Sweet Caroline (Corey Crawford)

Distractions

Caroline

After the preseason wraps up its time to get to the good stuff. The regular season was here whether the guys were ready or not. But I think they are. I've seen a lot of hockey in my 26 years on this earth and they seemed ready to me.

The morning of the first game I decide to take the morning skate off. Sleep in for once and try to get ready for tonight. The guys had their red carpet event before puck drop which was exciting, and it was my first game as a beat writer. Of course I was excited, but a little nervous too. I wasn't sure what to expect but I trust myself enough so that it will be fine.

I take a nice long shower and straighten my hair. I pull it back into a pony tail like always before slipping on a baseball cap and my glasses back on. I change into more comfortable clothes before going out for some lunch. I grab my phone and see I had a text from Corey.

Thanks for ditching us at practice this morning. Not like there's a big game tonight or anything.

I laugh at his sad excuse of a good morning text and reply back.

I have been here for over a month, and I don't know if you have realized this, but I am not on the team.

I press send before stuffing my phone in my pocket. I gather my things and go on a walk to clear my mind.

I get to a coffee shop downtown and decide to stop there for a drink. I order a hot tea and sit in the back of the building. I pull my phone out and read the message I missed.

Really? Didn't notice.

I shake my head and decide to get to the bottom of this stranger than usual behavior.

Is there a real reason you are patronizing me, or are you just bored?

I finish up my tea and dispose of it properly. I head out to the streets once more to familiarize myself with them further.

No reason, just need a good distraction right now and you always have some good tricks. But then you weren't at morning skate and I didn't have someone to take my mind off things.

Awww. That was kind of sweet. I text a reply before heading to a animal shelter.

I am sorry I wasn't there, but I need my days off too. If it is a distraction you are looking for, then I think I can help with that. Drop by my place around 12.

I send the text and realize how sketchy it was but assumed he knew this wasn't a booty call. At least I hope he knows it isn't.

What was actually happening was I was buying a cat today from the pound because I wanted someone to keep me company but can also be left alone for extended periods of time when I'm out on the road. I look around the pound before finding a black kitten all by himself. They said all his brothers and sisters were taken and he was the only one left. I quickly agree to take him which made the owners happy.

I go to the store and pick up some things for him. I get him food and cat litter and toys and a collar. I don't get a tag yet because I don't have a name for him, but I'll figure it out.

I get my kitty home and he gets settled in. He explores the place and plays with whatever was in his reach, he was still a kitten after all. At 12:01 there was a knock on the door and I assumed it was Corey. He never texted me back but I don't know who else it would be. I get up and open the door as Corey smiles down at me.

"Hey there" he smirks and I raise my eyebrows at him. That was unusual.

"Hi" I reply welcoming him in. He puts his coat down before abruptly turning to me. He softly grabs my waist and pulls my body against his as he leans me against the door causing me to look at him weird. His large frame hovered over my small one dangerously close and I wasn't able to move. He softly touches my face as I stand frozen in my spot.

"What were you saying earlier" he says softly and I step away.

"What are you talking about" I ask.

"You said something about being a distraction" he smirks moving in for a kiss and I shake my head. I dodge his lips and refrain from lifting my hand and smacking him across his face.

"Crawford... stop this right now! I am not some one night stand or a affair you have on the side. I was hoping you saw me as a friend and not some piece of meat. I would like to thing I garnered more respect from you than this.

And I am sure as hell not going to wait on you hand and foot whenever you need a distraction from whatever demons you keep inside that are tearing you apart. If you are having problems I would love to help you, but certainly not like this. You have a girlfriend, so if it's sexual release you are looking for, go to her. I will not be the one you cheat with" I scoff. I couldn't believe that he thought I would be the kind of girl to do this.

"I'm sorry, I though that's what you wanted" he claims.

"I got a cat... I wanted to show you my cat" I say pointing to the little ball of fur laying on the couch.

"Oh" he sighs.

"You know, I thought the world of you. Despite what people said about you, I thought you were actually a sweet guy. But seeing how easy it was for you to disregard your girlfriend and your relationship and willingly cheat on her kind of hurts. If you're doing this to someone you supposedly care about what does that mean you will do to someone like me? You are capable of doing some terrible things, everyone is, but I never thought you would actually do them.

The fact that you came here thinking that I would have a affair with you is not a good look. There's making mistakes, then there's consciously being a terrible person, and that is where we are at right now. It is scary how okay you are with hurting her like this, I thought you were better than this" I admit.

"It's not what you think" he claims.

"Then what is it" I ask.

"It's kinda how we do things. The relationship is open. We're together but we kinda just mess around when we get bored, but we are still in a relationship" he explains.

"Is that supposed to make me feel any better about this situation" I ask.

"Well... yeah" he shrugs.

"I'm sorry. I am not sure who I thought you were or who you thought I was, but I will not do that. Open relationship or not, you guys are together and this is so wrong" I insist.

"It's not as bad as it seems" he claims. "We've been together for like a year and the relationship hasn't been all that great. We break up and get together, she catches me with someone else and I catch her. We fight then we make up like nothing happened but I swear she is okay with it" he claims.

"Nothing you just said is okay... that is insane. I want absolutely nothing to do with that" I shake my head.

"Come on" he says stepping towards me and I step back.

"No... I think you should leave" I whisper and he stops.

"What" he asks.

"I think you need to go. I am a little taken aback right now and I'm not sure what is going to happen next. But you need to leave" I insist.

"Listen... I'm sorry I did this to you. I didn't want to make you upset" he claims.

"Please... just go."

Without another word he leaves and I let out a sigh. I fall onto my couch and shove my face in a pillow. How could I be so stupid to think that he wasn't like that? I knew he was but I didn't want to believe it. What he just said, that shook me to the core. That he could do that to a person, it's sick. Even if it's mutual it doesn't make it okay. Two wrongs don't make a right. But all the things I built up about him in my mind just came tumbling down. He wasn't what I hoped he would be, not at all. And now I wasn't sure what I should do.