Chapter 49: Anger

Okay, this is a VERY short update, but fairly intense. I decided to go on a different route, knowing that I wouldn't be able to get everything important in in 3 chapters. Once again, I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I got caught in between chapters again. So sorry for that..

Ty's POV

I reach for the buttons of his dress shirt, trying for probably the 3rd time to successfully get it buttoned to the top, but he definitely isn't making this easy for me as he continues to kiss my neck.

"I'm trying to button here," I say as sternly as possible, even though he is breaking right through my defenses like normal. I put my hands on both sides of his neck, pulling his head back so I can make another attempt at his shirt.

"I can see that," he chuckles, placing his hands on mine, stopping them from getting any further.

"Geno," I sigh while shaking my head at him. "Most everybody is probably gone already..."

"I know," he says while nipping at my bottom lip. "I can't believe you have to fly back tonight. You're going to miss all the All-Star festivities the next few days," he pouts.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I have to go to my evaluation so I can play this year. Tell you what, when you get back, we can do whatever you want. Absolutely your choice," I offer, hoping he won't stay mad at me long.

"Anything?" he asks while a mischievous grin comes across his face.

"Yes, anything," I laugh, going back to working on his shirt which he actually lets me button up completely this time.

"Okay. A proper date, you've never let me take you out for dinner. At least not by ourselves," he answers, catching me off guard.

"Deal," I smile while pulling him out of the room and into the hallway. We make our way into the main room, only to find it empty except for a few people. Geno makes his way over to some of the guys while I head over to where Jodi is waiting patiently.

"Everybody left soon," I say while sitting down next to her.

"Yeah, everybody had a good time though. And I can only imagine you did too," she jokes while hitting my arm. I look at her, wondering if she's talking about what I think she is. "Don't think I didn't see you two sneak off," she laughs, causing my cheeks to turn the deepest shade of red I'm sure.

"I'm not complaining," I answer with a smile while shrugging my shoulders before Geno makes his way back over toward us. He offers me his arm, holding it out like an old fashioned gentleman. I say bye to Jodi before sliding my arm through his, automatically feeling a jolt of electricity run up my arm as we walk down the hallway in silence.

2 Days later...

I get out of my cab, grabbing my bags and almost sprint into the house. I haven't seen him in a couple days, and well, phone calls have only seemed to make me miss him more. I know that my suffering won't last much longer since he is suppose to be getting home later tonight as well. I'm on my way up to our room to drop my bags off when I see the light flashing on the home phone charger, signaling there's a message. I put my stuff down momentarily on the floor before pressing the play button.

Hey Geno, it's Carrie. I had a great time with you the other night, and I'm definitely ready to see you again. You know my number, so give me a call.

I stand there in utter shock, not really knowing if this is happening so I listen to the message again, only to confirm that I had heard it right, and I am indeed not crazy. I drop the rest of the stuff in my hands before making my way over to the couch to sit down.

"Carrie...?" I ask to myself, almost needing to hear the name again before anger rushes over me.

Chapter 48: Offers

Okay, first of all I'm going to recommend you read this story. http://youcanthavethemboth.blogspot.com/ She just started writing it, but if you like what you see she has another story you should also check out. Sidney v. Jordan ---> I can only imagine it will be steamy.. *sighs* So today, I was starting Chapter 3 of Tangled Up In You, and I hate to admit it but I'm already having issues writing it. As it turns out, it probably won't be that different as this one since I appear to be as doomed as Shakespeare, but what can I say, tragedy is my thing.. :-) Sorry it won't be a change, but hey, I'm only one person.. I can only have so many ideas floating around in my head.. I don't know a whole lot on weddings, which is scary since I'm my sister's MOH.. :-S but I did my best. Oh yes, can't forget to mention the second round match up.. errr Capitals. My opinion..? Turn Goddard loose on Ovechkin. Okay, its not the best game plan, but hey, it would still be satisfying.. :-)

Ty's POV

I make my way into the room the rest of the girls are getting dressed in to find Jodi the only one in there, sitting in front of a vanity and just staring at her reflection.

"You sure about this?" I ask while placing my hands on her shoulder and starring into the mirror as well. "Jordan's pretty strong, but we could definitely out-smart him if you want a quick escape.." I joke, trying to make a smile cross her face because it is her wedding day after all..

"No, I think that's more your style," she chuckles while shaking her head. "With your commitment issues? Yeah, I can definitely see you as a runaway bride.."

"Like I said the other night, I'm working on that. Come on," I say while motioning for her to stand up. "Let's get you in your dress and up to that altar." She stands up, but she still has this uncertain look on her face as her hands wrap protectively around her stomach, her gaze following in the mirror.

"Jodi," I say, shaking her out of her trance, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," she sighs, but I can see the formation of tears in her eyes. "We thought I was pregnant, but it turns out I'm not," she says with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Do you want to be?"

"I was scared at first, but then yeah, the idea grew on me until I was actually looking forward to it," she concedes while quickly wiping away the first tear that falls from her eyes.

"It will happen in due time," I offer, not really knowing how to make this okay. "But first things first, let's get you married," I finish, in which she nods her head and smiles in response.

The music starts and all of us bridesmaids start our procession into the room. Looking at him as I walk down the aisle, all debonair and sexy in his tux as his gaze connects with mine, makes me wonder how I could ever question his love for me. Even after I'm in my position at the side of the altar, I can't take my eyes off him and a smile crosses my face when I realize he can't take his eyes off me either, making me realize I'm actually coming around to the idea of a summer wedding, of him slipping that ring on my finger for good and the idea of me being in Jodi's place. All of the Staal brothers are lined up next to Jordan, smiling down the aisle as we all wait for Jodi to emerge. Until now, I never knew why women wanted to settle down, find the right guy, but as I look down at him I know that up until now, I've never wanted anything more.

Geno's POV

I watch her walk down the isle, and I can't help but imagine how she will look when she's walking down a similar isle, only this time directed toward where I'll be waiting for her. While she waits for everyone else to reach their places, I let my eyes trail over the way the emerald green dress hugs all of her curves. I'll have to thank Jodi for that later.. Any other bride would have considered giving Ty a hideous dress, not wanting to compete with her beauty on their day, but I know that Jodi has her all glammed up for my benefit, and I don't know if I'll be able to thank her enough. In what seems like no time at all, the ceremony is over and everyone is shuffling across the street to where the reception is being held. I glance around the room, finally finding Ty up by the bar with the rest of the bridesmaids. I walk up to them, and they all smile and look at me with a 'I know something I shouldn't' gaze before they all scatter around the room, and I tell myself to ask Ty what that was all about later.

"You look happy to see me," she says while giving me a huge. "I didn't know if you would be or not."

"I'm always happy to see you," I reply while dropping my lips to hers, feeling quite proud of myself to see her cheeks turn a shade of pink when I pull away. "I thought you'd know that by now," I continue while kissing my way to the tender spot behind her ear that I know will have the same affect on her as her hand tugging on the pockets of my pants has on me.

"You're looking quite mischievous," she says in that sultry voice of hers, making me pull away and look her in the eyes.

"Technically, it is later..." I say while bringing one of her hands up to mine and placing a kiss on the inside of her wrist, loving how I can feel a shiver run through her body.

"What are you going to do? Whisk me off to some secluded and empty storage room?"

Ty's POV

"If I offered, would you say yes?" He hangs his head for a minute, and then his gaze slowly rises to meet mine, making it hard for me to breathe because of the amount of desire his eyes hold. I search his gaze for a moment, see the hope mixed with desire and it makes me want to say yes, in fact it makes me want to do more than that, and I find my feet moving me forward, it suddenly occurs to me that we are in a room full of people and this isn't exactly appropriate behavior, so I take a step back, successfully putting some distance between us as I feel the heat radiating off my cheeks again, and I know they have to be the deepest shade of red right about now.

"If I said yes, would you take me?" I ask, reaching up and toying with one of the buttons on his shirt. He nods, swallowing loudly, his body stiffening at my touch. "If you can make you're way through the crowd, I'm yours," I say in a soft tone, knowing he is the only one that can hear me. I see him glance around the room before he takes my hand in his and heads off, bobbing and weaving until we are in a hallway. He opens a door, looks around to make sure its vacant before pulling me inside.

"This will have to do," he murmurs before his lips automatically find mine as he presses me against the wall.

"You big romantic you..." I laugh, but it's short-lived as I feel his hands slide around my waist and then his body presses against mine and his lips open and our tongues meet and fireworks go off in my head.

"I didn't know if I was going to be able to wait until after the wedding. You look amazing.." he says, sliding my hand down the front of his pants, and groaning quietly in my ear as I curl my fingers around the base of him, slowly tighten my grip.

"You don't look to bad yourself," I whisper before he nips at my earlobe and trails his hand up my thigh to where I know he's waiting for lace to emerge, only to be shocked when he finds nothing.

