*Patrick's P.O.V.*
I stare at my Lyla sleeping on the couch, her face relaxed. I hate to disturb her sleep, but it's time for the skate.
"Lyles." I whisper, "wake up." I nudge her shoulders.
"Urfhgd." She stirs in her sleep, kicking away the blanket.
Man, i hate to do this.
"WAKE UPPPPPP!" I yell.
"Ahh!" Lyla jumps up from the couch.
I smirk triumphantly, and Lyla chuckles softly.
"Jeez, Pat." She rubs her neck. "Is it time already?" She asks.
"Yeah." I grin, "Keep warm, sweet Lyles. I hope you can skate."
"I knew how to skate," she puts the emphasis on 'knew', "But that was before i became blind." She sighs unhappily.
"Don't worry." I assure her, "I'll be right beside you, leading you. I won't let you fall."
"You better not." She jokes lightly.
With ease, she gets on skinny jeans, a knitted sweater, a scarf and her puffy jacket.
"Here." I place a Blackhawks beanie in her hand.
"A hat?" She feels the fabric.
"Yep." I make my way to her and help her put it on. "There." I say, straightening out her long hair.
We drive to the UC in the same car as Jonny and Alex, those two lovebirds in the backseat.
"Tazer, Kaner!" Sharpy greets us right when we arrive in the rink.
"Alex!" Chaunette embraces Alex right away. "Lyla." Chaunette hugs Lyla, but lighter and more careful as if Lyla was very fragile.
"Let me introduce you to the team, Lyles." I take her arm and pull her into the locker room.
"Sharpy, Leddy, Keith?" I call out the first three guys i see, and automatically every guy in the room had their attention fixed on Lyla and I.
"This is Lyla, my girlfriend. Some of you had met her before, but this is her now. Lyla, this is the team." I hold her hand, encouraging her.
The team says their hello's, and Lyla seems very happy to be meeting them.
The team and their families start to get ready to get on the ice. I lace up my skates, and turn to Lyla.
"Let me help you." I help her tie up her figure skates, lacing them on the hooks. "There you go." I smile.
"Thank you." She says, a blush starting to warm up her cheeks.
"Why are you blushing?" I smirk.
"I... uh, nothing. You're very gentle with me, that's all." She smiles shyly.
"Yeah. I dont want to lose you is all." I try to sound casual even though I'm speaking right from my heart.
"I really love you." She says, leaning on my arm for support.
"I love you too." I kiss her temple.
"Let's skate, baby!" Jonny waves us on the ice, and the guys join him.
"Careful." I lead Lyla to step over the block from between the ice and the boards.
"Oh." Lyla grips my hand.
"Here." I pull her arm under mine, and she grips onto my arm instead. "Just skate. I'll lead you." I promise.
She skates on, and she's not a bad skater.
"This is fun." She giggles, her grip loosening.
Just then, the cameras come out. I don't tell Lyla, because she won't be able to see them anyway. She doesn't like the press much.
"What's that?" She blinks rapidly. I guess she felt the flash.
"There are some cameras." I tell a tiny little lie. There are more than just SOME cameras, there are reporters as well. "Stay here." I let go of her hand, and she stands completely still.
I skate to the reporters in the rink, they're not allowed on the ice.
"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't interview me when im with Lyla." I tell them.
"Is Lyla your girlfriend?" A woman asks.
"Yes." I smile a little, "She doesn't like the cameras." I say.
"Why is that?" She asks, being a little more nosey.
"Because she's... blind." I say openly. Lyla told me she's ready for the public, and she's ready for the fans to know that we're a couple.
"She's what!?" I man asks rudely.
"Blind. You know, visually.... impaired..."
Jonny appears beside me, then whisks me away.
"You need to come." He leads me back on the ice, where Lyla is sitting down on the ice.
"She fell. We don't know how she's doing, because she won't let any of us near." Jonny tells me.
I start skating towards Lyla, when Brandon Saad appears beside her. Instead of pushing him away like she's done for every other guy on the team, she let him touch her. He carefully pulls her up, and holds her.
