How I Feel
Stars When You Shine, You Know How I Feel
A week passed and it was the most miserable one Avery could remember in a really long time. Not even Stella and Alex coming back could cheer her up but she put on a happy face and went about her life. Which was easier said than done.
Everyone was back in town, ramping up for the start of training camp. Players were in and out of the office and several she had met at Stella's wedding stopped by to say hello. She saw Tyler and Jamie in the halls on Tuesday. Tyler had waved and made his way over to say hello but Jamie steered clear of her and refused to make eye contact.
Tyler had asked what was going on and she had brushed it off and he didn't push. She liked that about him; he knew exactly when to let something go. She should've carried on with him instead. He probably would've shrugged his shoulders and let her leave in peace instead of making a scene like Jamie had.
But then, Avery wasn't really used to anyone ever making a scene over her so she really didn't know what to make of any of it. And she didn't want to talk about it because it made her cry.
The feeling she got in the pit of her stomach when Jamie walked past her without a word, without an acknowledgment of any sort, was worse than anything. Her heart hurt and she locked herself in her office for the rest of the day and planned to stay there for the entirety of the week to avoid everyone else. If she didn't have to see Jamie or any of his teammates, then she could forget him, just like she had asked him to do of her.
There was a gathering on Thursday though for the players and office staff as a welcome back, and a chance for new employees to be introduced. It could not be avoided. Avery had two assistants, interns really, and she decided that hanging out with them was the safest thing to do that afternoon. Until Jordie turned up at her side and took her with him to introduce her to the guys she hadn't met yet.
From across the room, Jamie watched his brother move Avery around the room with him. She had on that damn pencil skirt and her white blouse, heels on her feet. Her hair was up, twisted in a pencil which Jamie knew meant she had been working just before, hard at work studying numbers and seeing them as so much more. He imagined her with her teeth sunk into her bottom lip in concentration, a look he had seen more than once when stopping by to see her.
Among the crop of rookies and prospects were several off season acquisitions, either by trade or free agency. Two of them stood together, teammates from Chicago. Jordie steered Avery right to them and introduced her. Patrick Sharp smiled and shook her hand politely but the swedish defenseman Johnny Oduya shook her hand and held it for a beat too long. Jamie could see Avery's cheeks pink just the slightest when he spoke before she smiled at him. Jamie's blood boiled and his fists clenched until she moved away after several minutes of talking to him. His heart rate returned to normal until he realized Jordie was bringing her right to him.
Jamie saw the panic in her eyes as they approached, searching for an out. Jordie had no idea what had gone on between them, and Jamie had sworn Tyler to secrecy.
"Jordie, I need to speak with the coaches a minute, I'm so sorry," Avery smiled as she stopped feet away from Jamie. "Excuse me." She hurried away as Jordie made his way to Jamie.
"Stella wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow night." Jordie said when he reached him, oblivious to the way Jamie's eyes trailed after Avery.
"What time?"
"Sixish."
"Yeah, I'll be there. How's Alex?"
"Great. He's excited for school to start. You should come over Monday morning for his first day. Jason will be there too."
"What about Avery?" Jamie asked as she crossed the room towards her boss.
"She'll be there. Did you make sure she was getting out like I asked? I never heard anything, and she didn't say anything to Stella."
"You should've checked with your wife before you sent me to look after her. Stella already had Tyler keeping an eye on her."
"Tyler Seguin? No way."
"Yes way. He came back before I did and Stella asked him to take her to lunch so he did."
"Oh. So what, they're dating? Cause I'll have to kill him and I'll need you to help me hide the body if he is."
"He's not dating her. They're friends I guess."
"So you haven't seen her once in a month?"
Jamie scowled. "Yeah, I've seen her."
"And?"
"And what, Jordie? She's your wife's baby sister."
"She's your type though."
"Excuse me?"
"Avery. She's perfect for you. Or did you not notice?"
He noticed. He just didn't want to tell Jordie that. "You wanted me to make sure she got out because you thought we'd be good together?"
"Yep. So?"
"She's not my type," he lied. "Guess you'll have to keep looking but I'd suggest outside of the team if I were you. Dating one of us isn't allowed."
