Chapter 34

So this is going to be the last post of this story. I've run out of ideas and I've had trouble even getting the last few out. Sorry if it's not written well, especially the end. I really just kind of taxed my brain on this one.










“Oh man, am I happy that I finally have time off,” I said to Corey as I flopped down on the couch next to him. He leaned over and kissed me as I cuddled up to him.

“So, you have nothing for the next two days?” he asked. I nodded as my eyes fell shut. I was exhausted. I’d just wrapped on filming another movie. “Well, let’s go then.” Corey stood up and my head fell to the couch in the space he’d just vacated.

“What? Go where?” I mumbled, my face still firmly planted in the couch cushions.

“It’s a surprise,” I heard him say. I groaned.

“I’m too tired,” I declined. “It’s nap time. I’ll see you in two days.” I suddenly felt myself being pulled up off of the couch. I made a whining noise as Corey placed me on my feet before walking away. I opened my eyes to see him grabbing one of the suitcases that I’d just lugged in upon returning home.

“Are all the important things in here?” he asked, pointing to it.

I gave him a confused look, but nodded. He smiled over at me and then grabbed his car keys off of the table. He jerked his head towards the door, indicating that I should follow him. I watched him open the front door and walk out, dragging my suitcase behind him. Why the hell did he need my suitcase? I stayed where I was standing, just too exhausted to move. I was not up for some adventure right now.

“Amelia!” he yelled from somewhere outside. I whined loudly again before picking up the purse I’d just set down and walking out the door, locking it behind me.

“Where the hell are you taking me?” I grumbled as I dragged my feet to his car. He lifted the suitcase and placed it in the trunk. I noticed he had a bag for himself in there already.

“It’s a surprise.” I made a face at him.

“I’m way too tired to do anything, Cor. Seriously.” He opened the passenger side door and nudged me towards it.

“Trust me, you can sleep on the way.” I made another face and got into the car. By the time he’d pulled out of the driveway I had fallen asleep.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I felt myself being shaken awake. I moaned in protest as I stirred. I heard Corey get out of the car and shut the door before I even opened my eyes. When I finally did I saw that we were parked on a tarmac with a plane in front of us. We were flying somewhere?

“I only have today and tomorrow off, you know!” I called over to Corey as he dragged my suitcase towards the plane.

“I know, Brianna told me!” he called back. I followed him to the plane where I was greeted upon entrance. No one else was on board when we got on. I took the seat next to Corey.

“Where are we flying?” I asked, as I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

“You’ll find out in a few hours,” he whispered, placing a kiss on my forehead.

The plane took off not long after and I fully expected to fall asleep right away. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. My curiosity about our destination was keeping me awake and I didn’t like it. At the same time, I was too lazy to do anything more than sit there with my eyes closed so I chose to think about Corey and I instead.

Another year had gone by since I’d flown to Corey’s house and told him I needed him in my life. He’d agreed to change and he’d done a good job of it. There were still arguments about the conflicts our careers caused, but they were few and far between. Things between us had been just about as perfect as they could be.

Brianna and Ryan were doing well in their first year of marriage. It was really nice for Corey and I to have our best friends married to each other. It had been Brianna that had finally made me realize that I needed Corey in my life to be completely happy. When Corey and I had broken up she’d originally thought I was better off without him in my life. Over the following year of being around us both, her mind had changed as she learned both sides of the story. I thanked her all the time for the email of pictures from her wedding.

At some point, my thoughts faded to blackness. I felt myself being shaken awake again. I opened my eyes feeling a little more refreshed after my nap and looked out the window. All I could see was tarmac, which didn’t help me in finding out where we were. Corey kissed me before helping me out of my seat and held my hand as we got off the place.

“Ready?” he asked as he led me to a car.

“Don’t I have to be?” I returned. He laughed as he got into the backseat of the car beside me.

I kept my eyes on the scenery outside the window as our driver pulled out of the airport. It only took me a few minutes to realize exactly where we were. We were in London. Corey had taken me home? Why were we here? I looked over at him with eyebrows raised, hoping he’d explain himself. I was met with a small smile before he turned his head and looked out the window on his side of the car. I sighed as I realized that he wasn’t going to tell me anything.

I watched as familiar sights flew by the window. Memories of growing up flashed through my mind as we drove on. I realized that most of those memories included Corey. When we pulled into the parking lot of the high school we had gone to, I was really confused. Corey got out and then held his hand out to me. I took it and got out of the car as well.

Without saying a word to me, he led me up the stairs and through the front entrance of the school. He led me down the hallways until we reached a door. He gave me another smile before pulling the door open and leading me inside. He brought me over to a desk in the room and pointed at it. I sat down at the desk and he moved over to another one and sat down.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked him after a few minutes. He laughed.

“Do you know where we are?” I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, at our old high school,” I replied. He laughed again.

“No, I meant this room. Do you remember this room?” he asked again. I glanced around the room as realization hit me.

“We had history together in this classroom. I sat in this very desk and you sat at the desk you’re in now.” He smiled over at me and nodded.

“But there’s more to it than that.” I raised my eyebrow in curiosity.

“Oh yeah? What else is there?”

“I fell in love with you in this room.” My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn’t known that, nor had I expected that to be his response.

“What?” I asked.

“We’d just lost both of our games over the weekend and had a long bus ride home. I was exhausted when I got to school that Monday. All I wanted was to see you. I walked into this room knowing I’d finally get to see you, but by the time class started you weren’t here. I was miserable until about halfway through class, you walked in late because you had a morning dentist appointment. You sat down at your desk, and before you took anything out of your bag you looked over at me, made some silly face, and then flashed me that smile of yours. I forgot about the weekend in that instant. That’s when I knew I was in love with you.”

I listened to him in shock. I hadn’t known what to expect when Corey had brought me here, but it wasn’t this. Hearing him tell me that brought tears to my eyes. I was stunned into silence at his words. He got up from the desk he was sitting at and made his way over to me. He squatted down so that he was at my level as I remained seated.

