Step of Faith

Chapter XX: Needed you

Chapter XX: Needed you

It's been two weeks since I visited Theo's family. And I wished I would've savored the feeling of freedom alongside my non-aching muscles.

Right now it felt like they were being ripped from the bone. My mind was a whirlwind spiral of what if I can't do this? What if I fail? It wasn't anything new though. These thoughts were like a tradition before every competition.

We were now on the way to the first location of the Hockey Championship. It was being hosted in Manchester so we had about an hour to drive in good traffic.

Carl and Catherine didn't let me drive with the guys on the bus so while I was sitting in the back of Carl's car I was texting Theo back and forth.

Me: I'm convinced Catherine poured a whole ass bottle of perfume on herself

Idiot <3: I miss you already

Me: dude I can see your bus right behind us

Idiot <3: I would rather see your behind right now

Me: down boy

Idiot <3: What can I say? I have the hots for you ;)

"Is it the captain that's making you smile this way?" Carl's voice startles me slightly.

"Yeah," a smile graces my lips and I look outside the window.

"I'm happy for you," I can see his own smile in the rearview mirror.

"Put these feelings in today's performance, honey. You'll look flawless," Catherine reaches behind the chair to place a reassuring hand on my knee. I simply nod.

During the past two weeks while I had training I bonded with both of them. Catherine and I might've had a scream fest during one of my practices but a lot of feelings were brought to the surface.

For the first time in a long time, I felt a connection to both of them that was almost identical to the one I felt with my family. And for a certain extent, they were like my family. I spend almost every day with them, I've known them for 18 years of my life and they know everything about me.

Almost everything.

Some parts of my life were hidden from certain people. Others were hidden from everyone. But those were something I will take with myself to the grave.

The drive to the arena was boring. I slept through most of it because the radio station that they had put on was one of the most horrible things I've had to listen to. And when Catherine started to howl along to the lyrics I contemplated throwing myself out of the car.

When they uttered the words 'we're here' i was out of that car faster than I could say my own name. And the hockey team's bus was right behind us in the parking lot.

I opened the trunk to lift out my bag but a big arm stopped me and took it out for me. I looked up and was met with Levi's big smile.

"I can carry my bag in, Levi," I tried to take it from him but he just pulled it on his shoulder with his hockey bag on the other one.

"If I let you carry it in Gray will rip my head off, let's go," he tipped his head in the bus' direction.

I could see Theo gagging but patting Coach Wilson's back and I laughed. I'm guessing he got car sick again and Theo as captain got stuck with the duty of taking care of him.

I followed Levi who was set on not giving me my bag back. Theo can be very persuasive so I didn't get my hopes up on taking the bag back from Levi.

The second we walked into the arena my stomach did a big turn. And not the good kind. There were so many people here already and those were just judges, workers, three other hockey teams, and other figure skaters.