"You're not wearing any?" he asks, pulling away from me enough to look me in the face.

"Are you kidding me? Underwear-lines in silk are atrocious," I laugh before scrunching my nose up and shaking my head slightly at even the thought of such a thing.

"God, I love you," he says while moving his hand up to my face.

I feel my heart thrust itself up into my throat as he runs the pad of his thumb along my cheekbone, the tenderness in his eyes making it hard for me to breathe, but then it's always been like that with him. "I love you too," I reply as I try to blink back tears as he begins to kiss me again.

Chapter 47: Lucky

We walk toward the eating area of the hotel to find a room full of hockey players. If my hand wasn't securely tucked in Geno's, leading me through the room I'd probably be more nervous than I am. He nods and greets people while I follow sheepishly behind until I see the back of a very familiar blond head.

"Jordy," I exclaim, happy to see a familiar face before pulling him into a quick hug. He finally pulls away, taking time to introduce me to each of his brothers.


"Ty, this is Eric, Marc, and Jared," he says while pointing to each of them.

"Nice to meet you," I smile while once again moving closer to Geno, leaning back against the broad expanse of his chest.


"I would introduce you to my wife, but she's not as low maintenance as this," he says with a laugh, waving his hand in my direction at my attire, "she wouldn't come down until she was properly ready," he finishes while shaking his head.

"Well, you mention food around this one," Geno says while placing his hands on my shoulders, "and she's up and ready to go in no time." I slap him on the thigh, looking up at him prepared to do more damage before Jodi gets my attention.

"Hey Ty, come here," she yells across the room. I look over at her, seeing her sitting at a table with Vero and 3 other girls I've never seen before.

"You got lucky," I joke before giving Geno a quick kiss and making my way over to them.

"Good Lord, what's in that water up in Thunder Bay.." I joke while pretending to fan myself as I approach the table full of girls.

"Oh, I know right?! It's truly a beautiful thing.." Jodi adds with a smile of her own while shaking her head. "Okay, of course you know Vero, and then this is Taryn, Catelynn and Ashley. They are bridesmaids too. Here, hurry up and eat," she says while pushing a plate of food in my direction, "and then go get dressed. Today is my day, and I have big plans for you," she finishes with a smile. I do as told, wondering what she could possibly have in store for me.

About 2 hours later, I sit at a nail salon getting a pedicure that Jodi insisted upon. The girls sit and gossip, but I just observe, that is until their attention is turned toward me.

"Okay Ty, I have a question," Ashley says while leaning down in her seat to see past Catelynn and Taryn who are in the seats between us.

"Okay, shoot," I offer, wondering what she could possibly have to say to me.

"How is he?" she asks with a sheepish smile. I sit there for a while, not really knowing where she is going with this.

"What do you mean?" I ask while shrugging my shoulders slightly.

"You know..." she breaks off before I see 4 other heads whip in my direction.

"All of you have thought about this haven't you..." I laugh while looking incredulously at them all before they offer up their excuses.

"Not really.." Catelynn affirms.
"Never," Taryn adds.
"Sometimes you have to wonder.." Ashley implies.
"Well I mean with how passionate he is on the ice you have to think about the possibilities of him being like that in other aspects of life too.." Jodi affirms, catching me off guard.

"Jodi!" I exclaim in mock surprise.

"What?" she says with a smile, her eyes still inquisitive.

"Okay fine, I'll tell you," I say, 5 sets of eyes becoming more eager as I sit forward in my chair. "He is sssoooo good," I say, a smile crossing my face as I consider the thought that that could possibly be an understatement.


"Oh my gosh, I knew it! Tell us more," Ashley prompts.


"To be quite honest I still can't even feel my toes, every single time I just can't get enough, I just want more. Passionate doesn't even begin to describe it.. He's so sweet too though," I add for good measures.


"Aww... that's cute. You're so lucky," Taryn says while turning her attention back to the magazine in her lap. I can only smile as I think she's exactly right... I know I'm extremely lucky.


After 4 hours with the girls, I make my way back to the hotel room. I slide my key in the door, opening it to find the room empty, but the faintest sound of running water coming from the bathroom. I drop my dress bag and shoes down on the bed before heading in that direction. I open the door and seconds later I hear the shower turn off.

Just as I'm done with the finishing touches on my appearance, I feel his arms snake around my sides, pulling his still soaking wet body close to mine.

"Geno, you're getting my hair wet," I say in a warning tone, knowing that even though I can't seem to make myself want to pull away from him, I need to leave to meet Jodi at the church. He pushes my freshly done hair up and off of my shoulder, his lips falling to my bare shoulder making a smile pull across my face.

"There, not an issue anymore," he counters, his kisses trailing up to behind my ears and I swear I can feel the blood through my body rushing faster from the close proximity of his body next to mine. I close my eyes, allowing my body to melt back into his as I know I'm fighting a losing battle unless I can gain some self control and quick.

"That's not what I meant," I moan, sighing before I turn around to face those cinnamon brown eyes that make it even harder to stand my ground right now. I feel his lips cover mine, and before my brain can fully comprehend what's going on, he's picking me up and wrapping his arms farther around me, bringing us even closer together while his lips move to my neck and his hands to the hem of my shirt and I feel almost completely powerless to stop him. Until my phone rings.

"That's probably Jodi," I mumble before pulling away from him just enough to see the slightly irritated look beaming from his eyes. "Later," I say while raking my hands down his defined mid-section. "I promise," I add before kissing him one more time and hopping down off the counter and going to grab my stuff off the bed.

"I'm holding you to that," he calls out, making a smile cross my face as I can only pray he does just that..

Chapter 46: The Truth

Aeryn - I have two Great Danes, Bruce (6 yrs) and Elliott (6 months), and believe me, I know all too well the occasional "bed dip", which in my case is basically enough weight and force to start an avalanche :-S. Haha


Alrighty, anyways.. here's the next update everyone. I'm sorry it's a short one, but I got caught in between chapters so it's kind of just like a buffer. Oh, and if you are interested in reading Tangled Up In You, the first chapter is up. You can find the link in the side bar. -----> In the new story, Ty and Geno will still be together, so I guess you could think of it as the same story, just from a different point of view. I plan on making it different though, just to change things up. For example, Ty and Geno's relationship is more serious and Kris an Kailyn will have more of a fun type relationship. Also, the characters will have the same personalities displayed in this one, just because I've already made them out to be that type of person.


mariabprice - I've never flat out had a request like that. lol For you, I would love nothing more than to write a Max story. But, there would be a downside. Each story would probably be updated less often, simply bcuz I would be keeping track of 3. If you're still interested, I'll sure see what I can do. :-) I'm still not even that sure how I'll be able to manage 2 stories though, so I will have to see how this all goes down first.

Ty's POV

I was 99% certain I was dreaming. My first indication of this was the fact that I appeared to be in some sort of resort, clearly not in Montreal of the All-Star game. Secondly, I could make out my dad's figure leaning against the railing outside on the patio. He had been gone for a little over 6 years, which was also good evidence pointing toward my dream theory. I glanced around the room looking for Geno, because if this was really a dream he would definitely be a part of it.


After looking unsuccessfully, I crawl out of bed and head outside toward my dad. I figured he could have heard me, but he just keeps looking out at the ocean, not noticing me in the least. I walk up to him, and tap him on the shoulder, loving the way I can actually feel he is real while a smile crosses my face. He turns around, but it's not at all who I thought it was. I shriek in horror when I see the devilish face of the janitor instead of the joyous face of my father.


I jolt awake, quickly sitting up and glancing around the room to make sure that I am indeed in the hotel I fell asleep in. After being satisfied with what I saw, I check to make sure Geno is next to me and am also relieved when I see that he is indeed there, looking up with a questioning gaze at me.


"Are you okay?" He asks, sitting up and glancing at the clock before turning his attention back to me.


"Ugh, yeah," I answer not half as assuredly as I was hoping to.


"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, really, I'm okay. Just a bad dream," I answer as calmly as possible.

Geno's POV

I move my arm out, her automatically curling up next to me like I knew she would. She's obviously trying to down play how upset she actually is, but I can feel how tense her body is. I don't know what it is, but ever since we went to the arena she's been clinging to me, almost like she's afraid of something. I've asked her numerous times, only to have her use the word 'fine' or 'okay' to describe it. I can feel my eyelids get heaving, finally giving into the pull of sleep.

The next morning, I wake up to my phone ringing. I grab it quickly, not wanting it to wake up Ty, but as I look over at her I see her looking back at me with tired eyes. I look at the caller ID and after seeing it's Jordan I pick up. I watch her shuffle into the bathroom, extremely worried about her. I talk briefly to Jordan, hanging up just in time to see her walking toward me again. She sits down on the bed, and I just watch her, looking for any sign of what's wrong with her.

