Falling Fast (Loving the Sound Book 1)

by Kat Obie

  Alice took a sip and realized that he’d poured her some of the maple-aged Christmas beer. She kicked herself for having to taste it to figure out what it was since that was the only amber drink in her fridge. She didn’t need to taste it to know it was Festivus.

  She forced a smile as she said, “Just talking to myself. Trying to remember if I put my spare Pounds and Euros coins away after I went to Paris or if I spent it all.”

  Scott smiled. “You went to Paris? When and with who?” His voice was warm and interested.

  “Yeah, in October for like ten days. It was wonderful. I went by myself.”

  “Really?” That seemed to impress Scott. Before the break-in, she was so strong and independent. She didn't think twice about going to a different country on her own. That’s how she knew things had broken her some in the past 24 hours—now she was scared and wanted to be held. While she knew it was expected, it still didn’t sit well with her.

  “Yeah. I needed to take time off, and I wanted to practice my French. Besides, you won’t get called into work when you’re out of the country. It was a lovely trip and I did so many things I adored.”

  “You’ll need to tell me more about it. I don’t think I’ve ever really traveled solo, except for hockey or to see my parents. I don't think I would have thought to take a trip to another country without knowing anyone.”

  Alice shrugged her shoulders. The more she talked about it, the more she saw it was a little weird to put together a trip in less than six weeks and to take it by herself. Thinking about it made her want to travel again. Maybe go abroad with Scotty.

  8

  Alice

  Alice walked into Scott’s house after work. She was withdrawn. The day was tough and she wanted to relax.

  Chloe immediately greeted her at the door. She could barely get into the door. The house was full of aroma of dinner so she knew that Scotty must have made dinner. Too bad that was the last thing she wanted.

  She walked towards the kitchen. Scotty immediately scooped into a hug. “Hey, babe.”

  She forced a smile.

  “Dinner is almost ready.” He let her go and filled up a plate.

  Before he could fill a second plate, she said, “I’m not hungry right now.”

  “Come on Al, you got to eat,” he said as he stared at her. It was the first time, he ever called her by a nickname that was a generic babe. She liked it and it took her off guard especially since his voice was so warm.

  “I’m fine. Honest.”

  He shook his head in disapproval. He placed the plate on the counter. He caressed her arm. “Babe. You skipped breakfast. Now you want to skip dinner. It’s not healthy.”

  “I’m not hungry.” It was good that he wanted to care for her. It was time to probably time to fess up about her past and why she didn’t want to eat. His eyes plead with her eat. She took a deep breath. “Babe, I can’t eat when I’m stressed out.”

  “You should. I can make you soup or something lighter if this is too heavy.”

  She shook her head. It was sweet he was offering to make other food. She knew she needed to open up but she hated to talk about it. It was one of her biggest failings, but it was rearing its ugly head. She played with her wrists and didn’t want to look into Scotty’s eyes.

  “I know I need to eat.” She pressed on the inside of her wrist. “Let me get away with it tonight but know my dad would totally approve of you noticing when I skip meals.”

  He stepped closer and rubbed her arms. He tipped her head so she was looking into his eyes. “Please, explain it to me.”

  Closing her eyes as she searched for the words without making it sound too alarmist or crazy. “I can go anorexic when I get stressed. It’s my way of instituting control.”

  He rubbed her face. “That’s not good.”

  “I know.” She said in agreement. “I know the warning signs and promise this isn’t it. This is just the stress.” It was something that she never liked to open about especially if she feared that the person might walk out of her life.

  “You sure?”

  She nodded. “I promise.”

  He kissed her ear. “I definitely think you should eat something but I’ll let it slide tonight. Just not every night.”

  9

  Scott

  Normally, the All-Star break would be an easy trip: a media day, a skills challenge, and a couple of games for a chance to win $1 million dollars. It was always nice to play with some of the best in the league.

