The New Normal

Chapter Twenty One

I knew it was a bad idea to bring Tyler to the game. Ever since we have gotten here, we have received nothing but stares and whispers. Whether it was because Tyler actually bothered to leave the house or because I was with Tyler, I didn't know. By the time we got here, the game had started already. We would have been on time had Tyler not insisted we stopped for a bite to eat. He made a valiant effort on eating slowly, as if he relished in the fact that he was keeping me away from the game. Although, I didn't say anything about it. I wasn't a huge fan of lacrosse or sports for that matter, so even though I would never admit it to anyone, I was thankful Tyler was with me. Otherwise, the lacrosse game would have been very boring without any company.

We sat in the middle row of the bleachers and I found myself regretting not ordering a hot chocolate or a coffee to go to keep me warm. It was freezing outside and my autumn jacket was simply not doing the trick. Every once in awhile, I'd look at Tyler's coffee in his hand but never dared to ask for a sip, knowing the answer would be a no. I sighed and continued watching the game, even though I had absolutely no idea what was happening. A whistle sounded for halftime and all the players broke off of the field. As Brody ran towards our team's bench, he looked through the crowd and spotted me. He flashed me a grin and I gave him a small wave.

Tyler noticed who I was waving to and pulled the attention towards him instead. "You look freezing, why don't you have some of my coffee to keep you warm and I'll go see if I have a blanket in my car."

"Thank you," I said, shooting him a grateful smile as I took his coffee and had a sip.

Tyler just smiled and speed off to his car, meanwhile, Brody looked dumbfounded that Tyler was here. Not giving me anymore smiles or waves, he went with the rest of his team back into the locker room.

The second half of the game began and Tyler just made it back in time. He had a large red flannel blanket in one hand and a bag of something in the other. As he sat down, he wrapped the blanket around the both of us. "This should do the trick."

I clung to the warmth, although, I was unsure what was warming me up the most; Tyler, who now sat incredibly close in order to keep the blanket around the two of us or the blanket itself. Regardless, I was simply thankful that I didn't have to freeze to death and I sincerely hoped Brody didn't take our closeness the wrong way. I made a mental note to talk to him about it after the game.

Breaking me from my thoughts and from the game, Tyler opened the white paper bag and pulled out a powdered mini donut, handing it to me. "I saw these at the vendor stand and I thought you and I could split the bag."

"I love mini donuts," I moaned as I took it from his hand and took a small bite, meanwhile he was able to plop a whole one in his mouth no problem. As the powder melt on my mouth and the warmth of the donut hit me, I moaned again. "These are literally little teeny tiny tastes of Heaven."

Tyler chuckled and looked at me with an amused expression. "Glad you like them, Sweetness."

"I don't just like them," I countered, finishing my first donut. "I love them."

He chuckled again and I suddenly felt myself feeling very happy. I don't know why, maybe it's the excitement of the game or the donuts or Tyler's laugh that I hadn't heard in such a long time, but I was happy. And it feel like such a relief, knowing I could have moments of happiness, no matter how brief, even after the death of my brother.

Tyler stopped laughing and studied me carefully as I zoned off, watching the game. I wasn't really watching the game, I was lost in my own thoughts, but I could feel his gaze on me so I turned to face him.

He arched a brow. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was just thinking about how I haven't felt this way in a long time," I answered.