"𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕀'𝕞 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕤, 𝕀'𝕞 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕫𝕖, 𝕞𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕠𝕥𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕡𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕."
✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾
walking out of that bathroom was the most stressful thing to do. I didn't know if he would be waiting by the exit. I had purposely taken a long time in there, fixing my hair, putting some more concealer below my eyes and the blemishes that were on my nose.
I stood by the door, Hand on the cold handle. Debating on opening it.
It wouldn't be the worst thing if he was out there, you know.
I don't think I'm ready to actually talk to him again, especially not with something like this fucking journal that has every feeling that has ever come across my brain about him in it.
I have to get back to my dad though, he is probably wondering where I was and why I was taking so long. With that in mind I made the mental decision to just make a run for it.
I'll put my AirPods in and if he calls for me, I'll pretend that I don't hear him.
Real mature, Gen.
I don't even care at this point. I just want to get out of this awkward situation.
I grip the door handle, and pull it open revealing nothing directly facing the door.
"Thank god." I whisper under my breath.
I put on 'Boys a liar pt. 2' and blast it through my AirPods.
"Gen?" I still am able to hear through the music from that all too familiar voice.
I choose to ignore my problems, and keep my head up and keep walking back to where my dad last was.
"Gen!" He calls out my name again. I can't bare to look back, my heart is telling me to, but my brain is saying no.
I guess he gave up, because I don't hear my name being called anymore, so I assumed that he went back to his team. I felt really bad for ignoring him, but I thought I was doing what was best for me.
Wow, you're such a hypocrite. In your journal you always gush about him, and wish you hadn't left but you were given the chance to speak to him and you brushed him off..
Well technically, I had my AirPods in, he should have seen that.
I try to brush all thoughts of him away, which seems like a chore all the time. He's always on my mind.
I go back to the home bench, where I find the players off of the ice, gone somewhere, and my dad talking to the one and only Sheldon Keefe.
I inhale and exhale, and prepare to interact with them. My dad was just standing at the bench preparing all the medical equipment in a storage drawer that they had in the bench.
"Hi Gen," my dad greets me, "what took you so long?" He chuckles.
"I almost got lost.." I laugh it off.
"Oh, this place is a maze." He confirms.
"Where did everyone go?" I ask him.
He goes back to organizing bandages and gauze. "They were done with the practice. It's Vancouvers turn with the ice now." He answers me.
"Oh," I realize that Quinn was going to be on the ice surface soon. "Where should I go to waste time before the game starts?"
"Uhm," he ponders, "I can show you to a room where you can just chill for a few hours."
"Alright, lead the way." I obey.
My dad leads me out of the arena, and up multiple flights of stairs. We finally get into a room at one of the upper decks then turned into a room with multiple couches, and a glass wall that you could see the entire ice surface from.
"When it's nearing time, go to your seat on the ticket," he tells me, "it's right in-between the two benches, very front row, you'll have a good view of me and both teams."
Right in between the two benches, great.
"Alright thanks dad. I'll see you soon." I say and he waves then exits the room, closing the door, leaving me in the empty room.
I walk around it, taking in the view of the rink, and looking at all the furniture in here.
This was probably a very expensive box seat. There were a lot of TV's and there was a whole ass dining table in here as well. This is where the rich, rich people watched the game.
I decided to get comfortable, it was going to be a while before anything really started. I laid down on one of the black leather couches that faced the large floor length window, and watched as the Zamboni flooded the ice in preparation for the Canucks to practice on.
When it was done, I saw the players start to get onto the bench, all decked out in their practice gear. They get onto the ice one by one. Quinn then steps on the ice, I can tell from a mile away if it was him, because after all. I was probably obsessed.
I watch as the little strands of his dark brown hair flutter in the wind as he skates. His strides were large, and he gains speed very easily.
Well no shit, he's an NHL player, people would expect nothing else.
"Shut up." I tell my mind, then realize how stupid I must look talking to myself like this.
I eventually get tired of watching Quinn and his teamsters do drills. I decide to try and get a little nap in.
I set an alarm on my phone, so nobody would walk in on me sleeping away on this comfortable couch.
The lights of the room were tuned off, creating a good environment for me to shut my eyes, and get rested up for the game ahead. It was going to be a long one.
———
*beep beep beep beep*
My eyes immediately open, and I realize that I was not at home. I was in Toronto of course.
It was six thirty, and I could already see people with leafs jerseys Filing into their seats.
"Shit." I curse, I should have woken up earlier.
I get up off the couch, my back aching from being
On there for multiple hours.
I look at myself through a mirror that was on the wall next to the large door. I flatten out my hair, and made sure that I don't look too exhausted.
Before I open the door and get greeted by large amounts of people, I turn all the lights off in the
Room and then leave the room, appreciating the silence that was in there.
I make my way down a set of escalators, passing so many people in Leafs jerseys, a Canucks jersey was rare here.
Once I get back to the floor that my seat was on, I head to a food stall to get something to eat before the crowds make these places extremely busy.
"What can I get for you?" A brunette middle aged guy asks me behind the counter. "Erm-" I take a look at the menu and decide on my go to meal, "Chicken Tender combo please, with an iced tea." I order.
"Alright," the guy taps on the screen in front of him. "Fourteen ninety five please." He instructs.
I pay using my phone and step aside to wait.
"I have an order of chicken tenders and an iced team for Genevieve?" A blonde girl at the counter yells.
I perk my head up at the sound of my name, and walk over to grab my food. The smell travelled up to my nose immediately, and god I wanted to eat those things right where I was.
