The End of Regulation (A Gabriel Landeskog fanfiction)

Chapter 6

The next morning I saw the sun gleaming into the room through cracked blinds.
As soon I was aware of my surroundings again, I realized that Ashley had grabbed my hand in the middle of the night- or had I grabbed hers? I didn't know. I just sat still and gripped her hand tighter, trying to remember how similar this feels to before she left.
"Gabe." I heard her say through a muffled voice.
I squeezed her hand tighter hoping to assure her. Ashley began to wake up and it felt so great to see her green eyes again. And that's when I realize: I never stopped loving her. I thought that I was over her by the time three months passed after she went to college. I guess not, now.
"Hey. How'd you sleep?" I asked not knowing anything else to say.
"Good." She said as she looked down at our intertwined hands. She seemed to enjoy it judging by the fact that she didn't let go. "You?"
"Same." We sat there awkwardly staring down at our hands.
A nurse came in the through the doors and asked how I was feeling.
I responded by one word: "Yeah."
"Good." She responded flatly. "You are ready to go home only if someone stays with you until you are fully healed.
"Well who would I stay with? My parents are on business trips out of the country and no other family here in Colorado."
"I can stay with you." Ashley mumbled quietly.
"Are you sure about that?" I asked her just in case she wasn't.
"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine with that. Are you?"
"Sure." I said and tried as best I could to prevent blushing.
"Ok young man, your set to go!" She tells me before she says, "Please check in with me if anything unusual occurs and make sure you schedule an appointment for next week."
"Yes ma'am."
Ashley helped me out of the bed and I stumbled for the first few steps but she kept me stable. The same red car from 3 years ago waited outside for us.
I was surprised that she still knew where I lived. I guess some things are never forgotten. I learned that the hard way.
When we got to my place, Ashley half dragged me up the steps to the front door. After she grabbed my key from under the carpet and opened the door and took the first step into my apartment. She stopped directly in her tracks.
"Is something wrong?" I asked cautiously.
"No. There are just so many memories here."
"Yeah... There are."
Once she was settled into the guest room, we drove over to her parent's house and then the Pepsi center to get my things from the locker room.
When she was gathering my stuff for me, I walked out onto the ice.
I heard Ashley walk up behind me. "So this is where it happened, huh?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah." She answered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"We should get going." I said, not being able to stand the memories anymore.
"Wait. I need to tell you something, Gabe."
"What is it?"
She didn't respond to my question.
"You know you can tell me anything." I encouraged, grabbing her hand.
"I still love you. I always have and-" I stopped her words by grabbing her with both hands and pulled her body towards my body, her lips to my lips.
At first, she froze, taken by surprise. But it didn't take long before her body turned to liquid. Our lips moved in a similar motion like they used to. The kiss grew more passionate each of us embracing eachother with our arms. I slowly pushed away, not wanting to go to fast- especially while in the arena.