends as he passed by. When he entered the kitchen, Alex was sitting on top of the counter, talking to Jamie Benn. Alex and Jamie greeted Tyler after he placed the wine bottle down with the other bottles of alcohol. He grabbed himself a beer out of the fridge before joining the conversation.

The three teammates held a brief conversation about their holiday plans with their family. It seemed as if everyone’s family were planning on flying down to Dallas to watch the home game that they were going to have a few days after the 26th. Jamie had excused himself from the conversation and headed off to the dining room to eat some of Amanda’s delicious cooking.

“So, you know that she’s going to be here tonight, right?” Alex questioned his younger teammate after Jamie had left.

Tyler gave him a small nod as he looked out of the kitchen window, hoping that Alex would get the hit that he didn’t want to talk about her. “I know. She’s Amanda’s best friend,” he shrugged.

“Will you be alright?”

Tyler chuckled lightly, “You know I’ll be just fine.”

The two men finished off their beers before grabbing another. Tyler left the kitchen to get something to eat for himself. Most of the food there was pretty healthy, due to the fact that they all had a game in two days, but he didn’t care about that healthy crap at the moment. He knew he shouldn’t have gone crazy with the indulgent food, but it was the holiday season after all. Besides, it helped fill the void of not being able to go home for Christmas.

He ate with Antoine and Lane by the tall Christmas tree as they all shared a few laughs together. While Lane was talking about a date he had a week before, Tyler saw a familiar red head enter the house. His stomach fluttered as he saw her red lips curve into a big smile as she hugged Amanda. He lost his appetite as he watched the two girls walk into the dining room.

Tyler excused himself and walked to the kitchen to throw away his plate, which still had some uneaten turkey. While he was there, he grabbed himself yet another beer and walked over to the sliding glass door that lead to the backyard. Nobody was outside, leaving him to enjoy the cool, crisp air alone. He sat down on the steps of the porch as he found himself thinking about what had happened last Christmas.

The scene was very familiar to the current setting. Alex and Amanda were throwing their annual Christmas party, only this time it was a few days before Christmas Eve since the team was able to fly back home for the Christmas holiday. The decorations, foods, and people were all the same since the last time Tyler had been at the Goligoski residents. The only difference between the two Christmases was that last Christmas, Tyler had his heartbroken by the red headed woman.

He could almost remember everything about that night in great detail. He remembered how excited he was to confess his love to her. He remembered how her hair was neatly done into a ballerina bun and how her navy blue dress made that fiery red hair of hers look even fiercer. He remembered how delicious her perfume had smelled every time she walked by him. But most importantly, Tyler remembered how the red head rejected his feelings.

As luck would have it, the steps that Tyler was currently sitting on were the exact same steps where he had declared his love for her. He decided that since he was in a new city, he would be a new person and start fresh. He was certain that she was the first girl to make him consider taking a relationship seriously. He wanted her to show him that having a girlfriend and staying in on a Saturday night wasn’t as bad as he used to think it would be. But she didn’t want to be that girl.

It hurt him to think about her delicate her voice was when she had to break the news to him. “Tyler, you’re such a great guy and I’m really flattered,” she said sweetly, “but there’s somebody else.”

How was he supposed to know what while they had been sleeping together for the past year, she had been dating someone else for the last four months? Tyler placed his empty beer bottle by his left foot as he heard the glass door slide opened. He turned around to see who was disturbing his peace and quiet. When he saw the red headed woman walking towards him, he sat straight up, feeling his shoulders tense greatly. He could hear her walking closer and closer as her shoes scuffled against the wooden porch.

“Hi Tyler,” she greeted, sitting next to the empty spot next to him. “How you’ve been?”

“I’ve been good,” he spoke lowly and honestly before he turned his head to look at her. “What about you?”

Emma shrugged, “I can’t complain. Work is good and I got a Christmas bonus.”

He tightly pressed his lips together as he took in her image. She hadn’t changed too much over the past year. Her hair was much shorter than he last remembered, but she was still the same girl, the same girl who broke his heart.

“How’s Greg doing?” He asked a few minutes later.

“Greg and I…aren’t together anymore,” she said, playing with the ring that rested on her finger. “We broke up about two months ago. Didn’t Alex tell you?”