“This room holds my favorite memory. I’m hoping it will hold another one.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

I watched as Corey dropped down onto one knee and reached into his pocket. My breath caught in my throat as I watched him pull out a small black box. He looked up at me with a smile as he flipped open the lid, revealing the same ring he had shown me two years prior.

“Meels, I realized I loved you in this room. I’ve loved you ever since. I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. Will you marry me?”

My hands flew up to my face as I felt the tears fall. I struggled to force myself to breathe and couldn’t find words to say. Instead I grabbed Corey, pulling him to me, and kissed him. It was the only way I could say yes at the moment. When we finally pulled apart we grinned at each other.

“I’m hoping that’s a yes,” he joked. My voice returned.

“It’s a yes.” He slid the ring on my finger and pulled me up from the desk. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me again.

“We have something we have to do now,” he told me.

I followed him out of the school and back to the car we’d arrived in. I knew almost right away where we were headed as I saw which roads we were turning down. The car pulled into my parents’ driveway and I looked over at Corey. He squeezed my hand before we got out of the car. He held my hand in his as we made our way up the front walk. Before we even reached the door, it flew open and my parents both flew out screaming, followed by my sister.

“Congratulations!” my mom called out, wrapping me in a hug.

I hugged her back before looking over at Corey. He just shrugged, and I knew that he had told my family that he was proposing before he’d even brought me here. My father hugged me while my mom wrapped her arms around Corey. He then shook Corey’s hand as my sister screeched out her pleasure when she looked at the ring on my finger.

Corey and I were married the following summer. Brianna served as my maid of honor while Ryan was Corey’s best man. Despite all the problems we’d had over the years, Corey and I couldn’t have been happier together. He had always been that guy for me and I was grateful that we’d run into each other that day in the café. As we got into the limo after the reception we locked eyes. I was never so sure of anything in my life as I was that Corey and I would definitely live happily ever after.

Chapter 33

I wrapped on filming my latest movie and got ready to fly back home. I packed up my stuff and had everything ready to go for my flight the next morning. I called up room service and lounged on the couch eating dinner with an old movie on. A beep went off alerting me that I’d received an email. I saw that it was from Brianna and smiled.

She’d promised to email me from her honeymoon. I opened the email and read her message telling me all about the honeymoon so far. I couldn’t help but smile as I read through it. There were very few people in this world happier for her than me. She told me there were pictures attached that I had to look at. Assuming they were some goofy "wish you were here, but not really” pictures of her and Ryan I opened the attachment immediately.

My smile faded the second the first picture popped up on the screen and suddenly I doubted if there was anyone in this world who hated Brianna as much as I did. Staring back at me was a picture of Corey and I from the wedding. I remembered taking it. They’d matched up everyone in the wedding party. I’d felt awkward about it, but had sucked it up and let them take the picture.

I’d fully expected the expressions on our faces to show our displeasure in the picture, but that wasn’t the case. We both looked like we couldn’t be happier. Not only did the smiles we had on look genuine, but his arm was around my waist and I was practically cuddled up to him with my head resting slightly on his chest. You could ask a million people what their impression of that picture was, and every single one of them would tell you that we were a couple.

I fought back any emotion I was feeling and clicked to the next one. I didn’t like it any better. It was a picture of Corey and I dancing. I had my head pressed against him with my eyes closed and his head was resting on the top of mine with his eyes closed as well.

The third picture was another one of us dancing except this time we were looking straight into each other’s eyes. If I hadn’t realized it was the two of us I would have thought the two people in the picture were desperately in love. You could almost feel it radiating off of it. I continued to scroll through the pictures Brianna had sent, and every one of them included both Corey and I. There was no mistaking her intentions in sending these to me.

I groaned and exited out of the pictures. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was crying. I put a hand to my face to wipe away the tears and it felt like a dam had broken. My cheeks were soaked. Unable to hold it in I crawled into bed, pulled the covers over my head and let myself cry.

I cried because I didn’t think things would ever work for Corey and I. I cried because I realized how badly I really wanted them to. I cried because I missed him more than anything. I cried because he’d made enormous efforts twice and I’d blown him off each time because I was still hurting.

When my alarm went off the next morning, it didn’t take me long to turn it off. I was wide awake. There had been no sleep for me that night. I’d spent the whole night thinking about Corey. I caught my ride to the airport and walked up to the desk to check in. As I put my luggage up to check it I glanced at the departures board. My breath caught in my throat. How was that the first place I’d zeroed in on?

“Excuse me, wait!” I called to the woman taking my luggage.

“Yes, miss?” she queried. I hesitated. I shouldn’t be doing this.

“I need to change my flight,” I told her. Despite the confused look on her face, she nodded and walked over to a computer.

“Where to?”

“Are there still seats on this one?”










“So what are you doing tonight?” Ferris asked. Corey looked over at his friend and shrugged before picking the dumbbell back up. He finished his rep before answering.

“No idea. How about you?”

“I think some of the guys were going to head out somewhere. You in?” Corey thought about it for a moment. He didn’t have anything better to do.

“Yeah, let me know what the plan is.”

Corey finished his workout and headed home. He made himself a snack before hopping into the shower. He’d just settled down on the couch with his laptop when his doorbell rang. He groaned and got back up to answer the door. He actually took a step back when he saw Amelia standing on the other side.

He wasn’t sure if he was seeing things and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t asleep. When he refocused she was still standing there. What was she doing at his house? He couldn’t read the expression on her face, but then again she was wearing sunglasses and he couldn’t see her eyes. She stood there like a statue and he wasn’t really sure what to do.

“Amelia?” he finally managed to say.

