His Game, Her Rules

by Charlene Groome

  She turns into her condo building and parks in her stall. Maybe she’ll just lie on the couch and sulk. She could use a little rest anyway, and if she has any energy, she could clean her apartment.

  She gets out of her car, alarms it, and takes the elevator up to her floor. This is harder than breaking up with Mario. He might have broken her heart, but Ty crushed her, tore her heart in two, and stomped on it.

  She makes her way down the hallway toward her apartment, thinking that she and Ty are done. Done like dinner, done like the end of a good song, done. Why did it have to be this way? Why? How did she get herself into this mess? Maybe it’s because she had high hopes with Ty and wanted something more, a connection that could be more than a love affair, a deep yearning to be with “the one” who loves you just because. Like what her parents had: understanding, trust, and meaningful hellos and good-byes that always start or end with a silly pet name.

  As she walks closer to her front door, she digs for her keys and is suddenly taken aback at Ty standing at her doorway. Her eyes focus in on him sitting down on the carpet, leaning against her door, his hat still backwards, his arms across his knees. Her heart begins to race.

  “What?” She wonders how he got into her building. “What are you doing here?” she asks, unable to take her eyes off him. Her stomach knots at the thought of his betrayal.

  Ty stands up to face her and says, “You didn’t give me a chance to explain myself.”

  “I thought you did explain,” she answers in a mere whisper. “You told me what you did.”

  He shakes his head. “No . . . no I didn’t,” Ty says. “I didn’t know what to tell you at first, but as I drove here, I realized that you were right. I was being selfish, I wasn’t thinking about anything else but how I could get a date with you. I should have stuck up for you. I knew Bret was jealous about us. I tried hiding it, but the guys bugged me, calling me out, saying I wasn’t Slick anymore. But that’s not me, that’s not who I want to be. I want you, Elle. You changed that for me. I thought I could hide our relationship, especially after, well, you know, the first night together. Then for sure I thought you wanted nothing to do with me, but you still did, right?” he asks hopefully, lowering his head to meet her eyes.

  She doesn’t answer, but he continues, “I honestly didn’t think you would be fired. Upper management rarely listens to Joe. He can be a jerk on and off the ice.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter!” she says angrily. “It happened. I no longer have that job and I will never get it back.” She grips her set of keys as though it’s a tension ball, trying to release the frustration, but it’s not working. She’s only left with indentations in the palms of her hand.

  “I had no idea it would come to this,” he says, tightening his lips. He steps out of her way, and Eileen inserts her key into the lock and opens the door.

  “I’m sure you had some idea or you wouldn’t have backed up your teammate’s accusations,” she says, walking inside, throwing her bag to the floor, and holding on to the door with one hand, keeping it wide open. She’s not sure if she wants to invite him in.

  He leans into her doorway and she suddenly feels short under his six-foot-one-inch frame.

  “I like you, Elle, and I didn’t intend to hurt you,” he says simply. “You have to believe me.”

  She’s trying hard to think of something to say, but she’s overcome by disappointment and hurt. Eileen crosses her arms, admiring his broad shoulders and unshaven face. She takes a step inside and Ty follows her, closing the door behind him.

  “I know it sounds crazy coming from a guy who didn’t support a working relationship with you, but at the beginning I agreed with them because I wanted to be close to you.”

  “You got what you wanted,” Eileen says. “It was just a night—drinkin’ good time, and now that you got what you wanted—”

  “Is that all you think I’m after?” he asks, sounding hurt and angry. “You don’t get it, do you?” His eyebrows furrow.

  “Maybe I don’t,” she admits. “But I don’t want to feel used and that’s how I’m feeling, used! I feel like the Warriors used me, you used me, my coworkers used me to get free hockey tickets and autographs, women are asking me to introduce them to players. . . . It didn’t stop until I got fired. The treats stopped, everything stopped, and all because I’m not a Warriors employee.” She listens to the quietness around her. “Funny how that happens.”