"Who was that?" she asks while crawling back in bed.

"Jordan. The guys want to eat breakfast."

"Here at the hotel?"

"Yeah. When have you ever seen them pass up a free meal," I chuckle, still watching her every move.

"This is true," she laughs. "Well, come on let's go," she finished while starting to get up.

"Ty wait a minute," I say while grabbing her arm, making her stay put. "We need to talk."

"I'm not liking the sound of that..." she says, the smile that was once on her face disappearing.

"It's nothing bad. It's just that I need to know what's bothering you. Truthfully, I'm worried about you, but I can't help until I know." She averts her eyes from mine, but she's not putting any distance between us, so I can only assume it has nothing to do with me while I sit and wait. She pulls her hands from mine before placing her head in her hands and sighing.

"I honestly don't know what's wrong. I don't know if I'm just paranoid, or what. It's just that that janitor the other day really creeped me out, and I can't figure out why. I mean I feel like I know him, and I've thought and thought about it but I just keep coming up empty. I have no idea who he is, but yet I can't get him out of my mind," she answers, looking up at me again. I can finally see just how tired she is. I can also see that she definitely feels threatened by this stupid janitor.

"Is that what caused the nightmare?" She shakes her head yes, making me feel slightly angry. I feel like I need to protect her, but I don't know what from so I don't have any idea how to do that so I just pull her to me and hold her protectively against my chest, running my fingers through her hair. She sighs again before kissing me lightly and pulling me out of the bed.

"Come on, I'm sure the guys are waiting and personally, I can't wait to meet all those Staal brothers" she offers with a small smile before throwing on a pair of sweats, a tank top, and a zip up hoodie and reaching for her glasses and meeting me at the door.

Chapter 45: Grateful

Getting up early was habit. I pull my face back, away from where I had previously had it snuggled into his chest and just stare at him, at the way he almost has a content smile on his face and can't help but think how adorable he is, or better yet how lucky I am. I pull away a little more to look at the clock to see it was a little after 6 before I feel his grasp around my waist tighten. I laugh to myself before deciding I might as well enjoy the warmth of his body for a little while longer.


About 10 minutes later I hear Bo's collar jingling as she makes her way up the steps and into our bedroom. Not even seconds later, I feel the edge of the bed dip down and turn around to see her with her front paws on the bed, excited to see that I'm awake.

"Morning Bo," I greet while reaching out and scratching behind her ears, enough attention to get me a tail wag, but I can tell it's not exactly what she's wanting as she continues to look at me through eager eyes. "Okay, I'm coming," I continue before wriggling out of Geno's grasp, making Bo prance around the room. I put on warm clothes before grabbing her leash and clipping it on her, making my way down to the front door on quieted footsteps. I pull Bo through the door with me after putting my headphones in my ears and turning my iPod on shuffle before sprinting down the front steps to the sidewalk.

I jog my way around the housing edition with Bo at my side, loving how peaceful everything appears at this time of morning. We continue our run until I come across probably the best scenic view I've ever seen. I command Bo to a stop, before walking out across the dock situated on the lake. I walk out as far as I can before sitting down on the edge of it, allowing my legs to dangle off the edge of it and just watch as the sun rises.

Everything seems so surreal. Two years ago, I could have never imagined myself in this position. Granted, I had worked for everything I had extremely hard, but I never thought I would be this happy. I had anything I could ever have wished for, and even someone to share it with. I'm brought out of my daze when I think Geno is probably up by now, and wondering where I'm at. I stand up and once again head off in a jog back in the direction of the house.

Geno's POV

The alarm clock buzzing at 8 pulls me out of the comfortable, deep sleep I was in. I reach out toward the night stand and turn it off, rolling over and grabbing for Ty, only to find the bed empty beside me. I sigh before getting up by myself, once again. I get in the shower, and it's not until I'm almost done that I hear her in the bedroom. I wrap my towel around my waist and open the shower door, only to find her standing in the doorway, looking at me. It's obvious she has something on her mind, but I have no doubt that she's not going to just spill whatever is bothering her. No, definitely not. Things are never that simple when it comes to Ty..

"Should I just get use to waking up alone?" I ask with a slight smile as she makes her way into the bathroom before I pick her up and sit her down on the counter.

"Sorry. I had a lot on my mind I guess. Running always helps.." she answers before dropping her gaze down to where her hands are fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt. She's definitely thinking something over hard, so I decide to take a different approach than hounding her about whatever is apparently on her mind.

"What are you thinking about?"


"Do you think a summer wedding is maybe rushing things a little?" she blurts out, looking up at me with an obvious amount of concern.

"No," I laugh before kissing her forehead. "We could get married tomorrow and it wouldn't be soon enough for me. Unless you're having second thoughts...?" I leave the question hanging, praying it's not what's bothering her.

"No, no second thoughts," she reassures me with a smile.

"Okay, then why are you worried?"

"Well, it's just I don't think we have thought about a lot of things," I cock my head to the side, prompting her to continue. "Well things like a date, a location, a pre-nup. Things like that."

Ty's POV

I'm hoping he overlooked the last option I offered, but as I see his full soft lips thin out in an angry line, I know he definitely caught it.

"Pre-nup? When did that even come into the picture? I'm not asking you to sign a pre-nup," he sighs, shaking his head slightly as if trying to dismiss even the thought of such a thing.

"But you should," I continue, only to receive a glare from him. "For all you know, I could be a gold-digging whore. So really, your best interest are my sole intention right now," I add with a smile, trying anything to lighten the mood or at least lessen the intensity in his eyes.

"Well if you are, then you are a damn good actor. You should look farther into a career in that, it could get you far," he jokes while starting to place a line of kisses from my jaw to my ear. "As scared as I am at the idea that you could be a gold-digging whore, I'm think I'm going to take my chances this time."

I know I'm asking a lot of him. I know it's against his way of thinking, but I also know that it will save both of a lot of grief. He looks up at me, so I continue talking in an attempt to get him to agree with me. "What do you think people will think when they find out about this?" I ask while pointing to my ring for emphasis. "They will automatically think I'm after your money. Even though we both agreed to keep it a quiet ceremony, people will find out, and they will automatically assume that that is what I am, so if you could just do this one tiny thing for me, I would be eternally grateful."

"Eternally grateful, huh?" he asks with a smile.

"Irrevocably," I whisper against his lips while draping my arms over his shoulder, clasping them together behind his neck. He sighs, making me actually think I'm winning this argument. I can still see the defiant look in his eyes though, so for good measures, I move my lips to his neck and my hands to his abdomen, tracing the outlines of his abs with a soft touch. "For me?" I continue, pulling his body closer to mine. He pulls away from me, but I see a smile on his face.


"Stop trying to seduce me so you can get your way, you little vixen," he laughs.

"Is it working?" I continue, grabbing for the knot in his towel that is situated low on his hips, hearing his breath become shallow which makes the smile on my face grow. He stills, closing his eyes and holding his breath in what I know is an attempt to put mind over matter. I let my fingers travel up his chest, sliding them up over the ridges of his heavily muscled abdomen until I can feel his heart beat beginning to change from that rapid rabbit like heart beat to the heavy thud of desire building in his veins.

"Unfortunately," he finally answers, reaching for my pony tail and sliding it out of my hair. "You know I'd do anything for you, so yes, I'll get a damn pre-nup, even though I don't want to." I kiss him on cheek before hopping down off the counter, only to be grabbed securely in his strong grasp again. "The things I do for you.." he sighs while helping me remove my clothing before pushing me in the direction of the shower, him following closely behind.

After taking a longer shower than was necessary, I successfully shove him out of the bathroom so I can finish getting ready. I get dressed in a hurry before grabbing my suitcase and heading downstairs to find him lounging on the couch.

"I just remembered I forgot my A&P book at the arena when I was studying the other day. Exams are right after All-Star break, can we swing by there on our way to the airport?"

"Yeah," he answers, not taking his gaze off of the TV. I walk around the couch and sit on his lap, obstructing his view.

"Now please?"

"You are just full of demands today now aren't you," he jokes, poking at my ribs which automatically makes me squirm. "Alright, lets go."

After the short ride to the arena, we get out of the car and head toward the entrance. I make my way toward my desk, only to find it empty and bookless. "I could have sworn I left it here.." I mumble to myself, shuffling papers around in hope that it will magically appear. I sigh, before hearing the hum of a vacuum cleaner coming from the locker room. I walk in there to find a janitor busy at work, his back toward me.

"Excuse me sir?" I ask, getting his attention. He turns around, and I stop dead in my tracks. He might be a janitor around here, and even though it is likely I've seen him around the arena before, I can't shake the feeling that I know him. It's then that I realize he's waiting for me to continue. "Ugh.. did you happen to find a text book around here anywhere?"

"As a matter of fact I did," he answers with a smile. That smile alone sends chills down my spine. "I'll go get it."

After I know he's out of hearing distance, I call for Geno and am quite relieved and grateful when he walks around the corner because for some strange reason I don't feel comfortable around that creep..

He gives me a questioning look, but it's to late to answer it because I can see him making his way back into the room, text book in hand.

"Miss Ty Robinson I presume?" he concludes while offering the book to me.

"Hm, Yes," I answer nervously. 'Why would he look at the name on the cover..?' I think to myself. "Thanks," I offer before grabbing Geno's hand in mine and tugging him toward the door. When we get outside the arena he finally speaks up.

"Are you alright?" he asks. "You seem a little jumpy."

"Yeah," I hesitate, not really knowing if I'm actually alright or not. "Fine," I finish while glancing back at the arena before getting in the car in a hurry to get out of here and to the airport as fast as possible.

Chapter 44: Never Easy

I turn my head to the side to be able to hear better, to find out if that is indeed somebody knocking on the door. When I do, I finally hear a light rapping on the door, and I can't help but think that whoever it is they have terrible timing as Geno untangles himself from me and gets out of bed, grabbing some sweats and throwing them on before making his way downstairs. I sit up, deciding it would probably be wise for me to get some clothes on as well. As I'm pulling on my shirt, I can hear my name being called downstairs.

"Ty, it's Jodi," Geno yells up to me. I open our bedroom door and head down the stairs to see Geno standing at the door, rubbing the back of his neck before closing it. I can see Jodi standing there, her back facing me, soaked from the rain.

"Jodi, what's wrong?" I ask while grabbing her by her shoulder and turning her around to face me, only to see that she's been crying.

"I know it's getting late and I know that tonight is your first night in the new house, but I didn't know where else to go," she babbles nervously, throwing her hands up in the air, making it perfectly clear for me to see that she doesn't have her engagement ring on. I think Geno sees it too because I can see the light bulb flicker behind his eyes before he moves into the living room, allowing me to bring Jodi to her senses.

"Jodi, where is your ring?" I ask, hoping I don't get the answer that keeps running itself through my mind.

"We had a fight," she says while sighing, fresh tears starting to pour from her face.

"And you gave him the ring back?" I ask, prompting her to continue. She nods her head, so I try to be the voice of reason. "Jodi, you are getting married in 2 days. I know for a fact that you two both love each other, so don't you think this is a little extreme?"

"I didn't know what to do, he was so angry..."

"About what?" I ask, trying to do my best impersonation of Dr. Phil.

"The photo shoot. I know he probably didn't mean everything he said, but I couldn't take it anymore," she sobs before a shiver runs through her body from being completely drenched from the heavy rain coming down outside.

"Well come on, the least you can do for now is take a hot bath and get some dry clothes," I say while grabbing her by her shoulders once again and moving her in the direction of the stairs. As we are almost there, Geno's phone starts ringing. Jodi whips her head around, obviously worried its Jordan.

"Please don't tell him I'm here.." she pleads, waiting at the edge of the stairs for a response. Geno nods his head before picking up, which satisfies her enough because she allows me to once again push her in the direction of the spare bedroom.

I open the spare bedroom door with Jodi's wet clothes in tow before hearing the water come on in the shower, which makes me a little less uneasy. I pull the door shut behind me, only to find Geno standing at the top of the stairs, disbelief written all over his face.

"Well that was Jordan," he sighs while once again rubbing the back of his neck like he always does when he's upset about something.

"And...?" I ask before heading into our bedroom and grabbing some dry clothes for her, taking them back into the spare bedroom and laying them on the bed only to come back out and find him in the same place.

"He said they got into an argument about the photo shoot, but it wasn't anything out of control and then the next thing he knows she’s taking her ring off, placing it on the table and walking out the door. He didn't know who else to call because she's not picking up her phone, but he figured this would be the first place she would go," he concludes with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Did you tell him she was here?" I ask while heading down the stairs.

"No, but I think he has a pretty good idea," he answers while following me into the kitchen, sitting down on one of the bar stools while I head to the cabinets. I figure some hot chocolate could possibly make the situation better.

"So what you are telling me, is that in about oh say, 30 minutes or so, he will probably be showing up at our door, and what goes down after that will probably be something Jerry Springer like?" I ask out of all seriousness because tonight didn't quite turn out like the quiet night at home I had been hoping for.

"Something like that," he laughs. "I was going for something less creative to describe it, but nope, that definitely works," he says while pulling me solidly against his chest. I sigh, thinking how much drama has already taken course during my day, and it's only 9 o'clock before my stomach quickly followed suit, growling from a lack of food. At right about the same time, Jodi started walking down the stairs. "I'll order Chinese," he laughed before kissing me on the forehead and heading back into the living room. She comes into the kitchen and sits on a bar stool, taking the cup of hot chocolate I offer her.

"Feeling better and refreshed?" I ask with an optimistic smile.

"Refreshed, but I wouldn't describe my mood as better. Everything is so simple for you and Geno.." she says while taking her first sip of hot chocolate. I am literally taken back at her last comment. As if anything in my life has ever came easily..

"We are anything but simple," I sigh, thinking about just how difficult our relationship is sometimes.

"Oh please, you guys are inseparable. He always treats you with respect and in return you almost always look at him in adoration. You guys are perfect for each other."

"It's never easy Jodi," I argue, but she clearly isn't getting the point. "We are both equally stubborn, almost to a fault. My life always seems to put me through the most audacious kind of events, and it has definitely had its effects on me. I run when I should stay, I don't trust easily, hardly at all, and when something is wrong I distance myself instead of accepting help when its offered. I’m too quick to judge and scrutinize people to easily. I’m impetuous and demanding, but for that man in there," I continue while pointing to Geno, "I would try to overcome or get through anything." I watch as she sips on her hot chocolate, considering everything I just said.
"And I know that's the way you feel for Jordan. You had a fight, it happens," I add when it finally looks like she's paying complete attention to me. "Just talk to him."

"I'm to mad right now to talk anything over." As if on cue, the doorbell rings.

"It's probably just the food," Geno says while getting up and heading toward the door. He opens it, but its definitely not Chinese.

"Where is she?" Jordan asks while scanning the room until his eyes meet hers. Jodi jumps down off the bar stool and heads back up toward the spare bedroom, Jordan hot on her trails. She slams the door in his face, and I can't help but laugh before he opens it and slams it just as hard.

Geno's POV

I sit in our over stuffed chair, Ty laying across my lap with her head cradled in my arms, her legs and feet thrown over the opposite side of the chair as we watch TV.

"Hear that..?" she asks while pointing to the floor above us, a smile crossing her face. I shake my head, prompting her to continue. "Silence. No yelling. Maybe they are in the process of forgiving each other."

"Well it's only because of your help. Your whole Dr. Phil moment really paid off. But just to set the record straight, you are completely more stubborn that I am," I smirk.

"You heard that?" she says before giving me a good shove to the shoulder, scrunching her nose like she always does when she's been caught. I nod before we once again fall into silence, watching TV. After about another 20 minutes, I know she is about to fall asleep, but I have one question that has been running through my head.

"Are you gonna do that to me?" I ask, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Do what?" she mumbles, almost completely asleep.

"Find a bizarre reason to push me away only a couple of days before the wedding?"

"No. You heard me earlier, I'm working on that," she replies while her eyes blink open a little, a smile crossing her face.

“That you are,” I laugh, praying that tonight’s events don’t reoccur before our wedding as well. I know Ty is showing me a brave front, but I also know that she is indeed nervous. “You should work on that demanding part a little more though,” I add, only to have her eyes whip open to give me a death glare before they once again close, her drifting off to sleep minutes later.

I pick her up, her legs wrapped around my torso with her head laid on my shoulder in pure exhaustion before making my way up to our bedroom. As I reach the top of the stairs, Jordan and Jodi are headed in my direction, hand in hand, and I have no doubt that for tonight, things are settled.

Chapter 43: Away From Home

Alrighty, sorry for the wait. I had the awesome opportunity to write a 15 page term paper over the past week, and let me tell you it was just grand. :-S Also, I was really undecided about how I wanted this next chapter to go. I actually wrote it, rewrote it, and ended up changing more even yet because I couldn't get it exactly how I wanted it. And as far as the reference to the message boards, some of you ladies are really nice, you know who you are so it's nothing against you. But others, I must admit, I get a good laugh out of. Ooo I also gave blood today. Normally it doesn't affect me, but for some strange reason I passed out this time, hitting my head during my tumble to the ground. I'm fine, other than my pride was hurt a little.. haha oh and the fact that I have a lovely bruise on my forehead for Easter Sunday. :-S Why am I telling you all this..? I'm really not sure.. lol But anyways this chapters a long one.. leave lots of comments to tell me what ya think. :-)

Geno's POV

I started grabbing my clothing from my closet and folding it before putting it in the boxes scattered throughout my bedroom. The house was complete mass chaos with everybody getting their stuff together to move out since the lease was up. The past few weeks have been chaotic to say the least. Ty has been working extremely hard with her coach to get back in shape while her classes have also picked up, weirdly giving her about twice the amount of homework she use to have on top of coming to all the home games even though she hasn't been able to travel with the team anymore. To be completely honest, we haven't exactly been able to spend that much time together here recently, which is a very foreign feeling to both of since we were practically inseparable before, but we are managing.

