Chapter 30

Corey woke up on a day off at 8 am. They’d closed out the series against the Sharks the night before, but instead of going out and celebrating with the guys he’d gone home. He should be happy that they’d moved on to the second round, but he wasn’t. It just wasn’t the same without Amelia there.

He stayed in bed, staring up at the ceiling wondering what the hell he’d been thinking. He knew he wasn’t the most level headed guy in the world, but he’d never made a mistake as bad as he’d made a week ago. He should have calmed down and then talked it out with Amelia. Instead he’d given her an ultimatum.

And wasn’t that stupid? She’d left him before because she was afraid he’d ask her to give up her dreams so they could be together. When she told him that, he’d promised himself he’d never make her do that. That promise had lasted a whole couple of months, because that’s what he’d done. He’d asked her to quit, and when she said no he left.

Sleep hadn’t come easy for him in the last week. When he was awake he was trying to figure out what to do. While he slept he dreamt of her. He knew an apology wasn’t going to fix it this time. Not only had he hurt her for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the last few months, but he’d gone right for the jugular.

After a few hours of lying in bed trying to come up with a solution to fix the problem and not thinking of anything he finally made his way out of bed. He’d already tried calling Amelia, but she wasn’t answering. Not that he could blame her. He got dressed and got into his car. He was in Amelia’s driveway before he’d thought things through.

He got out and looked at her front door. What was he going to say to her now that he was here? What could he possibly say that wouldn’t sound stupid? He didn’t know and he considered getting back into his car before he said something to her that he’d really regret. Instead he decided that he had to see her.

He knocked on the door and waited. She didn’t come to the door. He tried the doorbell but still she didn’t come. He tried to peer into a window but the drapes were blocking out the inside. He tried again before giving up. She either wasn’t home or wanted nothing to do with him. Again, he couldn’t blame her if she was ignoring him.

Because he supposed he was a glutton for punishment he went back the next morning before they flew to Detroit. Once again, she didn’t come to the door. When they got back from Detroit he went back again. Still there was no answer. In fact he got the feeling that she hadn’t been there at all in the last week or so.

After game 3 he spotted Brianna in the wives’ room. He made his way in and smiled at her when she turned to face him. She scowled at him in return before turning her back and walking away. He tried to chase her down, but she walked into the bathroom where he couldn’t follow her. With a sigh he left and went home.

He asked Ryan about it the next day but he wouldn’t tell him anything either. Ryan told him that Brianna would be tempted to commit murder if Corey tried to talk to her. When Corey pushed Ryan for information about Amelia, Ryan told him that he had no idea where she was. He only knew she wasn’t in LA anymore.

Corey got home and tried to think of where she could possibly be. He knew he needed to talk to her, which meant he had to find her first. He went so far as looking it up on celebrity gossip sights. There was no mention of Amelia anywhere. The paparazzi had stop coming around him when Amelia had stopped showing up at his games. They’d stuck around for a couple days asking if they’d broken up but Corey was just ignoring them these days.

There was only one other place Corey could think of that Amelia would go. Her family was still in London, so maybe she’d gone back to be with them. He thought about calling her parents, but thought better of it. If she hadn’t told them about the fight he didn’t want to be the one breaking the news by asking them if they knew where their daughter was. If she had told them, he didn’t want to deal with what they’d have to say to him either.

Then he thought of Ticia. He wondered what her reaction to him calling her would be as he heard the phone ringing on the other end. It rang so many times he almost hung up before he heard her voice on the other end.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Ticia? It’s Corey.” There was a moment of silence on the other end. He was about to repeat himself when she spoke again.

“What the hell do you want?” she asked. He heard a door open and shut on her end as she asked.

“Look, I know you probably hate me right now, but I need to know how Meels is.”

“Don’t you dare call her that,” Ticia spat at him. He took a deep breath. He figured she’d be mad at him and he needed to stay patient. If she wasn’t on his side, no one would be.

“I’m sorry. I just…..I really fucked up. I lost my head and said things that I never should have. I’ve been trying to get ahold of Amelia but I can’t. You were my last hope,” he told her.

“Then you’re really out of luck, because I’m not helping you.”

“Ticia, please. I know she’s not in LA anymore. Are you guys in London?” he questioned.

“What? You’re going to skip out on the rest of playoffs and come get her?” Ticia asked.

“Obviously not,” he replied.

“Too bad, because that’s the only way I’d even consider telling you where we are. It’s not London, by the way.” He was really at a loss now. Where the hell were they?

“I have to know how she is. I need her to know how sorry I am. I need to make it up to her. Please just put her on the phone or tell me where you are,” he begged.

