Chapter One - Forward
- August 2010 -
"Stop," Avery giggled and squirmed as Mike kissed down the length of her back. It felt weird to be lying here, in this bed with him. The sheets were crisp and smelled like they had been dried hanging on the line in the backyard, over looking the lake. He was so old school, that she was surprised that he even had a dryer. It was surreal really.
"I can't help it… I love the feel of your skin," He purred into her ear. He really was a sweet guy. She should have picked someone else – anyone else really. She thought it would be perfect – they knew each other from the Olympics, from World Juniors, from playing each other more then any other two teams in the league. She just wanted to pick someone who would make him mad. Someone who could get under his skin and make him realize what a colossal mistake he had made. But now, after the summer they had together, she was the one feeling like crap.
A pang of guilt crept up into her throat and she swallowed hard to get rid of it.
"I am so lucky I met you…" Mike kissed over her shoulder blades and swept her long, chocolate hair to the side. "You have made this summer bearable for me…"
"It's been fun…" Avery admitted, rolling over on her back, facing up at him. She reached for the sheet and pulled it up over her exposed breasts, not that it hid anything as her fully hardened nipples poked up against the sheet - it was a bit chilly.
"Come on… It's been more then fun… I am so in love with you it hurts…" Mike lowered his lips to meet hers with a slow lingering kiss. Avery closed her eyes and let herself get swept away. Being the center of someone's attention had certainly been a nice treat.
"Mmmm…" she let out a soft moan. He was a good kisser – different but good. Soft, gentle, never any urgency.
"Marry me?"
Avery opened her eyes and stared up in disbelief of what she had just heard. "What?"
"Marry me," Mike repeated. He reached over and dug into the drawer of his bedside table. She watched as he pulled out a small grey box and brought it over to her. He cracked the box open and Avery blinked as she focused in on the shiny diamond it contained. "I know it's not much but… the stores in Kenora, well it's not exactly New York, you know?"
"I… I … I don't know what to say…" Avery stuttered.
"Yes, is kinda what I was hoping for…" Mike smiled awkwardly. Avery could tell that he was nervous and getting more so by the minute, as she laid there speechless. This isn't how this was supposed to go. She was supposed to head back home at the end of the summer, confess where she had been and he would admit that he couldn't live without her and everything would be back the way it was supposed to be. Sure, Mike would be a little hurt but he was a Flyer – what did she care?
"I can't just say yes…" Avery pulled herself up from under Mike in a panic and adjusted the sheet around her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her breathing was coming in uncontrolled short bursts. "I mean… there are things you are supposed to do… like, like, like... I think you need to ask Mario, he's like a dad to me and that's important to me and then..."
"Okay, okay… I get it. I am sorry," Mike reached for her face with both of his hands, cradling it. "I didn't know. I assumed because your dad is gone that… never mind… I will ask Mario and then we'll try this again…"
Avery looked down at the bed and tried to choke back tears that had threatened to spill over.
"Hey… it's okay… its no problem… I mean this isn't exactly how I envisioned this moment but if its important too you then - ," Mike leaned in and rested his forehead on hers. "I love you."
Avery looked up and met his gaze. She couldn't do it. She couldn't say it back to him. She couldn't lie anymore – he didn't deserve it. Instead she did the only other thing she could think of. She laid back down and let him make love to her.
-.-
Avery sat at the large oak desk and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Mario sat in front of her, drumming his fingers on the top of the desk.
"And what if I don't?" Mario asked sharply.
Avery shrugged. This was the best that she could think of, the only way out without breaking Mike's heart entirely. If Mario said no when he was asked for permission then she would have the perfect excuse. The Lemieux's were the only family she had and she couldn't go against him. Mike would go back to Philly pissed but he could get over it. It would fuel the rivalry between the two teams – not that they needed it but it was better this way. It was better then admitting that she had only used him, that she never really loved him. He didn't deserve that.
"Please, just do this for me…" Avery pleaded. "I don't ask you for much…"
Mario laughed and shook his head. "Comparatively to the other girls, you certainly don't… You know one of these days, you are going to have to say yes to one of these boys…"
"Thanks for reminding me…" Avery quipped sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the thought of the ribbing she knew she was going to take for a very long time. She raised herself from her chair and headed to the door.
"He is miserable, you know… if that was your plan, it worked," Mario added, turning back to the documents he had been working on.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Avery tried to act innocent but she couldn't help but smile to herself. She slowly opened the door, heading into the hallway outside the office. She leaned up against the door and let her head fall back in relief.
"I didn't expect to see you here…" She heard from the end of the hall. She didn't need to look up. After all these years, she knew his voice…
"You either… I thought you moved out…" Avery responded, knowing full well that he was still getting his house in order. She had talked to Nathalie earlier, when she had arrived in Pittsburgh.
"Yeah well, it's taking longer then expected… "
"There's a surprise… everything in your life takes longer then expected," Avery laughed, shaking her head. She looked over to where he was standing. He had clearly stuck to his training regiment over the summer. His body looked sculpted and his shoulders broad and strong. 'Damn,' she thought to herself. No matter how mad she was at him, he was still irresistibly sexy. No wonder after all this time, she still came back for more.
They stood, staring at one another, in silence for what seemed like hours.
"I miss you…"
Avery broke her glaze and stared back down at the floor. "Sid… I can't keep doing this…"
"I never wanted it to be like this…"
"Yeah well, Mike asked me to marry him, so it won't be anymore…" She responded nonchalantly, then pushed herself off the wall and headed away from him. She knew those would be the magic words to set him off but she wasn't going to stick around and deal with it.
-.-
"Richards? Are you fucking kidding me?" Max dropped his fork. He looked up at Sid from across the table at their favourite restaurant in absolute shock. "How the hell did Mike Richards get involved in this?"
"When she left here at the end of summer to head home, apparently she ran into him at the Winnipeg Airport… he was pissed about losing the cup, she was pissed at me for being an idiot and well… they consoled each other… Nathalie spared me the details but that's the jest of it," Sid explained, pushing a meatball across his plate.
"But you guys are like Ken and Barbie… I can't believe this…"
"Yeah well…"
"So you're what? Just giving up? Just letting her go and marry him? You're not even going to fight for her?"
Sid shook his head. "No of course not… I just don't know what to do. I've been an idiot… but I am not going to… I can't lose her. It's always been her. Always! Since the day I got here."
