A A R O N
"Is Liz coming to this event?" Nick asks. Nick, Terence and I are currently at Nick's family house. We all went to college together, and so Ava knows us so well. So she invited us to hang out, also baked a cake congratulating us for making it to the playoffs.
The game against Atlanta last week was a tough one, thanks to Alex with an assist from Kevin, another guy on the team, a second goal only two minutes to the end of the period. The roars and screams from the crowd when we won was everything. We've been unstoppable this season, and I also know that other teams are getting ready for us. The best part of everything was my time with Liz at the hotel. At first she said she couldn't make it, turns out she wanted to surprise me. The look on her face when I pulled out of her was everything.
"Yeah, according to Reiter, Mr. Summers said she's also invited," I sigh. We're currently watching Summers team against Washington. He's an impressive goalie, I'd give it to him...... but that doesn't change the fact that I hate him for being an asshole big brother to Liz.
"I don't get it, why can't he just invite her himself, I mean..... legally, he's her father," Terence says as he walks into the living room, joining us on the couch.
"And psychological he's not," I snap. "And I can't let him talk shit to the woman I love,"
Silence crashes the room. I'm confused, until I realise why.
"Shit," I sigh and I can already feel Nick grinning from ear to ear. "I just said that," I mutter.
"Did I hear correctly? Aaron West is in Love," Ava approaches the room. I'm so screwed. She sits on the couch directly opposite to ours and she smiles. Doctor Ava Stones is the best.
"Wish I recorded it so I can play it on loop every morning," Nick teases.
"Or I'd just text her and tell her," Terence jokes and I throw him a sarcastic laugh.
"Get out of here boys, I want to have a heart to heart with Aaron here," Ahh.....she wants to talk to me. Nick playfully smacks me on the shoulder and Terence makes singsong I love you sounds. Grown men, acting like they're still in college. I like it that way though.
And now it's just me and Ava. She doesn't say anything, she just smiles and then I take that as my cue to say something.
"How did you know you were in love with Uncle Caleb?" I'm glad he's not home today, he'd make fun of me until I'm out of here. Nick has the best dad in the universe.
"Get straight to the point West," she chuckles.
"We haven't talked about our feelings," I mutter more to myself but she hears.
"Nick said she jumped into the water when she saw you in there," she states matter-of-factly. "And you took her to his favorite spot,"
"Why hasn't she said anything then?" That has been the question on my mind for the past few seconds.
"She's a woman, she doesn't want to look stupid, she doesn't want you to abadon her, she's also not sure of what you feel, she doesn't want to get hurt," she pauses for a moment, then she continues. "Aaron, you're like a son to me too, and no one has ever looked at you the way she looks at you, not to mention your calling for her in your sleep," she smiles.
Did I do that?
"How can you be in love with someone without knowing it?" The question rolls on my tongue.
"Because you haven't felt love from any woman before," she smiles. "Because you spent half of your life with someone that didn't care.... naturally, that's the way you're wired...take it from me, you've been in love with her for a long time,"
I think back to the night when we first kissed. In her bedroom. The way her body fit perfectly with mine. I think back to out first night together, she was drunk and saying all sorts of incoherent things, she was deep in sleep and all night....all I did was watch her. I think back to the backseat, the way she moaned my name........
Woah....I am in love with her——
"Earth to Aaron," Ava snaps her fingers while chuckling.
"I gotta go," I stand to my feet, planting a swift kiss on her cheek and heading out.
* * * * * *
It's the day of the Charity Event, and according to the message sent to Reiter, Liz, Diane, Yvonne, the team trainer, the team manager, the team therapist and of course, Coach are all invited. Well.....yeah, let's hope for the best. We are required to wear black suits, dress pants and dress shoes.....all black. And the ladies can wear colors ranging from silver, gold, lilac, emerald and of course black.
The best part, I can't wait to see Liz.
I've been debating telling her how I feel about her. Each time I think about all our time together, it feels as if she loves me too. And thanks to Nick, the what-if-she-doesn't phrase is out of my working vocabulary. I'm still nervous, and I've never been this nervous in my entire life. I'm telling her tonight, after the event.
You've got this West.
"You okay?" Nick strolls into my bedroom, he's already dressed and I'm still struggling with my damn tie. "You still don't know how to do this shit?" He teases and I laugh sheepishly, handing him the tie to knot and watching him do it. He's practically the brother I never had.
"Here you go," he hands the tie to me. "Maybe if you tell Liz how you feel for her, she'd be the one doing this, not me," he growls and I chuckle.
"Have you ever tried putting her in your shoes?" He asks as we exit the room. Mrs. Kelly hands me my phone and we head out of the house, to the car. I still haven't answered his question.
Have I tried putting myself in her shoes?
Being with some pro hockey player with a fucked up childhood. Fucking him constantly, listening to every word he says and not knowing how he feels about you.
Ah...shit. That's a scary place to be.
I have to tell her tonight, before things go sideways for me, for us.
"I just did," I reply as my driver starts the car, Nick and I seated in the backseat.
"Well, how good did it feel?" He asks. I totally understand his sarcasm, because of how much he cares for Liz.
