The Love of my Life

chapter 11.

Ashley's POV:

A couple of weeks passed. I was miserable. I broke up with Auston and said that I was done letting him control me and he can tell whoever he wants about Patrick and the rumors.

 I got on a plane and I flew to Chicago. I took and Uber to Patrick's place.

It was around seven when I got there. I knocked on his door and he answered the door with a girl with him.

He froze when he saw me.

"I'll just go back to LA.." I said

I went back to the airport and slept in one of those uncomfortable chairs and I got on the first plane back to LA.

I cried the whole way back back to LA.

Patrick was with someone else. The next few months were so lonely.

Until, I got a call from my agent. I was being traded back to Chicago. Suddenly, this was the last thing that I wanted.

I left all the big things and I loaded my car with everything and I headed back to Chicago. I bought anew house and my parents met me there.

I showed up to practice and all the guys were happy to have me back.

"How was LA?" Crow asked

"Miserable... I missed you guys and I missed Chicago.."

It was only Nvemeber, so the season just started.

Being back for a week, I realized that Patrick had a new girl every few nights and he wasn't even fighting with me. He was ignoring me, which was way worse.

However, I loved being back in Chicago.

I hung out a lot with Dylan and Crow. We were having a really good season. Patrick was getting drunk almost every night. I was leaving a game after a workout and Patrick was wasted.

I drove him home and he was so drunk. I stayed with him all night to make sure he was okay. He started throwing up and I stayed up all night watching him sleep.

He was fine when I left around 9am. I went to my house and fell asleep. That afternoon at practice Patrick asked, "Did you take me home?"

"Yeah. I stayed up all night to make sure you didn't black out and die.."

"Thank you and I'm sorry.."

"What happened to you being responsible?" I asked

He rolled his eyes and said, "Fuck off.."

This year, I was going home for Christmas. Tazer and I were on the same flight as he had a layover in Minnesota. I told him everything and said, "I've known forever.."

"How?"

"Patrick is my best friend. I could tell."

"Is he okay?"

"He's back to sleeping with random girls and drinking all the time." Tazer said

"I know.. A few weeks ago, I showed up at his place to tell him how I felt and that Auston and I were over, but he had some girl there with him."

"He doesn't love any of them. He's doing it to try to find you in another girl. I've tried to help him. "

We landed and I hugged Tazer goodbye and my brother picked me up from the airport.

"So no Auston and Patrick this year?"

"No..." I said

"I really liked Kane.." My brother said

So did I... I thought.

"It will still be fun. I haven't ben home in a long time."

I arrived at my house and all my family was over. I hugged them all and they all asked me a million questions.

Some pissed me off, like the one's about Patrick and Auston at the all-star game.

Christmas was boring without Patrick. On Christmas Eve, I didn't have anyone to sledding with in the middle of the night.

So I woke my older sister and told her we were going sledding. 

She drove about ten minutes to a big hill we used to go to as kids.

"So are you going to tell me the real reason that you went to LA?"

"Wasn't my choice.." I said

"Ashley! Please..." My sister said

"Fine, you want the truth?"

"Yes!" She said

"You can't tell anyone, ever.." I said

"Pinky promise.." She said as we locked pinky's

"I've slept with Patrick a few times.. The first time it was one of those heat of the moment things. Auston had been treating me like shit and fighting Patrick and we were on a break... Patrick gave me this ring that was his grandma's wedding ring. I didn't know it until his mom told me. After a game, Auston found out that I had hooked up with Patrick and since then he's been threatening to tell the league and it destroy Patrick. He'd go to jail and be kicked out of the league."

"Oh my gosh, Ash... I'm so sorry."

"Now I finally dumped Auston because I'm eighteen, but now Patrick wants nothing to do with me."

My sister hugged me and said, "It will all be okay."

"I hope so.." I said

"Do you love him?"

"Yeah.." I said quietly

"Tell him, be brave and tell him.."

"I've tried."

"Try harder."

We went back home and wen to bed. The next morning we did all the presents and the big breakfast. It was late on Christmas Eve and I was being dropped off at the airport to go back to Chicago.

I was at my house and I woke up early for practice the next morning.

Patrick's whole family attended the practice and after, Donna made sure to come give me a hug.

"How are you?" She asked

"I'm good, how are you?"

"Really good, it was so nice to spend Christmas with Patrick this year."

"He missed you guys last year."

"He spent it with you?"

"Yeah, me and my family along with Auston and his parents."

"Mom, let's go!" Patrick said

"Sorry, it was good to see you." Donna said

"It was good to see you too. Have a safe trip back home."

Donna hugged me and she went with her family. I went to my car and drove home to my quiet house. 

I looked at the tattoo on my ribcage. It was something that Patrick and I did in Buffalo for my 18th birthday. We got matching tattoos.

Mine was on my left side of my ribs. It was the number 88 in roman numerals. Patrick had the roman numeral 28 on his wrist.

Matching tattoos were a really stupid idea.