Her face faltered then, just for a second. He saw her mouth twitch. He’d seen that twitch before. He reached up and gently pulled the sunglasses off of her face. Tears were welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill over any second. He couldn’t take it and pulled her into a hug.

The second her head hit his shoulder she began to cry. Giant sobs overtook her and he held her as her body shook. She held on to him too, almost too tightly, like she thought he’d float away. He wasn’t sure why she was here but as he began to think about it he started to get upset. Last time he’d seen her she’d wanted nothing to do with him and now she was here crying on his shoulder. What would drive her to him like this?

“Meels, sweetie, please. What’s wrong? Did something happen?” he asked, pulling away from her and looking into her eyes. She sniffed and nodded, but didn’t say anything.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into the house. He didn’t want to leave her standing on the porch when something awful had obviously happened in her life. She followed his lead over to the couch and sat down next to him.

“Okay, please tell me what’s wrong. Is someone sick? Did someone get hurt?” All she did was nod and his heart dropped. “Who, Meels?”

“Me,” she whispered. He felt sick.

“What?! What’s going on?” He was panicking now as every worst case scenario ran through his head.

“I love you.” He looked at her in shock. That had been the absolute last thing he’d expected her to say. “I tried not to. I tried to be okay without you in my life, but I’m not. I need you, Cor.”

He took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to respond to that. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the urge to jump all over the furniture Tom Cruise style, but he didn’t really think that’s what Amelia wanted him to do. All he knew was that he’d finally heard her say what he didn’t think that was appropriate.

“I love you too,” he finally said.

“I need to have you in my life, but that doesn’t change how I’ve felt this whole time. This is it for us. If things don’t work this time, they never will. I think we have to take things slow.”

“Sweetie, I’ll do whatever it takes to have you back in my life. I fucked up, I know, but I promise you that I’m working on being better for you. I have been since Hawaii, even when I thought I didn’t have a prayer when it came to getting back together. I’ll do anything for you.”

She gave him a small smile and wiped the tears that had stopped off of her face. He looked down into her eyes and couldn’t hold back any longer. He grabbed her face with both of his hands and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he knew that there was no way he was going to fuck this up again.

Amelia only stayed for two days because she had to get back to LA. Thankfully he was only a couple weeks from returning for the season. He gave her a long lingering kiss at the airport and stayed where he was until she was completely out of sight. She kept turning around and flashing him that smile of hers as she walked away, and he was determined to see every last one of her smiles.

He finally got back into his car and started to drive home. On his way he couldn’t help but worry about how things were going to go when he got back. Amelia was crazy busy and almost had her next few months planned out and he just hoped that he was going to be able to keep a cool head about it all. No matter what, he was going to have to because he wasn’t ever letting her go again.

Chapter 32

“How are you feeling?” Brianna asked me as I put the finishing touches on my makeup.

“I’m good,” I lied. She gave me a look that told me she knew I was lying. “Okay, I’m nervous as hell, but I’ll be good,” I amended. She smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“You better be. This is my rehearsal dinner. Only Ryan and I are supposed to be nervous wrecks.”

Over a year had passed since I’d seen Corey in Hawaii, and a lot had happened. Another hockey season had gone by and ended in disappointment in the playoffs for Anaheim. I’d filmed two movies, and was on hiatus for Brianna’s wedding in the middle of a third. I’d also had a once in a while guest spot on a popular TV series. Everything in my life was exactly how I’d always wanted it, minus one person.

It had taken a long time, but I could now not only hear Corey’s name, but could talk about him without feeling like someone was ripping my heart out of my chest. I wasn’t dating anyone else and I wasn’t looking to either. I’d been so busy with my career I could hardly believe more than a year had gone by, let alone find time for a new relationship. I had learned through Brianna, without having to ask, that Corey hadn’t been seeing anyone at all either. For some reason I felt like I should know, even if it wasn't my right to care if he was.

Now, 14 months later, I was about to see Corey again. We’d randomly seen each other around LA two or three times, but it had been just in passing. There hadn’t been more than a short greeting and sad smile passed between the two of us. Now I was the maid of honor and he was the best man at our best friends’ wedding. There was no getting out of talking to him.

“Are you ready?” Brianna asked. I nodded and followed her out to the limo that would serve as our transportation for the night.

We picked up other members of the wedding party and made our way to the rehearsal. I walked in and was immediately greeted by many of the Ducks and their significant others. While I had avoided any team parties, I’d stayed in touch with many of the girls, who I’d grown to actually like. If I was in town I hadn’t turned down a single girls’ night when their guys were out of town.

I mingled with the group in attendance. As I was laughing at something Brianna’s mother had said I just knew Corey had arrived. Slowly I turned to look at the doorway and didn’t see him. I began to think that it was just nerves getting to me when he walked through the door. And he looked good. Damn, him. He couldn’t show up looking homeless and make it easy on me, could he?

His eyes locked on mine almost immediately as if he had sensed where I was standing. He gave me a small smile and nod in recognition and I did the same. Then he made his way around the room saying hi to everyone. I knew that eventually we’d have to talk, but I was hoping to have a little liquid courage in me before then. When I saw him grab a beer, I knew he was probably feeling the same.

“You look good,” he said to me when we were thrown together a little later on.

“Thank you. So do you.”

That was the extent of our conversation for the night. We’d been involved in the same conversation numerous times, but it had always been in a group. Everyone in attendance that night knew what the situation was, and they were trying to make it as easy on both of us as possible. We both managed to joke around and laugh in each other’s presence which was better than we did in our first reunion two years prior.

When it was all over the bride's half of the wedding party took Brianna out for the last night she’d be single. It was nothing fancy or crazy. Just a fun, low key night ending in us all crashing at my place. Brianna, the other three bridesmaids, and I lounged around my living room watching chick flicks and chatting before we were all too exhausted to stay up any longer.

