Chapter 27

Sorry about the long wait - I was away this weekend and I'm still in training for my job so I haven't had time to write :( I haven't forgot about this story though and I have lots of big plans for it!

Chapter 27
The Penguins continued to advance through the playoffs, and soon it was game 6 of the Stanley Cup final against the Red Wings. Nathalie had invited Lauren to sit in the owner’s box, and when they lost, tears streamed down Lauren’s face. Nathalie, who had tears in her own eyes, put a comforting arm around her while Lauren tried to collect herself. “They played their best.” Mario said, emotion heavy on his eyes as well.
Lauren wiped the tears from her eyes. “I need to get to Sidney. And he can’t see me like this.” She knew if Sidney saw her crying, he would be even more upset. And she knew that right then, her boyfriend was devastated. They waited for the arena to clear out before heading down to the locker room.
When they got there, Sidney was surrounded by reporters and Lauren could see that he was trying his hardest to conceal his emotions. She found Jordan and gave him a hug, telling him how proud she was. He just nodded and headed towards the shower. She found Marc sitting alone in his stall, head held low. She sat down beside him and put her arm around him. “Marc. I am so proud of you. Your team is proud of you.” She whispered to him as he cried quietly.
Vero came into the locker room and was immediately at Marc’s side. As Lauren got up and stepped away, Marc put his hand on her arm and said quietly, “Thank you.” His voice was hoarse and filled with emotion, and Lauren fought the tears once more. Vero gave her a small smile as she walked away. The reporters had left Sidney alone, finally, and he was staring off into space.
He gave her a weak smile when she sat down beside him. “Hey.” He said quietly.
She didn’t know what to say to him. She wanted to make everything better, but she knew she couldn’t. So she kissed him softly on the cheek and whispered, “I love you more than anything and I am so proud of everything you do.”
He gave her another small smile and nodded his head. “I know. This just sucks.” His eyes were glassy, but no tears fell.
“I know, babe. Why don’t you get a shower and then we’ll head home?”
They stood up together and Lauren leaned up to kiss him on the lips. He kissed her passionately, taking her in his arms. Neither of them cared that reporters were everywhere. He needed her, and she needed to be there for him. “Thank you for being here tonight. I love you.” He whispered into her hair before heading to the showers.
She sat back down at his stall to wait for him. A few reporters approached her and starting asking questions about her relationship with Sidney. She didn’t feel like talking to them at that moment, and thankfully, Pat stepped in. “No questions. My client deserves his privacy right now.” He said, stepping in front of Lauren so they couldn’t stick their microphones in her face.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry that our relationship just suddenly became so public in front of the media.”
“Lauren, don’t apologize. Sidney needs you right now.” He smiled softly at her and she nodded her head.
Sidney’s parents came into the locker room and immediately came over to Lauren. She stood up and Troy enveloped her in a hug. She smiled at him and then gave Trina a hug. Taylor was still in school, so she was at home with relatives. Lauren’s heart ached when she thought about how disappointed Taylor probably was at that moment, being so far away from her big brother, knowing he was hurting.
Both Trina’s and Troy’s cheeks were tear-stained and Trina spoke up quietly. “How is he?”
“He’s heartbroken. He’s trying to put on a brave front, though. I even got a few little smiles out of him.”
Trina’s eyes brightened a little at the sound of that. A few minutes later, Sidney emerged from the showers, now dressed in his suit. He hugged his mother and kissed her cheek and hugged his father. Troy held him tightly and whispered something in his ear. Sidney just nodded his head and they walked out towards the parking lot, Lauren never leaving Sidney’s side.
When they got outside, there was a huge crowd of fans waiting for the players. Sidney handed Lauren his keys and she went and waited in the car while he signed autographs for a little while. When he got over to the car, he opened the passenger door. “Will you drive home?” He asked, his voice unsteady. He looked more exhausted than she’d ever seen him look before.
Lauren knew this couldn’t be good. He didn’t like anyone driving his car except him. She just nodded and got out of the car and went around and got in the driver’s seat. She drove to Nakama, a Japanese steakhouse and sushi bar in the South Side where they were meeting most of his teammates to get a bite to eat. Even though the mood was somber, the guys still cracked a few jokes and Lauren noticed Sidney relax a little bit over the course of the meal. Shortly after they were done eating, though, he asked her if she was ready to go.
“Of course, baby. Let’s go home.” She said, taking his hand as they walked to the car. Again, he handed her his keys.
“Thanks, baby.” He said quietly as she slid into the driver’s seat. She just put her hand on his cheek and smiled.
When they got to the Lemieux’s, the house was dark and the family was asleep. They headed straight towards Sidney’s living room, and Lauren went to the fridge to grab a couple bottles of water. When she walked back into the living room, Sidney had laid down on the couch and was just staring off into space. Lauren knelt on the floor beside the couch and put her hand on his cheek. He looked over at her and smiled, resting his hand over hers. “I love you.” He said quietly, kissing her hand.
“I love you too, baby.” She stood up and put her hands out to help him up. “Let’s go to bed.”
She led him into his bedroom and he just sat down on the edge of the bed. She knew his mind was truly elsewhere when he didn’t even notice her changing into a pair of his boxers and one of his t-shirts. She wasn’t offended, but she was worried about him. She knew he was probably blaming himself, and running over each play of the night’s game in his head. Sidney didn’t handle losses well, and tonight would be no exception.
“Come on. Let’s get you out of these clothes. She pulled his shoes off and slipped his arms out of suit jacket. She knelt in front of him and loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He looked her in the eyes, and her heart sank even more when she saw how helpless and sad he looked. She pulled him up to a standing position and he slipped out of his dress pants. She pulled the sheets back and he climbed into bed. She got into bed next to him and crawled into his arms.
It didn’t take long before Sidney could tell Lauren was asleep. He laid there for hours, his thoughts refusing to grant him any rest. Finally, around 6:30 that morning, he carefully crawled out of bed and covered Lauren back up with the blankets. He smiled at her, laced up his running shoes, and quietly closed the door behind him as he left.