Rise Up (Jonathan Toews)

13| Always Knew

Jonathan

"So you're telling me that you would rather be two on one with Gretzky and Kurri than Lindsay and Howe" she asks me and I nod.

"Hell yeah! Goodie Howe is the best natural born goal scorer ever, even better than Gretzky, and Lindsay has vision that made it seem like he could plan a play out in his head then do it on the ice just like he planned it. You can put Gretzky with anyone and they would be good but Lindsay and Howe changes the way you play the game" I explain.

"You can't blame Gretzky for the guys he played with" she defends.

"Just as you can't give Kurri the praise because of who he played with" I insist.

"If they separate you and Patrick Kane, then would you guys still be seen as the hockey gods you are or is it each other that makes you guys so good" she quizzes.

"Obviously Patrick and I have a lot of history together. Without him I wait.... wait a second" I stop. I turn to see Ariana smiling up at me and I just shake my head.

"Do you know who I am" I ask.

"I do" she giggles.

"For how long" I question.

"Honestly I figured it out like the second week. You're a Canadian boy who is in Chicago for hockey and don't get to play because his team is on hiatus. And it's gone because the lockout which is why you're spending all your time in a hospital instead of out in the city. I kinda remembered you from the beginning but I got the rest of the pieces from hanging out with you. But I have to admit I'm impressed you even got my family to keep their traps shut because they're always running their mouths" she laughs.

"I feel like a idiot" I groan as I stuff my face in my hands. "You probably hate me, don't you" I ask.

"And why would I hate you" she questions.

"Because I lied" I whimper. I mean it's been two months so obviously she was going to figure it out eventually. I just didn't know how to tell her.

"I get that you don't want to tell the person who you finally got to see the real you who you're supposed to be. You see your name everywhere and you feel like you're not even the same person. I get it. You wanted me to see you for who you really are and not who they say you are. And I did even though I knew who you were anyway.

Because you were always more than Jonathan Toews number nineteen and captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. You are a great guy with a good mind and a amazing heart. You aren't just a robot player who knows nothing more than hockey. You're very aware of what you want even if you're still figuring out how to get it. You're one of my favorite people in the world whether you play professional hockey or not" she assures me.

"Does it bother you? Me being who I am" I ask.

"I mean it's defiantly new to me. I don't know the first thing about being a professional hockey player or what they would make me out to be in the news if they knew I was with you. I'm sure if they figured out you've been here all this time that would make a few headlines. I'm sure there's tons of girls not happy that you're here with me instead of with them. I never really thought of that stuff because it never really mattered when it came to you" she claims.

"Can you promise me that now we both are on the same page about this nothing changes" she questions.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of this. You should be proud of what you've been able to do in your career. I know you're not the kind of person to brag about this but you're one hell of a athlete. And off the ice you're just as incredible, maybe even more. This right here doesn't change anything. You're still my favorite person and I stand by everything I shared with you. The you that you've shown me here in this hospital is the real you and and that's how I will always see you. I promise" she says.

"I don't deserve you" I sigh and she smiles.

"You deserve so much more than what you've been getting. More than what you'll find in this hospital or this city or this world. This world has been mean to you, I can only imagine what you went through before you stoped at that red light that day. What broke you down to the point you were at. But every moment since then has been a chance for you to change this storyline you're in. And if the people out there knew what you've done for me in here, there would be no doubt that the great Jonathan Toews is a better man than he is a player" she claims.

"They won't listen" I insist.

"I know they won't. They don't want to. But I do, I always do" she says.

"I know you do. And that's why I would rather spend a hundred good hours in here with you than a bad second out there without you. No one out there sees me the way you do, they don't understand why I am the way I am and why how they portray me hurts so bad. I'd rather be in here cuddled up with you" I insist as I crawl into bed with her. I pull her into my chest and she rests her head on my shoulder.

I thought this was a good idea at first but now I realize that its really not. Because now that she's here in my arms I don't want to let her go. I know that there isn't a human in this whole world that I connect with in the way I connect with her and there's a reason for that. Because out of the seven billion people in this world, she was my person. No matter what type of person I told her I was she always knew who I really am, from the first day she looked at me she knew who I was because she looked with her eyes and used her ears and her heart and she saw in me what I've wanted people to see in me all my life.

"Hey Jonny" she whispers.

"Yeah baby" I ask. I didn't mean to say it like that but it slipped and it felt right.

"Since you know I know, I do need to ask you just one question" she claims.

"Alright" I say preparing for the worst.

"How much beer do you think you drank out of the cup back in 2010" she asks and I start to laugh. I should have known.

"Enough for me to not remember how many the next day" I admit.

"Does it taste better out of there" she asks.

"It's the best" I admit.