"Really? How do you know that?"
"Coach asked me about her and Tyler," he lied again. "He was coming by for lunch everyday and he wanted to know if someone needed to have a talk with him. I assured him that they were just friends and that there was nothing to worry about."
"Oh. Well that sucks."
"Yep," Jamie agreed, watching Avery from the corner of his eye as she disappeared from the room.
At six the next night, Jamie pulled into the driveway of the new house Jordie and Stella had bought. He rang the doorbell but turned the knob, finding it unlocked and letting himself in. Alex came running down the stairs and launched himself at him.
"Hey buddy," Jamie grinned, lifting him up into a hug. "Missed you."
"I missed you too, uncle Chubbs," the little boy said, squeezing his arms around Jamie's neck. Jamie set him down and followed him to the living room. The two stretched out across the floor to play with his cars as Jordie walked into the room.
"Hey, dinner is gonna be a little late. Stella went over to Linda and Bill's to see Avery."
"No problem. Alex and I can play until she gets back."
The three of them zoomed cars around the living room for half an hour before Stella got back. "Jordie!" She called out, her voice tight.
He lifted himself off the floor and walked out to greet her. Jamie could hear their voices and stood also, moving to listen to them.
"She's going home."
"To Worcester?"
"She's packing a bag and heading to the airport for a flight tonight. She asked me to pack her stuff and ship it."
"But why?"
"She quit today. She won't tell me why."
"Avery quit?" Jamie asked, stepping into the hall.
Stella nodded. "Jamie, did you see her at all after you got back? Did she seem okay? She decided yesterday that this wasn't right for her and she quit after she finished for today."
"She quit?" He repeated, dumbfounded. "I have to go," he said quickly. He kissed Stella's cheek and grabbed his keys. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Jamie!" Stella called out after him as he headed out the door. "What is going on?"
"I'll explain later, I promise."
"Jamie Benn you tell me right now or I will kick your ass."
He turned to look at Stella, her hands on her hips shooting death glares at him. "I think I'm in love with your sister and I have to convince her not to leave." She stepped back and stared open mouthed at him. "I'll call you tomorrow," he promised before running out the door.
Everyone was back in town, ramping up for the start of training camp. Players were in and out of the office and several she had met at Stella's wedding stopped by to say hello. She saw Tyler and Jamie in the halls on Tuesday. Tyler had waved and made his way over to say hello but Jamie steered clear of her and refused to make eye contact.
Tyler had asked what was going on and she had brushed it off and he didn't push. She liked that about him; he knew exactly when to let something go. She should've carried on with him instead. He probably would've shrugged his shoulders and let her leave in peace instead of making a scene like Jamie had.
But then, Avery wasn't really used to anyone ever making a scene over her so she really didn't know what to make of any of it. And she didn't want to talk about it because it made her cry.
The feeling she got in the pit of her stomach when Jamie walked past her without a word, without an acknowledgment of any sort, was worse than anything. Her heart hurt and she locked herself in her office for the rest of the day and planned to stay there for the entirety of the week to avoid everyone else. If she didn't have to see Jamie or any of his teammates, then she could forget him, just like she had asked him to do of her.
There was a gathering on Thursday though for the players and office staff as a welcome back, and a chance for new employees to be introduced. It could not be avoided. Avery had two assistants, interns really, and she decided that hanging out with them was the safest thing to do that afternoon. Until Jordie turned up at her side and took her with him to introduce her to the guys she hadn't met yet.
From across the room, Jamie watched his brother move Avery around the room with him. She had on that damn pencil skirt and her white blouse, heels on her feet. Her hair was up, twisted in a pencil which Jamie knew meant she had been working just before, hard at work studying numbers and seeing them as so much more. He imagined her with her teeth sunk into her bottom lip in concentration, a look he had seen more than once when stopping by to see her.
Among the crop of rookies and prospects were several off season acquisitions, either by trade or free agency. Two of them stood together, teammates from Chicago. Jordie steered Avery right to them and introduced her. Patrick Sharp smiled and shook her hand politely but the swedish defenseman Johnny Oduya shook her hand and held it for a beat too long. Jamie could see Avery's cheeks pink just the slightest when he spoke before she smiled at him. Jamie's blood boiled and his fists clenched until she moved away after several minutes of talking to him. His heart rate returned to normal until he realized Jordie was bringing her right to him.