The next morning came the task of getting her ready for the biggest day of her life thus far. Her closest family members and Ticia came over for breakfast and mimosas before the makeover started. In time Brianna’s hair and makeup were complete and we were stuffing her and her dress into the limo with all of us and heading to the church. When Brianna turned to look at me after I finished zipping up her dress I nearly cried.

“You look amazing,” I told her. She hugged me and then did the same with everyone else.

Not long after, it was time to start. I checked my reflection one last time before walking out of the room to prepare for the walk down the aisle with Corey. He was standing there when I walked out and smiled when he saw me. I returned the smile and stepped next to him.

“You look beautiful, Amelia,” he whispered as he took my arm in his. We were walking down the aisle before I had a chance to respond. Instead I spent the whole walk saddened by the fact that he hadn’t called me “Meels.”

When Brianna stepped into sight I peeked over to look at Ryan. His reaction was everything I was hoping it would be, and more. It was obvious in that moment that if anyone doubted his love for Brianna before, seeing that expression would change their minds in a hurry.

When it was over we headed to the reception where Corey and I went our separate ways to try to greet everyone before the Getzlafs arrived. We were finally seated after their arrival and had an exquisite dinner. Brianna couldn’t keep the smile off of her face and I couldn’t have been happier for her.

After dinner it was time for the speeches. I got up and gave mine first. I didn’t want to try to do the funny speech, opting to go for more of a sentimental one, but I made sure to throw a few jabs in there at Brianna. Then it was Corey’s turn. He went with the funny speech, and I could hardly keep from laughing during the whole thing. Then the last bit really got me.

“Not everyone is lucky enough to find their match and hold on to them. Ryan, hold on to Brianna. You’ll never find anyone better.” His eyes bore right into mine as he finished. I turned away when I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I wiped it away and put on a smile as the microphone was passed along.

Later on I watched as Brianna and Ryan shared their first dance together. As I watched them dance I couldn’t get Corey’s words out of my head. I’m sure most people didn’t think anything of them, but to me there was no mistaking their meaning. It was impossible not to know what he’d meant with him staring right into my eyes as he said it.

“Would you like to dance?” I heard someone ask. I looked up to see Corey standing above me, holding out a hand.

“We can’t ruin their moment,” I declined. He looked at me in confusion.

“Who’s moment?” I looked out at the dance floor and saw it was full of people, the first dance long over with. “You looked spaced out there for a while. Are you okay?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah, sorry. I guess I’m just tired,” I told him.

“So how about that dance?” He held his hand out to me again and I reached up to accept it.
He pulled me out to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist as I wrapped mine around his neck. We danced in silence for most of the song. It was awkward and nice at the same time being in his arms again, even for just a dance. I felt myself relaxing into him with every step.

“I miss you,” he whispered just before the song ended.

I pulled my head back to look up at him in surprise. A new song started, that was much faster and much louder before I could think of something to say. He pulled away from me and I watched him exit the reception into the hallway. I remained in place staring at the door as it closed behind him.

“What did he say to you?” Brianna asked, coming up behind me.

“He told me he missed me.” She sighed and guided me off the dance floor.

“Lia, maybe it’s time you hear him out.” I shook my head.

“No, not tonight. Tonight, I’m here for you.” She gave me shove in the direction of the door.

“I’m not about to do anything stupid and there are plenty of people here to help me out if I need it. Go.” I saw the look she gave me and knew that she meant what she said. I nodded and walked out the door looking for Corey.










Corey sat in a chair in an empty room down the hall from the reception. He needed a little time to himself. He’d known it would be hard to see Amelia, but he didn’t expect it to be this hard. Did she have to look so beautiful?

He’d tried to avoid her the best he could, but he was having a hard time staying away. When he saw her sitting alone while everyone else danced the night away he couldn’t help but go over. He hadn’t planned on asking her to dance. He’d just wanted to go ask if she was okay and maybe talk a little bit. Not about anything that had to do with them, because it wasn’t the right time, but just some small talk. When he’d opened his mouth to say hi, he’d asked her to dance instead.

Then when she was in his arms, her scent and touch filled his brain with memories of her. Then his mouth had betrayed him and he’d told her he missed her. She looked like a deer caught in headlights when he’d said it. Thankfully the song ended and he was able to get away from her. Now he was in here collecting his thoughts so he could go back in and enjoy his best friend’s wedding reception.

“Corey?” He looked up in surprise to see Amelia standing in the doorway. “Can I come in?” she asked. He laughed.

“I don’t know that I’m even supposed to be in here, but hey, what the hell. Better I have company if I get in trouble.” She smiled at him and made her way into the room. The only light in the room was filtering in through the doorway, but even in the shadows she took his breath away.

“We should talk about what you said in there,” she suggested. He sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

“I shouldn’t have said it,” he told her.

“I miss you too,” she blurted out. His eyes widened in surprise. That wasn’t what he’d expected her to say.

“What?” She nervously looked around the room while clasping and unclasping her hands together.

“I’m not going to pretend it’s been easy on me not being with you this past year. It hasn’t. It’s sucked. Even so, my feelings haven’t changed. Our lifestyles don’t mix. I’m not going to quit acting and you’re not going to quit hockey.” She was looking everywhere but at him. It was his turn to surprise her.

“Yes I am.” She jerked her head in his direction.

“You are what?”

“Quitting hockey. My agents looking into ways I can get out of my contract. If there isn’t one, then I’ll play it out another three seasons and quit.”
“Why would you do that?” she questioned.

“For you. Because I can’t be the man you want if I play. I don’t know how to be that guy. It’s time I supported you. So I’m going to quit for you.”

She looked at him like he was crazy, but even in the darkness of the room he could see her eyes filling with tears. She wiped a few off her cheeks only to have them replaced with more. She sniffed softly before responding again.

“Don’t you dare,” she said, strength in her voice for the first time since they’d seen each other this weekend.

“Amelia, I’m doing this for you,” he explained. She shook her head.