“She’s doing terrible. She won’t care how sorry you are, or at least she shouldn’t. There’s nothing you can do to make it up to her. If I gave her the phone she’d hang up on you and I won’t tell you where we are. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“She has to come back to LA sometime. When she does I’ll be here. You can’t keep us apart forever. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get her back.”

“Good luck with that. I have to go. My sister needs someone she can count on right now.”

Ticia hung up on him and he groaned. He hadn’t made any progress at all. He only hoped that Ticia would pass along a little of what he’d said to her. If she did then maybe, just maybe he’d have a chance to make it all up to Amelia.










I opened my eyes at the sound of a ringing phone. It was Ticia’s, but she had earphones in and obviously didn’t hear it. I threw a strawberry at her and pointed at her phone when she opened her eyes and looked over at me. She nodded and picked up the phone.

“Hello?” She paused for a moment and I watched her expression change. She stood up from her chair and made her way to the door holding a finger up to tell me she’d be right back. “What the hell do you want?” I heard her ask as she walked inside, shutting the door behind her.

I shrugged figuring it was some ex of hers. I closed my eyes again and lay back in the chair. We’d been lounging outside enjoying the weather. A little while later she walked back outside and sat back down. I looked over at her when she didn’t say anything.

“Everything okay?” I asked. She smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” she replied. I could see right through her smile.

“Who was it?” I pushed.

“Just an asshole ex grasping at a chance that doesn’t exist that he can make things right.” I smiled at her reassuringly before going back to enjoying the sun and the sound of the ocean.

A few hours later my phone rang. I looked over at her, pleading with my eyes. She smiled and answered for me. I hadn’t touched my phone in the week and a half that we’d been here. Brianna called once in a while, but Ticia always talked to her. I still wasn’t up for a conversation about how I was doing.

“Brianna’s flying out to take my place so you can stay here for a while longer since I have to go back to work,” she explained when she hung up.

“What? She doesn’t have to do that. Ryan’s still playing, isn’t he?” I asked straightening up in my chair.

“Yeah, he is, but she’s coming anyway.”

“Call her back and tell her not to come. I’m fine here by myself. She should be there for him right now.”

“She thought you’d say that. She called right before they told everyone on the plane to turn off their cell phones. I’m going to pick her up at the airport later tonight.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. That was so like Brianna. I knew there was no use in trying to turn her around at that point so I let it go and took a nap. Later that night Ticia left to pick Brianna up and I decided to go out for a run while she was gone. I’d basically been holed up in the suite for the last week and a half and I needed to get out and do something.

I stepped out onto the beach glad that most people were gone for dinner. I started running along the edge of the water enjoying the view. I got so lost in the scenery that I didn’t realize I was being followed for a while. When I turned around to head back to the hotel I noticed the cameras.

It had only taken them a week and a half to find me. Whatever precautions Brianna had taken to keep my trip secret had worked pretty well. I reached the hotel and started to stretch out before I went inside. That was my first mistake.

“Amelia! Why haven’t you been at Corey’s games lately?” one of them asked. I stiffened, but tried not to let on how upset I was as I finished a stretch and headed for the door to go back inside.

“Did something happen between you two?” another called out.

I could feel the tears starting to build up in my eyes. While he had been in the back of my mind the entire time I’d been here, his name hadn’t been mentioned so I’d managed to hold it together after that first night. All of those feelings were rushing back and I knew I needed to get inside quick.

“You two seemed so happy. What happened?” a third asked.

I was only a step away from the door where I knew they couldn’t follow me. I got out the key and unlocked the door, pulling it open. That’s when I made my second mistake. I let go. Before I even took a step into the hotel I let my emotions catch up to me and started to cry. I broke down in front of the cameras. I used the door for support because I thought my legs would give out on me.

“Amelia!” I heard someone call from behind me. Someone rushed up to me and grabbed onto my arm. I looked up to see Brianna standing there.

Ticia blocked me from view the best she could while Brianna helped me inside. I’d barely made it around a corner before my legs did give out. She knelt on the floor next to me and pulled me into her arms. She stroked my hair as I cried on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, honey. I’m so sorry,” she whispered. I pulled away from her a little.

“I love him, Bri. I love him so much and I can never be with him. How am I supposed to get over that? How do you ever get over not being able to be with the person you know is your soul mate? I could forgive him. I could call him right now and forgive him and quit acting but we’ll never be okay. There’s always going to be something with us. If I keep living my dream we can’t be together because our lifestyles don’t mesh. If one of us gives up their dream for the other we’ll always resent the other person. We can never be together. How am I supposed to live knowing that?” She looked down at me sadly.

“I have no idea,” she replied.