Ice in My Veins (14 page)

Hunted like Prey

Wednesday morning, I didn’t want to say goodbye to Alex. I was going to seriously miss him.

“Just because you’re not going to be in my arms, doesn’t mean that you won’t be in my heart Christine,” he said sweetly.

“Wow, that’s all you got? Alex, that was really corny.” I laughed. He did also. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

I wished him luck, although I knew he would play great for Providence. Boston was lucky to have a talented all around player like Alex. It was hard to see him go, although it was best for both of us for the moment. We both had bright futures ahead of us. We needed to have this break and explore our talent.

I decided to take a shower. While I was getting dressed in my room, I noticed that my bedroom window had been broken somehow. It was cracked by the lock. I didn’t know how recently it had happened. Maybe it had always been cracked, and I just never noticed it before? I fidgeted with the lock for a minute, trying to figure out how it got broken. I mentioned it to Moose, and he didn’t know whether or not it had been previously broken. We sluffed it off. The Peats weren’t around to ask.

The day passed as like any other day. I had to ask Myles during practice if he overdosed on stupid this morning. He was completely out of it.

“Partied last night. Hung over, not my fault.” He snapped.

“Poor alcohol, it gets blamed for everything doesn’t it.” I teased and skated away.

I hung out with my new girlfriends from school after practice. We went out for dinner, then hung around the movie theater trying to agree on a movie to watch. I was enjoying myself. We decided on the new horror flick. I am not a big horror movie fan but went with the majority choice.

When I got home some of my teammates were still there playing Xbox. It was past curfew and Moose had been trying to shew them out. I laughed.

“Alright you guys, time to leave now.” I blurted out. I heard a few groans and moans, but they all left. Moose didn’t like kicking the guys out. I had no issues on that front. Some of them could be annoying.

I raced Moose to see who got the shower first. He won but like a gentleman he offered it up to me first. I was grateful. After we were both fresh and clean, we sat on the couch and talked for a while. It was almost 1:30 in the morning. I was starting to yawn. I excused myself and crawled into bed.

I was restless in my bed. I could have sworn I saw shadows on my wall. Sinister shadows. I thought maybe I was dreaming. I fell back asleep. I kept hearing weird sounds. Creaking and crackling. I got out of bed and wandered around the basement, but saw nothing out of place. I opened Moose’s door, he was sound asleep, snoring away. So it hadn’t been him. I figured I was paranoid from the scary movie I had gone to see with my girlfriends. I went back to sleep.

Something jolted me awake. Something terrifying. There was someone outside my bedroom window. I was sure of it. I panicked and reached for the light on my nightstand. I couldn’t find it. I knew it was there, I was fumbling to much to reach the switch. I felt in the dark around the floor of my bed. I needed something to use as a weapon. I found my voice and started screaming at the top of my lungs.

He was crawling through the window, and he had one foot on my bedroom floor. Moose came running into my room with a baseball bat. He started smacking the guy with it. He must have hit him in the head because something sprayed onto the wall. The guy wormed himself back out through the window and took off. Moose chased after him, but was unable to catch him. I was on the telephone with the 911 operator when he came back. I was still sitting in the dark on my cell phone when he flipped on the light.

“He got away, but I definitely hit him hard. Look on the wall there’s blood.” He pointed to the splatter.

When the police arrived they took both our statements. I already had a case file for my stalker. I gave them that case number. I didn’t want to wake the coach up, but Moose insisted on calling him. I didn’t want this to affect my spot on the team. I was pacing back and forth when coach arrived at the house. The police had a team searching in my room for clues, and a group of them were searching the streets. They figured if Moose had hit him hard enough to bleed like that, then he might not have gotten far.

I was more worried about my spot on the team. I didn’t want this to cause problems for me. I know I should have been more concerned for my life. However, hockey was my life. Ben assured me that the situation had no bearing on my team spot. It was something that happened from time to time. We would all deal with it the same way they had in the past. He told me the team and the staff were there for me. I need not worry.

I was a nervous wreck until the morning, when the police called us to tell us they had finally caught the guy. I was relieved.