  Ty softens his eyes, reflecting on her natural beauty. “I’m not using you,” he tells her. “Honestly, I’m not. I don’t know where you got that crazy idea from. I’ve never made you feel used, have I?”

  “It’s not that you make me feel that way, Ty—it’s who you are. You’re more interested in going to bed with a woman than building a relationship with her. That’s not me, that’s not who I am, and I can’t let you drift into my life thinking that that’s all right.”

  “Nights together never felt like a night-drinkin’, whatever you call it. It was something,” he says, with a stiff upper lip. “You know, I could easily say that you are using me.”

  She throws her shoulders back. “Come on, why would I do that?”

  “Exactly,” he says. “Why would I be using you? If I was, I wouldn’t have cared how you felt and I wouldn’t have driven to your house to talk to you.” For a second she wants him to take her into his arms. She even wishes he’d kiss her. To feel his lips on hers again . . .

  “I have something to tell you,” he says. “I admitted to Joe and Bret that I was . . . that you and I are together—”

  “You didn’t!”

  He hangs his head. “It was one day after practice. Tempers were flaring, and I said we were together. Joe freaked out, said you could be fired. I stuck up for you and they didn’t like it. He told me you had to quit or he’d tell Ted. I ignored him, and that’s when I heard you were getting the threats.”

  “But I got them the first week I was an employee.”

  “All I know is Joe was furious. He really didn’t want you hired in the first place. Ritchie is his friend, and if Ted and management liked what you were doing, it was possible they would have kept you on.”

  “They wouldn’t have. It’s Ritchie’s job.”

  “But Gary and Ted get along.”

  “You think Joe was the one harassing me?”

  Ty shrugs. “It’s my speculation. He used to be a skating coach. Maybe he was jealous.”

  Eileen blows out a breath. “It doesn’t matter now anyway.”

  Ty focuses on her long brunette wave that curves past her shoulders. “I’m sorry that it turned out the way it did. I wish I could take back the things I said. I was unfair to you,” he says as he brings a hand to his chest. “I’m really sorry it turned out this way.”

  Eileen steps back and leans against the kitchen wall. He adjusts his hat in place and puts his hands on his hips. His eyes find her gaze as though he’s going to confess to something that’s been weighing on his mind.

  “I know you’re going to find this hard to believe, but I have always been in love with you. I have never felt this way before, and I have never told another woman this,” he says, his voice pleading and soft. “I swear. I am physically attracted to you, and you drive me absolutely crazy.”

  Eileen is taken aback by his confession. Her lips pucker, holding back a smile.

  “I can’t get enough of you. I think of you in the morning, wishing I were waking up with you beside me. I thought of you when I’m at practice, even when you picked on me—”

  “I didn’t pick on you.”

  “You did, but I loved it.” Ty takes another step closer and shuts the door behind him. “There are a lot of things I love about you.”

  Eileen’s eyes glaze over. Her heart aches with the need to be loved again.

  “You’re strong on the inside but easy to love. And when you get mad, it only makes me want you more, and I love watching you teach the kids. You’re good with children . . . and you don’t take cra
p from anyone.” He chuckles and then pauses and tries to be serious again. “I love the times it’s been only you and me alone.... The times we share are special and when we’re out together I can’t take my eyes off you. I should have told you sooner.”

  “When?” she asks gently.

  He shrugs. “I don’t know. I had to tell you how I feel just in case I didn’t have another chance.”

  “Another chance?” she asks with slight confusion.

  “I want to keep seeing you—”

  “But?” Eileen cuts him off. “There’s always a catch.” She braces herself for him to tell her there’s someone else, but he still wants to see her. . . . The thought fades when she notices his guilty eyes. He lowers them and brings his hands to his sides.

  “I got traded today.”

  “Oh,” Eileen says.