Tyler shook his head as he focused his eyes on the in ground pool that was covered up for the winter. “No, must’ve slipped his mind or something,” he lied. Alex told him about the breakup as soon as Amanda had informed him about it, he just wanted to hear it for himself.

She wasn’t sure what else she should say, or if she should even say anything at all. “You know, I’m really sorry about what happened to us,” she said timidly. “I didn’t want our friendship to change like that.”

“I know,” he assured her. She was sure that he thought that she was lying to him.

“I wish you didn’t ignore me the way you did,” she said with a frown. “I mean, I know you probably hate me, but not seeing you was hard on me too.”

He snorted at her. “Yeah? If it was hard on you, how do you think I felt?” He asked her, “What did you expect me to do instead? Did you want me to pretend that I had no feelings for you after we’ve been friends ever since I arrived to Dallas, or after I found out you were dating someone while sleeping with me?”

Emma stayed quiet this time. Judging by the look on her face, it looked as if she regretted everything she had done. He wasn’t exactly sure what she regretted, but it made him feel uneasy and annoyed. He didn’t mean to come off as rude but he couldn’t help it because he was just angry with her. She had no right to say that to him after everything she had done to him.

“Tyler, I’m really sorry. I don’t want you to hate me anymore.”

Looking back down at her, he could see that this was a lot harder for her to deal with than he expected. Her green eyes became glassy as that frown of hers seemed to be a permanent expression on her face. He wrapped his arm around her body to comfort her, hoping that she wouldn’t cry. “I could never hate you, Emma. I didn’t hate you then, and I don’t hate you now.”

“Really?” She asked hopefully. He answered by giving her a nod, which she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. “Oh, Tyler, you have no idea how much that means to me!”

He wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth, but he appreciated the gesture. He was at least happy that he could now walk the halls of the American Airlines Center without worrying about an awkward run in with her. He had only seen her a few times since last Christmas and he had successfully avoided her at each and every encounter. With any luck, things would be easier for him from now on.

“Maybe we should get back to the party,” he said, removing his arm from her body. He chose to ignore that frown that crept back onto her face as he stood up from the steps. “Amanda will go crazy if she finds out we’ve been out here the whole time,” he joked as he picked up the empty beer bottle.

She chuckled, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She followed his actions and moved up a step, so that way she was standing one step above him. “Can I confess something to you?”

“Confess away.”

She nervously looked down at him as he waited for her to come clean to him. She looked scared, which was very unlike of her. He wasn’t sure what she needed to tell him, but her long silence made him almost as scared as she looked.

“The reason that Greg and I broke up, was because of you,” she said, anxiously biting her lower lip. “The day you told me that you loved me, I already said yes to be his girlfriend and I thought he was what I wanted. I know I’m a year late but…”

He quickly shook his head, “Don’t do this to me now. Don’t say it,” he begged.

Emma’s lips quivered as she tried to hold herself together. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could put off the crying. “I-I love you Tyler. I’ve always loved you,” she confessed quietly.

Tyler wasn’t sure how he was supposed to process this information. If she had said this a year ago, he would have jumped in her arms and would have given her one hell of a kiss. But while she was with another man, he moved on.

“I-I don’t know what to say,” he stammered.

She tried her hardest to not break down in front of him. Her nose began to turn a light pink color, either from the crying or being exposed to the cold air for so long. He had never seen her look so vulnerable before.

“Please tell me that you’ll give me a second chance,” she smiled weakly. “I know I messed up and I tried to forget about you but I just couldn’t. I only want you, Tyler.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat after he heard the words he waited so long for. He placed the beer bottle back down on the ground before he stood right in front of her. His eyes were almost as glassy as hers as he pulled her into a hug. A smile crept on her face as she felt his face in the nape of her neck. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, almost afraid to let him go.

“Emma,” he said sadly, making her smile falter. His tone of voice was the same tone she had used on him a year ago. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”

Her lips quivered as she pulled away from his embrace. “You have a girlfriend, don’t you?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he paused quickly, “yet, but I do like her a lot. She should actually be here soon.”

She couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at their ironic situation. They were just repeating the same heartbreak story that Tyler had to endure last Christmas, the difference being that she was the one getting her heart broken. She should have known that he wouldn’t have waited a whole year for her. She wasn’t worth it.

“I bet she’s perfect,” she tried to smile. She wanted to be happy for him just like how he was for her, but it was too hard for her and she had no idea how he was able to do it. Her eyes shifted down to the floor as she stared down at her shoes.