“No, you’re not. You’re doing it for yourself. You’re giving me an ultimatum, telling me I have to take you back as you are or you’ll quit hockey. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? You’re turning the tables on me. You asked me to quit acting and you feel like shit about it, so in some twisted logic you’re asking me to make you quit hockey to make yourself feel better by making me the villain.” She held a hand up to silence him when he tried to cut in. “If you quit, I’ll never speak to you again.”

“Amelia-“

“No, Corey. Nothing you say right now is going to change my mind. Just know that if you give up hockey I won’t know who you are anymore. You worked your ass off to get where you are. You love it. Hell, I stood by you through all of that. If you really love me, you won’t do this. I have to get back to Brianna. My flight leaves tomorrow morning. It was really nice seeing you again.”

He watched her turn and walk out of the room. He covered his face with his hands when she was out of sight. What the hell was it going to take? Maybe nothing. Maybe he had really lost her forever.

Chapter 31

I glanced over at the watch I’d laid on the table as Brianna and I sat outside. I was surprised at the time and the fact that she hadn’t said anything to me about it. Then again, I guess she wouldn’t. Why would she bring up the Ducks playoff game that was starting in 15 minutes? I stood up and stretched.

“Let’s go up to the room,” I said.

“Are you sure?” she asked. I nodded and we collected our stuff.

When we reached the room Brianna got straight into the shower probably assuming we were going to go grab some dinner soon. I, however, had other plans. I couldn’t expect her to miss any of Ryan’s games just because things hadn’t worked out between Corey and I. Knowing she would argue with me if I told her to watch it, I didn’t give her a chance, buying the game on the internet while she was still showering.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked when she walked out of the bathroom.

“I think you have a game to watch,” I told her. She only hesitated for a second before responding.

“What are you talking about?” she questioned. I rolled my eyes at her.

“Bri, I saw you checking the time on the watch practically all afternoon. I’m not an idiot. I used to be that person. And before you argue, I already bought the game on the internet. It’s all set up,” I explained. She glared at me.

“Lia, you really didn’t have to,” she sighed.

“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. I feel bad enough that you’re here instead of there watching Ryan.” She shrugged.

“You’re my best friend. You come first always.”

“While I appreciate that, I’m going to get angry if I just paid for a playoffs season ticket pass and you don’t want the games. Go,” I demanded. She sighed again before turning and walking into her room.

I walked out onto the veranda and looked out over the ocean. It was so beautiful and peaceful here. I never wanted to leave. Unfortunately I knew I would have to. I also knew at some point I was going to have to face what I’d come here to hide from. I felt my heart ache as I thought about it. I wondered when the ache would dull.

Sick of thinking about trying to forget Corey I walked back inside and ordered some food for dinner. It made it just in time for the first intermission and Brianna came out to eat. She didn’t mention the game but I could see the smile on her face and knew that they had to be winning. She disappeared back into her room.

When she next emerged, the game was over and she had a grin on her face. I smiled up at her in acknowledgement, but like before, we didn’t bring it up. Her phone rang a bit later during a movie and she left the room to talk to Ryan.

“So, don’t plan anything for July 10th next summer,” she said as she sat down next to me.

“You decided on a date?” I asked. She nodded and I hugged her. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I saw a flash of nervousness in her eyes and I pulled back a bit. I sighed when I realized why. “It’s over a year away. If I’m not fine by then, I should just kill myself.”

“I don’t know about that, but I just thought I’d check. Ryan wants him to be the best man, but he won’t ask him if you’re not okay with that,” she said tentatively.

“Really, Bri, it’s fine. It’s your wedding. I think I can manage.”

She smiled and thanked me before settling back on the couch to watch the rest of the movie. I on the other hand couldn’t focus on the rest. Even though it was over a year away I wondered if I’d be as okay as I assured her I would be.










Corey walked into his house after another win against Detroit. He changed and then flopped down on the couch. He was still a bit amped up from the game so he knew he’d be up for another couple of hours. He turned on the TV before picking up his laptop. He wanted to just see what the other teams had done that night, but he found himself checking out tabloid sites instead.

He nearly dropped the laptop when he saw Amelia’s picture pop up onto his screen. The first picture showed her jogging on a beach. She was stretching in the second. Then he saw the third. She was hunched over in Brianna’s arms with Ticia next to her, in tears. He scanned what the short blurb about her said and read what he was hoping wasn’t the case.

It said that she’d been spotted in Hawaii where she’d been for the last two weeks. It went on to say that after blowing past the paparazzi, which wasn’t typical of her, she’d broken down into tears when they mentioned him. He threw his head back and sighed. At least now he knew where she was.

Nine days later he quietly boarded the chartered plane. Things were just not going right in his life right now. They’d just lost to Detroit in game 7 when they’d been up in the series. He wanted nothing more than to go home to someone, but he wasn’t going to be able to, because he’d been a complete asshole and pushed Amelia out of his life.

He heard Ryan talking to Brianna as the rest of the guys filed on the plane in silence. He wanted to take the phone and ask her about Amelia, but Brianna hadn’t said a word to him since he’d made that colossal mistake. Then his brain started working. He knew where Amelia was now and he didn’t have hockey to play anymore. Five days later he was on a plane to Hawaii.










I followed security from the car through the entrance to the resort. I’d started to go out and do things again in the last week, hoping that it would keep my mind off of things. I’d never been good at dealing with problems, instead choosing to run from them as long as I could. And as long as I was in Hawaii I wasn’t going to stop running.

We walked past paparazzi mixed in with people just on vacations as we walked through the lobby towards the elevators. I felt bad that they had to deal with everything, but it wasn’t by my choice. I didn’t look up and around, instead keeping my head down and my body behind the security guards. Then I froze in my tracks.

“Amelia!” a voice called out from the commotion. No, it wasn’t just a voice. I knew that voice. I turned with wide eyes to see Corey standing there looking at me. I didn’t respond right away. I just couldn’t believe that he was here.