"Lyla?" I take her from his arms, and she looks around turning her head rapidly. "What happened?" I rub her shoulders. She's discarded her thick jacket, only wearing her knit sweater and scarf. Her hat has fallen off too.
"I thought i can skate on my own. Turns out i can't." She laughs bitterly.
"Why didn't you let any of the guys help you up?" I ask quietly. "And why did you let Brandon help you?"
"I wanted to do it myself." She says stubbornly, "But i knew everyone was staring at me. The cameras probably caught me falling, how embarassing. And i don't know, Pat. I guess i didn't feel like sitting there and having the whole team laugh or feel pity." She scowls. "Brandon said kind things. I'm sure he's the only one who didn't laugh."
The team laughed at Lyla? How can that be true...
"No." i say, not believing her.
"I heard laughs, Patrick. I'm blind not deaf." Her eyes are very glassy, and I know she's telling the truth.
"IN THE LOCKER ROOM, NOW." I yell loudly to the team.
"Come here." I speak softly to Lyla, leading her back to the benches. "I'm going have a chat with them."
I walk into the locker room, and everyone is silent.
"What the hell. You guys know Lyla's different! Did you guys laugh? Stand around? I don't think i have to tell you guys that you need to help her out a little." Im on the verge of full on yelling, but i don't.
"We didn't laugh. It was the cameras, they were just snapping photos." Brent Seabrook shrugs, "Don't you think Lyla's kind of a burden?" He adds.
I gasp at him. Unbelievable.
"A burden? You've got to be fucking kidding me, Seabs. I love her. Blind or not, I'm always going to be there for her. I know it's tough, but i want this so badly. It's Lyla I'm talking about, not crazy party girls."
My voice breaks at the end, because i realize that no matter how hard i try, it'll ALWAYS be like this. Lyla will always be like this, and I'm going to have to pay special care to her. Jonny was right.
This is way too fucking hard.
"I'm sorry." I don't know why I apologize to the group of guys in that room, but I do. I feel like I've brought this onto the team.
"Don't apologize, Kaner. We'll help you." Saad says, "I don't know how, but you can count on me to help."
"Thank you." I feel a sudden warmth for this boy. "Thank you." I say again.
The rest of the team stares at be dumbfounded, shocked by my sudden outbreak.
"I'm sorry." I say again, feeling like I've brough a problem on to the team.
I walk out of the locker room, and Lyla is still sitting in that same spot.
"Hey." I smile as I approach her.
"We need to talk." She reaches her arm out, and i take it. She surprises me by pulling me into a tight hug, amd i hug her back.
She whispers softly into my ear, "I think i should leave now."
"Hmm? What?" I say quietly, her hug has completely mesmerized me. "But the skate isn't over yet." I whine a little.
"No." She shakes her head slightly, "I mean all together. I think i should leave."
She holds onto me, and when I don't say anything, she gets up.
"Wait, what?" I call after her. She's using her cane, but she still stumbles.
"I'm sorry, Pat. I'm very sorry." She disappears into the change room, and I run after her. Why are there locks on this thing?
I bang the door with a loud thud, and curse.
"Lyla!" I scream out of frustration, "Why? You can't just leave." I say softer.
"I just... this isn't going to work? I don't know, I can't do this anymore."
Her words are piercing, but her voice is painful. How could this be? Just this morning she acted as though she loved me. There must be a reason.
"Lyla, please don't leave." I find myself begging. "I don't even know why."
"It's this. I can't do this anymore. I'm going to come out now, okay?" The lock clicks open, and Lyla walks out.
I hug her so tight, that she cannot go anywhere.
"I'm not letting go." I say between her gasps, "I love you."
"Patrick, let me go! It's not going to work. I'll have Sam pick me up, i texted him. Please, just let go." Lyla's voice comes out so strained, that i let go. She regains her breathing, and i see that her cheeks are wet. She's been crying.
"Why?" Is all I ask.
She shakes her head, but she smiles sadly.
"Goodbye." She says.
I watch her retreating back, when it all sinks in. She wants to leave forever. I slump down on the wall, and the tears begin. No one even comes to find me. I'm alone.
I just want to know why.
It's not fair for her to leave without a good reason. There's no way I'm letting her go.