Apparently, he was upset that I was playing in the OHL. He wanted to teach me a lesson. Make an example out of me, so no other girl would want to play in the OHL again. He was an obsessed hockey fan. When the police searched his apartment they found photographs of me that spanned the last few months. That proved he had been following me for a while. The guy was certifiably insane.

Coach had to report the incident to the league, and the team owner. There was a write up in the local newspaper about it. It also made the news. Not the best way to get known in the sports world. However, at least the situation was handled well.

Some people were making a big deal out if it because I was a girl. Of course the questions arose about whether it was politically correct for a girl to be playing in the OHL. I gave a few interviews on the subject. The public seemed to be split on the issue. The only thing they seemed to agree on was that I was definitely a good enough player to be playing in the league. I didn’t care about the rest as long as they felt that way about me I was alright with it.

My father and Alex were relieved to hear about the police catching the stalker. The judge sentenced the guy for break and enter and stalking. He got three and a half years. I wished he had gotten more. He actually wanted to have Moose charged for hitting him in the head with a bat. That wasn’t going to happen. He was placed in the mental ward so he could get some help.

The situation became a big joke in the locker room.

“Coop, has been stalking you Chrissy. He installed a camera into the vent in your room.” Wellie badgered me with repeated jokes.

It was all in good fun. It was just the way we all dealt with it. Moose wasn’t my hero, instead I praised his baseball bat. I even made it a red cape. I hung the bat on the wall above my bed. He found that terribly amusing.

It bothered me that Alex wouldn’t be in town to celebrate my 17th birthday with me. I would have liked that. I didn’t make a big deal out of the fact that it was my birthday to the guys, or to the Peats.

My birthday was on a Saturday and we didn’t have any games or practices this weekend. I figured, maybe I would just be having a nice quiet dinner with the Peat’s and Moose. That was enough for me.

On Friday, flowers and a gift arrived from my family. It was a new hockey book that I wanted to read. It was written by an ex-NHL player. Inside the card was $200.00. It was from my parents and my brothers. I thought that was nice of them. I knew money was still tight at home. It was unexpected to see that amount. I would have to call them and thank them.

Moose gave me a gift certificate to a really nice clothing store worth $50.00. I gave him a great big hug and kiss. The Peats also gave me a gift certificate to the mall. It was a $150.00 gift card, to be used at any store in the mall. I appreciated all the gifts. It was very nice of them.

The team and coaches all wished me happy birthday at practice on Friday afternoon. They had all signed a card for me.

I was looking forward to a nice dinner tonight. Mrs. Peat had made spaghetti for us, I really loved her sauce. She even got me a Boston cream cake. It was delicious.

After dinner Moose asked me to come with him to the movie store to grab a movie. I agreed, it would be nice to just relax in front of the tube. He wanted to stop by his buddy’s place to pick up a new video game. I was planning on waiting in the car. He told me he might be a while, so I should come in with him.

When I walked into the house, the team was there and scared me half to death when they yelled surprise. That was completely unexpected, and I knew it was Moose who planned it all out. I gave him a big hug. It was heartwarming for him to do this for me.

Alex called me during the party to wish me a happy birthday. I missed him a lot. We shared something special.

We partied late into the night. I drank way too much. I knew I would feel it in the morning, but it was worth it. I had an amazing time.

On Tuesday, an unexpected gift arrived by courier from Providence. It was a birthday gift from Alex. It was a beautiful gold bangle. It must have cost him a fortune. It was a double woven bangle; with a white gold bow separator in the center, and a box clasp. I called him right away to thank him for it. It really was the best birthday I had ever had.

We won our next few games, which placed us in the top of our division in the OHL. Our Christmas break was going to be two weeks before Christmas, and we would have to be back in Toronto to play a game on Boxing day.

I was getting excited for the Christmas break. I missed my family, even my brothers. That was hard to admit. I bought them all a little something for Christmas. I didn’t have a lot of money so it wasn’t much.