“Let’s go, Lia,” Brianna whispered to me as she grabbed onto my arm. I looked over to see security looking at me quizzically.

“Is there an unused room we can go to?” I asked one of them, motioning towards Corey. He made a quick call before nodding.

“Right this way,” he told me. I followed him without looking to see if Corey was behind me.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Brianna asked when I reached the door. I nodded when my voice failed me. “I’ll be right outside.”

I walked over to a wall without windows and leaned against it because I didn’t think my legs would hold me up. I watched Corey walk into the room. The door was closed behind him, leaving us alone. I chose to let him talk first since he’d obviously come here for a reason. He looked uncomfortable and unsure of himself and I got a little bit of satisfaction out of that.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. He said it so quietly I wouldn’t have known he’d said anything if I hadn’t watched his mouth move.

“What was that?” I asked, even though I knew exactly what he’d said.

“I said I’m sorry,” he repeated. I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my eyebrows at him. He didn’t say anything else.

“You flew all the way here just to say that? Okay, see you later.” I turned my back to him and started heading for the door.

“Meels, wait!” he called. I cringed at my nickname. Hearing him call me that just made being in the room with him even harder. I took a deep breath before turning back around.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“I wanted to apologize,” he replied. I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, you did that already. Can I go now?” He made his way over to me until only a foot or two separated us.

“I screwed up. I was stressed about playoffs and then adding the paparazzi on top of it caused me to lose it. What I did and what I said wasn’t right. I don’t want you to quit. God, I promised you that I wouldn’t ask you to quit when we got back together, and then I did. I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“I’m glad you feel bad about it, Corey, but that doesn’t change anything,” I told him. He looked surprised.

“Of course it does. It changes everything!” he exclaimed. I shook my head.

“No, it doesn’t. You don’t get to come in and out of my life whenever you want. I feel like a yo-yo with you. One day you’re in love with me, and the next you don’t want me around. You’re asking for a fifth chance when you never should have had a third!” I yelled.

“Don’t you think I know that? I hate that I’ve been like that with you, but this whole thing has opened my eyes. I’m miserable without you. I know I have to change, and I love you so much that I’m going to. I’m changing for you.” I squeezed my eyes closed and sighed while shaking my head.

“No, you aren't. You just hate that you lost out in playoffs and you’re alone. I know you Corey. Next time there’s a problem you’re going to push me away again. I can’t live like that. I can’t live in fear of when you’re going to go off next. It’s not fair.” He groaned and raked a hand through his hair.

“I need you, Meels.” I shook my head sadly at him.

“No, you don’t. You need someone that will tolerate coming in second to you. You don’t want to compromise and you never have. With you it’s always going to be what you want or get out. I can’t do it anymore. What you need is someone like Ileana. Maybe you should give her a call.”

I turned my back on him again and made my way to the door. He didn’t call after me this time. He knew I was serious and that this was the end of us. I hesitated only for a moment trying to compose myself. I wasn’t going to cry in front of him. I opened the door and walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind me. Brianna linked her arm in mine as we walked toward the elevators.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I will be,” I replied.

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.

Chapter 29

Corey walked out of the rink after practice. They were up in the series against San Jose 2-0 and game three was tomorrow night. They were in a good position to win the series and he was sure they were going to. Because he was sure, he was in a good mood. That meant he wanted to go straight to Amelia’s and see her.

“Corey! Turn this way!” someone yelled. He turned around with a smile, thinking it was a fan. He was wrong. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the photographers following him to his car, snapping away.

“How are things with Amelia?” another asked. Rage shot through him as he turned away from them and continued on to his car. She wasn’t there and they knew it. They were here for him.

“Do you two have any plans today?” a third called after him. That was it.

“Why can’t you people just leave me alone?!” he yelled as he spun around on them. He watched them all grin and continue to take pictures. He immediately recognized his mistake. Without another word he got into his car and drove away.

As he drove he couldn’t clear his mind of everything in the recent past. Those fucking paparazzi assholes were everywhere. At first it had just started when he was out with Amelia. But now they were around taking pictures of just him. He hadn’t signed up for that. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

He stopped someplace for lunch, hoping it would calm him down, but it didn’t. It only made him angrier. Was he ever going to be able to go anywhere with Amelia again without being stalked? He was sitting outside and he knew. They’d never be able to sit outside anywhere without having their picture taken.

He didn’t need this. It was the fucking playoffs and he had other things he had to worry about. This was not something he should have to put up with. And it was all Amelia’s fault. She’d done this. She was the reason this was happening.

He left money on the table without finishing lunch or waiting for the bill. He needed to go to Amelia’s and it had to be now. They had plenty to talk about. He got into his car and drove to her house, anger pulsating through him. The closer he got, the angrier he got. He pulled into her driveway and walked right into her house. She came around the corner from the kitchen and smiled when she saw him.

“We need to talk,” he said firmly. Her smile faded and she looked concerned.

“Corey, what’s wrong?” she asked.

“This isn’t working.”










I felt my stomach turn. What wasn’t working? What was Corey talking about? Everything had been going really well with us. There were no fights and it felt like normal. We felt like us. I was blindsided and I had no idea where he was coming from.

“What isn’t working?” I questioned, noticing a tremble in my voice.

“This. Us. Everything.” He started pacing and I could see him clenching and unclenching his jaw. He was pissed, but I didn’t know what I did.

“That’s a little vague. I have no idea where this is coming from.” I could feel tears starting to build as I began to panic. He continued to pace, but didn’t say anything. “Corey! Tell me what I did! What did I do?”

“It’s playoffs Amelia. It’s fucking playoffs!” he yelled, balling his hands into fists.

“I don’t understand! Please just tell me,” I begged, tears now streaming down my face.

