Chasing the Stars {Jamie Benn}

Nine

When Jamie got home, it was one in the morning, and he was alone. The rest of the Stars had to finish out the road trip without their captain.

Once I got him settled into the couch, I sat next to him.

"How are you feeing?" I asked gently. I had dealt with plenty of Tyler's concussions throughout the years.

"Like shit," he replied, readjusting his ball cap so it was backwards. He leaned his head against the back of the couch as he closed his eyes.

"Would a hug make it better?" I asked with a small laugh. He peeked one eye open at me and grinned.

"Maybe a kiss, too?" he urged as I scooted closer so I could hug him. I rolled my eyes at him, but I pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead anyways.

"Better?" I questioned, my hair hanging in his face.

"Much." He reached out and slowly pulled my head into his shoulder, wrapping his other arm around my torso. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. "You know, Tyler probably would not be happy if he saw this," I whispered.

"Tyler's not here."

"Jamie," I trailed off, pulling away from him. This wasn't right. At all. Jamie looked at me and folded his arms across his chest.

"Whatever, Elle. You and I both know what's going on here. You don't love him."

"Of course I do," I replied, getting angry. "Why in the hell do you think I wear this ring?"

"That ring doesn't mean shit, Eleanor, and you know it," he snapped, his eyes awake and alert now.

"Yes, it does! He loves me, I love him, and this ring is a promise. We're getting married," I defended, standing up from the couch. Jamie rolled his eyes at me.

"A promise of what? Loyalty? Because if that's what it is, both of you are screwed."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I demanded. Jamie had a smug grin on his face as he leaned back against the couch.

"Go to sleep, Eleanor, you're overtired."

Even though I was still angry at him for telling me I didn't love Tyler, I couldn't help a small piece of me from forgiving him.

••••••••••

I woke up feeling dazed and groggy. Jamie had crashed on the couch last night, so I had just left him there.

I went out into the living room and Jamie was awake, watching the reply of his hit on TV. The pain in his eyes was easy to read. He winced as they played it at normal speed.

"Jams," I said quietly. His face lifting into a smile when he noticed me in the doorway.

"Hey," he replied quietly, patting the open seat next to him. I smiled and wrapped my cardigan tighter around me as I made my way over the couch. "In really, really sorry about last night."

The argument that we had last night flooded back in, and I felt myself heave a sigh.

"Jamie," I trailed off, reaching out to put my hand on his bicep. Damn.

"No, Eleanor, I feel like shit," he insisted, turning to face me. "I shouldn't have said those things, and I would take it all back if I could. I know you love Tyler." He paused and took a deep breath, looking somewhat pained.

"Jamie, it's okay," I replied, squeezing on his arm. "Your mental state isn't at its best right now."

"Eleanor?" he questioned after a moment of silence.

"Yeah?"

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

I looked over at him, and he had a slight grin stretched across his lips.

"And I don't mean all this exterior crap," he continued, his eyes locked on mine. I couldn't bring myself to look away. "I mean on the inside. In here."

He reached out and touched my left collarbone, sending chills up my spine. He flatted his palm and took a deep breath. My thoughts were racing and I struggled to collect them. In fact, I couldn't collect them. They were a jumbled mess, and all I could think about was Jamie's big, soft palm pressed against my collarbone and the electric currents that were flowing through.

"God, Eleanor," he breathed. "You don't even realize it, do you? You are everything I have ever wanted."

I felt my breath hitch as his eyes continued to bore into mine. The door opened, and Jamie pulled his hand back like my skin was a burning stove and he'd just been burned. Tyler walked in with his carry-on duffel.

"Hey, guys," he said cheerily. He came over to the couch and pressed a long, lingering kiss on my lips. I tried to pull back, feeling extremely uncomfortable doing this in front of Jamie. Tyler only kissed harder, giving a subtle bite to my lower lip before he pulled away.

Tyler dropped his bag and wandered into the kitchen for something to eat. I stormed in after him, livid at what he had just pulled.

"What the fuck was that?" I whispered. He turned to face me, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry I wanted to kiss my fiancée after not seeing her for a long time," he shot back sarcastically.

"Tyler, I tried to push you off," I pointed out, folding my arms across my chest. Tyler closed the refrigerator and came over me. He rubbed my arms and kissed the top of my head.

"I just missed you so much, baby," he whispered, pressing his lips against my neck. I instantly melted into him, my hands instinctively reached for his hair. He pressed his hands against my hips, easily lifting me up and onto the kitchen counter.

He moved his kisses up my neck, to my jaw, and finally to my lips. I gripped his hair tighter between my fingers, and I wrapped my legs around his torso, pulling him closer.

"I love you, Elle," he whispered, his lips moving against mine. As his tongue slipped back into my mouth, Jamie's words came rushing back to me. All of a sudden, I just felt uneasy. I pulled back from Tyler, pressing a small peck to his lips.

"You okay, babe?" he questioned, caressing my cheek. I smiled up at him and nodded, pushing my hair behind my ears.

"I'm just not feeling too great," I said with a shrug. Tyler pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"I'll go get you some Tylenol," he told me, gently squeezing my arm as he went.

A pang of guilt went through me as Tyler came back through the door again with a sack that had Tylenol, three bottles of Sprite, and a Cookies n' Cream Hershey's Bar, my favorite candy.

I really shouldn't have doubted him.

"I love you, Tyler," I said as I put my hand on his cheek. He smiled and turned his head to press a kiss to my palm.

"I love you more, Elle," he whispered. "I will always love you more."

•••••••••••••

I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates! I've been super busy and finals are coming up soon. I will definitely keep getting out chapters, and hopefully they will be able to come more quickly once school is out. Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks!