He cleared his throat gently. "And what about me?"
Shit. Now what do I say? "I thought you were more than a friend."
There was no questioning the look in his eyes, and I wasn't about to. Soon we were wrapped around each other on that all too comfy couch again.
I wanted to ask him a few more questions but never got around to it. He fell asleep before I had the chance.
Game 79 – Dallas Stars
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I had dinner with Evan's mom and sister that night. They came over with take-out from Girl and the Goat, and we watched the Hawks play Dallas.
That was when his mom informed me that I was good for Evan. It seemed everyone was wanting to convince me these days. It must have been all over my face. Good for him in the sense that she didn't worry about him when he was with me. She often worried that her boy would get caught up in the lifestyle of being a professional athlete and become different. I had to remind her that would never be Evan. I could never see that happening to him.
"What the deal with you two?" Caitlin finally asked, someone had to ask it. The entire situation was strange. He saved me from dying and hadn't left my side. I was young, he knew that, but the fact that I had no one else made it seem, well, like some kind of rich pro saving the troubled girl. It was far from that, though. If you looked close enough when we were together, you saw it—felt it even. We had something neither of us could walk away from. But still, we weren't dating officially.
"I'm not sure. I like him a lot."
Caitlin laughed, as did Judy. They weren't buying my "I like him a lot" cop out.
"Ami, I may be his mother, but I'm not blind. I've seen the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. It's more than just friends."
"I just…" I hesitated a moment, the anxiety of admitting it out loud was terrifying. "I have this connection to him I can't explain, and I'm not sure I can do it justice with words. I lost my family. I lost everything I loved last summer, and then I come here and…" I had to stop and swallow, my mouth felt impossibly dry, admitting this to his family. "But I heard a voice when I was out of it. I thought it was my brother telling me not to give up. Then Evan Masen showed up at the hospital when I woke up, and it was him. He's the one that told me to fight. Begged me to hold on."
"What do you remember about that night?" Caitlin asked.
Judy nudged her. "Caitlin!"
"It's okay. I don't mind." And so I told them my story. "I was dancing at Ballet Chicago and met Blake Keldrick, my instructor. He let me stay with him and his wife, Sena. It'd been about three weeks since I had moved to Chicago, and Blake asked if I wanted to go to dinner with him. So I did. I didn't think anything of it. When his wife didn't come, I still didn't think anything of it. I was seventeen. What would a thirty-two year old man want to do with a seventeen-year-old? I remember him kissing me, and then I slapped him and left the restaurant. That's where my memory of the night ends." I looked at Judy and Caitlin, who had both grabbed each one of my hands. "There are a few images that come to mind, but nothing of substance aside from something that was said to me by whoever it was. I can picture his face sometimes. He had dark eyes."
"What do you remember him saying to you?" Caitlin asked, her eyes wide and glossy.
"You want it, don't you? I bet you like it rough."
"Are you're sure it wasn't Blake?"
"I don't know that it wasn't him, but I know he was questioned from what Evan and the detective told, me. His DNA didn't match the blood and…" I wasn't sure how graphic to be with Caitlin, though she was only two years younger than me. "…fluids he left."
It was a relief telling Caitlin and Judy about what happened. It felt like I had finally crossed a line. As if by me talking to people, like Evan and his family, I could be open and deal with it. I didn't need to keep this to myself and deal with it alone. I had a family again.
Beat the defense – to get by one or both the defensemen.
Game 81 – Colorado Avalanche's
Friday, April 9, 2010
When he got back that night from the game with the Colorado Avalanches, he was all smiles and ready for our date Saturday night. I knew we only had one night, and then they had their last game against the Detroit Red Wings before the playoffs started.
We both needed a distraction.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, taking me by the hand once we were out of the car, leading me through the doors of the restaurant. Bystanders on the street pointed at him, smiling, doing that forget-my-own-name stare when they realized it was a Chicago Blackhawk who they'd just seen.
I kind of laughed. "Yeah, I'm hungry," I said, attempting to be flirtatious. Not sure if it was taken that way, but he did smile at me.