Thinking about her makes me wonder what she is up to, so I head downstairs where I'm sure I will find her buried in a text book or typing away furiously on her laptop. As I head down the stairs, I see her sitting at the bar on her laptop. When I finally get behind her, I laugh to myself at what she is looking at, since it has nothing to do with her schooling.

"Message boards?" I laugh while sitting down on the bar stool next to her.

"Yes, some of these people aren't my biggest fan," she says while pointing to the post she was looking at before. It's then that I realize that this message board isn't just about me, but specifically about who my current girlfriend is. "They all hate me," she concludes while raising her hands above her head, clearly agitated.

I read over one more post before answering. "No, not this person," I answer while pointing to the post, "they specifically say they strongly dislike you, not hate," I finish before she turns and gives me an icy glare.

"It's not funny," she insists while turning her attention back to the computer screen.

"Oh come on, nothing they say matters anyways," I continue, but when she scoffs I know that it will probably just be easier to leave it at that and not say anymore about the issue. "You all packed?" I ask while moving onto a lighter subject.

"Yep, waiting on you," she answers before shutting her laptop and jumping off the bar stool.

"Well lets go then," I reply with a smile before picking up the boxes I just carried downstairs and heading out to our vehicles.

Ty's POV

I follow him to the arena, looking forward to their day of practice so I can workout as well. It's been a long time since I've been able to do this much physical stuff, so long that I almost forgot how much I enjoyed it, how calming it was to lose myself in a long run or something like that. After we get into the locker room he heads to his stall while I make my way toward the weight room.

I make my way over to a treadmill and remove my sweats, jacket, and t-shirt, knowing I would work up enough of a sweat soon enough that I would have to take it off anyways, leaving me in a pair of athletic shorts and my sports bra.

I must have lost track of time, because the next thing I know the guys are filing into the weight room, obviously through with practice and needing to finish their normal workout routines. I grab for my iPod before turning it off and taking the earphones out of my ears before grabbing a towel and heading over to where my stuff is sitting. I drop my stuff by my clothes and wipe the sweat off my face with the towel I just got, sighing deeply in pure exhaustion.

"Water?" Kris asks quickly while walking in my direction. I pull the towel away from my face just in time to catch the water bottle being thrown my way.


"Thanks," I laugh while shaking my head and taking a very needed long swig of water.


"Hey Ty, want a turn?" Max shouts across the weight room while pointing to bench press.

"Nah, I'm good," I reply while reaching for my shirt, not really liking being this exposed in front of so many guys.

"Oh come on, I wanna see what your max is..." he whines.


I sigh, knowing I would end up giving in anyways before making my way over to the benches.

Geno's POV

After practice we change out of our skates and pads into shorts and t-shirts. I sit in my stall before finally following the last of the guys into the weight room. When I finally round the corner, I see Ty taking a seat at the bench press.


"What are you doing?" I ask while a smile crosses my face.

"Bench presses," she replies sarcastically.


"I can see that," I answer while waving my hand in her direction. "Why?"


"I don't know, seemed like fun. Spot me?" she asks while leaning back and grabbing the bar in her arms. I assume my position behind the bar and watch along side Max and the few other guys hanging around, curious as to see just how much weight she can handle.


I watch her in complete awe, loving the way her abs expand and contract with every rep she does. She was defined yes, but not ripped, which I could only be happy about. I love the way she's got a softness to her. She's not so thin that bone is the only thing I can feel when my hands trail down her abdomen, but yet years of enjoying a healthy meal has left her with a roundness that drives me crazy. I'm brought out of my daze when Jodi enters the weight room, a man following her with a camera in tow with what looks like his assistant following behind him. Ty stops, leaning up and grabbing for a towel before wiping her shoulders and arms off.


Jodi walks over to Jordan, him automatically putting his arm around her before she gives him a subtle peck on the cheek. I wonder if that's the way me and Ty look...


"You guys need to go ahead and head toward the showers to get ready for your photo shoot," she orders while looking around at us. "The models are late, so you have some time.


"Okay, we'll---" Jordan starts, only to be interrupted by the man standing behind Jodi.

"Who is that?" he asks while pointing to Ty, an adorable look of bewilderment automatically crossing her face.

"That is Ty Robinson," Jodi answers with confusion. "She's on our athletic staff," she finishes, obviously not knowing why he's asking.


"You two," the man says while pointing to Ty and Jodi, "come with me."

Ty's POV

"Why?" I ask, not moving an inch. The weird guy with the camera sighs, as if the answer to my question should be obvious.

"I'm not waiting on a couple of diva models to take their time about getting her, you two will do perfectly. Gina, take her to hair and make-up," he orders while pointing to Jodi before turning his gaze toward me. "And take this one to the shower and hose her off," he finishes with a tone with a hint of disgust.

"Excuse me," I start while getting up off the bench, clearly aggravated with whoever the hell he thinks he is, only to have Geno step in front of me, pleading with his eyes to just go along with this, distracting me long enough until all I see is the back of the guys head as he moves in the direction of the door.

"Come with me miss," Gina starts while reaching for my hand, only to have me pull it away from her.

"What kind of photo shoot is this?" I ask, avoiding the glare I know I'm getting from Geno.

She sighs before speaking, probably hoping she can convince me to go along with this so she won't get yelled at. "It's a penthouse spread..." she breaks off, obviously thinking that's enough information.

"Penthouse?!" Geno and Jordan ask at the same time before looking over at each other, obviously not liking the idea of me and Jodi being a part of it now.

"Yes. Come on miss, we really need to get moving," she begs, once again trying to corral me toward the door.

"Come on Ty, we all want to be done with this just like you do. Take one for the team," Colby adds with a smirk as Gina tugs me out of the weight room.

Geno's POV

The 5 of us in the photo shoot all stand out on the ice, waiting for Jodi and Ty to be ready, but so far I haven't even seen Ty head toward the little make shift dressing room the photography staff has set up on the far side of the rink by hanging some kind of sheets up. The longer it takes for Ty to emerge, the more time I have to think about this and the more I decide I'm really not liking the idea of this.

"I don't know about this," I sigh while looking over to Jordan who hasn't stopped skating slow circles around the ice since he's gotten out here.

"Yeah I know," he mumbles, continuing to try and distract himself.

"Come on, it's not going to be that bad. They are out here for two minutes, click click of the camera and we're done," Marc says, trying to soothe the both of us.

"Easy for you to say, it's not your fiance that's going to be looked at like a piece of meat," I mutter as I see Ty finally making her way to the entrance to the ice in a robe. I skate over to her, knowing she is still leery about being on ice and help her onto it, making sure she doesn't fall. She has her hair curled and the typical amount of make-up models wear on, but I can't help that think it just takes away from her natural beauty, so doesn't need all that shit on her face to make it look appeasing.

"You sure you want to do this?" I ask one more time, almost praying she says no before leading her in the direction of the dressing room.

"It's not like I have much of a choice," she sighs while trying to give me what appears to be a reassuring glance before disappearing behind the curtain.

I skate back over to the rest of the guys who are starring hard at something. I turn around, and finally figure it out. With the light shinning against the curtain, you can see Ty's silhouette perfectly, making it a clear sight for all the guys to water her shimmy out of her robe. I let my eyes trace over the perfect curves of her body before the cat calls and wolf whistles are up from the guys who have taken their places at the other end of the rink, clearly wanting to get a good laugh out of this whole photo shoot.

"Damn..." Colby barely has time to mutter before I turn around and give him a hard shove to the shoulders, making him temporarily lose his balance and that shit-eating grin of his to come onto his face before the rest of the guys just laugh and I hear a long string of just kidding's come from the group of guys. My attention is brought back to Ty as I hear her voice, clearly upset about something.

"There is no way in hell I'm wearing this," she says while pulling back the curtain after having put her robe back on with her hands help up, shoving what she is suppose to be wearing into the photographers face.

"Please darling, put it on. We are already running behind," he says in this thick french accent and dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

"You aren't exactly in the position to be making demands," she argues, still pushing the outfit toward him. "I'm already helping you out, the least you are going to do is negotiate with me," she finishes. I can see the defiant look on her face and feel sorry for the poor guy because I know exactly how it feels to have those angry eyes fixated on me.