"It didn't feel good," I reply, gazing at the tinted windows of the car. "And I'm fixing that tonight," I say and I swear a grin appears on his face.
We are driving to Liz's. To pick her, Diane and Yvonne up. Apparently Yvonne spends most of her time there. Sometimes I worry she has forgotten about me, but then again she's a big girl, and just like she'd always say, "I don't need your protection."
We arrive Liz's and Diane and Yvonne are standing in the driveway as I exit the car. I know my look bears the question, "where's she?" because Diane's face lights up when she sees me and smiles, "she's coming, prepare to be wooed,"
My eyelids stop functioning and my heart skips a couple of beats as Liz emerges the front door, dressed in a silver dress that pools at her feet. She's wearing that fuck-hot nude makeup and her hair is longer— dropping below her waist. Her cobalt blue eyes shine with so much life, and also something I didn't quite understand as she stared deeply at me. Her full breasts—— God I want to rip off her clothes and have her moaning my name, but that can wait—— that should wait. The alpha male in me lurches forward, to her, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her deeply. Diane and Yvonne make funny sounds behind her.
"It's nice to see you too and you look sexy in suits," she moans into the kiss and I pull away, chuckling.
Behind me, Nick laughs sheepishly, "may we leave now?"
* * * * * *
The Charity Event is exactly how I expected it to be. So many rich people and celebrities, some muttering words to themselves as Liz and I passed. Looking at Liz, I can tell she didn't want to be here, and that she was here—— for me, because she didn't want me to be alone and because she didn't want to be reason I'd say no to the invitation. As usual, she put me first, before herself.
Nick, Liz and I walk to the table made for us Hockey Players. A couple of women walk by, and I sign what seems like a hundred autographs—— the same goes for the rest of us. The Event is yet to start and I swear, people throw awkward glances at Liz and I.
"And if it isn't my rebellious Elizabeth," a voice says and I feel Liz tense beside me.
Mrs. Summers. Her adopted mother. Shit.
"Tell me West, is she your whore or your fuck toy?" She teases, an evil smile plays on her lips. "or better yet, what is she to you?" She asks at the same time Liz's adopted father approaches us. Liz doesn't say anything, she just freezes.
"West, Mike, Stones, Tiles...... you're all here, I was beginning to think you'd ignore my invitation," he says, an edge to his voice. A disgusting edge.
"Yes we decided to make it," Coach answers for all of us.
"Well, enjoy yourselves and be sure to donate," he winks. And there it is, the money part, the reason why he wants us here. I used to love his Charity Events when I first started my professional hockey career, until I discovered that most of his projects that he claimed were genuine were funded by black money and that most of the donations didn't go to the people that needed them, they went to him. And judging from the look on Liz's face, she probably knows that too.
People are still shooting awkward stares at us and Nick whispers in my ear, "look at Liz, you dumbass,"
One look at her and I felt my world crumble. All the light in her eyes faded and she looked so pale. She turns to me, grabbing her purse, "I need to use to the restrooms," she doesn't let me object, she just runs away and Diane follows after her.
"What did I do wrong?" I ask Nick, he seems to be better at this stuff than I am. I want to rush to her and tell her that I'm in love with her, that it was a mistake to bring her here, but.......
"Everything," Nick says as the event officially begins. This is going to be a long couple of hours.
* * * * * *
We're halfway into the event when I spot Liz talking to someone I don't know, and what cracks me up is that the person keeps gesturing to me. When she arrives her seat, she still looks pale. I attempt to hold her and she snatches her hand—— my heart shatters into a dozen pieces. What is——
"Aaron, I'm sorry I can't do this anymore," she whimpers, gathering her flowing dress and heading away, out of the place. I'm confused, utterly confused as I follow her to the huge and glamorous backyard. She's still walking, as fast as she can.
Away from me..
"Liz," I call for her but she keeps walking. "Elizabeth!" I yell and this time she stops walking.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
She tenses, then she turns to face me. We're a couple of feet apart but I can feel her gaze boring into my soul. Her eyes, her face darkens——
"What I'm I to you?" Her voice breaks and those words stab me like a knife. When I don't answer she continues, "oh yeah, I know exactly what I am——," her voice shatters with every word, "I'm your fuck pet——," shit, no, no, that's not where this night was supposed to go, "I'm someone you want to bury yourself in, anytime you're down," she continues, "do I even mean anything to you?" Tears, I hate tears. I want to walk to her and wrap my arms around her and tell her how much I love her, how long I've loved her without even knowing it.
"I feel so stupid," she sniffles. "I feel so stupid because I love you and I don't know if——," She loves me? She feels the same way I feel? "if you feel the same way," I still can't say anything to her, I'm beyond frozen, so she laughs sarcastically, "That's what I thought," she says and begins to walk away.
She loves me. She loves me. How could I have been so blind? No, I can't lose her. I fucking can't.......
And I run, I run so fast that I grab her waist from behind, murmuring those words into her neck, words that have been stuck on my tongue since yesterday.....
"Liz, I love you too,"
A U T H O R ' S N O T E
And, well......that happened.....
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