  Leaving Alice was tougher than he expected. The last few days had been awesome, and they’d settled into a routine. He woke up next to her each day. He knew their schedules would be changing after the All-Star break. He liked how Alice wasn’t a ball of anxiety anymore and becoming more like her old self. Nights were when she struggled the most. It was rough getting her to relax enough to fall asleep, and she would jump at the slightest touch. He could see the dark circles and purple tinge around her eyes grow daily.

  The flight to the All-Star game was uneventful. He traveled with a few people from the Sound PR team so they could promote the event. He played on his Nintendo Switch just to keep himself busy on the cross country flight.

  Once he got to the hotel, he decided to do a quick video call with Alice, but she didn’t pick up. She was most likely busy at work.

  He got ready for his media day with a shower, took care of his hair, and shaved. The shaving was probably the most important thing. His scruff was almost a beard but not quite one either. He’d stopped shaving when Alice started to stay at his place. He was too busy fussing over her and got lazy. He got mixed reviews from the guys in the locker room, not that it really mattered.

  The person who mattered most never said if she liked it or not. He’d hoped to ask her on the video chat. Since that wasn’t to be, he played it safe, if only for the PR guys. While his hair could get a little crazy, he’ pretty much always been clean shaven except for the playoffs.

  Everyone was in ‘let's have fun’ mode at the arena. All the players were in a great mood, and a few of the guys even brought their kids. There was a lot of chatter.

  Scott hadn’t been selected for the All-Star game in a couple of years. It was fun, and he enjoyed a 3-on-3 knock-out tournament based on divisions. He was curious how the Metropolitan would fare. They were deep, despite not having some of the studs that the other teams had.

  The media day was pretty uneventful. There were a few silly games, including a wiggle where he had to get 15 ping pong balls out of a tissue box and the 40 cup stacking game only using one hand. He had no idea what the NHL planned to do with those videos. He was just glad that all the players had to look pretty silly doing it. There were lots of interviews.

  He laughed when he saw that he was placed next to Claude Giroux in both the locker room and in some of the media booths. Alice had a thing for the Flyers captain prior to meeting him. There were times he wondered if he was a poor-man’s substitute for Giroux. As he got to know her, he realized he wasn’t a substitute for anything.

  She craved Scotty in the ways that counted most. He saw her internal strength, even when she was being hard on herself for feeling vulnerable, and she loved the time hanging out together.

  The best part of the day was when they finally got to play some hockey. It felt good to get a feel for what it was like to play with the guys. While they all played against each other four times a year, it was different from being on the same line with a guy.

  Scott wasn’t surprised that the two Penguins players were on a line together or by how they fed off each other. He enjoyed that he played easily with Alice’s favorite guy. They were forming their own ginger line for the All-Star Game. He just hoped it was a lethal combination.

  By the end of the day, he was exhausted. He wanted to talk to Alice and crash out. Fortunately, the hotel was close to the arena.

  He used Facetime to call Alice. This time, she picked up right away. He was a tad disappointed to see that she’d returned to h
er apartment rather than stay at his home, but he knew it would be good for her to go back there. She’d been avoiding it like the plague.

  “Oh, hey you!” she said with a smile. She looked exhausted. “You shaved.”

  “Yeah. I hope you don’t mind. How was your day?”

  Scott wished that Alice gave some indication whether she liked the shaved or the unshaven look. “It was uneventful.” She went quiet for a moment.

  He saw her downplaying something in her mind. Scott wished he knew how to get her to open up. She switched the conversation. “How was your day? Did you have to do the weird thing where you wiggle out ping pong balls from your back?”

  Scott laughed hard. He couldn’t believe she knew about that. “How in the world did you know about that?”

  “The Flyer’s posted G’s attempt to Insta and my best friend sent it over to me. So I take it you had to do that too. How did you do?” Alice laughed with pure joy, something he hadn’t seen since the burglary, except for when they had sex. “Did you do any downward-facing dog, too?”