“They’re always around. Those fucking scumbags are always taking pictures,” he replied. I suddenly understood.

“Corey, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything about that. What do you want me to do?” I asked.

“I just can’t do it, Meels. I can’t live my life like that. I thought I could. I tried, but I can’t. I’m in the middle of playoffs. I shouldn’t have to deal with them when I have other things to worry about,” he told me.

“I know. God, do I know. I don’t like them either. I wish they’d all just go away and leave everyone alone, but they don’t. It’s part of the deal.” He shook his head.

“I didn’t sign up for it,” he spat at me.

“Yes, you did,” I said quietly. I could feel myself starting to get angry too.

“What?”

“Yes, you did! What did you think, Corey? Did you think we’d start dating and they’d leave you alone? That’s not how it works!” I yelled at him.

“Then make it stop!” I just shook my head at him. What the hell was his problem?

“I can’t! There’s no way to make them stop!” I argued.

“Yes, you can. You can quit. You can quit acting and they’ll go away.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He couldn’t be serious. I tried to tell myself he wasn’t, but I took one look at him and knew. He meant every word that he said. It was why I’d left him the way I had years ago. I was afraid he wouldn’t like it and he’d ask me to give up my dream. Now he really was.

“I’m not quitting. It’s what I love to do. It’s my life!” I told him.

“Then you can live your life without me.” He turned and walked towards the door. “I thought you loved me.” With those last words he closed the door and walked out of my life.

I wanted to go after him. I wanted to chase him down and tell him that I did love him, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. There was no way I was going to give up acting just because he didn’t like having his picture taken. What I wanted mattered too.

Instead of chasing after him I collapsed onto my couch and cried. I kept thinking he’d cool down and come back. He’d at least call. When I woke up still on the couch without any word from Corey, I knew that he’d meant it. If I wasn’t going to quit acting he wasn’t going to be in my life.

I felt sick and the tears came again. I’d cried all of the previous night, but apparently I wasn’t done. I didn’t know what to do. All I knew was that I couldn’t stay there. Without thinking about it I picked up my phone and called my sister.

“Hey, Meels,” she greeted cheerfully.

“Can you get off work?” I asked.

“Yeah, why? What’s wrong?” she asked in concern.

“Corey left. I need to get out of here. How does Hawaii sound?”

When I hung up with Ticia I called Brianna. She came over immediately and I told her what happened. After going off on him for 15 minutes she made the necessary phone calls to book Ticia and I a place to stay and our flights. Before she left for the game that night she promised me that no matter what, she wouldn’t tell Corey where I was. Not that I thought he’d even care.

The next morning I walked into the airport and met Ticia as she got off her first flight. We didn’t talk much after boarding the plane. I wasn’t in the mood to talk and I knew that she could sense that. When we landed we took a car to the resort and she checked us in. When we were settled into the room I crawled into bed, pulling the comforter over my head, and fell asleep.

I awoke to the smell of food and made my way out into the main living area of the suite. Ticia was sitting on the couch munching on a carrot and watching TV. She smiled up at me as I sat down next to her and filled a plate with some of the food she’d gotten.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said to her between bites.

“I wasn’t going to ask,” she replied. I nodded and continued to eat. “Should we make plans for tomorrow or do you just want to hang out?”

“Let’s just hang out. I’m not up for activities right now.” She smiled sadly at me and nodded in understanding.

We ordered movies all night and had drinks sent up. I’d only intended on having one or two, but by the end of the third movie I realized that I was drunk. At that point I simply didn’t care and continued to drink. Ticia tried to warn me off of it, but I didn’t listen. As I leaned over the toilet an hour later I knew that I should have.

When she finally managed to get me into bed I began to internally yell at myself. How could I let Corey do that to me? I didn’t drink to the point of getting sick. Ever. The crying came then. Ticia simply held me as I cried and cried before finally falling asleep from exhaustion.

Chapter 28

Brianna and I stepped off the plane in San Jose. We found our driver and headed to the hotel that would be home for the next couple of days. The Ducks were playing the Sharks in the first round of playoffs, and I wasn’t going to miss it for anything. The boys were taking their pre-game naps when we got in, so we both decided to do the same.

“Here yet?” a text on my phone from Corey said a little while later.

“We are. Good luck tonight. I love you,” I responded.

“I left the tickets at the front desk. Love you too.”

I smiled and put my phone away. Brianna and I took showers and began to get ready for the game not long after. Room service brought up dinner in the process and we paused to eat. I took one last look at myself in the full length mirror before we left the hotel room.

“What are you worried about? It’s a hockey game,” Brianna commented from the door.

“I know, I know. I’m coming,” I said as I grabbed my purse and followed her out the door.

We picked up our tickets at the desk and took a car to the rink. Brianna had called ahead of time so we were allowed to go in a door in the back to avoid most of the fans. A few still noticed me, but I didn’t mind stopping to pose for a few pictures and sign a few autographs. We took a service elevator up to the level our seats were on and then made our way to them.

“Hey guys!” Colleen, Drew Miller’s wife called out. I smiled and waved as we made our way down the row and sat down next to her. The rest of the girls were there as well since San Jose wasn’t all that far from Anaheim. We all chatted for a bit until the game started.

The first period was definitely a bit tense. I’d forgotten how intense playoff hockey could be, and my only experience with it was in juniors. This was just a completely different level. The game was tight and looked like it could go either way as the first began to wind down.

“Excuse me, Miss Larson?” I heard a female voice say. I turned to see a woman who looked like she came straight from an office squatting on the stairs at the end of our row. I knew immediately she wasn’t a fan asking for an autograph.

“Yes?” I asked cautiously.

“Hi, my name is Jaymee Sire and I’m a reporter for the Sharks. I was wondering if it would be at all possible to do a short interview with you on the air during the second period,” she explained. I looked over at Brianna who just shrugged.

“What kind of interview?” I questioned.

