Make It to Me

Adaline woke up noticing how incredibly hot she was, almost as if she was in an oven. Her arms were restrained, pressed tightly to her sides. She also felt a heavy pressing on her collar bone. Desperate for cooler air, she tried kicking her leg out only to be met with resistance. She began to come out of her stupor, questioning what was causing her to burst into flames. Something fuzzy was tickling her nose; forcing her eyes open to see who deserved to be tortured or killed heinously. If there was one thing Adaline hated, it was being tickled. Her eyes full of sleep were blinking trying to settle on the offending creature.

Realization dawned on Adaline, it was James. He was sleeping peacefully holding onto Adaline tightly, almost afraid to let go. He seemed to be a koala bear hugging a tree limb, completely wrapped around her. He was snoring softly, a slight hitch in his breathing when he would snort between his snores. Adaline couldn’t help but roll her eyes. He even slept goofy, it was so James like. The pattern continued: snoring, breath catch, snort, and snore again to repeat the cycle. The relationship between James and Adaline was one of best friends, one Adaline was thankful for. Their mutual love for Sara was something they could both agree on and hockey was a language they both spoke.

Adaline was a hockey fan, a big one. She grew up in, and currently lived in Los Angeles, so the Kings, naturally, were her favorite team. In Boston, she developed a liking for a few of the Bruin’s players, mainly Tuukka Rask. Watching any game on TV gave her a bad habit of picking up favorite players across many different teams. There was one player in particular she always had a strong affection for, Captain Canada himself. He was an enigmatic player, captivating to watch, and what seemed like an incredible human being off the ice. His dazzling smile and chocolate eyes could melt Addie through the TV screen. The intensity held there made her admire his dedication and perseverance. If she ever was to meet him she would struggle to keep her fangirling under control. Sara would help her—only Sara was no longer here she reminded herself.

~

“Guess what?!” Sara squealed over the phone. Adaline had to pull the device from her ear as Sara continued to scream.

“What? Before you blow my eardrum out!” Adaline asked sarcastically to which Sara gave a little
huff, annoyed her best friend wasn’t showing the same excitement.

“I won’t tell you if you don’t want to know.” Sara taunted.

“Out with it woman! I don’t have all day!” Adaline cried in exasperation.

“Okay fine, you’ve convinced me.”

“So help me--“Adaline exclaimed.

“I’m engaged!” Sara yelled and began a high pitched scream.

“En what?” Adaline asked clearly confused.

“Engaged! Did I stutter?” Sara bantered back.

“No, I just don’t believe it! You of all people?”

“A normal person would have said congratulations. Who is he? One might ask.” Sara deadpanned.

“Oh shut up! Who is he?”

“His name is James.”

“Just James?”

“James Neal.” Sara said fully aware if what Adaline’s reaction was going to be.

“Hold up. James Neal? Or James flippin’ Neal?” Adaline asked, having stopped dead in her tracks in
the grocery store.

“If by James flippin’ Neal you mean the Dallas Star, then yes.” Sara replied so giddy she almost couldn’t contain herself.

“Hold the front door! Are you being serious?”

“That’s not the way that phrase went, but yes, as a heart attack.”

“Did you stalk him?” Adaline asked honestly. How else did one meet a hockey player of that stature? Sara was adventurous wasn’t she? It wasn’t out of the ball park…

“What? No! I met him at a café I used to eat breakfast at and one thing led to another and now I’m engaged!” Sara recounted her story, joy consuming her voice. She was so happy whenever she talked about James.

“How…normal.” Adaline finally settled on.

“Well, we are normal people.” Sara tried to reason.

“Except for the fact he can score against NHL goalies and he probably flies a jet to go pick up milk from the store.” Adaline exaggerated.

“Funny Addie. Really funny. I can’t wait for you to meet him!” Sara said excitedly.

“So…when’s the big day?” Adaline asked, moving through the isles once again.

“I don’t know. He literally just asked.” Sara mused.

“Well…what season were you hoping for?” Adaline asked reaching into the frozen case for a tub of ice cream.

“Spring. I’ve always wanted a spring wedding.”

“Are you hiring a wedding planner?”

“Well, see that’s the thing…you’ve always been so good with weddings…I was kinda’ hoping—“

“Yes!” Adaline cut her best friend off. “I would love to!” Adaline exclaimed as she rattled ideas off about the wedding. They discussed color pallets and flowers and if James would wear a tie or bowtie.

“Bye Addie. I’ll see you soon.” Sara said smiling.

“Bye love.”

~

James shifted again and Adaline was brought back to reality. Tears began watering in her eyes because of remembering memories like that, memories when they were both so happy. Reality was like a bad dream, one she couldn’t escape.

“Addie? Are you still here?” James asked quietly.

“Yea James, I’m still here.” Adaline whispered.

“Good.” James said. He lay still trying to keep the tears at bay, the silence between the two, comfortable and necessary.

“Do you want some breakfast James?”

“I don’t think I could eat if I tired. I feel too sick.”

“I think you should try. You haven’t eaten in almost two days.” Adaline gently reminded him.

“Alright.” James agreed halfheartedly. Adaline moved from underneath James and he seemed to have a hard time letting her go. What if she left him too? Reluctantly, James let Adaline go and she stood up, muscles aching from being stuck in one place. Her silk work shirt was wrinkled as was her suit. Her mascara had run from the crying and her hair was messily tangled. Frankly, Adaline was a mess.

“I’m sorry Addie.” James said, frowning at her rumpled appearance.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Adaline reminded him.

“Okay Addie.” James was busy twisting his hands together.

“I’ll be right back, okay?”

“‘Kay Addie.” James said before rolling over to face the wall again.

Adaline walked toward the door, picked up her fallen heels, and exited. She padded softly on the brown carpet and followed the curved hallway to the staircase. She descended the staircase and landed in the entry way. She slowly spun in a circle trying to decide what direction she wanted to go. There was some mystery path to her right and she could clearly see the dining room to her left. She reasoned the kitchen must be near the dining room so she went left walking into the expansive dining room, admiring the beautiful table. She noticed the table runner with wilting flowers resting atop it. To her right, a hallway led deeper into the labyrinth of the house. She saw granite and tile to the right side of the corridor. She gasped when she walked into the kitchen. There was dark tile and black granite countertops. Beautiful, and to top it off, all the appliances were stainless steel.
She opened the fridge and pulled out eggs, bell pepper, onions, and cheese. Opening the doors and cabinets until she found a skillet, knives, a bowl, and a spatula. She threw the ingredients together and began cooking James’s omelet. Sara would have done this nearly every morning for her husband, the realization stung as looked around the kitchen. She looked around the kitchen noticing Sara’s influence everywhere. Handwriting on a grocery list, cat shaped coffee measuring cups, and cliché saying were posted everywhere. It was surreal being in Sara’s house. An eerie silence now hung where there would have been so much light. Her eyes began to water again so she looked skyward and sucked air through her teeth, desperate to retain her composure.

She quickly slid the omelet onto a plate and poured orange juice into a glass. She retraced her steps through the house back to James. Upon entering the room, she noticed James was sitting up, leaning against the headboard as opposed to laying down. His head, however, was down as he stared at his lap. The sound of the door alerted him she had returned, causing his eyes to rise up to Adaline. His stomach growled loudly at the smell of the freshly prepared food, and a hint of a smile cracked across his lips. As soon as she handed over the plate, he began to devour the food, gulping the orange juice between bites. She was happy he was eating again, the first real sign of improvement since she arrived.

“I’m going to get changed okay? I’ll be back.” Adaline said and went downstairs to get her bag.
As she was bending down to grab the handle of her bag, she heard clanking coming from the kitchen. Joyce emerged a second later and looked at Adaline with a curious expression.

“Morning.” Joyce said somberly. Adaline moved a step closer to Joyce, taking notice of her puffy, tear stained face.

“Morning Joyce. I’m going to change into some, ah, different clothes. Is there a bathroom I can use?”

“First door on your left dear. I’m going to run to the store to pick up a few things. James’s parents are on their way here, they touchdown sometime around midday. Also, a few of his teammates are stopping by to check in on him.” Joyce told her. Adaline winced, nervous to meet new people. While she was excited to see James’s parents again, she worried how they would react to her being there with him.