  “Nope to the downward-facing dog. Just mainly hopped around and used some of my mad dancing skills.” Alice raised her eyebrow as if she questioned his ability. “Seriously. Do you need me to take you dancing to prove it?”

  “As long as it’s not a club, why not?”

  That was surprising to Scott. He’d never had a girl turn him down. Hell, in juniors, going to the club and dancing was the easiest way to pick up girls.

  Alice followed up with, “Strobes give me migraines.”

  “Definitely no clubs, then.” He wanted to take Alice dancing although that would limit his moves. He knew he was smiling. “But my day was good. I wish I could have played a little more hockey, if only to get used to the new gear. I think you’ll like the lines if things stay the way they are.”

  “As long as you aren’t with the asshole, I’m sure I will.”

  Scott chuckled. Her Philly was showing through, and he knew it. He wanted to rib her just to see the reaction. So he teased, “Do you mean that guy that comes from the Flyers?”

  “Oh, hell no! You know damn well that I would never call him an asshole. I’m pretty sure you know that it would probably be a Penguin. I will call Crybaby Crosby an asshole any day of the week. I am starting to suspect that you are one as well,” she said in an extremely animated way. It was cute to see her get all riled up. It was so funny. He hadn’t heard the Crybaby nickname in forever. He’d forgot that Flyer fan nickname.

  With the sternest face he could muster, although he knew it was more of a smile, he said, “You know, you kinda have to like him for a couple of games.”

  “Nope! Not going to happen. It took me like 35 games to stop cursing out every time Jagr touched the puck when he played for the Flyers. I only disliked Jagr. There is something about Crosby that I absolutely can’t stand. There isn't enough time in the world to get me to somewhat like that asshole. He’s talented, and I’d rather you play with him then against him, but I hate him. I won’t curse out any of the other guys playing for the metro if that makes any difference. I do want you to win.”

  Scott nodded. He wasn’t surprised by Alice’s comments. She was a typical Flyers fan, and there was pure hatred between the Penguins and Flyers on all levels. He wanted to watch a Flyers vs. Penguins game with her just to see her reactions. Some of her hatred had to go deeper than just a cross-state rivalry. He wasn't sure what was at the root of it.

  It was approaching 10pm, and he was 3 hours behind Alice. His question was going to sound dumb. “Still having any issues getting to sleep?”

  “Yeah. But I’m trying and I’ve taken some extra precautions like using the new lock and barricading my bedroom door. I’m trying to ease myself into being here and sleeping here again. I was just reading until you called.”

  Scott hated hearing that. He wished he knew how to help her. At least when she was at his place, she got some sleep, even if it was fitful. He wasn't sure she would be able to sleep at her place. She shot him down flat when he suggested just staying at his place without him.

  “Can I help in any way?” he asked.

  “Just be you.” She forced a smile, which let him know he’d stirred up her inner demons. She then changed the subject again. “Do you know the assignments for the skills challenge?”

  Scott shook his head. “Not yet. There were a couple debates on the assignments.”

  “What are you hoping for?”

  Scott took a deep breath. He really hadn’t thought about it too much other than doing a few run-throughs of each drill. It was just a showcase piece for the weekend. The fans cared about it a bit more than most of the players, other than not wanting to come in last place. “Um, I guess the accuracy shooting or the puck control. I know, I definitely don’t want to do the fastest skater.”

  Alice laughed. Scott had to marvel how hockey might be even more therapeutic for Alice than it was him. She was a fan who watched the game and only played occasionally. He never thought anyone else could become happier and more relaxed then him in terms of hockey. It was doing her good and it made him happy.

  She teased, “Don’t think you can beat McDavid?”

  “That little fucker is quick. No way I can touch him in a foot race.”

  Alice nodded. “That he is.”

  Scott turned the question back onto Alice. “What would you like to see me do?”

  “Probably the puck control,” she said with a yawn. Her exhaustion seemed to be catching up with her. “That’s all you and G for that in my mind.”