“Well, we just wanted to ask a few general questions, like how you’re liking the experience of your first playoff game, and if you’re the nervous or carefree kind of girlfriend. Nothing too personal.” I thought about it for a minute and decided that no harm could come from it.

“Sure, not a problem,” I told her with a smile.

“Thank you! We’ll come down at about the 15 minute mark of the second to set up and I’ll give you a heads up on the questions. Then we’ll do the interview at the first TV timeout if that sounds okay.”

“Sounds good,” I told her. She smiled and left. Just as she said, they were back at the 15 minute mark and she told me how everything was going to work. When the timeout started, the interview began.

“Thanks guys. We’re here with Amelia Larson who is here watching boyfriend Corey Perry play in the opening game of the Sharks/Anaheim playoff series. Amelia, how are you enjoying the game so far?” she asked.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking. I haven’t been to a playoff game since Corey was in juniors so this is my first experience with the NHL playoffs. Honestly, it’s been great. The fans here are insane and it’s such a great atmosphere. It’s hard to not enjoy yourself,” I responded.

“How does it feel to watch the game? Do you get nervous at all?”

“I definitely get nervous. I’m a hand grabber, so I feel bad for anyone sitting next to me during a game. I’ve actually had people tell me I make them more nervous during games just because they see how anxious I am,” I told her with a laugh.

“Any predictions on the game or the series?” Jaymee asked.

“Oh, I don’t do predictions. I’m never right. If the series is anything like the way these first two periods have gone, it’d be tough for anyone to predict a winner. All I know is that each game looks like it’ll be intense and exciting.”

“Thanks, Amelia for your time. We’ll let you get back to watching the game. Back to you guys,” Jaymee finished. She turned towards me when the camera went off. “Thanks again for doing that. We really appreciate it.”

“It wasn’t a problem at all. Thanks, Jaymee.” She smiled and the crew made their way out of the section.

The second period ended just like the first had, with no goals. We all had been sipping on wine throughout the game and I couldn’t yet decide if that was adding to or taking away from the nerves we were feeling. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait long into the third to feel a little relief. Scott Niedermayer scored on the power play putting the Ducks up 1-0.

I shook my head a few minutes later when Corey took a dumb slashing penalty. We all held our breaths through the penalty kill, only releasing them when the Ducks successfully killed it off. Brianna jumped up with a yell when Ryan scored with less than three minutes left in the game. We all cheered the rest of the game when the Sharks took a penalty just after giving the Ducks the power play for the rest of the game.

After waiting for the crowd to clear out a bit we got together in a group and headed downstairs to the designated area to wait for the guys. We talked excitedly about the game, even though we all knew it was only game one of a best of seven series. It was a good start, and that was all we cared about. We shared hugs with the guys as they started to file out of the locker room. Ryan and Corey walked out together and Brianna and I jumped into their arms in unison.










“Hey, Babe,” Corey whispered into Amelia’s ear when she threw her arms around him after the game.

“Nice game,” she told him after a quick kiss.

“It would have been better without the penalty,” he said irritably. She just smiled up at him and nuzzled into his neck before pulling away.

“It would only matter if they scored because of it,” she said. He smiled down at her as he grabbed for her hand. The four of them walked to the bus where they had to separate for the time.

“I’ll see you at the hotel,” he told her.

“Sounds good.” She stretched up to give him another kiss before following Brianna away from the bus. They waited for the rest of the guys to get on board before heading back. He knew that Amelia had definitely beaten him there and planned on going to his room first to change and then heading to the room she and Brianna were sharing.

“Corey! Can I get a quick picture?” someone called to him as he walked into the hotel.

He turned, expecting to see a superfan in a Ducks jersey standing there. Instead he saw a guy with an expensive looking camera. He recognized what he was immediately. What the fuck did the paparazzi want with him? Amelia wasn’t anywhere in sight. He chose to ignore the guy and continue to make his way to the elevators.

“It’s team policy that you room only with teammates while on the road, right? Since Amelia’s here will you be trying to break the rule and stay with her?” another voice asked.

He spun around in annoyance to see another guy holding up a camera. He hadn’t noticed the small group of them when he’d first glanced over. Now he could see half a dozen pointing and clicking away in his direction. He was already angry at himself over the penalty in the third that he shouldn’t have taken, and dealing with this was only aggravating him more.

“Will she be around for game 2?” a third asked. He opened his mouth to tell the guys off when Getzy cut in.

“Perrs, the elevators here!” he called. Corey shot one more look at the men before turning to head upstairs.

“I fucking hate dealing with them!” he spat out once the doors closed.

“You can’t worry about it. Just ignore them,” Getzy told him.

“I’m not seeing what the problem is,” Bobby tossed out.

“Right, because invasion of privacy is so much fun,” Corey argued. Bobby just shrugged.

“Want me to kick their asses?” Parros asked. Corey smiled.

“Someday I might take you up on that,” Corey said.

They got off the elevator at their floor and Corey walked into the room, changing out of his suit immediately. He let Amelia know that he was on his way before he and Ryan headed to her room together. When they walked in they saw room service food.

“Dig in,” Brianna said with a mouthful of pizza. Corey grabbed a piece from Amelia.

“Hey! Eat the pizza with that cheese shit on it. This one’s special!” she protested. He just smiled and took a large bite of the piece he picked up. She rolled her eyes but let him go.

They finished eating and then settled in to hang out for a bit and watch TV. Corey didn’t tell Amelia about the incident downstairs. He figured they were only here to get shots of her and had just seen him walking through the doors before they left. It didn’t make him any less pissed off, but there was no reason to get into it with Amelia.

A little bit later he kissed Amelia goodnight as he and Ryan headed out. He was tired from the game and they had practice in the morning. As he got into bed he thought again about earlier. It wasn’t just annoying, it was rude. He wasn’t sure that he could continue to handle things like that during playoffs.