Chapter 40

Sorry for the wait everyone!

Chapter 40
Later that night, they were hanging out in the Lemieux’s living room. Sidney, Stephanie, and Austin were sitting on floor cushions surrounding the coffee table, playing monopoly. Lauren was sitting on the couch chatting with Nathalie and Mario’s daughter, Lauren (AN: I’ll just specify when it’s his daughter so it doesn’t get too confusing). Lauren loved to watch Sidney in moments like this, when he didn’t have a care in the world and was free to be a kid, at least for a little while. Every once in a while he would catch her staring, and he would flash a warm smile. She couldn’t help but grin back.
She took this time to study his features. God, he was gorgeous. She loved the way his dark, unruly curls settled around his ears, and the way it flipped out near the back of his neck. She also loved the way his face dimpled when he smiled, and the way his lips curled into a smile. She saved his eyes for last, knowing that when she looked into them she was likely to completely lose any train of thought. They were wide, warm with liquid gold and flecks of cinnamon, and framed by a thick fringe of dark lashes. Staring into his eyes always made her feel extraordinary – sort of like her bones were turning spongy. Looking into his eyes always made her feel like the most important person in the world. It also made her feel a little lightheaded, but that could have been because she kept forgetting to breathe.
“Well, Austin, it looks like you finally beat us!” Sidney exclaimed, snapping Lauren out of her daydreams. Sidney let out an exaggerated yawn and stretched his arms out. “I’m beat. I’m going to bed.” He said, standing up. Knowing she had been talking with Nathalie, he leaned down and kissed Lauren’s forehead and whispered in her ear. “Come to bed soon?” he asked.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She whispered back, aware of the young ears in the room. The children, however, were oblivious to their conversation, having started a new game with a deck of cards. Nathalie, on the other hand, had heard their exchange and nudged Lauren on the arm.
“Don’t stay up just to talk to me. Go to bed. Good night, you two.” She winked at both of them and Sidney and Lauren smiled back at her. Sidney pulled Lauren to her feet and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist as they headed off towards his room.
When they got up the stairs, Lauren jumped on Sidney’s back. He laughed and carried the rest of the way down the hall towards his room, and she kicked the door shut behind them. She was still on his back, with her legs around his waist. She started kissing the back of his neck. He released his grip on her legs and gently set her back on the ground, turning around and sliding his arms around her waist and kissing her deeply. After a few minutes, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.
“I’ve missed you.” He said, his voice barely above a whisper. Lauren knew he wasn’t just talking about the few days since he’d come to see her. It had been over a month since they’d made love, and her body was aching for his.
“Well, you’ve got me now. You’re stuck with me now.” She replied, and he gave her a gentle smile. She took his hands in hers and gently pulled him back towards the bed. She let herself fall back onto the bed, pulling him down on her. She giggled and wrapped her fingers delicately around his neck, pulling his lips to hers. He worked his way down her neck, sending shivers down her spine with every touch of his soft lips on her warm skin. She smiled and let out a content sigh as she could feel him growing hard against her leg. After a few minutes, he pulled away and looked into her eyes.
A smile played on her lips as she looked back at him. “What?” she asked.
“Umm, well, are you, well, umm…” Sidney trailed off.
“What is it, Sidney?” she pressed. He let out a long sigh and rolled over onto his back. She turned over on her stomach, resting her head on his shoulder and looking up at him.
“Well, umm…shit, I can’t even believe I’m asking this. Especially when it means I could end up taking a cold shower and sleeping on the couch.” Lauren raised her eyebrow at him questioningly and he continued. “I just, well, are you sure about this? Things haven’t exactly been ‘normal’ lately, and I don’t want to pressure you back into anything too soon.” He said. His cheeks blushed, but his eyes remained steady on hers.
She gave him a gentle smile and rubbed his chest. “Sidney, I love you. I never stopped loving you. I’ll never stop loving you.”
“I love you too.” He whispered. “It’s just that I know I hurt you and I know I fucked things up real bad, and I don’t want to do that again.”
“Sidney, I can’t lie and say that you didn’t hurt me. You did. And it sucked. But I’ve already forgiven you. I forgave you the second you showed up at my hotel room door. And just in case you didn’t hear me before, I love you.” She said, grinning.
He smiled back at her. She loved that toothy grin of his. “I love you too. Now come here…” he said, pulling her on top of him and pulling her lips down to his.
She giggled and pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it off to the side. He had his hands on her hips and he flicked his fingers underneath her t-shirt and pulled it over her head. She reached around and pulled her bra off and he let out a low moan. He never got tired of looking at her. Sidney loved every sensual curve on her body, and he loved her most of all when she was like this, smiling down at him, the faintest bit of shyness in her expression as she bit the corner of her lip. He sat up and pulled her close to him, her hips grinding against his in the process. She started unbuttoning his pants while he kissed her neck, but they were interrupted by a knock at the door of his living room.
He groaned into her neck. “Maybe they’ll go away.” He murmured between kisses.
She laughed and climbed off of him, sliding his t-shirt over her head. “Or maybe they’ll barge right in, considering the door’s still unlocked.” He sighed as he heard another, louder knock.
“Whoever it is, their timing blows.” He said, kissing her lips again before re-buttoning his pants and heading out to see who was at the door.
He entered the room a few moments later, chuckling at the pieces of paper he held in his hands.
“What is it, baby?” she purred, having shed her pants and allowing his t-shirt to ride up high around her thighs.
“It was Alexa. She drew some pictures for you.” He held one of the pictures up. They were stick people, but Lauren could clearly see the girl had long red hair and the boy who was holding her hand had familiar dark curls. Across the bottom, it read “Sidney <3>

Lauren smiled at the pictures. “Those are precious. I love them. But I love the real thing even better.” She said, giving Sidney her best come-hither look.

He practically tripped over his pants, trying to pull them off as he climbed back into bed. He pressed her body into the mattress, kissing her lips passionately. He slid his tongue over her lips, and she obliged, granting him entrance. “God, you’re beautiful.” He whispered in her ear as he slid his throbbing erection inside of her. She moaned as her muscles clenched around him, stretching to fit all of him inside her body. His thrusting quickly picked up pace, but then he slowed down, wanting to extend the moment for as long as possible.

After a while, she couldn’t wait any longer and pleaded with him. “Sidney, please…faster…” she moaned breathlessly. He grinned and obliged, slamming his body against hers, pressing his lips against hers for a kiss. He could feel her body begin to shudder around him, and knew that his own eruption was not far behind. A moment later, he gave one final deep thrust and released into her. His entire body shook with pleasure and he collapsed on top of her, temporarily unable to control his breathing. After a moment, he climbed off of her and pulled her tightly into his arms, pulling the sheet and quilt up around both of their sweaty bodies. She relaxed her head against his chest, resting her hand on his hard abs.

“Sidney, I hope we never fight again. But if we do, and considering how damn stubborn we both are, we probably will, if we do fight again, promise me something.” She said.

“Anything.” He answered, running his fingers up and down her arm.

“Promise me when we make up, it’ll be that good every time.”

He laughed, the vibration tickling her cheekbone. “I’ll see what I can do.” He chuckled, kissing her forehead.

“Sidney?” she said quietly.

“Hmm, babe?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. I love you more than anything in the world.”

AN: Okay, so I recently came across a quote in a livejournal community lately that I really like a lot, and I think it describes Sid perfectly! I altered it slightly and wrote it into my story, but I wanted to give credit for it and show you the original quote – it’s from one of the Twilight books (I’ve never read any of them, so I don’t know which one), but here’s the original quote:
“I save his eyes for last, knowing that when I looked into them I was likely to lose my train of thought. They were wide, warm with liquid gold, and framed by a thick fringe of dark lashes. Staring into his eyes always made me feel extraordinary - sort of like my bones were turning spongy. I was also a little lightheaded, but that could have been because I forgot to keep breathing. Again.”

Chapter 39

Chapter 39
The next morning, Sidney and Lauren had a quiet breakfast together on the balcony of her hotel room, and then he flew home, leaving her to enjoy a few days at the beach with her sister.
“I love you. Don’t ever forget that.” He said, kissing her forehead.
“I love you too. Don’t you ever forget that.” She smiled up at him and he felt a familiar tingle of pleasure down his spine. “Call me when you get to Pittsburgh, okay?”
“I will.” He said, grinning at her again before walking out to the car waiting to take him to the airport.
After he left, Lauren and Leanna spent the day lying on the beach, each with a margarita in their hand.
“It’s good to see you smiling again.” Leanna observed.
Lauren’s smile grew even more. “Yeah, it’s good to smile again. I love him, Le!” she said in a giddy voice, unable to contain her happiness.
“I know. And I’m glad you both came to your senses. I was beginning to think I was going to have to beat up my little sister and a professional hockey player.”
Lauren laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure the NHL appreciates you keeping your cool.” She said, rolling her eyes.
A few days later, Lauren and Leanna returned home, refreshed from their vacation and Lauren more excited than ever to see Sidney again.
On their way home from the airport, Lauren’s phone rang. She was a little puzzled as to why Jordan would be calling her.
“Hey Jordy!” She said cheerfully.
“Uhhh, hey. I, uh, wasn’t expecting, uhh, you sound happy.” Jordan stammered, trying to find the words to say. He couldn’t believe how happy Lauren sounded, considering Sidney had foolishly broken things off with her.
“Umm, well thanks Jordan. I think?” she giggled.
“Well, it’s just that I thought that since Sid, well, umm, anyways, I was just calling to see how you were doing. He’d probably kill me if he knew I was calling you, but I couldn’t help it.”
“Well, when I see him later today, I’ll be sure to tell him to be nice to you.” Lauren said, realizing that her and Sidney hadn’t really announced to anyone that they were back together.
“Wait, you’re going to see him today? Are you…does this mean…wait, I’m confused.”
Lauren laughed. “Well, I can see that. But no worries…Sidney and I are back together.” She said, smiling even though she knew Jordan couldn’t see it through the phone.
“Really?! That’s great! Wait, when did this happen? And how come you didn’t tell me?!” Jordan pouted. Lauren could just picture him sticking his bottom lip out and laughed.
“A few days ago. And you’re the first outside our family to find out. Well, wait, second.” Lauren said, remembering she had called Jack the following afternoon to thank him for everything. “But I’m really glad you called anyways. I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you too, babe. And I was really afraid I wouldn’t get to see you anymore, but this also means now that I still don’t have a shot with you!”
“Oh, Jordan.” she laughed.
“Oh, Lauren.” He replied. “Ok, so maybe I never did have a shot. That Sidney certainly never had a ‘way with the ladies,’ but somehow that worked for you anyways.”
“I guess so. But seriously Jordan, it means a lot that you called today. Sidney and I are lucky to have such wonderful friends.” Lauren said.
“So does that mean you’ll have lunch with this ‘wonderful friend’ tomorrow?” Jordan asked.
“Of course!” Lauren said.
“It’s a date then! Well, it would be a date, if Sidney weren’t invited too…” Jordan teased.
“Oh Jordy, you’re a piece of work, you know that?”
“Yeah, but that’s why you love me so much!” he replied happily.
After Lauren dropped her luggage off at home, she drove to meet Sidney at the rink. They were going to grab some dinner after his afternoon workout. When she got there, she thought he’d still be working with his trainer, so she was surprised to find him all alone, skating around the ice, bouncing the puck off his stick like a hackey sack.
She sat down on the edge of the glass, her feet dangling over the boards near the penalty box. He seemed so content out there, lost in his own little world. She watched him for about five minutes before he finally noticed her. When he did, his eyes lit up and he skated over to her, throwing his gloves down on the ice next to him and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. “Hey!” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek, trying not to get sweat on her.
“Hey baby.” She said, kissing his lips. She didn’t care if he got sweat on her. His kisses were more than worth it.
“How was your flight home? I missed you.”
“I missed you too. And it was good. It seemed to drag on forever though. I wanted to tell the pilot to hurry up because I had very important plans.” She said, very matter-of-fact.
He grinned. “So I should hurry up and get a shower then, huh?”
“Yep. Although I have a feeling that by the time this night is over, you’ll need another one.” She said seductively in his ear.
His grin grew wider and he raised an eyebrow. “Is that a promise?” he asked coyly.
“Only if you think you’re up to the challenge.”
“I was born ready.” He whispered in her ear, even though no one else was around to hear. “Meet me in the hallway in ten minutes?” he asked.
“Be there or be square, Crosby.” He laughed at her corny joke (he always laughed at her corny jokes, and she at his) and headed off towards the showers.
About ten minutes later, Sidney emerged from the showers and threw his towel into the laundry bin, knowing he was alone in the locker room. When he turned the corner into the dressing room, he screamed out loud when he saw Max sitting there, lacing up his skates.
“Heyyyyyy Crosby! Nice outfit.” Max teased, and Sidney’s face turned ten shades of red.
“Sorry man, I didn’t know anyone was in here.” Sidney quickly tried to find his clothes. Max just laughed out loud at the situation.
“Sidney? Are you okay? I thought I heard you screaming.” Lauren called from outside the dressing room. A moment later, she entered the room and burst out laughing. “Oh. I see.” She said, looking his naked body up and down as he looked back and forth between her and Max.
“Ahhh, Lauren. Are you here for a little ménage tois, perhaps? I’m sorry, but I’m not really into brunettes.” Max said, nodding towards Sid.
“Haha, very funny, Max.” Sidney glared, but after a moment, he couldn’t help it and cracked a smile.
“I’m glad to see you two back together, even if it did mean seeing his naked ass.” Max grinned at Lauren, dropping a quick kiss on her cheek as he brushed past her and headed towards the ice.
“Well, that was awkward.” Sidney said, pulling his jeans on. Lauren smiled and walked over to him, running her fingers over his washboard abs.
“Only for the people in the room who were naked. Oh wait, that was just you.” She laughed devilishly, and he pulled her into his arms and started tickling her.
“Oh, so you think that’s funny, do you?” he said, holding her tight even though she was squirming like crazy to get out of his grasp. Finally, he relaxed his hands across her back and pulled her close against his chest.
“Actually, I think it’s hilarious. Now put a shirt on and let’s get some dinner. I’m starving.” She said, planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth and walking out of the dressing room.

Chapter 38

Chapter 38
Sidney took a deep breath before opening the door. A wave of disappointment washed over him when he saw that it was a hotel employee. “Mr. Crosby?” he asked.
“Yes.” Sidney said curtly.
“I’m very sorry to disturb you, but Miss Somers in Suite 4416 would like to know if you will meet her in her room. She said something about a message you left earlier…” Sidney quit listening to the man and quickly brushed past him, breaking out in a jog towards the elevators. She wanted to see him, and that was all that mattered to him.
Sidney was breathless when he arrived outside her door. He took a moment to compose himself, running a hand through his unruly hair and wiping his hands down the front of his pants. He knew he had dark bags under his eyes from not sleeping much, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that now. He timidly reached up and knocked quietly, but firmly, on the door. Leanna answered the door a moment later, and smiled warmly at him and ushered him into the room. Lauren was sitting on the couch, her hands folded into her lap. He immediately smiled to himself, knowing she only did that when she was nervous and trying not fidget. Leanna quietly retreated to her bedroom and closed the door, leaving Sidney and Lauren alone.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence that was really only a few seconds, Lauren looked up and met Sidney’s gaze with hers. He was relieved to see the anger in her eyes was gone, but the hurt was still there. Neither of them could seem to find their words, so they stared at each other, unable to look away.
Sidney couldn’t take it anymore. He shoved the coffee table out of the way and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in hers. She looked down at their fingers, intertwined, and smiled to herself at the way it still felt so natural. When she looked back up at him, his eyes glistened with tears.
“I’m so sorry…” he said, burying his face in her hands. “I love you so much and I’m so sorry I hurt you. It was so stupid and I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry…” he murmured. She ran her fingers through his hair.
“Sidney, I love you too.” She managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. He looked up at her and pulled her down onto his lap and wrapped her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest for a few minutes, taking in his scent and once again feeling the safety of his arms. He ran his fingers up and down her arms, breathing in the sweet peppermint smell of her shampoo. When she pulled away from him to look up at him, she let out a small giggle when she saw that the front of his shirt was wet from her tears. She delicately put her hand on his chest, feeling his heart pounding beneath her fingertips.
“Lauren, I love you more than anything. And these past few weeks have been miserable. I know that sorry isn’t going to make up for the way I treated you, but I just hope someday, somehow I can make it up to you.”
“Sidney, why did you shut me out? If we’re going to be together, that means we have to stick together. You can’t shut me out every time something gets rough, and I can’t shut you out either.”
“I know, you’re right. But when they wrecked my car, I just pictured you being in the car next to me and I freaked out, knowing something bad could have happened to you.”
“I know, but you can’t worry about things like that.”
“Lauren, is there anything I can do to fix things? Or is it too late?” He looked up at her with hope in his eyes.
“Sidney, I still love you. I don’t think that will ever change. But promise me something?”
“Anything.” He said.
“Promise you won’t shut me out again, and instead you’ll tell me what’s going on inside that head of yours.” She said, running her fingers through his hair again.
“I promise. I love you, Lauren.”
“I love you too, Sidney.” She kissed him gently on the lips. He wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. He kissed her eyelids and continued to hold her in his arms, whispering in her ear.
At some point, they fell asleep on the floor, still holding onto each other. Lauren woke up a few hours later to Leanna whispering to someone on the phone. Lauren squinted in the darkness, trying to find her.
“I don’t really know what they talked about, but I think things are better. She didn’t kick him out.” Leanna whispered, not realizing that Lauren could hear her. Lauren started to get up, but Sidney stirred and pulled her back against him. She smiled and kissed his cheek in the darkness. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered into his ear. “I need to talk to Leanna real quick.” He released her and she went into her sister’s bedroom.
“Uhh, I gotta go. I’ll call you back, Liz.” She hung up the phone and looked at Lauren.
“Calling Liz already?” Lauren said with a smile. She wasn’t surprised. Liz and Leanna always seemed to be plotting behind her back.
“I was just updating her on everything. So, umm, are you guys okay?” Leanna asked cautiously.
“Yeah, I think we’re going to be fine. He really hurt me, but I love him way too much to ever let him out of my life.”
Leanna smiled in relief. “I’m glad to hear that. As much as I wanted to pinch his gorgeous head off for hurting my baby sis, I was rooting for him to make things right again.”
“Thanks Le. By the way, did you plan all of this? Him coming down here, I mean?”
“No. But I talked to Mom a little earlier, and apparently he showed up at the house looking for you, and she told him where we were, and apparently he got on the next flight down. I’m really glad he did, Lauren.”
“Me too. And thanks Le, for everything.” Lauren said, pulling her sister into a hug.
“No problem. Now go take that boy to bed so you don’t break your necks trying to sleep leaning up against that couch!” Leanna laughed. Lauren nodded and went back out into the living room.
She smiled when she saw Sidney’s silhouette in the darkness. He had fallen back asleep, and his head was leaning back on the couch. She knew then, more than ever, how much she loved him. Her heart finally stopped aching now that he was back with her again. She watched him sleeping for a moment, taking in the peaceful innocence that surrounded his sleeping face. She walked over to him and crouched down beside him. She put her hand on his cheek and kissed him softly. He put his hand over hers and kissed her back.
“Come on, let’s go to bed, or your back is going to hurt like hell in the morning.” She said, pulling him to his feet. She led him by the hand into her bedroom. They both stripped down and crawled into bed. They both smiled contently as he pulled her into his arms. Back where she belonged. Sidney didn’t plan on ever letting her go again. Both of them finally got the sleep they had desperately been missing out on in the previous weeks.

Chapter 37

Chapter 37
Even after Jack had come to talk to him, Sidney still couldn’t work up the courage to call Lauren. Colby had called him as well, after Sidney’s mom had called him and asked him to talk to Sidney. His mom! He knew everyone was worried, but Sidney wished they would just leave him alone. Talking about Lauren all the time was just making it harder for him. When he stopped answering Colby’s calls, he, too, showed up at Sidney’s door one day.
“Sid, look, you screwed up here. Admit it and beg for her forgiveness.” Colby said, not trying to sugarcoat anything for Sidney.
“Army, it’s just not that simple…” Sidney began. He felt like he was constantly having to explain himself, and was beginning to feel like a broken record player.
“No, Sidney, it is that simple. I got the chance to spend some time with Lauren during the Finals, and she’s the One. Plain and simple. Didn’t you see the way she looked at you?”
Sidney did see the way Lauren looked at him. It always sent tingles of pleasure down his spine. It wasn’t like she thought he was the only guy in the world, just the only one she wanted to have her heart. He had always hoped that she saw the same immensity of love in his eyes when he looked back at her.
“Stop feeling sorry for yourself and go get her! If you don’t, I swear you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. You’re such an old soul, Sidney, and she’s your mate. She’s the best thing in your life, better than hockey will ever be. If you don’t go after her, you’re not the man I thought you were.” Colby’s words stabbed like a knife, but Sidney knew he was right. As much as the thought of being with her and something bad happening to her scared him more than anything, the fear of being without her scared him even more. He knew what he had to do.
Reluctantly, Lauren flew to Hilton Head with Leanna later that afternoon. She had booked them in a luxury vacation villa, each woman having their own bedroom and bathroom. Lauren stepped out onto the private balcony and took a deep breath. Sidney would love it here. She immediately thought, then kicked herself for thinking of him. No, he’s in the past now. Time to move on.
“Lauren, you ready to go?” Leanna called from the living room. Lauren took one more look at the quiet marshes surrounding the resort and then followed Leanna out of the hotel.
Leanna had made reservations at a restaurant right on the water, and again, the water reminded Lauren of Sidney. She thought of how much fun they had had tooling around on the lake in Enfield, and again, she did her best to push those thoughts out of her head. Lauren raised her eyebrows at Leanna when she ordered a bottle of champagne.
“Le, I’m not exactly in a celebrating mood.” Lauren said quietly.
“Why not? You’re healthy,” Leanna said pointedly, knowing this wasn’t always the case for Lauren, “and we’re on vacation in a gorgeous place. And you’re with the best sister in the world.” She said, winking at Lauren.
“I suppose that’s true…” Lauren said, smiling at her sister. “Thanks for bringing me here, Le. You were right – getting away from everything is just what I needed.”
They enjoyed a leisurely dinner, laughing about old family memories. After they left the restaurant, they sat on the beach for a while, just watching the people go by. Lauren had managed to keep her mind off Sidney for most of the evening, and had surprised herself with the number of times Leanna had been able to make her laugh.
It was late by the time they got back to the hotel. They walked into the living room and Lauren’s eyes grew wide with shock when she saw what was sitting on the coffee table. A solitary pink rose in a crystal vase, with a note folded neatly beside it. She knew immediately that it was from Sidney. She looked over at Leanna, but Leanna shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know anything about it. Read the note, crazy girl!” After she said that, Leanna disappeared into her bedroom, leaving Lauren alone with her thoughts. And the note. She stared at it for a few minutes before she got the courage to pick it up. She immediately recognized Sidney’s smooth handwriting. Carefully, as if it would break in her hands, she unfolded the note and began to read.
Lauren,
I came by the hotel, but they wouldn’t let me into your room, and I couldn’t wait in the lobby. I’m staying in Suite 3206. I have so many things to say to you, but I’ll understand if you don’t show up. I hope you like the rose – I would have filled the entire suite with roses if I thought it would somehow make things better – but I know it can’t fix what I’ve done. For now, I’ll just be in my room, hoping you will give me a chance…
-Sidney
Lauren’s hands were shaking as she finished reading the letter. She was just starting to accept the idea of moving on with her life without him, and now, in true Sidney fashion, he had gone and turned her world upside again.
**Flashback**
Sidney went through at least twenty sheets of paper trying to figure out what to say to Lauren. He knew that if he could just see her, talk to her, the words he wanted to say would come to him. She always had a way of putting him at ease like that. But the hotel staff said she was out with her sister, and they couldn’t allow him into her room. So the best he could do was leave a note. He pondered over every word of the letter, making sure everything was perfect. He agonized over the signature. He badly wanted to tell her that he loved her, but he didn’t want to scare her off before he even got the chance to talk to her. So he simply signed his name, and prayed she would give him a chance to fix things.
**End Flashback**
Sidney spent most of the evening pacing the floor. He had tried watching TV for a while, but nothing could hold his interest. He’d thought about going back up to her room, knocking on the door to see if she was there. But he didn’t want to look like a stalker, so he just waited. And waited. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock at the door.

Chapter 36

Chapter 36
A week passed and Lauren didn’t hear from Sidney at all. She had picked up the phone at least a hundred times to call him, but she’d always click ‘end’ before it started ringing, not knowing what she’d say to him.
She’d spoken to Nathalie a few times, and she had told Lauren that Sidney had been keeping to himself, not really spending any time with the family and not really going out at all either. Lauren knew he was going back to Enfield for the rest of the summer in a few days.
Finally, Liz managed to convince Lauren to go out for coffee. She needed to get out of the house. They were sitting in the corner of Starbuck’s when Lauren saw someone come in through the door. She nearly spilled her drink when she saw that it was Jack. She stood up and he enveloped her in a strong hug. “Jack? What are you doing here?” She said with confusion.
“Well, I came to see you, actually. Sidney told me he ended things, but other than that, he refuses to talk about it. To anyone. Are you okay?”
“No.” She answered truthfully. “I hate this. I miss him and he won’t talk to me. I just wish he could see how much I love him.” She said quietly, tears forming in her eyes. Jack pulled her close and she rested her head on his chest, allowing a few tears to fall. Jack looked over at Liz and she shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what to do or say.
“I’m sorry he’s doing this. I don’t understand what’s going on. Lauren, you’re the best thing that ever happened to him. I’ve never seen him so happy as when he’s with you.”
“I guess that’s not enough. He didn’t look happy when he pushed me out of his life.” She said hoarsely.
“Hang in there. I can’t make any promises, but I’m going to try and talk some sense into him. He’s being an ass right now. It’s a gender flaw.” He said, gaining a small smile from Lauren in return.
“Thanks Jack. You’re a good friend.” He kissed her lightly on the cheek and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Anything for the girl of my best friend’s dreams. Even if he doesn’t deserve you right now.” He squeezed her tight and then walked away. “I’ll talk to you soon, okay? Hang in there.” She nodded and he left the coffee shop.
“Who was that?” Liz asked, assuming he was one of Sidney’s friends, but not knowing much else.
“That’s Jack Johnson. He and Sid met in Minnesota. He hung out with us a lot when we went to Sidney’s house in Nova Scotia.”
“Well, this is kind of irrelevant, but he’s cute. And he seems like a great guy.”
Lauren cracked a smile. “He is cute. And he is a great guy. It was fun to watch him and Sidney together. Guess I won’t see that anymore.”
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Sidney’s being a douche bag right now. He’ll come around.” Liz tried to reassure her. Lauren, on the other hand, knew Sidney’s stubbornness, and wasn’t sure he would come back for her.
Sidney flew back to Halifax a few days after Mario’s Celebrity Invitational, hoping that being at home would help him clear his head and move on with his life. However, everything he did just reminded him of her. Walking into his house, he was flooded with memories of the time they had spent there together. When he crawled in bed at night, he was overcome with her scent, which was still lingering on the sheets from when she had laid there in his arms. When he went jogging through the park, his heart sank when he saw the bench where he had kissed her in front of a crowd of people. And the look in Taylor’s eyes when she saw him was sometimes more than he could bear. Taylor and Lauren had a very special friendship, and he had taken that away from his baby sister. But most of all, he missed her.
Jack arrived in Enfield a few days after Sidney had been home. He hadn’t told Sidney he was coming, so when he let himself into Sidney’s house, he startled him. “Geez, Jack, what the hell are you doing here?” Sidney grumbled.
“Well, I came to see you. We need to talk. But first, you need to clean up this pig sty of a house and take a freaking shower. You look like hell.” Jack replied bluntly.
“Things haven’t been going very well lately. I could do without your criticism.” Sidney said.
“Don’t give me that shit. You brought this on yourself. I’m going to clean up your trash and you’re going to get a shower and come back down here looking a little more respectable. Then we are going to have a long, serious discussion. And I’ve already pulled your keys off the rack so don’t even think about trying to sneak out. Now move it.” Sidney let out a heavy, annoyed sigh but headed upstairs towards his bathroom.
Sidney came back downstairs about 15 minutes later, clean-shaven and freshly showered. He had also put on clean clothes, and admittedly, did feel a little bit better. Not that his heart wasn’t aching beyond measure, but at least he didn’t smell anymore. Jack had cleaned up all the trash and takeout boxes that Sidney had strewn around his living room. He had opened the back doors and there was a gentle breeze coming in off the lake.
Jack was sitting on the couch waiting for him, and nodded for him to sit down. Sidney slumped down in an easy chair and stared at the floor.
“Talk.” Jack ordered.
“There’s nothing to talk about. I don’t want her to get hurt. I love her, but being around me isn’t safe for her.” Sidney said very matter-of-factly.
“Sidney, do you know how much that sounds like complete bullshit? You love her, so you break her heart? That’s messed up. And how is it not safe for her to be around you? You’re like the most protective person I know.” Jack exclaimed, exasperated that his good friend was being so foolish.
Sidney explained what happened with the press, and Jack nodded his head.
“Okay, so I understand that you want her to be safe, but she’s right, that was a freak accident. Just because one asshole won’t let you out of the parking lot without prying into your social life doesn’t mean you should break up with your girlfriend. Whom, you are clearly in love with, I might add.”
“I’ll always love her, but I don’t see how we can be together. I could never live with myself if anything ever happened to her.”
“Sidney, can’t you see that what you’re doing right now is worse? She is over the moon for you. A love like hers doesn’t come around very often. Don’t you see how lucky you are to have her, and how much she needs you?”
“She probably hates me. I would hate me. I wouldn’t blame her if she never spoke to me again.”
“She still loves you. Go after her. Tell her you’ve been a moron and beg her to take you back.” Jack said.
“I don’t know man. Maybe her life would be better if she had never met me. Then she could just find a normal guy and live happily ever after.” Sidney couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of his mouth. The thought of Lauren being with anyone but him made his stomach churn with jealousy and sadness.
“Trust me, there’s nothing ‘normal’ about her. She’s extraordinary, even more so for putting up with all of your shit. If you let her go, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” Jack put his hand on Sidney’s shoulder, and then left him alone in his thoughts.
Another few weeks passed, and Sidney couldn’t find the courage to call Lauren. He was desperate to hear her voice, but he thought she probably didn’t want to talk to him, and he didn’t want to cause her any more pain. He had asked Nathalie about her, and Nathalie never told him too much, other than that he should call her and make things right. He knew Nathalie had spoken to her more, but she wouldn’t tell him what he wanted to hear.
Lauren tried to move on with her life, but she had grown so accustomed to having Sidney there, she didn’t know what to do with herself. Her friends tried to help her. They were always calling and asking her to hang out.
Leanna called her and for a second, Lauren thought about not answering. She didn’t feel like getting another pep talk from her big sister, or from anyone else for that matter. “Pack your bags. We’re going away.” Leanna stated.
“Le, I don’t want to go anywhere…”
Before she could continue, Leanna cut her off. “I didn’t ask what you wanted; I said we’re going away. We have dinner reservations tonight…in Hilton Head. We’re going away for a few days. You need to get out of Pittsburgh.”
“Leanna, I’m not really up to a vacation right now. Just take Amanda or something instead.”
“Nope, I’m taking you. So get packed. Because I don’t think you’d like what I’d pick out for you if I have to pack your stuff.” Leanna said mischievously.
After she hung up with Leanna, Lauren sighed and started to gather some things into a suitcase. She appreciated what everyone was doing for her, but she really didn’t want to hang out with anyone. Except for Sidney, and that wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon.

Chapter 35

Chapter 35
Three days past, and Sidney didn’t call. Or text. Or email. Nothing. Nathalie had called her a few times to tell her that he’d been sulking around the house, miserable. Nathalie also explained that Mario had even spoken to him a few times, urging him to call Lauren.
Lauren had cried herself to sleep at night, but even then she never slept for more than a few hours before she would be tossing and turning, trying to figure out what went wrong. Being away from Sidney was breaking her heart into millions of pieces, and nothing could make the pain go away.
“Nathalie, what should I do? Is this really just about his car?” Lauren asked.
“No, I think there’s more to it, but no one seems to know what. Don’t give up on him – I think you’re probably the only one who will be able to snap him out of this.”
“Nathalie, do you think it would be okay if I stopped by later?” Lauren asked nervously.
“Yes, I think that would be good. I think you’ve been really good about giving him his space, but now it’s time for him to snap out of it.”
A few hours later, Lauren wiped her sweaty palms on her pants as she stepped out of her car in the Lemieux’s driveway. She had never been nervous like this before, not when it came to Sidney anyways. Normally, the thought of him caused butterflies in her stomach, but now it was more of a churning feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was afraid of how he would react to her. She didn’t know if she would be able to take it if he rejected her. A million thoughts were racing through her mind as she knocked on the front door. A moment later, Nathalie greeted her with a smile.
“Come in, Lauren.” She said, welcoming her in and putting a comforting arm around Lauren. “He’s in his room. He’s been there most of the day.” Lauren nodded and down the hall to Sidney’s wing of the house.
When she got to his door, she stopped to compose herself. She tried to steady her breathing but her heart was pounding too hard in her chest. It’s now or never. You love him. Talk to him. Lauren tried to reassure herself as she quietly knocked on his door.
At first, she wasn’t even sure she had knocked hard enough for him to hear her, but a moment later, he opened the door. His eyes grew wide when he saw her, but quickly averted his gaze to the floor.
“Sidney…” she began, reaching her hand towards his. He quickly pulled away from her and stepped back into the room.
“Lauren, I can’t do this.” He murmured, still looking at the floor.
“You can’t do what? You can’t talk to me? Sid, what’s going on? Why won’t you look at me?” She said hoarsely, her voice cracking as tears welled up in her emerald green eyes.
“Please, just go. This is just too hard for me.”
Hurt as she was, Lauren wasn’t about to leave without some sort of explanation. Maybe it was true what they say about redheads and their fiery temper. Maybe she was just too mixed with emotions to physically walk out of his room. Either way, she was hell bent on getting some answers.
“No, Sidney, I will not leave. And this is hard for you? Sidney, what the hell do you think this is doing to me? You haven’t spoken to me in days. You haven’t called, texted, nothing! And why? Because your car is totaled? I don’t see what that has to do with you and me?” She hadn’t meant to lose her temper with him, but he always did bring out the passion in her, and this time, it happened to be fueling her anger and hurt.
Sidney’s eyes finally met hers. They were wide with shock. She had never spoken to him like that before. Sure, she’d been fired up before, but he’d never seen her this upset with him. He sighed heavily and slumped down into the couch.
When she looked back at him, she saw his eyes were heavy with pain and exhaustion. Lauren could tell that he hadn’t been sleeping much either in the past few days. That gave her a weird sense of satisfaction. She pushed that feeling out of her head as she waited for him to speak.
“Lauren, it’s not about the car.” He said simply, as if that would satisfy her questions. She just raised her eyebrows and nodded for him to continue. “Lauren, I can’t do this to you anymore.”
“Sidney, what are you talking about? Why won’t you talk to me?” She had knelt in front of him now, pleading him with her eyes, still afraid that if she reached out to touch him, he would pull away. Her heart couldn’t take that again.
“I want to protect you. And this is the only way.” He said softly.
“Sidney Patrick, enough talking in circles. It’s me. Please tell me what’s going on. I can handle it.”
Sidney gave her the faintest of smiles, but it was a sad smile. “I know you can. You’re strong. But I don’t want you to have to handle this. It’s not fair. It’s too much to ask of you.”
“Sidney, I love you. I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I it’s not always going to be smooth sailing, but I know that whatever comes our way, we can handle it. Together. But you have to let me in.”
“Lauren, I’m sorry, but I just don’t want to be the cause of any pain for you. The press…I just couldn’t stand the thought of it if anything bad ever happened to you…” he trailed off, delicately running his fingers across her cheek. His hazel eyes were red with emotion, and Lauren could’ve sworn she felt him shaking as he touched her cheek.
“Sidney, not being with you these past few days and not hearing your voice is the only thing that has been causing me any pain. Like you said, I’m strong. And with you by my side, I can handle anything the press might throw my way. But you have to give me the chance to prove it to you.” She carefully took his hands in hers, and felt a little bit of relief when he didn’t pull away.
“Lauren, when they hit my car…well it was because they were trying to stop me from leaving. They wanted an interview, and normally I would stay, but they were being rude, and all I really wanted to do was get to you. They tried to block me, so I had to slam on the brakes. But then I tried to go again, and that’s when we hit.”
She could definitely tell that he was shaking now, but the way his hands were trembling in hers. “Sidney, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” She suddenly started looking him up and down.
“I’m fine. I had my seat belt on, and I wasn’t going too fast. The car is the only thing that’s damaged. I just thank God that you weren’t there. I could never live with myself if anything ever happened to you.” He said softly. “And the only way to make sure nothing like that ever happens is to make sure you’re not anywhere near me.”
“Sidney, that’s crazy! I have never felt anything less than safe with you, and I think this was a freak accident. The guy was an asshole. He’s not worth giving up our relationship over.” Lauren was bawling at this point.
“Lauren, this is the only way I can protect you. Please. It has to be this way.” With that, he stood up and gently pushed her towards the door. When she realized he was trying to kick her out, she clung to him with all her strength, but it certainly wasn’t enough to overpower his well-toned muscles.
“Sidney, I love you! Please, can’t you see that? I need you in my life. I love you. I love you.” She pleaded with him, seeing the painful resolution in his eyes.
“I know. I love you too, which is why it has to be this way.” He kissed her forehead and then gently brushed his lips against hers. He pulled her close to him and she cried into his chest. After a moment, he pulled away and gently pushed her out the door. She tried to stop him, but he shut the door. Lauren’s blood ran cold when she heard him click the lock into place.
She thought about banging on the door, screaming and yelling and pleading with him to open the door, but she couldn’t will her body to move. She slumped to the floor and cried quietly for what seemed like hours. She couldn’t hear him moving around at all. After a while, she picked herself up and walked down the hall to the living room, where Nathalie and Lauren (Mario’s daughter) were watching TV. When they saw her, Nathalie immediately rushed to her and pulled her into a hug. When she pulled away, Nathalie looked at Lauren with question in her eyes. Lauren simply nodded her head. “He told me it’s over.” Nathalie comforted her and quietly whispered reassurances to her, telling her that he would come to his senses.
Suddenly, Lauren felt the need to be alone. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got to get out of here.”
“Lauren, please. I don’t want you driving like this. Just stay here tonight. Or let me get Mario to take you home.”
“Thanks Nathalie, but I really just need to take a drive and clear my head. I’ll be fine. I will call you when I get home, so you know I made it home safe. No offense, but I just can’t be in the same house as him right now.”
Nathalie nodded her head in understanding. “Be careful. And please remember to call.”
Lauren nodded her head and let herself out of the house. When she got into her car, she didn’t know where she was going. She looked up towards Sidney’s windows and saw dim lighting from within the room, and she could’ve sworn she saw Sidney’s shadow in the window. She sighed as she put the car into drive and headed out into the twilight. She loved him more than anything, and he had just shut her out of his life.

Chapter 34

Chapter 34
Their weeks in Cole Harbour went by in a flash, and pretty soon, they found themselves on a plane headed back to Pittsburgh. The media in Pittsburgh knew they would be returning for Mario’s Celebrity Invitational, and they were waiting for Lauren and Sidney when they stepped off the plane. Sidney squeezed her hand tightly and partially shielded her body from the flash of the cameras as they walked through the terminal. Mario had sent one of his regular drivers to pick them up, not wanting to contribute to the media frenzy by showing up himself.
“Sidney, what is your girlfriends’ name? Where is she from? How did you meet?” Reporters were yelling questions from all directions.
“My relationship is part of my private life. She’s from the Pittsburgh area. That’s all I’ll say.” Sidney responded, using the same professional tone of voice he used during interviews after every game. Lauren was so proud of him for the way he carried himself, and the way he handled everything. She squeezed his hand and they continued to make their way through the airport, stopping only so Sidney could sign an autograph for a little girl who was travelling with her family. The girl’s mom had called Sidney over, and he smiled when he saw the cute little girl. The girl furiously started waving her fingers at her mom, and Lauren quickly realized the girl was deaf, and she was signing in American Sign Language to her mother. While Sidney knelt down to sign the little girl’s hat, Lauren knelt beside him and started signing to the girl.
Hi. What’s your name? Lauren signed. The girl’s eyes lit up with delight when she saw that Lauren could sign. Lauren glanced up at her mother and found her eyes were also lit in pleasant surprise.
K-A-T-I-E. What’s yours?

L-A-U-R-E-N.

You’re pretty. Are you Mr. Crosby’s girlfriend?

Lauren blushed furiously, still not used to hearing that out loud, even though technically this time, it wasn't out loud. She shook her head yes and beamed up at him. He was watching their exchange with extreme fascination and curiosity, not knowing what they were talking about.

You’re lucky.

Very lucky.

Sidney tapped Lauren on the shoulder. “Can you say something for me?” he asked. She smiled at the shy tone in his voice.
“Of course. Her name is Katie.”
“Tell her I’m very glad to meet her.” Lauren obliged and signed the words.
Katie blushed and nodded her head in response.
Tell him it’s an honor to meet him. I love the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is my favorite player.
Lauren signed Katie’s response and Sidney smiled widely, blushing a little, too, at the compliment.
“We should let you two get going. I’m sure you have places to be and you’ve probably had enough attention for the day.” Katie’s mother spoke up.
“It’s really no trouble at all. I like meeting my young fans, especially ones as great as Katie.” He smiled as Lauren signed what he was saying so Katie could understand.
She beamed. Bye Lauren and Sidney. It was so nice to meet you.

It was great meeting you too, Katie. Lauren replied.

Katie extended her hand to Lauren, and she shook it, and then extended her hand to Sidney. He took her tiny hand in his and kissed the top of her knuckles lightly, causing her to blush a deep shade of red, but the smile on her face grew even wider.

“Thank you both. This is one of the nicest things that have ever happened to her, and I know she won’t forget it.” Thank you. Her mother signed again, and Katie repeated her mother’s gesture.
As they walked away, Sidney pulled Lauren closely against his chest.
“I never knew you could sign.” He said before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.
“I took a few classes in college. I’m just excited that I actually got to sign with someone in real life. She seems like a great kid.” Lauren replied.
“You were amazing with her. I was mesmerized watching you with her. You’re good with kids.”
“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.” She said, punching him lightly on the arm as they continued to the baggage claim.
The driver dropped Lauren off at her parent’s house so she could spend some time with them. She kissed Sidney good-bye and he pulled her close.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep without you tonight. I’m going to miss you.” He said, his lips almost touching hers.
“Me too. You’re a good pillow.” She replied.
“So, is that all I’m good for?” He said in mock disappointment.
“Hmm, I can think of a few other things you’re pretty good at.” She teased, kissing him passionately, her tongue wrapping around his.
When they broke apart, he raised his eyebrows at her. “Damn, now you really have to come with me. I want to show you all the things I’m good at.”
She laughed and brushed her lips against his. “Sorry, love, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. But don’t think I won’t be dreaming of you and all your ‘talents’.” She replied seductively in his ear.
The next day, Sidney sent Lauren a text. Meet me at ‘our park’ for dinner at 6? Love you.
She smiled, thinking of the park he had taken to on their first date. Sure. Can’t wait to see you, stud. Love you more.
Around 5:30, Lauren said goodbye to her parents and headed off down the road towards Sewickley. When she arrived at the park, right on time, Sidney was nowhere to be seen. She took a seat on a bench and watched people go by for a few minutes. Lauren must have gotten lost in her thoughts because when she looked down at her watch again, so realized it was almost 6:30 and Sidney still wasn’t there. She immediately got worried. He was never late. He hated being late. And if something came up, he would have called. She picked up her phone and hit the speed dial button to call him.
After about 5 rings, it went to voicemail. She left a quick message asking him to call her as soon as she got the message. She waited a few more minutes before calling again. On the second ring, he picked up the phone.
“Hello?” He sounded angry and annoyed.
“Sidney? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Can I call you back? Now is not a good time.” He said through clenched teeth.
“Are you okay? Where are you?” She said, concern clear in her voice.
“I’ve got to go. Bye.” And with that, Sidney hung up on her.
What the hell is going on? He’d never hung up on her before. He’d never spoken to her in that tone of voice before. Lauren was a mix of emotions. She was worried sick about him, and hoped nothing had happened to him, and at the same time she found herself brimming with anger at the way he had just treated her. She got in her car and sped over to the Lemieux’s house to see if they knew anything about him.
When she got there, she didn’t see Sid’s car in the driveway and quickly went up to the door and knocked loudly. Even though Nathalie and Mario had told her on numerous occasions that she always welcome in their home, she still felt weird about just waltzing right in unless she was with Sidney.
When Nathalie opened the door, her eyes grew wide with surprise and then her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Lauren! It’s so good to see you! But I thought you and Sidney had plans for dinner?”
“We did. But he didn’t show, and I called him and he told me it wasn’t a good time and he sounded really angry and I just have no idea what’s going on.” Lauren said, sounding very weary at that moment.
“Come in.” Nathalie said, putting a comforting hand on Lauren’s back and leading her into the kitchen.
“I was hoping he was here. He’s never late. And I’m worried something happened to him. But I couldn’t believe how angry he sounded. He’s never spoken to me like that before.” Lauren said quietly.
“I’m going to call Mario and see what he can find out.” Nathalie picked up her phone and Lauren could hear her explaining the situation to Mario. A few minutes later, she said goodbye and set the phone down. Lauren looked at her hopefully but Nathalie shook her head. “He’s going to call him and see if he will talk to him.”
Lauren nodded and Nathalie got her a glass of water. She also grabbed a skillet from the cupboard, as well as the bread, butter, and a few slices of cheese. “Let me make you something to eat.” Nathalie said, and set to work on a grilled cheese sandwich.
About 15 minutes later, Mario arrived home. He greeted Nathalie with a kiss and then turned to Lauren, who was anxiously waiting to see if he knew what was going on.
“He’s on his way here now. His car is totaled.” Mario said grimly.
Lauren flew out of her chair and tears welled up in her eyes. “Is he okay?” she asked frantically.
“Yes, he wasn’t going that fast. So physically, he’s fine. His temper is another story.” Mario said, shaking his head.
About ten minutes later, Sidney burst through the door and walked into the kitchen. Lauren’s face washed over with relief when she saw that he was okay. She stood up and went over to him and tried to hug him, but he shocked her by abruptly pulling away from her.
“Not now. I’m not in the mood to deal with anyone right now.” He said, anger flashing in his hazel eyes.
Lauren didn’t know what was going on. She had never seen him like this before. Sure, he had been mad after a tough loss or something, but he’d never taken his anger out on her before. It was just a car – she didn’t see what the big deal was.
“Sidney, are you okay?” she said quietly, trying to stay composed, but knowing the tears were about to spill over her eyelashes at any moment.
“My car is fucking totaled. How the hell do you think I am?” he snapped, glaring at her.
Mario spoke up. “Sidney, she was just worried about you. It’s not her fault.”
Lauren gave Mario an appreciative smile and Sidney snapped again. “Whatever. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. I’m going to my room.” And then he disappeared in the direction of his bedroom, his feet stomping on the cold marble floor.
When he stormed away from her, Lauren couldn’t hold the tears in anymore. Nathalie pulled her into a hug and tried to comfort her. “He’s just upset right now. He didn’t mean to hurt you. Just give him some time to cool off and he’ll realize how ridiculous he’s being.”
“I hope so. I don’t even know what I did.” Lauren said, feeling more dejected than she had ever been in her life. She sat in the kitchen with Nathalie for a while, and after she had calmed down and regained her composure, she decided to head home. Before she left, she scribbled down a short note and asked Nathalie to give it to Sidney in the morning, after he had hopefully calmed down.
Sidney,
Please call me when you get this letter. I really want to talk to you. I’m sorry about your car. I love you…
-Lauren
When Lauren got home, she went straight to her room without talking to anyone and went to bed, hoping the morning would bring her sweet, loving boyfriend back to her. She was so hurt by the way he had treated her, and she was mad at him too. It was going to take a damn good explanation for him to work this out with her.

Chapter 33

Chapter 33
Sidney woke up the next morning when he felt Lauren get up out of his arms and go into the bathroom. She emerged a few minutes later, looking pale and miserable.
“Baby, are you okay?” he asked in a concerned tone as she crawled back into bed.
“I’m sorry I woke you up. I feel like crap. Go back to sleep, darlin’.” She said, curling up into a ball.
“What’s wrong? Was it something you ate last night?” He asked, terrified that his favorite Chinese take-out place had given her food poisoning or something.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just regular Crohn’s disease stomach stuff. I’ve been in remission for a few months, so I figured I’d probably flare soon. It always happens that way – it’s just my luck, I guess.”
He pulled her protectively into his arms. “I’m sorry, Lauren. I hate that you have to deal with this. I wish it were me instead.”
“I don’t.” she said firmly. “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, especially you. It’d break my heart to see you suffer through this.”
“Well that’s what it’s doing to me now. It’s not fair.”
“I know. But it’s life. It’s kind of like how you have to deal with the media and attention all the time. It’s not fair to you.”
“In a way, I chose this life, though. I didn’t choose the attention, but I chose to play hockey, and I guess that comes with the package. You didn’t choose this.”
“No.” she chuckled in agreement. “I’m just going to try and go back to sleep for a while.”
Lauren slept for a little while longer and Sidney quietly slipped out of bed and went downstairs. About an hour later, he went up to check on her and she was awake, lying in bed watching TV. She still looked like she hadn’t gotten much sleep.
“Hey baby. Feeling any better?” He asked, leaning against the doorway.
“Not really.” She admitted, patting the bed next to her, signaling him to join her. He lay down on the bed next to her and she snuggled up against his chest. “I’m sorry I’m no fun today.” She said sadly.
He kissed her forehead. “Quit saying you’re sorry. You haven’t done anything wrong. And I love just laying around with you – we should do it more often. Can I do anything for you? Do you want anything to eat?” he asked.
“No, no food. Maybe just some Gatorade?” She asked, looking up at him with sad eyes.
“I’ll be right back.” He said, kissing her forehead again and sliding out of bed and disappearing out the door. He returned a minute later with two bottles of Gatorade and some DVDs.
“Have I told you lately that I love you?” She asked as he handed her one of the bottles after opening it for her.
“Yeah, but I still love hearing you say that.” He said, putting a DVD in the player and joining her under the covers.
They watched the movie for a while before Lauren curled up into a ball and moaned in pain.
“Lauren, what’s wrong? This doesn’t seem good at all.” Sidney’s eyes were wide with concern as he gently rubbed her back.
“I’ll be fine. The pain will pass in a few minutes.”
A few minutes later, her breathing went back to normal and she was able to stretch her body out again. Sidney pulled her protectively into his arms and held her tightly around the waist.
“Better?” He asked.
“Yeah. Being with you helps.” She managed a grin and he kissed her softly on the forehead.
“You’re a terrible liar, you know that?” He said.
She smiled sheepishly. “I just don’t want you to worry.”
“Well I can’t help that. Nobody likes to see the one they love hurting.”
“I guess now you know how I feel every time some bastard checks you into the boards or slashes their stick across your back.”
He chuckled. “Fair enough.”
They continued watching movies for a while in silence, and Lauren drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, Sidney was nowhere to be seen. She looked at the clock. 7:27. She had slept most of the afternoon and into the evening.
She crawled out of bed and threw on a pair of Sidney’s sweatpants and pulled on one of his old sweaters and padded down the stairs. She could hear hushed voices in the living room. When she walked in, Sidney’s eyes grew wide.
“I’m so sorry, baby, did we wake you up?” He asked as she curled up next to him on the couch.
“No, I didn’t even know you were down here until I was half way down the steps. I figured I should actually get up since I’ve been in bed all day.”
“Sidney told me you’re not feeling well. I should probably leave you guys alone.” The other man in the room said, standing up.
“Oh, please don’t leave on my behalf. I’m actually feeling better.” Sidney shot her a questioning glance, and she laced her fingers with his. “Really! I am.” She turned towards the other man. “I’m Lauren, Sidney’s girlfriend. He forgets his manners sometimes.”
The man chuckled. “That’s Sid. I’m Chris, an old teammate.”
Sidney rolled his eyes at both of them. “Apparently you are feeling better. Your sarcasm is back.”
She just grinned at him.
“So, Sidney, you’ll never guess who I saw running by your house when I got here earlier. You remember Jimmy from PeeWee?”
Lauren immediately tensed up when she heard his name and it made her blood run cold to think he had been outside Sidney’s house. What was he doing there?
Sidney noticed her tension and pulled her closer against his chest. “Oh really? That’s weird. I saw him randomly in Montreal a few months ago. And then again at a game in Pittsburgh a while after that. Weird.”
“That is weird. I hadn’t seen him since PeeWee.”
The conversation continued for a while until Chris thanked them for their hospitality and said he needed to go.
Sidney followed him out to the door and said goodbye. As he shut the door, Lauren appeared in the foyer. “Sidney, make sure the door is locked.” She said quietly.
“I always do.” He said, clicking the deadbolt into place. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just got nervous when he mentioned Jimmy. Why would he be outside your house? Does he live back here?” She asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll check with the housing association tomorrow. But don’t worry about him. I’m here, and I will always protect you.” He said, pulling her into his arms. She knew he was right. She never felt safer than when she was in his arms, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was weird about Jimmy.

Chapter 32

So, I totally did not intend on writing this chapter, but after reading your comments on the last chapter, I realized I had set you up for a steamy scene, and I didn't want to disappoint. I also drew some inspiration from some very interesting conversations tonight....it's not long but I think you'll enjoy this one!

Chapter 32
Sidney took his time kissing his way down her body, slowly sliding the bathrobe off her as he did so. She tossed the robe on the floor and he gently flipped her over so she was underneath him on the couch. He kissed her neck, loving the feel of her soft skin under his bee-stung lips. He stood up and made a dramatic production out of removing his clothes. She giggled as she propped herself up on the couch. Normally, Lauren was kind of self-conscious about her body, especially after the toll Crohn’s disease and her various medicines had taken on her. But around Sidney, she felt completely at ease and completely uninhibited. She didn’t even try to hide her soft curves from him, and he found himself weak in the knees, watching her chest rise and fall in the candlelight.
He found it hard not to rip his clothes off and take her right then and there, but tonight, he wanted to go slowly. He wanted to enjoy every second of this night, enjoy every inch of her beauty. She giggled when he threw his t-shirt at her head. When he had stripped down to only his boxers, Lauren stood up and pulled him close to her.
“Let me help you with those, sir.” She said, playfully hooking her fingers underneath the elastic. He grinned at her.
“Yes, ma’am.” He said, playfully saluting her. She pulled his boxers down at an agonizingly painful pace and smiled to herself as she saw the look of impatience on his face as the thin fabric rubbed against his most sensitive skin. He kicked his boxers off and guided her back towards the couch, crushing her underneath him as his lips collided with hers. He made love to her slowly, not wanting the night to ever end. They made love over and over (and over) again, until both were too exhausted to move.
A few hours later, Lauren woke up and realized they weren’t on the couch anymore. She smiled to herself when she saw Sidney lying next to her in their bed. Apparently, he had carried her to bed. She kissed him gently on the lips and whispered in his ear until he started to wake up, and once again, she let him know exactly how much she loved him.
The next morning, Lauren slipped quietly out of bed, kissing Sidney’s forehead gently as she tucked him under the covers. She threw on some of his sweats and headed out the door.
She arrived back about 15 minutes later holding a bag and two steaming cups of coffee. She set the stuff down on the nightstand and jumped onto the bed, kissing Sidney as she did so.
“Morning, sunshine!” she said excitedly.
“Morning,” he mumbled. “How do you have so much energy after last night?” he asked, opening one eye to look at her.
“Honestly, after the way you wore me out, I have no idea. Maybe the half a cup of coffee I drank on the way back here is already starting to kick in.” She nodded towards the nightstand.
“You brought me breakfast?” he said, smiling.
“Yep. Every good day starts with a little Tim Horton’s,” she said with a devilish grin before attacking his lips with her own.

Chapter 31

Chapter 31
The next day, Sidney went to work out with his trainer, and Lauren had lunch and went shopping with Taylor. Lauren had always wanted a little sister, and Taylor had always wanted an older sister, so the two of them were like two peas in a pod. A few people recognized Taylor and approached them. They asked who Lauren was, and Taylor excitedly told them that she was Sidney’s girlfriend. She had had to keep it a secret for so long, and now she was finally getting to tell everyone about it. Apparently, the people called the local newspaper or something because a little while later, a photographer was there and took some pictures.
Lauren wasn’t used to the attention, but she just sort of ignored them the same way Taylor did.
The next day, they went to Sidney’s parents’ house for lunch. Trina was in the kitchen getting the food ready when they walked into the house, and she smirked as she slid the day’s paper across the counter at them.
Sidney just rolled his eyes, expecting another picture of him coming out of the gym yesterday or something. Lauren’s eyes widened in shock when she saw a picture of her and Taylor at the café from the previous day. The headline read: “Future Sisters-In-Law? The hometown hero brings a gal pal home.” Sidney smiled as he skimmed through the article.
“Well, it looks like you’ve won over Coal Harbour now, too. They call you ‘beautiful’ and ‘charming’ and ‘lovable’.” He kissed her cheek. “I would have to agree with all of that.” He kissed her nose.
Lauren still looked worried. “Sid, I noticed the photographers, but I just never thought something like this would happen. I’m really sorry.”
“Sorry for what? You have nothing to be sorry about. It’s not fair that they intruded when you and Taylor were hanging out, but unfortunately, it’s part of my life. And besides, I actually like what they wrote about us.” He said warmly, wrapping his arm around her.
Trina spoke up. “I agree, Lauren. This article was really nice. And I know it sucks to see your face on a newspaper, but try not to worry about that too much. Another thing to remember is that Cole Harbour is a small town and they have nothing else to talk about except their ‘wonder boy’” she explained, making bunny ears with her fingers. She rolled her eyes towards Sidney, but they all knew that she was one proud mama.
After lunch, Sidney wanted to take Lauren and show her around town. “Come on, I want the whole town to see me with my beautiful and charming and lovable girlfriend.” He teased.
“Lead the way, ‘wonder boy’.” She teased back.
They spent the afternoon visiting his old hockey rinks and Sidney’s old schools and all the ponds he used to play shinny on in the winters. They got coffee from a little café and sat down on a bench near a pond. They sat in content silence for a few minutes until they noticed a photographer nearby, snapping pictures of them. A few people were also not-so-subtly gawking at them. Sidney rolled his eyes at them but then looked at Lauren with a grin. “Want to give them something to talk about?”
She just rolled her eyes and grinned at him as his lips met hers. It was a short, sweet kiss, but it was enough to turn some heads and fire up the gossip. He smiled into her lips as he kissed her again.
They stayed at the pond a little longer, laughing about the small crowd that was still gawking and gossiping. After a while, they headed back to Sidney’s house because he said he had a surprise for her.
When they got to the house, he told her to wait in the living room. He went upstairs and returned a few minutes later. “Okay, go ahead upstairs. And don’t come down until I come and get you.” He winked, and she cocked her head to the side and gave him a confused look, but did as he asked.
When Lauren got upstairs, she wandered into the bedroom and her face broke out into a huge smile. There was a dim glow of candles all around the room and a fluffy white robe was laid across the bed. She noticed a trail of pink rose petals leading into the bathroom and followed where they went. When she got to the bathroom, she found that he had drawn a bath in the large Jacuzzi tub, and there were pink rose petals floating in the bubble bath. There was a note sitting by the sink.
I love you more than anything in the world.
Love,
YOUR MAN Sid
P.S. NO sneaking downstairs until I say so! :-)
She smiled and ran her fingers over Sidney’s handwriting as she recalled their conversation earlier that day.
**Flashback**
Sidney and Lauren giggled like children as the two older ladies walked away. They had spotted Sidney and he had signed autographs for them and even spoke to one woman’s grandson on her cell phone.
“Sid the Kid! Sid the Kid!” Lauren said, mimicking the older lady’s voice. “I think she forgot the rest of her vocabulary for a few minutes.”
Sidney chuckled. “Yeah, I know. I don’t really even like that nickname. I just don’t see myself as a kid, ya know?”
“Yeah, I know, babe. I certainly don’t see you as a kid either.” She winked at him and he raised an eyebrow.
“But I guess I still am kind of a kid compared to a lot of people, so I suppose I’ll suck it up.”
“Don’t worry, baby. You’re definitely a man to me.” Lauren said, kissing him softly on the lips.
“I like being your man.” He grinned, kissing her again.
**End Flashback**
Lauren slipped out of her clothes and slipped into the tub. The hot water felt amazing and she could instantly feel all her muscles relaxing. She rested her head on the back of the tub and closed her eyes. She had a grin plastered on her face as she thought of how lucky she was. Seriously, there were thousands of girls who would cut off their own hand (or give up a kidney) for just a few minutes with Sidney, and he called himself “her man.” She had never been in love before, and she always thought that when she finally fell in love, she would just know, just like they always say. But she couldn’t believe how quickly she had fallen in love, and the fact that he loved her back just blew her mind.
Suddenly, Sidney’s voice interrupted her daydreams. “Hey beautiful.”
She opened her eyes to find him standing in the doorway grinning at her.
“Hey, sneaky. This was such a nice surprise. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You deserve it after putting up with me and the drama in my life. And this isn’t the only surprise. Come on.” He said, waving his hand and walking back out into the bedroom.
She opened the drain on the tub and stepped out and dried off with a towel. She wrapped the towel around herself and walked out into the bedroom. Sidney was waiting there with the robe opened for her. She slipped her arms into the robe and slipped the towel off her just before closing the warm robe around her body. It was just long enough for Sidney to sneak a peek. “God, you’re beautiful.” He said huskily in her ear before kissing her neck.
She smiled and kissed him passionately on the lips. “I love you, Sidney.”
He laced his fingers with hers and led her downstairs, where the entire living room was lit by candlelight. Lauren loved candlelight and the way the light bounced off the walls. Sidney had made dinner – spaghetti, her favorite. He had set the food out of the coffee table, along with two glasses of raspberry lemonade. He led her to the large floor cushions and they sat down to eat. “Sidney, this is all wonderful. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Lauren. You’ve put up with a lot of attention in the last week or so, and I know it’s not always fun. It just amazes me how well you deal with everything. Like, you just take everything in stride. That’s what I love about you. Well, I love a lot about you.” Sidney said, kissing her forehead.
“Sidney, I’d walk on hot coals if it meant I got to be with you. You have no idea how you have turned my whole world upside down. And tonight was a perfect example of that. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the evening than curled up here with you.”
“Well, I will admit my intentions were slightly selfish. I wanted you all to myself tonight. No guests. No interruptions.” He pulled her up onto the couch and into his arms, kissing her passionately as he did so.

Chapter 30

Chapter 30
Trina was waiting for them at the airport when they arrived, along with a small crowd who had caught wind of the homecoming and came to greet him. They cheered loudly as Sidney stepped into the terminal, holding Lauren’s hand as she walked out behind him.
“Sidney, is this your girlfriend?” someone in the crowd shouted.
He looked at Lauren and smiled before responding. “Yes, she is.” He gave a toothy grin. She squeezed his hand and smiled back at him. She hadn’t minded keeping their relationship a secret, but it felt so good to hear him say that.
Trina took them to Sidney’s house. Lauren couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. It wasn’t too fancy, and it had a simple, classic style that suited Sidney (and her) perfectly.
He showed her all around and then they met some of his friends for lunch at a little restaurant in town. He was recognized by a few people, and they stopped by the table to say hello. Some of the people just looked at Lauren curiously, but others asked who she was. Each time he answered, Sidney and Lauren both got huge smiles on their faces when they confirmed that they were together. So far, people had been very happy for Sidney and Lauren, and he was glad that his fans were supporting her.
After lunch, Sidney invited his friends back to his house. They all decided to hang out down by the lake, and Sidney asked Lauren if she wanted to go out on his jet ski. Her eyes lit up and she went upstairs to change into her swimsuit. Sidney kept his swim trunks in his downstairs bathroom so he was already back outside by the time she came back out.
In typical guy fashion, Sidney’s friends let out cat calls and whistles when she came back out in a black bikini. Their reactions caused her to blush furiously, but she was good-natured about it and jokingly posed for them. Sidney just rolled his eyes at them and grinned at her, more than satisfied at what he saw. He climbed onto the jet ski and offered his hand to help her climb on behind her. He smiled when she tightly wrapped his arms around his waist and they took off out onto the lake.
As it turned out, Sidney drove the jet ski the same way he drove his Range Rover and the same way he careened down a sheet of ice – fast. When they got out to the middle of the lake, he stopped. “Why are we stopping out here?” Lauren asked him.
“I like it out here.” He said simply before jumping off into the water. When he surfaced, he gave her that infamous toothy grin. She laughed at how much he looked like a little kid. She realized that he didn’t have many opportunities to just be a kid anymore, and this was one of those times. She jumped in beside him and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
“Thanks for bringing me here.” She said.
“I love being home. And I love you. It seems like a perfect combination for me.”
“I love you too.” She said, kissing him sweetly on the lips.
They splashed around in the water for a little while and then he asked her if she wanted to drive the jet ski back. She nodded excitedly and he climbed back onto the jet ski before reaching down and pulling her up onto the jet ski. He sat down behind her.
“First you let me drive your car, and now you’re letting me drive your jet ski too? Are you sure about this, big guy?” she asked, hoping he would take her joke well.
Luckily, he chuckled into her ear. “Baby, I’d let you drive me to the moon. Besides, you took such good care of me the other night. I love you for that.” He kissed her neck. “But don’t think that I let just anyone play with my toys.” He said, lightening the mood with his double entendre.
She laughed. “So, I better not wreck then, eh?”
He put his hands up on the handle bars over hers. “I won’t let you do that. I got your back. Forever.”
They rode back to his house to find his friends still lounging by the water. His friends raised their eyebrows in shock when they saw that he had let her drive.
“Ooooo somebody’s in loooooooooooooove! Sid never lets anyone drive his jet ski!” Jack said.
Sidney blushed and shoved Jack into the water, but then wrapped his arms around Lauren’s waist. When Jack popped his head back above the water, Sidney looked at him. “For your information, I am in love.” Lauren smiled at him and then he got a devilish spark in his eye.
“You wouldn’t dare…” Lauren said.
“Oh, but I would…” he laughed as he picked her up and threw her into the water. She surfaced a moment later, sputtering and glaring at Sidney. For a minute, Sidney thought she was really upset until her face broke out into a grin.
“Oh, it’s on, Crosby.” She said sweetly.
Later that evening, after the sun had gone down, they were sitting around his outdoor fireplace laughing and joking around. “Need a refill anyone?” Lauren asked, getting up out of her chair. She disappeared inside. No one had noticed Jack slip inside a few minutes earlier.
When she got to the kitchen, she looked at him and grinned. “Ready?” she asked.
“Oh yeah. He’s got it coming.”
When they came back outside a few minutes later, Sidney had his back to them. Lauren ran up behind him and broke a giant water balloon over his head.
“Ahhhhhhh!” he yelled.
“Something wrong, baby?” she asked innocently when he turned around, soaked.
He started to say something but then Jack started throwing balloons at everyone else.
A short while later, they were all soaked and laughing hysterically. “Sid, I like this one. I think we should keep her.” Jack said, wrapping an arm around Lauren.
“Yeah, I think I’ll keep her.” Sidney said, winking at Lauren.
Around 1:00 that morning, Sidney and Lauren couldn’t stop yawning anymore. Sidney told his friends they were welcome to crash at his place, and then they headed up to bed.