  He nodded. He should encourage her to go to sleep, but he had a feeling she would try to push off the idea so he decided on a different tack. “Hey baby, would you mind if I head off to bed?”

  “Yeah. No problem.” She didn’t move to end the call.

  Scott forced out a yawn to make his act more convincing. “You know that does mean one of us has to hang up first.” Alice nodded. “Alright. Sleep well. If you need to talk to someone in the middle of the night, just call. Je t’aime.”

  “Okay. Sleep well. Kick ass tomorrow. I love you too.”

  Alice

  Alice was waiting for Scott at the airport. She was flabbergasted that he wanted her to meet him there since their original plan was for him to take an Uber back. It didn’t help that it was yet another late night and she’d barely slept the entire time he was away.

  Finally, she saw Scott coming into view. He had a bag on his shoulder that she didn’t remember him having before. He was grinning like mad and practically trotted over to her. His pace was dampened by the fact he was trying to keep the shoulder bag from moving too much. Once he reached her, he scooped her up into a hug and said, “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  Before anything else could happen, there was a high-pitched little “arf” that penetrated the air. It sounded so tiny that she knew it had to be something super young. Scott set her down on the ground again and with a Cheshire cat smile and pulled something out of the bag.

  “So, I was a wee bit impulsive while I was away and I got you something. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

  Alice did as she was told. Suddenly, there was something moving between her hands and she tried to get a good grip as she opened up her eyes. She immediately saw a tiny puppy that reminded her of Chloe in general shape but she knew there were some differences. The paws and ears appeared to be slightly larger.

  “What? A puppy?” asked a very shocked Alice.

  “Yup.” Scott looked so pleased with himself. She couldn’t have pets at her place. Where would the little guy live? Could they even care for such a tiny little puppy? How did they even let him board a plane with a puppy that young? Surely it was too young to be away from its mom.

  Scott continued in a steady calm voice, pleased with himself. “I figured you needed to have some back up when you are by yourself at night. He’s going to get much bigger than he is now. But isn’t he adorable?”
He scratched behind the dog’s ears, causing him to start to lick Alice’s hands. “I know it seems crazy. But I talked to the breeder and they think Chloe should be able to nurse him. If that doesn’t work, we can bottle feed him, but he’s eating food and water some too.”

  Alice was slowly falling in love with the little guy with each lick he gave her and from Scott’s excitement. She couldn’t hold the laughter in. “You’re insane. I love the little guy, but we can’t take him to my place. My landlord will kill me.”

  Scott kissed her almost as if to silence and calm her down so she wouldn’t reject everything right out of hand. “I thought about that too since I had a feeling your place didn’t allow pets. I know this is a big ask, and you will probably think it’s crazy, but hear me out. Move in with me. You won’t have to do anything. I have plenty of space. You can have your own separate rooms for stuff. Before you think of every reason you can’t, just think about how we were together every day before I left. It can be the same as before, except you won’t have to run to your apartment to get things and there won’t be so many reminders of the break-in every night. Plus, don’t you want to wake up next to me and this little guy every day?”

  Alice wasn’t sure she could have been more shocked. If she thought the puppy was a crazy thing to bring home over a weekend, being asked to move in seemed even crazier. It was a tempting offer since he was right; it would be a nice thing to do. But she couldn’t just leap into moving into his place.

  “Would you hate me if I asked for more time to think about it?”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. As long as you and the little guy come home with me right now.”

  “That could be arranged,” Alice said with a sexy smile. She had been waiting for him to return. Despite chatting daily while he was gone, she missed him fiercely.

  The puppy kept squirming in her hand and she had a feeling all he wanted to do was explore, but Alice knew that she had to keep a grip on him or else he would run away since he didn’t have a leash on. Scott was right: the gray and white puppy was adorable. As Alice continued to struggle to hold onto the puppy, Scott scooped him up and put him back into the bag and zipped it up.