Moose and I exchanged gifts before we left. I bought him a t-shirt with a drinking saying and he got me a gift certificate to a local sex shop. He fell to the floor laughing when I opened it. I could just imagine the expression that was on my face when I saw it. I would hide that in my drawer. I might find the courage to actually use it one day. Moose was too much. Such a great sense of humor. I loved that about him.

Cathy and Harry Peat bought me some bath and body items as well as gave both Moose and myself $100.00 gift card for the local mall.

I called Alex and informed him I was leaving to go home. I wished that I could spend Christmas with him. I mentioned to him that he would get his gift when I saw him next. I had bought him a pocket watch and had it engraved with ‘Always follow your dreams, Love you always Christine’. I hoped that he would like it. I really didn’t know what else to get for him. Especially when he told me all he wanted was me.

Going Home Again

My family met me at the airport in Detroit, and we drove home to Dryden. The house seemed different to me. Smaller somehow. It was nice to be home though. It smelt the same, looked the same, yet something was different now. Maybe I was the one who was changed? I had grown up a lot since I had been away. More mature. I was looking at things differently now. Everyone went about their normal routine. I think we had exhausted ourselves with the miss you’s, on the drive home from the airport. There was nothing else left to say. We celebrated our Christmas the next night. This way I could enjoy it with them. It was nice to sit around with my family talking and catching up.

The day after our mini Christmas celebration, I called up a few of my friends to let them know I was home. Rachel invited me to a party in the next town. I decided it might be fun to go to a party with all my old school friends.

She picked me up at 8:00 o’clock and we drove to the party. She filled me in on all the town gossip. She and all my other friends were now into partying and having casual sex. I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it. In the short time I had been gone, my friends had completely changed.

She asked me if I had a boyfriend. I told I did. I didn’t go into details about it though. I didn’t need rumors flying around. I just said he was someone I met in Toronto and that he had just turned twenty and hot.

I replied “No.” When she asked me if I had sex with him yet. I told her I just wasn’t ready. She couldn’t understand why I was waiting. I didn’t want to insult her and tell her, because I’m not a slut. So I just didn’t respond. I knew everyone was doing it; it was happening at my school up in Toronto as well. I just didn’t want to jump into bed with random guys.

There were a lot of jocks at the party. Guys I recognized from school. The ones who thought I was weird for playing hockey. They were crowded around me now, asking me a million and one questions. They were all flirting with me. They mentioned they had seen some of my game footage on YouTube and one of my interviews. They asked me if I had an agent now. I confirmed that indeed I did have one.

I wasn’t use to getting this kind of attention from these guys. I was dumbfounded that playing hockey for a major junior team could bring so much celebrity. It made me feel awkward. These were people who didn’t want to give me the time of day before. Now all of a sudden, they were taking pictures with me and talking like we had always been best friends.

A few of the girls at the party seemed a little jealous and started making comments. I just ignored it. I was used to ignoring rude people like that by now. I sluffed it off most of the time. Tried not to let it get to me.

We played a few drinking games, but I was being careful with how much I drank. I didn’t want to do anything I regretted.

My phone buzzed while I was at the party. It was Alex. It was so nice to hear from him. I missed him greatly. He was not only my boyfriend but my best friend. He was happy I was out having a good time. He offered to fly me out to visit him during the week. He wanted to have our own little Christmas celebration. Just the two of us. I informed him that wouldn’t be the best idea. It would surely upset my parents. I really did want to go, he knew that.

It was getting on 1:00 a.m., and Rachel was to drunk to stand. She didn’t want to leave the party, and I didn’t want her driving me in her condition. I called my father. He came and picked me up. He was not happy about having to do this in the middle of the night. He was however, glad that I was smart enough not to drink and drive, or to get into a vehicle with people who were.

The week was passing slowly. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be back in Toronto. Everything had changed since I left. My friends, the town was different, even my house and family seemed different. I felt more at home living with the Peats. Had I really changed that much? I seemed to be on a different level of maturity than my friends. I looked at things much differently now. It didn’t make them wrong or me right. Just changed! Maybe part of it was the age difference between Alex and myself. Or my friendship with Moose. Both of them were twenty. Much older than I was. Yet! I seemed to get along with them the most. We seemed to be on the same level of maturity. I couldn’t see myself with any of the guys my age. They were much to immature for me. My mother always said I was older than my years.