Jamie saw the panic in her eyes as they approached, searching for an out. Jordie had no idea what had gone on between them, and Jamie had sworn Tyler to secrecy.
"Jordie, I need to speak with the coaches a minute, I'm so sorry," Avery smiled as she stopped feet away from Jamie. "Excuse me." She hurried away as Jordie made his way to Jamie.
"Stella wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow night." Jordie said when he reached him, oblivious to the way Jamie's eyes trailed after Avery.
"What time?"
"Sixish."
"Yeah, I'll be there. How's Alex?"
"Great. He's excited for school to start. You should come over Monday morning for his first day. Jason will be there too."
"What about Avery?" Jamie asked as she crossed the room towards her boss.
"She'll be there. Did you make sure she was getting out like I asked? I never heard anything, and she didn't say anything to Stella."
"You should've checked with your wife before you sent me to look after her. Stella already had Tyler keeping an eye on her."
"Tyler Seguin? No way."
"Yes way. He came back before I did and Stella asked him to take her to lunch so he did."
"Oh. So what, they're dating? Cause I'll have to kill him and I'll need you to help me hide the body if he is."
"He's not dating her. They're friends I guess."
"So you haven't seen her once in a month?"
Jamie scowled. "Yeah, I've seen her."
"And?"
"And what, Jordie? She's your wife's baby sister."
"She's your type though."
"Excuse me?"
"Avery. She's perfect for you. Or did you not notice?"
He noticed. He just didn't want to tell Jordie that. "You wanted me to make sure she got out because you thought we'd be good together?"
"Yep. So?"
"She's not my type," he lied. "Guess you'll have to keep looking but I'd suggest outside of the team if I were you. Dating one of us isn't allowed."
"Really? How do you know that?"
"Coach asked me about her and Tyler," he lied again. "He was coming by for lunch everyday and he wanted to know if someone needed to have a talk with him. I assured him that they were just friends and that there was nothing to worry about."
"Oh. Well that sucks."
"Yep," Jamie agreed, watching Avery from the corner of his eye as she disappeared from the room.
~*~*~
At six the next night, Jamie pulled into the driveway of the new house Jordie and Stella had bought. He rang the doorbell but turned the knob, finding it unlocked and letting himself in. Alex came running down the stairs and launched himself at him.
"Hey buddy," Jamie grinned, lifting him up into a hug. "Missed you."
"I missed you too, uncle Chubbs," the little boy said, squeezing his arms around Jamie's neck. Jamie set him down and followed him to the living room. The two stretched out across the floor to play with his cars as Jordie walked into the room.
"Hey, dinner is gonna be a little late. Stella went over to Linda and Bill's to see Avery."
"No problem. Alex and I can play until she gets back."
The three of them zoomed cars around the living room for half an hour before Stella got back. "Jordie!" She called out, her voice tight.
He lifted himself off the floor and walked out to greet her. Jamie could hear their voices and stood also, moving to listen to them.
"She's going home."
"To Worcester?"
"She's packing a bag and heading to the airport for a flight tonight. She asked me to pack her stuff and ship it."
"But why?"
"She quit today. She won't tell me why."
"Avery quit?" Jamie asked, stepping into the hall.
Stella nodded. "Jamie, did you see her at all after you got back? Did she seem okay? She decided yesterday that this wasn't right for her and she quit after she finished for today."
"She quit?" He repeated, dumbfounded. "I have to go," he said quickly. He kissed Stella's cheek and grabbed his keys. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Jamie!" Stella called out after him as he headed out the door. "What is going on?"
"I'll explain later, I promise."
"Jamie Benn you tell me right now or I will kick your ass."
He turned to look at Stella, her hands on her hips shooting death glares at him. "I think I'm in love with your sister and I have to convince her not to leave." She stepped back and stared open mouthed at him. "I'll call you tomorrow," he promised before running out the door.