  “It happens. I was hoping they’d sign me on again, but I guess they have other plans. It’s one of those things, you know? And unfortunately it’s part of the job.”

  “I know it’s part of the job, but I had no idea.” Eileen’s voice rises in fear. At least if she knew there was a chance for him to be traded, it would have changed her outlook about their relationship, but now this, this makes it even harder knowing he’s leaving for another city and chances are it will be a plane ride away.

  “I’m shocked too. Honestly, I thought I would be here for at least one more year.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “L.A.,” he answers.

  “When did this happen?” she asks. Did he wait until the very last minute to tell her or did he know for some time?

  “This morning.”

  “Are you happy about it?”

  “Yes and no. Don’t get me wrong—I’m okay with playing in L.A. I’m not okay with moving away from you.”

  Eileen lowers her head, frustrated and confused. How could a new relationship that’s going so well end so suddenly? It is an end, whether they want to face it or not. How can they continue long-distance?

  Eileen holds her hands together. “That’s good for you, right? I mean, moving to a new team can be a good thing, right?” she asks, trying to be positive and hopeful for his future.

  “I guess,” he says. “I should have expected it.”

  “Good things happen when you least expect it,” she manages to say.

  Ty reaches for her hand. He steps closer and their fingers interlock.

  “Call me crazy, but we could continue with us. We don’t have to give up just because I’m moving. . . .”

  Eileen looks up at him to meet his eyes. “How?” There are suddenly tears in her eyes. “How is that possible?”

  They share a brief moment of silence.

  “It’s not supposed to be this way,” she says. Always losing the ones you love . . .

  Spontaneously, he smiles and says, “Move to L.A. with me.”

  “I can’t!” she shouts.

  “Move with me!” he urges, smiling, tugging her hands.

  She presses her lips together. “Is this a spur-of-the-moment feeling?” She knows it sounds disrespectful, but she has to know the truth. Can she picture herself living in L.A. with Ty? Would they be moving too fast? Probably. They’ve only known each other not quite two months. Can they really move in with each other?

  “No, I’ve thought about this before,” he says. “I just wish this wasn’t happening now.”

  “You know, those feelings can lead to disappointment,” she says, remembering her past experience.

  “Why are you being like this? I’m asking you because I believe in us.”

  She breathes in, trying to control her emotions. Why does Ty do this to her? She has always been strong, yet a part of her feels weak whenever he shares his feelings with her.

  “I appreciate you offering,” she says, trying to choose the right words. “But how do you know it will work?” She’s trying to be realistic. Is he worth it?

  “I told you, I believe in us.”

  “We’ve hardly been together two months. How do you know?”

  “My gut tells me,” he says. “I just know.”

  “This would be a huge step,” she says.

  “Well, you don’t have to move in the same week as me. In fact, I still have to find a place, but we can set a date when you’re able to move.”

  She tilts her head back so that she can see his eyes. They’re warm and comforting, inviting yet playful. How does she tell him she can’t move with him without sounding unappreciative and uncaring?

  “I can’t. I’m sorry,” she whispers as though ashamed. “How would that work for us? I have my skating school business.... I don’t know . . . and I don’t know why this is so difficult.”

  He pulls away. “Because this doesn’t feel right for you,” he says, his voice cracking.

  She looks at him with a sense of loss. Maybe it’s better now than later when their relationship is serious. “No, that’s not it at all,” she tells him.

  “Then why is the decision so difficult?” He keeps his hands secure on his hips, like he’s anchoring himself for an argument.

  She can feel his tension in his voice. Maybe it’s nerves; maybe it’s uncertainty.

  “Because . . . because,” she stammers, “I can go with you and everything will seem fine, but how long will it last?”

  “I don’t understand,” he says, shaking his head.

  “I knew from the start where this would lead,” she admits.

  “You can’t stop how you feel, can you?”