I missed my teammates and my new friends. I couldn’t wait for the week visit to be over. I was debating whether or not to take Alex up on his offer. I wondered what kind of excuse I could give my parents for leaving. I called Alex to see if he was serious. He said he was. I told him give me a few hours I had to convince my parents.

I lied, sort of. It wasn’t so much of a lie, as it was an exaggeration. I told them that I had been invited to Providence. I didn’t say Alex was the one who invited me. Opps! I explained to them that Providence was the farm team for the Boston Bruins. I mentioned that I wanted to check them out. One of my teammates was presently called up, playing with them. He had offered me the spare room in his apartment. I expressed to them that I really felt I should go. It was a good thing for my future. They said go then.

I called Alex back right away. He booked me on a flight that night. That gave me three days to spend with him. I was looking forward to it.

Alex picked me up at the airport, the flight was only two hours. When he saw me, he grabbed me up in his arms and swung me around. He was so happy to see me. We drove to the apartment he shared with one of his teammates. An older player who was twenty-seven. He introduced us, then threw me over his shoulder and carted me off to his bedroom.

After a long make out session. We talked about what we both had been up to. I expressed to him my worries about being traded. The fear of having to start over again with a new team. He assured me coach wouldn’t trade me. I was too valuable a player. It looked like he would be staying in Providence for the rest of the season. Coach would definitely have to make some last minute trades.

He had a game that night. I was excited to check out the barn and watch him play. I sat with the other girlfriends and wives. They were all great. I liked them a lot. They were interested to know what it was like for me playing hockey with the guys. I missed most of the first period, because they kept me talking.

After the game I was contemplating if I wanted to take Alex and my relationship to the next level. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that yet. I decided the right thing to do, would be to just go with the flow. See how the night went, and then make a decision then. He had no idea I was considering a step like that. I also didn’t let on that I was.

I missed him a lot. I was completely in love with him. It wasn’t like he was some guy I was just going to jump into bed with. We cared about each other. I knew that having sex for the first time, was something that was only going to happen once. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t something I regretted.

I knew that if I decided to have sex with Alex tonight, I was 100% positive I would not regret that it was with him. I didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant. I had gotten the needle so I didn’t have to deal with my periods during hockey season. I was however, a little concerned about the women he had been with. I know that he told me he had been tested a few weeks ago and everything had come back clean. I wasn’t sure that was enough for me. If I was going to have sex, I would make sure that he used a condom as well.

That evening we took a steamy shower together. We explored each other’s bodies with the soap and our hands. He washed my hair and I washed his. My heart was racing the entire time. There were feelings fluttering through me that I did not recognize. Butterflies were swirling inside my stomach. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and placed my lips onto his. Softly at first, then more forceful as our lips parted. His hard wet body contoured against mine. His hands exploring my body as we kissed more passionately.

He step out of the shower and grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around me. Then he swung me up into the air and cradled me off to his room, placing me gently on the bed. He removed the towel off me and laid down beside me.

He traced my body with his fingers sending chills down my spine. First my chest and breasts, then he traced around my stomach and down to my hips. I couldn’t take it any more. I was about to fall all to willing victim to his magical touch. I surrendered to him with a moan. The night was perfect.

I woke up in the morning feeling stiff, but not sore. I was laying across his chest, his arms wrapped around me tightly. I glanced up at his face. He was still sleeping. His mouth was turned up into a smile. It was the best night of my life. I hoped that he enjoyed it as much as I did. It was certainly going to be more difficult to leave him, now that I had allowed myself to love him so completely like this.

Then like a thousand lightening bolts hit my heart at once, it sunk. What now? He was staying in Providence. Boston had signed him to a contract. There wasn’t going to be another opportunity for us to be together for months. Could I handle that kind of separation? Could he? What if he left me for an older more sophisticated woman? He was gorgeous, smart and talented. It’s not like older women weren’t throwing themselves at his feet. Would he want me anymore?

