To You, With Love

Chapter Twenty-One: Trade Mistakes

It was hard for me to process the fact that the love of my life has moved to a city I have no reason to go. As much as I wanted to see him one last time in Toronto, I knew he wouldn't want any of it. 

My heart sank to my toes.

Why didn't my dad tell my about this? Did he even know?

My mind raced for hours as I just laid in the dark. It was silent. Just the way I like it. 

I stared out into the sky and watched all the constellations grace the sky. There were no clouds in sight. I sighed as I tried to finally get some rest.

By the time I'd finally fallen into a deep, deep sleep, I was awoken by my alarm. 

It was already 8:00 in the morning. Time for me to pack up and head to the airport with my father and the rest of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

It was time to go home.

I packed everything into my bags as neat as I could before heading off the the shower. I let the warm water trickle down my back.

Will I ever get to see Jiri again? Have I messed everything up?

No matter where or what I was doing, those thoughts popped into my mind. 

The last time I saw Jiri, he was mad at me. That's the last memory I have of him.

After my shower, I threw on my new Senators jersey and a pair of light-blue skinny jeans. Today, I'd decided to go with out makeup. Plus, I had already packed it away, anyways.

I took one last look at the room I was staying, before closing the door behind me for good.

In the next few hours, I was on a plane back to Toronto. The guys around me were loud, playing poker or video games, while the guys at the back preferred to spend their time reading or sleeping. Their laughter boomed across the plane every time someone were to tell a joke. 

Next to me was James, he was lucky enough to be called up to play this road trip. 

He never did play, but he was still placed on the roster.

I sat there for a good twenty minutes. Silent. I never said a single word. I was debating whether or not to ask James for a favour.

After a lot of thought, I finally decided.

"James," I started, "Do you mind doing me a favour?"

---

Once arriving back in Toronto, instead if going home like the others, James and I headed over to the Marlies' arena. With his help, I will be able to fulfill my last request. 

All I wanted to do was sit in Jiri's stall. One last time. 

As cliche, cheesy or weird that may sound. That's what my heart wanted.

"It's right there." James whispered, nodding his head towards an empty locker near the end of the room.

I slowly approached it. I could feel my throat swell and my eyes burn. There were tears starting to stream down my flushed face. 

How could I let someone that meant so much to me go? 

Doing my best not to look defeated, I fought through the sadness and flashed James a slightly-forced smile with a soft giggle.

"You can't fool me," James chuckled, placing his hands upon his hips. "Come here." He demanded, arms held out wide.

I quickly scurried into his arms, letting the tears flow into his chest. 

I was so thankful to have a friend like him.

---

James' POV

She was adorable. One of the best friends I ever had. 

How could Jiri just let her go like that? 

She was caring, loving, gentle and beautiful. All at the same time. I was more than happy to spend that quiet time in the locker room with her.

She continued to cry into my chest until she finally pulled away, causing her perfume to fill my nose.

"I think we should go now." She suggested with a sniffle.

I nodded my head and placed my hand on the small of her back. 

If only I had a chance with her... But she only sees me as a friend. That's all I'll ever be.

My thoughts were interrupted by a concerned look from Misty.

"You go ahead," I smiled, staring at absolutely nothing, "I just forgot something in my bag." I lied, heading over to my hockey bag and unzipping it.

"Alright." She smiled, making her way out the door. 

Once I was sure she was gone, I walked back over to Jiri's stall. All that was left was the name plate and his hockey bag. 

From inside the bag, a piece of paper was sticking out. I pulled it out and quickly noticed it was a note. 

I stared at the envelope for a few seconds.

On the front of the envelope, it read To You, With Love. I searched the envelope front and back until I eventually realized there was nothing else written. 

Without question, I knew it was Jiri's writing, and I knew it was meant for Misty. 

Maybe he forgot to give it to her before he left... Maybe he never wanted to give it to her. 

Whatever it was, I didn't know what to do. I knew the right thing to do was to give it to her, but my heart didn't want to. 

Instead, I slipped it into my back pocket secretly.

"Are you coming?" Misty called, poking her head back into the locker room. 

"Yeah, I'm coming." I replied, staring back at the locker. 

I placed my hand on the small of her back as we headed out of the room. I let her through the door first, placing my hand onto the doorknob. Just before I closed the door completely, I peered back into the room, knowing this is the last time I will ever be in this locker room. 

And to this day, I never did give her that note...

***

A/N:

Only two or three more chapters left, guys. What do you think of the story? Please don't be afraid to comment/vote/follow. I really appreciate it, and constructive criticism is always helpful, too! 

-Courtie :) xx