"Exactly," Jodi helps while stepping out of the curtain as well, holding her outfit just like Ty. "This isn't going to cover anything."

"That's the point ladies," the photographer sighs. "It's penthouse." They argue a little big longer before the photographer gives in, disappearing with the girls behind the curtain to fix the clothing issue I'm sure. After about 15 minutes, Ty and Jodi push back the curtain, still missing a large amount of clothing in my opinion. The chatter that had once filled the arena is now gone as they make their way over to us, Ty automatically heading in my direction.

"This is so embarrassing," she mumbles while pressing her forehead to my shoulder.

"It will only be a couple of pictures," I say, trying to reassure her as much as I'm trying to reassure myself.

Ty's POV

"Okay, darling on the left, turn around so you are facing the camera." I turn around, but only to argue with the photographer.

"No way, you can take your pictures with me facing the back. There is no way my face is going to be associated with any of these pictures." He's about to argue back with me, but I give him the most serious glare I can, and he quickly changes his mind.

"Okay then... put one arm up on number 58. Push your tush out a little bit more to the left," he orders. I sigh, slightly shaking my head which causes Kris to laugh.

"This is so degrading," I mumble, being glad this is the last shot I'm in, which causes the smile on his mouth the broaden once again.

After quickly changing back into my clothes, I leave the arena and head home. Tonight is our first night in the new house, and I'm not really sure what to think about it. I pull into the garage, shutting my car off before making my way inside.

I drop my keys on the counter, looking around the house once more and taking it all in. After much convincing, I finally got Geno to help me decorate the place, even though he kept saying over and over again that it was up to me. I drop the rest of my stuff on the couch before heading upstairs and to the bathroom.

After a stressful day like I just had, I start running bath water, thinking that a good hot bath in my new huge bathtub could be exactly what I need right now. I slip out of my clothes and into the hot water, relishing how relaxed I automatically feel.

The door closing downstairs pulls me out of the slight sleep I must have dozed off into, and I automatically think that I haven't made anything for supper yet. I pull myself out of the warmth of the water and shrug on some clothes before I make my way downstairs, where I find him sitting on the couch with the remote in his hand resting his head against the back of the couch.

"There you are," he says while I walk down the stairs, a smile crossing his face.

I smile back at him before making my way into the kitchen and digging in the refrigerator, trying to think of something to make. After a few seconds of unsuccessful thinking, I feel his arm wrap around my stomach while his other hand grabs for the refrigerator door and closing it, his lips pressing against my shoulder.

"You don't have to cook, we can order out or something," he says while pulling me back against him. "I'm mad at you," he mumbles. I feel him pull at the seam of my t-shirt to reveal my shoulder before he kisses his way down it, making me realize he can't be that mad at me. I turn around to look at him before allowing him to press me back against the counter.

"And what exactly am I being accused of?" I ask, a small smirk crossing my face as I wait for an answer.

"You've been gone all the time!"

"You've been preoccupied!"

"You've been studying!"

"You've been at practice!"

"You've been working out with your coach!"

"You've been at photo shoots, press conferences and on roadtrips... Whoo!" I reply while raising my arms up in triumph as he's clearly ran out of arguments for his case. "I'm so the winner of this arguement."

"Well, since you seem to think you've won," he smirks.

"Shit. How did I not see that one?" I laugh, the same smile once again crossing my face.

"You know I'm not really sure," he jokes while shaking his head. I hit him back in retaliation, only to have him grab my hand before he presses his lips against mine.

It had been such a long time since he'd kissed me like this since our schedules couldn't seem to even out that I almost forgot how much I enjoyed it. Almost. I could feel it clear to my toes, just like the first time, but also between my legs like normal, the short of heat I couldn't wait for him to extinguish.

I ran my fingers through his hair, my heart beat pound so hard against my ribs that he stops, only for a second, and I can see the smile spread on his face as he realizes what exactly he's doing to me. I feel his strong hands grip my ass, holding his muscular body close to mine, making a smile cross my face as well as I can feel exactly what I'm doing to him as well before he picks me up and heads upstairs toward our bedroom.

When he gets to the door, he boots it in, catching me by surprise.

"You better not have broken that door," I laugh, but he quickly silences me again when his lips press against mine again. This kiss was less heated, but still curled my toes nonetheless as he wrapped my hair around his fingers, pulling my head back to expose my neck. I closed my eyes in utter ecstasy as his tongue slid over my skin. I couldn't take it anymore, he was driving me crazy, so I pushed him back toward the bed and into a reclining position, straddling his lap before reaching for the bottom of his shirt and pulling it over his head. I kissed my way down his neck before my hands trailed down to the button of his jeans.

Geno's POV

She's driving me crazy as she leaves a trail of kisses from my neck to my chest, and just about when I don't think I'm going to be able to handle it anymore, she pulls away and reaches for the hem of her shirt. It occurs to me that I could help, but then I can't remember the last time I just sat back and enjoyed the show, so I do just that as she bares each inch of skin to my greedy eyes. I licked my lips, which made her smile as she tossed her shirt to the ground. Needing to be in control, I nudge her backwards, helping her shimmy her way out of her pants before pressing her into the matress, parting her thighs.

"Good lord, I miss you when your not home," she moans while pushing up against me. God it made me even harder to hear her say stuff like that, to know that I'm not the only one that was suffering while being away from her.

"Me too. You have no idea," I reply while entering her, desperate to feel her body pressed next to mine.

Every muscle in my body strained to continue. After two weeks of separation from her, it would be so easy to just slam into her and take my pleasure and be done. My body ached to continue, but I couldn’t. The need to satisfy her outweighed the idea of my own satisfaction like it always did, so instead I moved slowly and lowered myself until I could hold her in my arms, be able to kiss her as we moved.

I adjusted my angle, taking longer and slower strokes to be rewarded with her throwing her head back against the pillows, wrapping her legs tighter around my waist as she arched her back, pushing up against me and making it very hard for me to hold back. As I pulled her hips off the bed to deepen my strokes, I could hear her whimper, a sound that drove me absolutely crazy.

I try to hold back and enjoy every minute of being with her, of the feeling of her soft body pressed close to mine and her arms wrapped around my neck, but as her lips parted around my name as I lead her over the edge, I couldn’t help but let myself be taken with her.

Ty's POV

I lay in his arms practically snuggling as close to him as I can get. It amazes me how I use to be on my own all the time before I met him, and now just a little over two weeks has me craving for his company, feeling kind of away from home in a sense. I glance up at him and he leans his head down toward me, making it irrisitible for me to kiss those plump lips.

"I've missed you," I say while burying my head back into his shoulder.

"I've missed you too," he says before running his fingers through my hair, only to be interrupted by the faint sound of somebody knocking on the door downstairs.

Chapter 42: The Talk

Knowing I wouldn't be able to talk to him until after practice, I waited patiently in the trainers room until the first herd of guys came through the locker room door. Naturally, Geno wasn't with them. Things hadn't exactly went smoothly this morning, so I could only guess that he was still out on the ice. I started to head in that direction when my phone started ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket before looking at the caller ID, seeing it was my coach, probably eager to hear what my doctor had said about me being released. I sighed before making my way down the empty hall way to have some privacy before answering.

Geno's POV

After practice, I skated around the now empty arena. This is where I could think the best, and right now I definitely had a lot of things to sort out. Ty meant everything to me, I knew that now, but I knew I could never bring myself to ask her to stay. I knew the right thing to do would be to let her go, even if it was going to be hard. For her, I had no doubt I wouldn't sacrifice anything. Sighing to myself, I look around the arena, almost willing a solution to come to me before making my way off the ice. I'm about to round the corner to head to locker room when I see Victoria making her way down the hallway toward me.

"Just the person I was looking for," she greets with her usual smile. Not really wanting to deal with anybody right now, much less her, I just stare back at her to confirm I'm listening, prompting her to go on before averting my eyes to the floor. "I know Ty must have told you by now about London," she starts, snapping my gaze back toward hers. "I think you should let her go. This is an excellent opportunity for her to make something of herself. I hope I'm not coming across to strong, but as her mother I have her best interest in mind," she finishes with once again the same smile that makes me cringe.

"Having her best interest in mind now doesn't count for much Victoria," I argued, the smile disappearing from her face. "You're too late, she doesn't need your help anymore," I finish with quite a bit more venom in my voice than probably needed. She's just about to open her mouth to retaliate, but thankfully Ty is now walking down the hallway toward us.

"Just think about what I said," she mumbles in a quiet tone before turning and leaving me to face Ty.

Ty's POV

In hope that Geno is still out on the ice and I haven't missed him yet, I turn down the hallway only to find him and Victoria in what I can only assume is a heated discussion by the matching defiant look on both of their faces. After they notice me, Victoria whispers something to him before giving him a death glare and leaving in the opposite direction. When I finally make my way to him, he raises his arm and puts his hand on his neck like he does when he is frustrated about something.

