A Little More You (Jonathan Toews)

Chapter 32

  "Don't start thinking I'm gonna stop givin' it all I got, and you think you've seen love, you ain't seen nothing yet
How could I ever get tired of waking up by your side; and the taste of your sweet kiss, tells me I ain't ready to quit"-Jason Aldean 

Jon wasn't sure what to expect when he rang the doorbell, but getting threatened by a 15 year old was not even on the realm of possibility, until it happened.

Mari was hesitant to even let him into the house, telling him that Mati finally seemed a little less sad but it might have been the pain meds she was on talking.

Jon was so confused.

Finally he was allowed to pass and he could feel his legs shaking as he took the first step in. He stopped to pet Dozer for a moment to get his breathing under control.

Mati was laying on the couch with a cast on her ankle and a nasty looking bruise across her entire left leg.

Jon forgot everything he was going to say as he was overcome with worry...her look of shock didn't help either. The speech he had prepared on the plane ride and subsequent drive was gone. He was overcome with the overwhelming need to go hold her.

But he couldn't do that. Not yet.

His name was all she could muster but it was music to his ears.

"Wh-what happened?" He stuttered.

She told him the brief story of getting bucked off a horse today and immediately, his years of injuring himself kicked in.

"Are you icing it? Have you been taking your meds and keeping it up?"

He thought he saw a hint of a smile flash across her face but all she did was nod.

"Good." He stated, awkwardly.

Mati was in absolute shock. And when Jon awkwardly stuffed his hands into his pocket in such a Jon way, her heart swelled.

She really had missed him, and now here he was, standing in her living room.

"Did you want to sit down or something?" She asked.

He shuffled to the overstuffed chair that sat next to the couch and perched on the edge.

They stared at each other for a few intense moments when Jon took a deep breath and started.

"I am so sorry Mati. I'm so sorry for what I did."

She stayed silent.

"I knew better and I don't think this helps but we didn't do anything besides what you saw." He murmured, eyes down.

"I never wanted to hurt you. All I did was miss you that whole trip and that night wasn't an exception."

"Then why did you do it?!" She demanded.

Finally the emotions started pouring out.

"I don't know, Mati, I shouldn't have let her come close."

"There has to be a reason though! You don't just let someone hang all over you and kiss on you and sit on your lap unless there's a reason especially when you are in a relationship, Jon!"

Mati's floodgates had opened, and there was no turning back.

Jon fumbled for a moment.

"I have no reason. You told me to find an excuse and I can't because there isn't one. I was wrong, so wrong to do that and you shouldn't have had to find out from the internet. But, Mati it really meant nothing."

Mati was furious. Even if it meant nothing, it still happened and the entire world still found out. Coupled with the media scrutiny they'd already been under, it only added to the weight of it all. Mati broke from holding it all.

She broke and went to Texas. She broke and drank every night. She broke and literally broke her ankle. And now, sitting in front of Jon, she broke again. The tears started and wouldn't stop. Jon sat helplessly and watched her, feeling like he was going to throw up.

It only got worse when he heard tires pulling into the driveway.

Mati's dad was going to kill him.  Her mom too, probably.

Mati apparently realized this too because as soon as he heard a car door slam, she got up as best as she could.

"Go out the front!" She hissed as she heard footsteps.

"What about us talking?" Jon whispered desperately.

"Go to the park across the street, I'll meet you there in a little while."

So this is how Jonathan Toews ended up sitting on a rusty swing set, in a park, in a tiny town in Texas, waiting on his future.

Eventually she hobbled into sight. Jon took pity and went over to her, moving slowly on her crutches.

"Let me carry you." He insisted. She shook her head, and instead chose to plop down where they stood, leaning against the mesquite tree trunk they were by.

Jon joined her.

"I haven't had to sneak out of my house in years." She softly laughed.

Jon joined her. "I'll bet it's been a little while."

Mati loved the way his eyes crinkled when he was genuinely happy.

"How did we get to this point?" Mati asked sadly, breaking the silence.  Her anger was long forgotten.

"What do you mean?" Jon questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Like this." Mati gestured. "Sitting on the ground, avoiding my parents, trying to fix ourselves."

"I don't know. But I miss us. I miss you." Jon murmured.

Another silence.

"Mati, I don't know where this is all going to end up. But just know that I love you so much and this has been the most amazing year of my life, hands down."

Mati side eyed him.

"You're lyin'."

"No I'm not. I swear Mat."

"Jon, you've won the Cup, won Gold, been drafted into the NHL. This has not been the most amazing year of your life."

Jon stopped for a moment to shake his head and think. Yeah, he'd done all those things and they'd been the most amazing moments in his life until then.

But having someone to come home to, having someone who would stay at home and eat food that wasn't on his diet and watch too many cooking shows and yell at them with him, having someone who would write songs about him, having your heart be stolen, those were the most amazing moments of his life now.

He told Mati. She welled up again.

"You really mean that?"

Jon nodded.

"Cause I ain't in this for fun, Jon. I want a forever kind of thing."

"Matisen Claire Ross, I promise to love you until the end of time. I promise to never hurt you like I've hurt you ever again. You mean the world to me...I would steal the stars from the sky if you wanted them."

The ring was burning a hole in Jon's pocket.

He was pretty sure she would be mad at him if he proposed right now though. That could wait if he could just have her.

Besides, their running joke had been that it better be done in a public place so the media couldn't spin it.

Mati couldn't stop the tears. But this time, they were tears of relief. Not of sadness and anger.

She wasn't quite ready to forgive him quite yet but she was ready to give it another shot.