  “No, you’re right.” Eileen puts her head in her hands, frustrated and torn. It’s just another person she cares about being taken away from her. Can she live with herself knowing they had a chance and she was the one who blew it? She finally has someone who truly cares about her and it’s over as fast as it started.

  “I guess I know the answer then,” Ty says.

  Tears fill her eyes. She wants him to hug her and love her more. Being with him is like a fairy tale and her heart is still in dreamland.

  With disappointment, Ty finally says, “You don’t have to tell me an answer right now. You can sleep on it if you’d like.”

  Maybe that’s a good idea. She wouldn’t sound so cold and uptight if she agreed to that.

  Ty takes a step back. “I have to go. I’ve got to go home and pack.”

  She closes her eyes for a second, trying not to cry. Why does it have to end this way? Why is she letting him go when she doesn’t have to? Ty is asking her to live with him, to take a chance, a chance that might never happen again in her lifetime.

  “Think of it this way, Elle. This would be our own adventure. We would be moving to a new city we both have never lived in,” he says. “It’ll be fun, exciting for both of us.”

  Eileen forces a smile. Would she be happy? What about her job and her friends?

  “We’ll talk tomorrow, but I won’t ask you again if you are coming with me. I’d hate to pressure you into something you don’t feel strongly about.”

  She takes a second to think about it again. If she goes, where would she work? She would be living in another country—can she do that? But if it is just temporary, then why not? She still has her house here. She could hire a replacement for her skating classes.

  “There’s a lot to think about,” she finally says, letting it all digest.

  “I know, and it’s asking a lot, too, but I know we can make it,” he says, reaching for her and pulling her close to him. “We make a good team. So, think about it and let me know what it’s going to be. The suspense is going to kill me.”

  Chapter 22

  “I’m happy you’re doing better,” Eileen says. She sits across from her uncle at his kitchen table, drinking a glass of cranberry juice. “You look well.”

  “I feel good,” Gary says. “I went out for a walk this morning. I was a little slow, but at least I’m up and moving around.” He holds still, his whole body stiff as he reaches for his glass. “You know, Elle, you can come talk t
o me about anything, anytime. You and Nick are like my kids.”

  “I know.”

  “I miss having Keaton around,” he says. “He said he read about you in the National Post.”

  “Is that right? I didn’t think my life was that interesting,” she says and then smiles at her uncle.

  “A woman in the NHL is interesting,” he says. “It’s a big accomplishment, even after the fact. You should be proud of yourself. . . . I know your parents would have been real proud.”

  “Thanks.” She swallows hard, picturing their faces.

  “I spoke to Ted and Rick, and they seem to think Joe had a lot to do with letting you go.”

  “I figured so. He made it clear from the beginning he didn’t want me there.”

  “That’s no excuse. He shouldn’t have done what he did.”

  “My car is fixed. I don’t get threats. Things are looking up,” she says, smiling at her uncle and noticing his resemblance to her dad. “It was a good experience. Thank you for putting in a good word. Coaching was fun and I have no regrets taking the job.”

  “You’re like my daughter,” he tells her again, sipping his juice. “You know, Elle, you should go after Joe for what he did. He should pay for your loss.”

  She thinks about her losses. It’s Ty she has lost, more than losing a job and her reputation. She has lost a potential relationship with a man she loves.

  “He won’t admit it,” Eileen says. “Besides, apparently Ty knew I was going to get fired and he never told me.” Her eyes fill up, but she tries hard to hold back her tears. She stands up to take a tissue from the box on the counter and dabs her eyes. “I just want to move on from all of this.”

  “Ty wouldn’t hurt you. I know for sure he didn’t believe them. Joe can be inconsiderate at times. He and Bret are friends; Ty didn’t have anything to do with it. I can promise you that.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He smiles, still sitting stiff and upright. “Positive.”

  She thinks about this. “It just seems so . . . fixed. Ty wanted to go out with me and I told him I couldn’t, we couldn’t make it public, it’s unprofessional . . .”