"What was that about?" I ask while nodding my head in the direction she just left. He sighs and slightly shakes his head before answering, telling me that whatever she said really got to him.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," he answers quietly. I can tell he is already pulling away from me, distancing himself. I see the equipment room door, and a smile crosses my face when I think of the perfect way to change that. I grab his hand before opening the door and tugging himself, locking the door quickly afterwards. "What are you doing?" he asked, obviously confused.

"We need to talk," I answer before hopping up on the desk in front of him, grabbing for his hand to pull him closer to me.

"But in the equipment room?" he chuckles while shifting his weight to his other leg.

"Yes," I say while looking up at the way he towers over me since he is still in his skates. "I figured we could use the privacy," I finish while shrugging. He finally looks down at me, and when our eyes lock I can see how upset he really is. After seconds that feel like an eternity, I finally speak up. "I'm not going..." I state quietly, partly because I have a feeling he is going to argue with me.

"Ty..." he warns, taking my head in his hands and making me look at him, but I match him with the same determination.

"No, don't," I answer while shaking my head back and forth slightly. "I've already made my decision. You aren't going to change my mind."

Geno's POV

Part of me wants to jump up and down in celebration, but my mind can't seem to stop running Victoria's final words though my mind.

"Why?" I ask, knowing that if she gives me a plausible answer, there is no way I could try and force her into going.

"Well, for starters, I'm already in a very good program here. I'm not giving anything up by not going, because they would both get me to the same place, one just faster than the other." I take in what she says, and with the way she states it I'm not really sure she left me any room for argument. A smile crosses my face when I realize she must have thought this conversation out through her head before hand.. "And plus, the team has some really attractive guys on it," she finishes, bringing me out of my daze only to see a devilish smile on her face.

"That doesn't sound good. Should I be jealous..?" I mock while stepping in between her legs, grabbing around the small of her back to bring her closer to me before dropping my lips to her neck.

"You should maybe be a little worried," she answers, but I can hear the faintest amount of laughter in her voice so I stop what I'm doing and pull my head back just enough to look her in the eyes. "I also have this really hot fiance. I figure I might as well stick around to see where that goes," she finishes nonchalantly.

"Thanks for putting me so high on your list of reasons to stay," I murmur sarcastically, a slight smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

Ty's POV

"Anytime," I answer before putting my hands on the back of his neck, my fingers brushing through the hair at the nape of his neck before I bring his lips down to mine. It doesn't take long for the passion to creep into our every motion, eventually leading to the removal of both of our clothing. As I'm reaching for his hockey pants, I feel him thrust two fingers inside of me, making me gasp in surprise. That gasp turns into quiet moans as he continues to lead me into the abyss. He can bring me to the edge of insanity, just like this, he knows it and I know it, and the slight chuckle I hear come from his throat tells me that that is exactly what he plans on doing. The only coherent thought I can seem to form right now is 'Shit he's good at this', but that thought disappears too as he changes what he's doing. He knows my body perfectly, where to apply pressure and how much for how long, until I'm biting down on his shoulder to stifle the moan that involuntarily wants to escape my lips. I don't know if it's the final thought of acceptance of the love we posses for each other or the mere idea that we could possibly get caught, but all the same he moves his fingers in a come hither movement one last time and I'm gone, trying my best to keep my moans to a minimum while blackness and stars rush through my vision.

Leaning forward to rest my head on his shoulder while my breathing evens, I can only be thankful that he is practically holding me up because I know that my legs are far to weak for me to even consider standing on my own right now. After a couple seconds I pull away, only to see a broad smile on his face.

"What?" I ask, the same smile reciprocating on my face as well.

"I love watching you do that," he chuckles while brushing my hair out of my face.

"I love letting you do that to me," I sigh before hopping down off the table, pushing him up against it now. "In fact, I'd like to return the favor," I add with an animalistic smile before reaching for his hockey pants once again, this time successfully sliding them to the floor.

Geno's POV

"Really?" I ask while I watch her pull my pants down before bending down in front of me.

"Mhmm," she answers, getting a good hold on me before lowering her cherry red lips down and over my aching cock. A rush of electricity goes up my spine, making me grip the edge of the desk to stabilize myself because I feel very week at the knees. A low moan escapes my mouth as I feel the head of my cock bump the back of her throat, my hands loosening from their death grip on the desk to wrap themselves in her hair, not to lead her, more or less to keep her there. This is the first time she's went down on me, but I can't help that note that she is more than exceptionally good at this, even if it is the first time. I can't believe my luck as it's almost agony it feels so good as she brings me over the edge.

"I'm glad you decided to stay," I murmur before pulling her up toward me and pressing my lips against hers.

"Yeah, after what we just did... doesn't count for much," she says in the most serious voice she can muster, causing me to look at her to see if she is kidding or not. When I see a smile cross her face, I push her jokingly before pressing my lips to hers one last time.

Chapter 41: Decisions

Alrighty, you all are going to have to bear with me if there are more grammatical errors than normal. After finding out I am allergic to something in pain pills, I've been without the whole day. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but it still hurts like an SOB.. lol so please excuse the errors I know are bound to happen from a lack of focus... :-)

After the game, which we beat New Jersey 6-1, I sit down in a chair in the corner of the locker room, waiting for Geno to finish his post game interviews. I have been in a complete daze since talking to Mario, and I know that Geno is going to pick up on the fact that something is off with my behavior probably within seconds.

I am completely torn about what to do. I had always wanted to study abroad, but the cost was just to outrageous for me to even be able to consider doing something like that. But now, it was practically being thrown in my face, absolutely free. It would get me exactly what I wanted, in a much shorter amount of time than even I was anticipating. Could I pass something like that up? It was such a good offer, only a crazy person would pass it up...

I have no idea how I'm going to tell him...

But then, as I'm sitting here making a list of reasons why it would be absolutely bizarre to not go to London, I see him glance toward me, a ridiculously big grin crossing his face before he composes himself and answers whatever question the reporter just asked him and my heart breaks. I keep telling myself he will understand, will know why I have to do this for myself and that maybe, just maybe he will even be waiting for me when I get back. I can feel the tears welling in my eyes, but I quickly blink them away because I'm not going to cry in front of all this people and he is done with his final interview now.

He makes his way toward me, his smile fading and becoming a look of concern as he glances down at me. He looks like he is going to ask me what is wrong, but then thinks better of it and just sort of stands in front of me. I give him a weak smile and shrug my shoulders slightly before reaching for his hand and making our way out of the arena hand in hand, only to see about twenty flashes go off. Great, on top of it all, I have no doubt those will be posted on message boards everywhere in a matter of probably twenty minutes..

Geno's POV

I finish up my interviews and make my way over to Ty. I'm joking around with the guys, thinking things couldn't get better. The team is playing great and I finally got the girl...

When I look over at Ty again, I can automatically tell that something is bothering her as she gives me a blank look. I open my mouth to ask her whats wrong but stop and just stand in front of her. Guessing I know somethings up, she shrugs her shoulders and smiles, but her smile doesn't reach her eyes like it normally does. I'm not sure whether to come and closer, or just stay put. Thankfully, she answers the question for me and grabs my hand, and we make our way out of the arena.

The car ride home isn't any better. I have no idea how she could change moods so quickly. She was so happy before the game, and well, now I have no idea whats going on in her head, but it's obvious there are a million thoughts running through her mind.

All of the guys went out after the big win, so it's just the two of us in the house. She automatically goes and sits on the couch, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Thinking she needs some space, I head into the kitchen and get a glass of water, leaning back against the counter and just looking at her. She's watching me the same way I'm watching her, but eventually she talks first.

"Come here," she pleads before patting a spot on the empty couch next to her. I sit my glass of water down before listening to her demands and make my way into the living room and sit next to her. I can't take it anymore, I have to know whats going on.

"Whats going on?" I ask while resting my arm on the back of the couch, while she drapes her legs over my lap and leans back against the pillows at the end of the couch before taking my other hand in hers and just holds it.

"I talked to Mario today," she starts. "I guess I am being offered another internship."

"You already have one though," I answer, not seeing the point to all of this.

"Well, it's through a different company," she says while averting her eyes to where her hands are keeping themselves busy in her lap. Right away I know there is more to the story than she is telling me. I sigh, knowing I probably won't like the next answer she gives me.

"Where?" I ask simply. She finally looks back up at me, and when she does I can see the tears in her eyes.

"London," she answers before biting the corner of her lip like she always does when shes nervous. I take in the information she just gave me before nodding my head, not knowing what else to do.

Ugh... Shit. Fuck. Damn. Naturally it wouldn't be in a city on the same continent..

"What are you going to do?" I ask, hearing the weakness in my own voice.