“Okay. I’m going to get changed then I’ll check on James again.” Adaline said as she turned around to get her bags again.

“Adaline?”

“Yea?”

“Thanks for being here. It means a lot to both of us.” Joyce said.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Adaline said looking at the other woman softly before turning on her heel, dragging her suitcase upstairs. Adaline set her suitcase on the bed and pulled out a charcoal t-shirt, which hung loosely on her slender frame, and a pair of light wash jeans. She quickly pulled the matts from her hair and splashed water on her face. Stripping from her old work outfit, she replaced it with her clean one. She finished off by brushing her teeth, lightly applying mascara and Chap Stick. Adaline opened the door to James’s room to find him fast asleep the plate resting next to him. She took the plate and left the room. Pulling a book from her bag she trotted downstairs.

She deposited the plate in the sink; strolling the house seeking a place suitable for reading. The kitchen connected to a reading nook that overlooked the backyard. Plunking down she flipped the pages to her spot and picked up where she had left off on minutes before that phone call came. She loved reading, always enjoying when she could lose herself in a book, or any type of literature for that matter. Going to college at Emmerson University for publishing helped her further her passion for reading, as well as helping others spread their ideas. She was currently a junior editor at a publishing house in Los Angeles. About 20 pages in, she heard knocking at the front door.

She sat the book down on the cushioned bench and walked down the open space that lead to the front door. She swung the door open and took a sharp inhale. Standing in the doorway were four of the Pittsburg Penguins. Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang, and Sidney Crosby stood before her. She was frozen in place. Slowly, Adaline looked over each player finally settling on the man to the far right. He was wearing a similar outfit; dark grey t-shirt, dark jeans, and nice sneakers. He had a black baseball cap drawn over his head. His dark eyes danced over Adaline.

“H—Hi.” Adaline stuttered.

“Hey. Who are you?” Chris Kuntiz asked suspiciously.

“Ad—Adaline.” She replied cursing herself because of the stutter that wouldn’t seem to go away. She swore she saw Crosby crack a smile, but she couldn’t be sure.

“I’m Chris.” He said extending his hand, waiting for a handshake. She slipped her hand into his, giving him a formal handshake.

“Uh…yea.” Nice to meet you?” she hadn’t meant for it to sound like a question, but that’s how it came out.

“I’m Kris.” The infamous Pittsburgh D man with great hair stuck out his hand too, and she obliged.

“Evgeni. But you call me Geno.” Evgeni said puling her into a hug. She stumbled into the big Russian’s arms. She instantly decided she liked him, and he gave great hugs. She stepped back adjusting her shirt, her eyes drifting to the last man to greet her.

“I’m Sidney.” He said extending his hand. She slipped her petite hand into his monstrous hand. The moment their hands touched it was like a jolt of electricity shot through her. She had zaps once or twice, but this was nothing like this. The power of their connection made her breathless. His index finger slipped to the inside of her wrist, resting over her pulse point. Her lips parted softly as his eyes reduced her to nothing where she stood. They released hands and she stepped back, shaking her head trying to break herself from the daze she was caught in.

“We’re some of James’s teammates.” Kris added.

“I know. Sorry, please come in.” she said stepping back to let them walk through the door. They all walked past her, Sidney’s eyes settling and lingering on hers again.

“Can we see James?” Chris asked.

“Um…can you wait here a second? I want to see if that’s okay with him.” Adaline asked chewing on her bottom lip.

“That’s no problem.” Sidney said and the rest of the guys nodded their heads in agreement. Adaline practically ran upstairs to the room James was in. She knocked softly and entered. She shook his shoulder gently to wake him up.

“James?” Adaline prodded.

“Was up Addys?” he asked sleepily.

“A few of your teammates are downstairs. Do you want to see them?” He seemed to contemplate this. Bottom lip jutting out, before agreeing.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Adaline reminded him.

“No. I do.” James said. She nodded and walked downstairs to rejoin the men. They all looked at her as she walked down the staircase.

“You can go up there. He’s in the last room at the end of the hallway.” They all nodded and walked up the stairs.