Chapter 29

Chapter 29
Lauren woke up a few hours later to the sound of someone quietly opening Sidney’s door. She opened her eyes and saw Nathalie standing in the doorway.
“I’m so sorry to just intrude. I just wanted to make sure he was okay. I heard him leave this morning and I wasn’t sure where he was headed.” Nathalie whispered, trying not to wake Sidney up.
“He went for a run. I think that really helped him clear his head, because he’s finally sleeping.”
Nathalie nodded her head and smiled. “Good. Well I’m going to make some breakfast for the kids. Don’t wake him, though. I’ll make him something when he wakes up later.” Nathalie quietly closed the door behind her.
Lauren laid there in Sidney’s arms for a few minutes longer, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. She started to slide out of bed, and at first his grip tightened, but then she managed to slide out and covered him up with the blanket again. She leaned down and gently kissed his forehead. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and joined Nathalie in the kitchen.
“Did he sleep at all last night?” Nathalie asked.
“I don’t think so.” Lauren let out a long sigh. “I know this is just killing him.”
“It is tough. And he’ll probably have some ups and downs over the next few days. He’ll be okay though. He’ll bounce back.” Nathalie said.
“I hope so. I just hate seeing him so down, knowing there’s nothing I can do to make it better.” Lauren said.
“Just keep loving him as much as you do. That will definitely help him.” Nathalie said with a smile.
“Thanks Nathalie. I really appreciate all of your advice.”
A moment later, Austin came in and sat down on one of the stools as the island. “Morning, Mom. Morning, Lauren. Lauren, is Sidney okay? He looked so sad last night.”
Lauren smiled. “He is kind of sad right now, but he’s going to be just fine. In fact, what I think he needs right now is some breakfast! Want to help me wake him up?”
Austin jumped up and practically dragged Lauren towards Sidney’s room. When they got to the door, Lauren put her finger to her lips and they crept quietly into his room. They each climbed onto the bed on either side of Sidney and quietly whispered in his ears. “Hey Sidney! Sidney, it’s time to wake up. Mom and Lauren made us breakfast!” Austin said, trying to contain his excitement about this adventure. Sidney finally stirred and grinned, not yet opening his eyes.
“I see you found a friend, Lauren.” He said, his long eyelashes fluttering as he turned to look at her.
“We make a good team, don’t we, Austin?” She said with a giggle. Austin nodded his head eagerly. Lauren leaned down to plant a quick kiss on Sidney’s lips.
“Eww, gross!” Austin said, scrunching up her nose. Sidney laughed and pulled Austin over and started tickling him. He started screaming and giggling. Lauren saved him and Lauren and Austin walked out to the kitchen. Sidney threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and joined the family a moment later.
“Good morning, Sidney!” Nathalie said cheerfully.
“Morning, Nat. Breakfast smells amazing.” He replied, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
“Well, dig in everyone.” The family enjoyed breakfast together. Mario’s children dominated most of the conversation with their playful bantering. Sidney laughed along with them, but still seemed pretty quiet. After breakfast, Sidney and Lauren took their coffee out onto the patio and sat on the swing.
“I love you, Sidney. I know that won’t make this better, but I just want you to know that.” Lauren said, lacing her fingers with his.
He smiled and kissed her hand. “I know, babe. And I love you too, more than anything. I’m sorry I’m in such a funk. I think I need to go home for a while and relax.”
“Well then it’s a good thing I happen to have two plane tickets to Halifax for tomorrow afternoon, isn’t it?”
His eyes grew wide and his lips curled into a smile as he looked at her. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I booked them this morning, before you woke up. I promised Taylor she could show me around Cole Harbour, and I think some home town love is exactly what you need right now.”
He leaned over and kissed her passionately. “I love you. You are the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.” He whispered, his forehead pressed against hers.
“Back at ya, babe.” She said, kissing him again.
They spent the rest of the day watching movies with the Lemieux children, and then Lauren went home to pack for their trip and Sidney went to dinner with the team.
Lauren packed her suitcase and spent some time hanging out with her parents. After a few hours, she said good bye and went back to the Lemieux’s. She didn’t want Sidney to be alone, and she figured she would pack his things for him. She packed his suitcase and then hung out in his room, watching TV. She wanted to wait up for him, but eventually, she was overcome with sleep.
Sidney returned around midnight and was a little surprised to see Lauren’s car in the driveway. They had planned on meeting at the airport the next afternoon. He hoped she was okay. When he got to his room, he found a note taped to his door. He ran his finger delicately Lauren’s neat handwriting.
Sidney,
I tried to stay awake until you got home, but in case I’m sleeping when you get here, I just wanted to say goodnight and I love you. Every single thing you do amazes me.
Love you until the end of time,
Lauren

He smiled to himself as he quietly opened in the door. His stopped in the doorway for a moment, allowing the light from the hallway to cast a warm glow over Lauren. She lay there sleeping, cuddled up with one of his pillows.
Sidney closed the door quietly and slipped out of his jeans and pulled off his sweater and the t-shirt underneath. He carefully crawled into bed behind her and pulled her gently into his arms. She woke up and snuggled her back into his muscular chest. “Hey.” She said groggily.
He kissed the nape of her neck. “I’m sorry I woke you,” he whispered. “I love you. Sweet dreams.”
“I’m glad I woke up. I wanted to kiss you goodnight.” Lauren replied, turning around to kiss his full, red lips. He smiled into her lips and kissed her passionately. A moment later, she settled into his arms and they both fell asleep.
The next morning, Sidney went to the arena to clean out his stall and to spend some time with his teammates and conduct some interviews. Lauren stayed behind to finish packing and then around noon, Nathalie drove Lauren to the arena so they could pick up Sidney on the way to the airport.
“Lauren!” Jordan yelled when she walked into the dressing room. He enveloped her in a bug hug. “So I hear he’s taking you away from all of us?”
Jordan pouted his bottom lip at her. “Don’t worry Jordy, we’ll be back in a couple weeks, in time for Mario’s golf tournament. You won’t even have time to miss me before we’ll be back!”
“Well you tell Sid that he’d better not keep you away any longer than that!” She giggled at him. Her and Jordan had clicked instantly and he had quickly become a good friend of hers.
“Watch it, Gronk, or I’ll keep her to myself forever!” Sidney said, sliding an arm across Lauren’s shoulders as he joined the conversation. “Ready to go, babe?”
The airplane ride seemed to drag on. Sidney was getting very restless and desperately wanted to be home. Lauren giggled at how excited he was.

Chapter 28

Chapter 28
Lauren woke up around 7:00 and panicked when she felt the cool of the sheets next to her and realized Sidney wasn’t there. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he had left a note.
Lauren –
I went for a run – needed to clear my head. Thank you for taking care of me – I love you more than anything in the world. Love, Sid
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, Lauren headed into the bathroom to take a shower. She had only been in the shower for a minute or two when she heard the bathroom door open and someone came in. She nearly jumped out of her skin, but relaxed when she peeked out and saw Sidney standing there. His cheeks were flushed and he was covered in sweat from his run. “How was your run?” she asked.
“It was exactly what I needed. Sorry I just snuck out – I didn’t want to wake you up. You looked so peaceful.” He grinned at her. She had missed that smile over the last day or so and was happy to see it light up his face again.
“I’m pretty sure you didn’t get too much sleep last night,” He gave her a guilty expression and she knew she was right. “But I’m glad you’re feeling better. But do you know what you need now, Mr. Crosby?”
“What?” he looked at her blankly.
“A shower.” She grinned wickedly.
“Is that an invitation?” He responded, peeling his shirt off and discarding it on the floor. She just smiled at him and he leaned over and kissed her. She stuck her head back into the running water of the shower, and a moment later, she felt Sidney’s arms around her, the sweat being rinsed off his naked body.
He stared at her for a minute, notes of sadness still mingled with the flecks of cinnamon in his eyes. He sighed and picked up the can of shaving cream and started to lather his face.
She leaned up and kissed him on the lips, transferring some of the shaving cream onto her own face. He laughed and wiped it off with the back of his hand. She took his razor and carefully shaved his face. She was very careful not to let the razor nick his face. Shaving off his playoff beard (or what there was of it) was emotional enough as it was, and the last thing she needed to do was draw blood. When his face was clean-shaven, he stuck his head under the running water to rinse the rest of the shaving cream away. She ran her hand along his jawline and he took her hand and kissed her palm.
“What would I do without you? I love you so much.” He said. She poured some of his shampoo in her hand and reached up and massaged his scalp with her fingers. She laughed when he used the shampoo to style his hair into a Mohawk. “What do you think?” He said, putting his hands on his hips and posing like a model.
She laughed and pushed him under the shower head, rinsing away the shampoo and short-lived Mohawk. While he rinsed his hair, she grabbed a washcloth and lathered it up with his favorite soap. She started up at his shoulders and worked her way down his back, admiring his muscles as they glistened under the streaming water. She playfully squeezed his butt through the washcloth and he reached his arm around and pulled her close, turning around to face her. “You have no idea how much you turn me on.” He said huskily.
“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea.” She said, feeling his erection growing even harder against her leg. She kissed him passionately on the lips and then went to work washing his chest. He was perfect. She could stare at his perfectly chiseled features all day, every day and it would never get tiring.
She moved the washcloth slowly down his chest and abs, smiling to herself as she traced down the little line of dark hair that started just below his belly button. He moaned and took the washcloth out of her hands, tossing it on the floor behind him. “Play time’s over.” He said.
She smiled at him as he picked her up and pushed her against the bathroom wall, thrusting himself deep inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tongue dancing with his as their lips met in a fiery kiss. She wrapped her legs around his body, pulling him closer. Their bodies moved as one as they made love. It was rough and desperate and mind-blowing and passionate, all at the same time. He slammed his body against hers with a sense of urgency. His mind was cleared of all thoughts except of her and how much he loved her. She bit into his shoulder to keep from screaming as he came into her, both reaching their climax simultaneously.
He gently released his grip on her as she put her feet back down on the ground, her knees wobbling a little bit. Lauren took his hands in hers and examined them. They were completely pruned, just like her own. She laughed and gently kissed each of his fingertips as he placed small kisses along her hairline. She reached behind him and shut the water off. Sidney stepped out and grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around her, kissing her lips sweetly before grabbing a towel for himself. After he had wrapped the towel around his waist, Sidney caught Lauren off guard when he picked her up in his arms and carried her back out into the bedroom. She nuzzled her face into his now-soft cheek and purred into his ear, “That was amazing. But I think I need a nap now.”
“Me too.” He laughed. Lauren smiled, happy that Sidney seemed more like his old self again.
He smiled as he set her down on the bed and slipped on a clean pair of boxers. She slipped on a pair of panties and pulled one of his old hockey shirts from his drawer. He collapsed onto the bed and she snuggled up right next to him, pulling the blankets up over them. She chuckled when she saw that it was still only 8:15 in the morning, and yet, both of them had had a lot of activity already. She kissed him on the lips and then rested her head on his chest. She ran her hand over his bare chest, breathing in his scent. She loved the soft feel and smell of his skin right after he got out of the shower. She laid there, listening to his breathing get more and more steady. After a little while, she carefully craned her neck around to look up at him. She smiled when she saw that he was sleeping. Finally, he was getting the rest that he desperately needed, even more so after that noteworthy performance in the shower. She watched him for a while but pretty soon, Lauren drifted back to sleep as well.