"I don't know," she sighs before the first tear rolls down her face. "I have 3 months to decide."

"Come here," I say before pulling her closer to me, hoping she decides not to go out of pure greed, but knowing from the tone of her voice that she's already made her decision. It's going to be hard to let her go...

Ty's POV

The next morning, the tension between the two of us is extremely high, but we manage to get through breakfast and head down to the arena. He quietly moves to his stall, so I go to the trainers room, finding Victoria waiting for me.

"Good morning," she greets. I smile, not being ready to handle her this early in my day. "Could you shut the door so I can talk to you in private please?"

I nod before turning around and following her orders, and go over to the trainers table where she is leaning up against it and sit next to where she is standing.

"First of all, congratulations," she says with a smile before picking up my hand and examining my ring.

"Thank you," I answer vaguely.

"You're extremely lucky. He really loves you."

"I know.." I sigh, wondering if that was all she wanted to talk to me about.

"There actually is something else I wanted to discuss though. So just hear me out," she starts. I knew there had to be more...

"Let me start out by saying I did love your father, probably as much as you love Geno. But somewhere along the lines, I realized that he was holding me back, that I would never get where I wanted to be with him. I mean look at me now, I have this wonderful foundation and everything. As much as it hurt, I knew I had to put myself first, the same way you need to," she continues, making me question where she is going with this, but I'm still in too glum of a mood to put up a fight with her today.

"Ty," she says, making me look at her. "You need to go to London. You need to put yourself first. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it will all pay off later. There will be time for love after your accomplish your dream," she says before getting up and leaving the room.

Victoria's words really sunk deep. I sat there, taking into consideration all the things she had just said before I came up with what I needed to do.

I would NOT be like her. I was completely appalled at the thought that so much selfishness could possibly be within one single person. Her talk helped me. It helped me realize exactly what I would be doing if I left. And, not only that, but made me realize that I really didn't want to. If I were to go to London, I would never truly be happy. I could never be happy somewhere Geno wasn't, I don't know what made me think I could get by without him in the first place.

I had made my decision. There was no way I could leave him.. it just wasn't feasibly possible. A smile crossing my face for the first time in hours, I jumped down off the table and made my way to find the man I loved.

Chapter 40: Opportunity

Okay, I know it's a short update, but I'm on my way to the city for my knee surgery :-S and needed something to keep my mind off of it, so I figured why not get caught up in some Geno... :-) Anyways, I promise more to come soon..

Ty's POV

As I slowly start to wake up, I blink into the light pouring through the windows and curse that I never closed the shutters last night. As I'm attempting to squirm out of his grasps to go close them, the light catches my ring, throwing reflections onto the walls, making all the memories of what happened last night reappear in my mind, causing me to stop. I sigh, realizing how truly happy I am before I look down at his still sleeping form, giving myself some time to marvel at how innocent and sweet he looks while he sleeps. A smile crosses my face before I lightly kiss him on the forehead before proceeding to shut the blinds, knowing he will need his rest for the game today.

Once up, I go to my closet and dress for the chilly February weather before making my way down the steps and out the back door. After I get outside, I make my way to the back edge of the backyard where the brick wall starts and climb up on top of it, pulling my knees up to my chin and gazing out at the dimly lit town of Pittsburgh and think just how much my life had changed.

I can't believe how calm I feel, how totally unruffled by the fact that I had professed my love to somebody by the promise of marriage. Anytime I was even around him, I felt this certain amount of security, like I was something precious to him. The way he looked at me, like he couldn't believe his luck, like I'd done something amazing and wonderful, like just being with him was a gift, made me feel like a better person, made me want to be the person I saw reflected in his eyes. The way he looked…not at me, but the way he saw me, when we made love…and yes, now I knew the difference. Trust, honesty, connection, all things I had never felt with anybody but him. I could look into his eyes when we made love, and I knew that he was trusting in me with his heart as much as I was placing my trust in him.

I don't know how much time had passed, but the sun was only a glimmer of light on the horizon when I felt his arms slide around me, pulling me back against the width of his chest.

"For a moment there when I woke up to an empty bed, I thought for sure you had fled the country," he whispers in my ear while his fingers lace through mine.

"Flight leaves at 8," I answer before looking at my watch, seeing its a little after 7 and attempting to stand up.

"What am I going to do with you," he laughs before he has me securely within his grasp once again, firmly pressed against his chest and suddenly all I can think about is him. All I can think of is the way his muscles moved under and over mine, the way his body felt joined with mine, the way his arms feel when they hold me, and the way his dimples deepen when he smiles. "Ty," he says while shaking me softly, finally pulling me out of my daze. "What are you thinking about?" he continues, a small smile crossing his face.

"You," I answer simply, mostly because my brain feels like it's full of pop rocks and I can't make the fizzing stop long enough to form a full coherent sentence.

"Well, I guess I can let your lack of attention go this once, since you have such a good reason," he replies sarcastically, causing me to shove him slightly, only to receive the famous 'What?' face in return before he continues. "Come on, let's go inside, it's freezing cold out here." For the first time, I actually realize how cold it is, jumping down off the ledge and quickly following him inside.

Geno's POV

I wake up, intending to find her in the same spot she was last night, curled up in my arms, but I find nothing but the coolness of the sheets from the lack of her warm body being there. Still a little disoriented, I open my eyes to see if what I was feeling was right, only to be assured that my ideas were right, and she is indeed gone. Slightly confused as to why I'm waking up alone, I sit up and listen, thinking she might be in the shower or in her room. Nothing. Moving from being confused to worried, I get out of bed and go to her room. I glance around the room, but find nothing. As I'm on my way out of her room though, I catch a glimpse out her window that faces the backyard and see the outline of somebody sitting outside. I do a double take, and am completely relieved when I see its her, all bundled up in winter clothing, trying to enjoy a peaceful morning. I smile to myself before going back and pulling on my coat and making my way outside as well.

After I get to her, she smiles up at me so I sit and join her, eventually cracking a joke about how I had considered the thought that she had deserted me. We talk a little while longer before I convince her to go back inside, because technically it's effing cold outside.

Once inside, we run into the guys and talk for a little bit. After eating she heads upstairs to change to go to her physical therapy for her knee. It isn't until shes left the house that I get bombarded with questions. I'm still looking at the door she just exited when I feel something hit me upside the head, bringing me out of my daze. I turn to see who the culprit is and when I do, I all of the guys staring at me with inquisitive looks. Except for Kris, no he just looks surprised.

"What?" I ask, wondering why they are all just standing there looking at me like that.

"Is it just me, or did it appear as if somebody had a very heavy hand this morning?" Max joked. Now I understood...

"Oh," I replied, not being able to stop a smirk from crossing my face. "I guess you could say that," I finished before taking a drink of my hot chocolate. That's when all the chaos started while I got a round of congratulations from the guys.

Ty's POV

After a dreadfully long therapy session, I drag my way to the rink for the guys game. They are the only team out on the ice, so I just sit back and watch. I love watching Geno when he is on the ice. He looks so uninhabited, so happy. I can see the battles on the ice that he's fought, how much he enjoys the speed, gliding across the ice as if he's flying, how close he's come to fulfilling his dreams. I can taste the disappointment and the fear he has of never reaching his dreams, but I can feel his desire to try and never let those bad things happen.

I'm brought out of my daze when Mario approaches me and sits next to me. I see him take in the new addition of hardware on my hand, and then it appears as if he is struggling with something. That can never be a good sign...

"Hello Ty," he greets after I see confrontations forming in his head. "How was therapy?"

"Nagging," I answer honestly, giving him a small smile and a shrug of my shoulders. "One more week, then they tell me I can run and such again."

"Yeah, I bet you can't wait. You've been out of your element for quite a while now," he answers before once again looking at my ring.

"I have a feeling you didn't come down here to talk about my knee.. did you," I accuse because at this point, I don't know how many more big surprises I can take.

"No, not exactly," he answers, but he still seems hesitant.

"Just tell me, and don't sugar coat it. What's bothering you?" He sighs before answering, telling me I probably won't like the outcome of this conversation.

"Well, I can't help but pick up on the fact that this is terrible timing," he answers before pointing to my ring. "Congratulations about that, by the way," he adds with that fatherly smile.

"And..?" I probe, needing to know what he is talking about.

"Well, I guess you could say I have a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. I've just been told that you have been given the chance to shadow some athletic trainers and other doctors for a while. Its a very advanced placement type thing, but I really think you need to look into it."

"Okay, but what's so bad about that?" I ask, not knowing if I should be pleased just yet or not.

"Well, I guess the location wouldn't be ideal for you now, but its just such a great opportunity, you would finish your classes so much earlier--"

"Where?" I interrupt him, finally realizing that I probably won't like his answer. He sighs before answering once again.

"London," he answers simply before placing his hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly and walking away.