“Emma, you should know that I still care about you,” he said, lifting her chin up so she would look up at him. “I’m always going to care and love you.”

She gave him an angry look. “Then why can’t you be with me?”

He sighed, stepping down a step so he wasn’t as close to her. She had no idea that he was hurting just as much as she was. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, but he was done playing her games. “Because I moved on. You were the first girl that made me want to take relationships seriously and I want to thank you for that or else I wouldn’t be with this other girl. But I can’t just dump this girl for you when you couldn’t do the same for me.”

Wiping her tears away, she quietly asked, “Does she make you happy?”

“She does,” he said with a proud smile. “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt that way about anyone.”

His words stung her, but all she could do was nod and accept what was happening. “I’m happy for you.”

“I should probably go back inside and see if she’s here. Will you be okay?”

“If you can get through it, then I can too,” she said, giving him a tight lipped smile.

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as his lips briefly touched her tear stained cheek. He left her alone to her own thoughts as he walked away to reenter the kitchen. He found Amanda sitting on Alex’s lap as they sat on one of the couches by the tree. He leaned over and whispered in her ear that she should go out to the backyard to check on Emma. When Amanda had left, Alex glanced up at Tyler, wondering what had happened with the girl he used to be so infatuated with.

Tyler laughed and joked around with his teammates as he tried to forget about Emma. It was easier for him than he originally thought, most likely because he knew that he already had a girl who cared so much for him. After Emma, he was thinking about swearing off girls for a while and simply focus on his career. He was having an amazing career with the Stars and he thought his first season alone was far better than his three years with the Bruins. He used to think that having Emma by his side would make him feel on top of the world but he was glad he was wrong.

He checked the time on his watch and realized that his new girl would be arriving any minute. He got up from the ground and walked out of the front door as he decided to wait outside for her. From a distance, he could see her car driving down the street. She had parked her car near his, and now all he had to do was wait. Tyler couldn’t help it when he gave her a tooth baring smile as she quickly walked over to greet him.

“Hi handsome,” she giggled cutely as she wrapped an arm around his neck. She gave him a loving kiss as his grip on her waist tightened. “Did you miss me?”

“Just a little bit,” he teased. “Are you ready to meet everyone?”

“I’m nervous as hell,” she admitted, “What if they don’t like me?”

“Baby, I promise they’ll love you,” he said confidently. “If they don’t, then I promise to give you your present tonight instead of tomorrow morning.”

She rolled her eyes, knowing that he would still make her wait until the following morning to open up her present. “Liar,” she scoffed. “Now let’s go inside. I’m starving and these shoes are killing my feet.”

He took her hand in his and led her to Alex’s and Amanda’s home. As they walked up the driveway, Tyler couldn’t help but push her against the black SUV that was parked in the driveway. Looking down at her, he dipped his head to push his lips against hers. He took his time kissing her, wanting to savor the moment before his teammates bombarded her with questions and embarrassing stories of himself.

When he pulled away, he looked into the eyes that were so different from Emma’s. Everything about her was different from Emma, from their looks right down to their personalities. If he was back in Boston, he would have either pushed his feelings for Emma away or slept with the next willing girl. Now in Dallas, he was a five years older and wiser and wanted to find something serious. Kiera was just that girl.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. Her big brown eyes was filled with curiosity as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

“I’m just really happy you’re here, that’s all,” he replied, placing his hand on the back of her neck. “Last Christmas didn’t go so well and you being here with me just makes up for everything.”

Kiera smiled up at him as he pulled her in for another kiss. His kisses were always so caring and eager, just like how he was. She wasn’t exactly sure what had happened to him last Christmas, but what she did know was that the girl was a fool for letting Tyler go. When Tyler had tried to deepen their kiss, she placed her hands on his broad chest to push him away.

“As much as I want to continue this, we should go inside,” she said, earning a whine from him. “If you’re good, then you can get part of your present tonight, Mr. Seguin.”

She winked up at him, causing him to laugh as she grabbed ahold of his hand to walk up the steps. Throughout the night Tyler slowly forgot about Emma. He truly did care about her, but he had someone else in his life who cared much more for him than Emma ever could. It meant a lot to him that she had the guts to admit her feelings to him, but he wasn’t going to do the same thing to Kiera. Just when Tyler was going to give up, Kiera gave him something to care about again.