I held myself back, and walked towards my seat. It was not so crowded downstairs as it was farther up, so it made the process of actually finding my seat easier.
A few minutes later, I sat in the lit up arena eating my chicken fingers. They tasted like my childhood. Every time I didn't know what to get from a restaurant I'd immediately order these things.
It was getting close, people were filing into their seats, and the lower section finally was full of fans ready to watch their favourite team play.
Gametime
The timer on the large scoreboard went off, which meant that the players were going to come on the ice any minute.
I was fucking nervous, like I wasn't even playing in this game but seeing Quinn.. I don't know. It's a good feeling, but also bad at the same time.
The lights went dim, the announcer came on.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your Toronto Maple Leafs!!" The crowd erupts in cheer, and when I turn to my left, I can see the blue helmets and uniforms all file onto the ice.
I look to my right and see the Canucks in white, skating around their end.
Eventually, the starting lines are on each blue line, and the announcer asks everyone to stand for the anthem.
As the arena is dark, I can still see who is on the ice. Of course Quinn is starting, he is one of their best defensemen.
He hands his head low, and boy is it ever hot. He has a semi beard, not too thick, but extremely handsome. The Canadian anthem stops, and the arena brightens once again. The refs step out to the centre circle, preparing for the puck
Drop.
———
It was now the third period. Four minutes left. Toronto was up 4-1, and I was so happy. Even if the man I love is on the other team, I'll always be a leafs fan.
It had been a rough game, lots of penalties for each team were handed out, but it had been a while since one was called.
Quinn was currently on, but the puck was in the Canucks zone, and it looked like they were on a penalty kill because of the way they were on the ice, all spread out in a specific way.
The puck was knocked away from Mitch's stick, and was dumped out. The ref blew the whistle for the icing against Vancouver, and both teams had a change.
For some reason, Quinn got off of the ice by the forward door, and that's when we made eye contact. He wasn't looking away. His face was so beautiful, His eyes were mesmerizing, and it was so hard to look away. His mouth ajar, I smile quickly and turn away. It warms my heart a little bit, but at the same time, I feel it shatter.
We both have made mistakes, and I wish I could go back to the day I graduated and decided to come back to Ontario, I wish I had stayed with him. The night he came to the hotel, invited him in. Caught up, told him everything. Told him how I felt. It was too late now.
The buzzer soon went off, and the crowd did not stay quiet, everyone including me stood up and clapped for them and their hard work.
My dad walks over to the side of the bench facing me, and waves at me with a big grin on his face.
I return the smile, and wave back.
As I stood up and got ready to go, I could see Quinn on the other side of the bench, staring blankly at the ice that was getting flooded by the Zamboni.
I decide to take a chance, I was leaving, and I had nothing to lose.
The isle that led to him was all clear, I took a few steps and I already wanted to turn around, but my feet kept going. I stopped when I could see him clearly. He kept staring, a disappointed look on his face.
I raise my hand and give two loud raps on the glass. He immediately looks up, and his face brightens up, I could see the change.
He still had the sad face, but the way his eyes sparkled when he saw me.
I raise my hand on the glass, and held it there. He takes his hand out of his blue glove, and raises it to meet my hand on the other side of the rink.
Seeing him this sad just makes me upset as well.
"I'm sorry." I mouth, pressing my lips tightly against each other and squint my eyes trying to fight tears from coming out of my eyes. Unfortunately, my efforts were for nothing, one tear falls down my face, and he sees it.
His face looked caring and concerned for me.
He puts his hands up to the side of his face like a telephone. "Call me please?" He signals.
"I'm sorry." I mouth again, and knowing I couldn't stand in front of him any longer, walk away.
It didn't feel like the right thing to do, but I had to get away before I started to bawl my eyes out silently.
I take my jersey and try to wipe my tear stained face so nobody could see me.
I make my way back downstairs, and I pass some guards to get back to the waiting area down stairs.
The players start to come out, and my dad slips out with some of them, and he sees me.
Knowing it was time to go, I get up from my chair and follow him out of the back door and into the car.
Once I was all settled, he starts the car and we start our journey back home. The car was dark, and my dad could not see me clearly, but I could probably write in my journal. I needed to spill
Some feelings.
More tears fall from my eyes, my built up frustrations coming out.
Dear Quinn,
It took so much not to jump over that glass and go right into your arms. Embrace you, caress you.
I truly wish I did that though, but "talking" to you for the first time in months just overwhelmed me I guess.
I wish I was with you right now, what I would do to teleport to you, and be in your arms, be comfortable, and feel safe.
Maybe I should take up your offer and call you.. I just don't know. Is it smart? To maybe reconnect? I mean I wouldn't mind it, but seeing you makes me so nervous for some reason. Good and bad.
I feel like someday, we will really find each other again, I just wonder when that will be.
p.s. I still love you
Love, Gen.
———
I look up from my book, and put it back into the bag I had. I looked at my phone to see if I had any notifications, and it's like he knows what I'm thinking.
Quinn 🏒
We should talk
Gen 🤪
hello
it's been a while ..
I still love you, please say you still do too..
unsent
Quinn 🏒
I'll be in Ontario for a few days
We should meet up
———
Genevieve.Williams
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A/N
Ugh I so badly want to put them back together. It's coming though.. the moment you've been waiting for.. and it might not be how you think too..
ALSO 2577 WORDS!!
Also I just wanted to remind yall that I don't edit these chapters so if there are any grammar mistakes or spelling errors I'm sorry🥹