Maybe Moose had been right? What if he was only being this way until he got what he wanted? Last night he certainly got that. I shuttered. I couldn’t think like that. I had to block that out of my mind.

What if this, what if that. I had to look on the bright side. I loved him, and I knew he loved me. That was all that mattered. There was movement under me as he started to wake up.

“Good Morning Beautiful.” He greeted me.

I starred into those deep green eyes of his “Good Morning.”

“Last night was amazing. Nothing will ever compare to that.” He smirked. “How are you feeling Love?”

“I feel great.” I was certain that I had made the right choice for me. It was magical. He moved to get up, and I protested. He laughed.

“I guess you are keeping me prisoner in bed today,” he teased.

“You guessed correctly.” I giggled then threw myself at him taking full control of the situation in the bedroom.

An hour later he declared. “Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better you attack me like that.”

“I don’t want to leave.” I moaned. “I wish I could say here like this forever.”

“I don’t want you to leave either Hun, but you have to get dressed, or you’re going to miss your flight.” He reasoned. “Don’t worry Chrissy, we have a lifetime together to have nights like this.”

I growled “Grrr, fine, I’ll get dressed.”

He chuckled ”Did you just growl at me?”

I nodded yes, as I slide off the bed, so unwillingly that my body was almost slumped over itself.

“Stop pouting, you’re to irresistible when you do that.” He pulled me back down on top of him. I had only managed to get one leg in my jeans. I laid there beside him as I finished pulling them on.

“What am I going to do with you?” He shook his head.

“I really don’t know Alex, but I do recall a night that you promised to keep me forever.” I snickered.

“Oh, I intend to Christine. I intend to.” He declared.

After we were both dressed I finished packing. I realized that I hadn’t given him his Christmas gift. I pulled it out of my bag. He loved it. Then he handed me mine.

I ripped the paper off quickly and then noticed it was a small jewelry box. I opened the top and inside was a diamond ring. What the hell? I looked up at him in shock.

He looked up at me with nothing but love in his eyes. “It’s not an engagement ring Christine. They call this a promise ring. It means that one day I would like to be engaged and marry you.”

“But Alex, I’m only seventeen.” I choked. “Engaged, married, those things aren’t even on my mind yet.”

“Christine I understand that you’re only seventeen. For me to give this to you, just means that I will be faithful to you. I will wait for you until you’re ready for marriage.” He explained. “If you will accept it that is?”

I nodded my head up and down. He grinned then slid the ring on my finger.

“You know this means you have to take our relationship public now.” He insisted. ”I want everyone to know that your heart is spoken for.”

I took his head in my hands and kissed his lips. I figured that would answer his question.

He sat down in front of his computer and changed his Facebook relationship status to in a relationship with me. He motioned for me to sit on his lap. I didn’t have a choice. He made me log onto my account and accept it. Within 30 seconds of me accepting it, two of our teammates started to chirp their comments. We both laughed.

I changed my profile picture to a cute new one taken of me and him after last night’s game. Then changed my status to ‘Leaving Rhode Island, had the most amazing week with Alex, heading back to Toronto’. Then I logged off.

I thanked his roommate Steve, for being so welcoming. As I was leaving, I asked Steve to keep an eye on Alex for me with a wink. Alex and I drove to the airport.

Our airport goodbye was caught on camera by some Bruins fan. Great! That would be up on YouTube before I even boarded the plane. Alex seemed amused by the idea. He had wanted our relationship public from the beginning. Now that he was no longer on the Gophers, it was acceptable for us to be together. Many of the older guys in the league had younger girlfriends and the younger guys seemed to have older girlfriends. It was odd if you stopped to think about it. I think maybe it balanced out the relationships. When you’re young in the situation us rookies are you tend to need that extra guidance so you seek out a relationship with an older person. Yet the older guys seemed to need that carefree spirit in their relationships. Hmm, food for thought.