Can't Stop Now

Written by: BurntOrange

Disclaimers: Same as Chapter 1

Warning: Another language warning, no one has complained yet but the language will be tamer in following chapters.

Thanks for the reviews and thank you for continuing to read my story, I was scared that all of the drama would drive some people away.

Song: "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles (I adore this song and have had it on repeat for days—seriously, check it out)

"Oh my God," Natalie muttered as she pulled her now slightly-sweaty hair back into a ponytail. She was in shock about the action she had just committed, and if she wasn't screwed earlier she definitely was now. "Oh my God…what just happened?"

Robbie smirked, "I didn't think you had to be told Nat.

She snapped at him, "Don't try to be clever—it isn't funny. I am serious…this isn't good. What am I going to do?"

He saw her concerned face, "Oh…um…I didn't think that far actually."

"Well I can't say that I'm not surprised."

"Hey!" He pointed a finger at her, "Be nice. Okay…well…Baker seems to have this creepy sixth sense about any time you do something with me that is related to any kind of 'feelings.' So let's assume he knows. Fine, he won't say anything."

Natalie snorted, "Yeah, to anyone else. I get to deal with him…but what am I going to do about Rizzo? This is going to kill him."

"And you dating him even though you feel nothing for him won't?"

She sighed, "Yeah…I know. But now adding this and our previous actions…"

"I know, I know. Just…" He ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know…you know that he'll eventually find out about all of this right?"

"Yeah…oh no."

"What?"

Natalie looked at him, "How are we going to get out of here without people seeing us? I mean…look at me!"

Robbie smiled, "You're beautiful."

"Shut up. My clothes are disheveled and they weren't earlier, my hair is a mess and it wasn't earlier, and I am all sweaty…and I wasn't earlier. Plus, you're less than fully-dressed as is."

He chuckled, "Nat…"

"I'm serious Robbie."

"I know, but listen…" he paused, "You hear that? The zamboni? He doesn't clean up the ice until the locker room is empty. We're fine."

"You better be right…" Natalie opened the door and exited. She knew that she had to talk to Rizzo, but she wasn't sure if she had the strength to tell him everything. The drive over felt like eternity and Natalie had to countdown to five in order to will herself to knock on the door.

Rizzo opened the door, "Hey Natalie…come on in?" He backed up to give Natalie space to walk in and as she passed him he asked, "Did you have a meeting with Herb or something?"

She looked at him, "What?"

"Well you said that you would come over after practice, and practice was over an hour and a half ago."

Natalie bit her lip, "Oh, well…sort of. I did my usual daily check-in with Herb and we talked a little bit."

Rizzo sat on the edge of his bed, "Any other new players he plans on adding to the roster?" He glanced at the TV and then back at her, "Talking to Herb took that long?"

She shook her head and sat next to him, "No more new players. And Doc also needed me to help him with some of the guys."

"Everyone alright?"

"Yeah, everyone is taken care of…Robbie had a lot of knots in his back."

Rizzo looked from the TV to Natalie and then back to the TV, "Robbie? Really?"

Natalie nodded, "Yeah…"

He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but then closed it before opening it again and asking, "Did you tell Robbie about Tim Harrer before he showed up?"

"What?" She was slightly shocked, she thought that she made it explicitly clear to the entire team that she knew nothing about Herb's plans.

"You heard me…you two are always…I don't know. It just always feels like there is something between you two all the time, you are always talking to him and laughing…and…"

"Christ Rizzo, he's a good friend of mine. That's what friends do, talk and laugh and hang out and…"

"That's not my point. I know that you and Baker are like brother and sister…whatever, I understand that. And I know that you are close to Robbie as well, but you two don't act like you and Baker do, it's…different."

Natalie shook her head, "And what's your point?"

Rizzo sighed, "My point is that…maybe I am just a jealous ass, but I have this hunch…this feeling that you would tell Robbie something like this whole Tim thing in advance and not tell me."

She felt a pang of guilt for a second, he had a right to be jealous and although Rizzo might not know it, Natalie sure did. But that guilt was quickly replaced with anger, here she was—trying to be in a relationship with someone that she wasn't interested in so hopefully she could bolster confidence within him so he could stay on the team, and he thought that she wasn't on his side.

"What the hell?!? I swear Rizzo, I've sworn up and down on every damn deity in existence that I had no idea that Herb was going to bring Tim in until thirty minutes before that practice started. And even then I was still unsure what Herb was really going to do until Tim skated in. You make this sound like I am working against you. I'm on your side damnit, and I wouldn't be dating you if I didn't think it could help you again some goddamn confidence."

"Oh crap," Natalie thought, "You just blew it."

Rizzo's voice became scarily calm and level, "You what?"

"I…I…" Natalie tried to form sentences in her head but nothing that would be a plausible defense was forming. "Herb brought Tim to the team with a specific purpose in mind."

"Yeah, to improve the team and don't change the subject."

"No Rizzo—this is the subject. And you are wrong. The entire team had been very...lax recently and Herb wanted to light a fire under your asses."

"Yeah, well we're all trying to play better so we don't get cut."

"That's not the point!" Natalie paused, she was almost yelling. "Fine, maybe that's part of his reasoning…but it isn't all of it. Sure everyone is trying to step up their game so they don't get cut, but just think about it Rizzo. Think."

"Don't talk down to me."

"I apologize, that was not my intention. Herb brought Tim, yes to scare you into playing a better game, but for a few other reasons. He wants a confident team Rizzo, the guys that aren't facing the dangers of being cut are the ones who have enough confidence to know that they will still be around—the ones who know 'Yeah, Herb brought in a new player…but I made it through tryouts and months of training. I'm too good to leave.'"

Rizzo shrugged, "And your point?"

"Stand up for yourself Rizzo, don't accept that Tim could take your spot on the roster. You've earned this spot, you deserve this spot, and no one else can have your spot except you. He doesn't belong here, he hasn't paid his dues, and he sure as hell isn't part of the family that you guys have become. You know it and Herb knows it…he is just waiting for someone to stand up and tell him that they're not putting up with this crap."

He shook his head, "And how does this relate to you dating me…to help me?"

Natalie sighed and braced herself, "I read in a psych magazine that men have greater confidence when in the midst of a romantic relationship."

"What? So I am just some psych project to you?"

"No! I just…I knew that you liked me as more than a friend and so I thought that if I pre…" she corrected herself, "If I dated you that you would become more confident and this would be easier for you to deal with." She fidgeted with the sleeves of her sweater, "You are a great guy Rizzo and a great hockey player, I don't want to see you get cut because you deserve this. You have so much potential that I don't think you realize…and more than anything I want to see you realize that potential." Natalie took a deep breath, "So that's why I agreed to go out with you."

Rizzo nodded, "Thanks…" He looked at her, "So you don't like me in that kind of…way?"

She shook her head, "No…and I am sorry that I don't because like I said…you are a really great guy. And I really do mean that."

He huffed a silent chuckle for a moment, "Yeah…well…it was nice when it lasted." He had a few moments of silent thought before speaking again, "And I think as a 'nice guy' I should let you go. You deserve to be happy Natalie, and I guess that I can't do that."

Natalie slowly nodded, "Yeah…thanks."

"No…" Rizzo slightly smiled, "Thank you for trying to help and for the…illumination." He hugged her, "See you tomorrow."

She nodded, "Yeah…" Natalie walked down the hall and she paused in front of Robbie's door, tempted to knock and…well, she didn't know what. However, she lowered the hand that was ready to knock and walked down the hall.