She walked back to the reading nook and sat down, picking up her book again where she left off. She hoped they didn’t overwhelm James, he was fragile right now. She wasn’t sure how much more he could take. He seemed almost childlike in his actions, and that scared her more than she would like to admit. Adaline just hoped his teammates would heal him, do the work she couldn’t.

Frankly, she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. She was emotionally drained, seconds from breaking down in tears. The pain of losing her person was killing her. Slowly chipping away, until there was nothing left. She was wasting away and this time there was no one who could save her. She exhaled and looked out the window to the morning light in Pittsburgh. Adaline could picture Sara sitting here, in this beautiful spot, the perfect place to read and write. There were beautiful trees filled with wildlife and a gorgeous pond. Carefully, she ran her fingers down the window pane, feeling the coldness from the autumn morning and smiled. At least she was happy she thought to herself.

The soft sound of footfall alerted Adaline she was no longer alone. Her eyes fluttered up at her new companion and she let out a quiet gasp. Sidney was hesitantly standing about ten feet from her. There was a shy smile across his lips, almost one a school boy would war. She tried to control her breathing, only this time it wasn’t from his stature in the NHL, but as the man who awakened a side of her she had long thought was dead. Okay, so maybe she was a little star struck.

“Hey. Sorry if I disturbed you.” Sidney said sheepishly. She noticed he didn’t come any closer; it was as if he was waiting for permission to move toward her more.

“Hi. No, you didn’t. I was just looking outside.” Adaline squeaked. She was painfully nervous around him. Something about him made her jumpy.

“I couldn’t help but smell the coffee when I walked in. Do you think I could have a cup?” Sidney asked politely as he moved two steps closer.

“Sure. I’ll poor you one.” Adaline said hopping to her feet and shuffled to the kitchen. There was coffee? Since when? Oh…Joyce must have made it. She began opening a few cabinets to find the mugs and could feel his eyes on her. She seemed to be hyperaware of his presence. He was leaning on the island and he was on her tiptoes directly in front of him. Finally, she opened the right cabinet and sighed when she was the mugs were on the top shelf. She debated hopping up on the counter to grab the mug, but decided against it. He didn’t need to see her acting like Tarzan. She was short!
What was a woman supposed to do?

Adaline lifted onto her tiptoes and tried to reach the mug, only there was about a foot between her and the handle. She sighed and stretched up even further trying to get at the unreachable object.
She could have sworn she heard a soft chuckle behind her.

“Here, let me.” Sidney said, amusement dancing in his voice. He didn’t give her a chance to move, just stepped up behind her so their bodies slightly grazed one another. He reached up and pulled down two mugs and stepped back. It was an innocent touch, nothing too scandalous about it. Only, Adaline couldn’t breathe the entire time his body touched hers, it set her aflame. His proximity caused heat to burst across her body leaving goose bumps in its wake. He wore cologne one had to be close enough to smell, but it was heavenly addicting. It was a deep smell, with some spice to it, obviously expensive. She decided all other cologne paled in comparison. It made him more attractive and more masculine, if that was at all possible. She was still reeling from what he did to her. She was desperate to pull herself together.

“Thanks. I don’t seem to be able to reach the high objects without a little help.” Adaline blushed. Real smooth Adaline, she thought to herself.

“I’m glad I could help you.” Sidney smirked. He set the mugs on the counter and she went to get the coffee pot. She poured the two cups of coffee and walked to the fridge to get milk.

“How do you like your coffee?” she asked.

“Milk, no sugar.” He instructed as she quickly made his cup. He smiled as she handed it to him. The familiar jolt returned when their fingers touched.

“Can I ask you a question?” Sidney asked after a few moments of silence.

“Sure.” Adaline allowed, peering over the rim of her mug at him.

“How do you know James?” Adaline was taken aback by the question. She recognized a protective glint in Sidney’s eyes. He was worried about her intentions toward James. She understood that, he was just looking out for his friend. A piece of her was upset he didn’t want to get to know her, but she shrugged it off. He only wanted to make sure she wasn’t scamming his teammate.

“Sara is my best friend…was, now.” Adaline replied, a mixture of defensiveness and sadness. Her eyes met Sidney’s and his eyes softened.

“Look, Adaline; I’m really sorr—“ the sound the doorbell rang throughout the house, cutting off his apology.