Chapter 25

So this will be the last update until next weekend since I'm braving the northeast weather to head home for Christmas. Hopefully everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday season! And thanks for all the comments, I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story. I've never been good at drawing anything out so there's only a few chapters left. I've already got a few ideas about my next story though so hopefully I can start writing that soon. Once again, happy holidays everyone!





I felt strange before I even opened my eyes. My head felt like it was spinning. I tried to open my eyes but it was really bright and I closed them again. What was happening to me? I tried opening my eyes again, slowly this time. Suddenly I felt someone touching my hand.

“Loralei?” a distant sounding voice asked. I was too confused to answer. I heard it again and slowly turned my head in the direction of the voice. A blur of colors that looked uniform began to separate into shapes. I made out the outline of someone sitting next to me but my eyes hadn’t adjusted well enough to see who it was. “How are you feeling?”

“Sidney?” I asked as I finally recognized the voice. His face came into focus and I saw him smiling down at me.

“You scared me last night, Lor.” What had I done last night?

“Where am I?”

“At the hospital. You just got out of surgery a couple hours ago.”

“Surgery? What surgery?” I suddenly got scared wondering what had happened.

“To repair the damage the bullet did.” The bullet? I had been shot? I struggled to remember what had happened. Before I could remember anything a nurse came in. She told me some things but I couldn’t comprehend what was going on. Why did my head feel like it was spinning?

“She’s still a little out of it. The drugs will wear off soon and she’ll understand more,” I heard her tell Sidney. He picked up my hand and kissed it, then smiled at me again. I saw his lips moving, but I didn’t hear what he said as my eyes closed and I fell back into darkness.

“Loralei, it’s okay! Calm down, babe, I’m right here,” I heard Sidney say as I jolted awake.

“Where am I?” I asked looking around.

“You’re in the hospital,” he responded. Then memories flooded my brain.

“What happened to the guy?” I asked panicked. My last memory of him was when he was shooting at me through the door.

“He’s dead. The police shot him.” I thought about the night before: the man holding the gun to my head, making Sidney leave, taking off my clothes, being shot, and falling off the roof. It didn’t seem possible. “Do you remember what happened?” I nodded.

Sidney squeezed my hand and ran his other hand through my hair. My head felt strange and I could feel a throbbing in my left side, although it didn’t hurt. I put a hand to my side and felt the bandages covering it. I really had been shot.

“I’m so sorry. I never should have left you like that. If I’d just given you a chance to explain, if I’d just stopped being so stubborn for a minute none of that would have happened. You should have been at my house all night or I should have been there to protect you,” I heard Sidney saying.

“He would have killed you,” I told him, turning to look at him. “How bad is the damage?”

“I’m not sure. The doctor said he’d be in to talk to you when you woke up.” I sat there with Sidney for another hour before the doctor came in to see me. He told me that the bullet had managed to somehow miss every organ in my body. I’d lost a lot of blood and had to undergo a transfusion. I also had a concussion and a few cracked ribs from the fall. All in all I had been pretty lucky. They said that they’d release me in a day or two if all went well.

“Thank you,” I said to Sidney after the doctor left.

“For what?”

“For coming back. I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t come back.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you,” he said with tears in his eyes.

“Oh, come on, don’t do that. You know how emotional I am, you’re going to make me cry!” He laughed and kissed me. “I hadn’t spoken to Thomas since August,” I blurted out. His smile faded.

“We don’t have to talk about this now,” he said.

“He called me the night we were at the sushi restaurant last year when you took me on a date even though I told you not to. There was no emergency at the clinic. I left to talk to him.” I saw a flash of anger in Sidney’s eyes but knew that he needed to know it all. “I already told you he cheated on me in college. When I went to see him he told me that he still loved me, and if I’d given him the chance he would have picked me over her.”

“And you picked Vanek over me.” I took a deep breath before continuing.

“He was my first love and I barely knew you. I’d spent years hoping to hear him tell me that he was still in love with me, and there he was saying just that. He said that he wanted to work things out and I believed him. Once a month I flew to Buffalo to spend the weekend with him. He told me he’d ended things with her and I believed him. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t even tell my friends and family. I lied to everyone. When they lost in the playoffs he told me he was flying home to Austria for the summer and I didn’t see or talk to him. When I did see him in August I found out he’d never left her, he’d just been lying to me the whole time. At that point I was too upset at myself to tell you. I don’t like to admit when I’m an idiot.”

“You still picked Vanek over me. He treated you like shit and I treated you like a queen and you chose him over me.”

“I’m an idiot. I don’t have a good explanation for why I did. Hell, I don’t have an explanation at all except that I’m an idiot. Sid, I promise you that things were over with him way before we started dating.”

“What about that whole not dating hockey players excuse you gave me?”

“That wasn’t a lie. Like I said, my father always told me not to. When I ignored him and started dating Thomas he wasn’t happy. When Thomas cheated on me it proved him right. It wasn’t right that I assumed the rest of you were like that, because you’re not. I went back because some part of me still loved him. Even so I can honestly say that whatever I had with him pales in comparison to what I feel with you,” I told him. He squeezed my hand a little harder.

“What do you feel?” he asked nervously.

“When he cheated on me I was upset for a week or two. When that whole thing with Gwen happened I was out of commission up until the day we talked and there was no sign that I was going to feel better any time soon. There is no one in this world that could ever make me feel the way you do. The only thing I could think of last night was you. I wondered if I’d ever see you again and decided that if I couldn’t have you I didn’t want to live. You’re it. I lost you once and I’ll do anything to keep from letting that happen again. It was the thought of you that saved my life I think.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Just then the door opened and my parents walked in.

“Loralei, honey, are you okay?” my mother cried running over to my side. Sidney got up from the chair and stepped back to give them room.

“I’m fine, mom, don’t worry.”

“I’m going to get something to drink. I’ll come back in a little while,” Sidney said to us.

“Thank you,” my father replied. Sid left the room. “You two looked like you were more than friends before we came in here,” he said turning his attention onto me.

“Larry, stop it,” my mother scolded him.

“Dad, I don’t care. He’s a good person. He’s not quite the jerk you’re expecting him to be. All you have to do is spend a little bit of time with him to see it. I love him,” I said defending him.

“Pumpkin, I knew that the day I saw him at your house.” He smiled down at me and I knew that everything was going to be okay. When Sidney came back the four of us sat around and talked. I swallowed hard when I saw two men in suits come walking into the room.

“Hi, sorry to bother you. I’m detective Harrison and this is detective Jackson. We just need to ask you a few questions and then we’ll be out of your way. It won’t take long,” one of them said.

“You have to do that now?” my mom asked.

“Mom, it’s okay. Why don’t you guys go get something to eat? I’ll be fine.” Reluctantly the three of them left the room leaving me with the two detectives.

“Did you know the man that was in your house last night?” Detective Jackson asked. I shook my head no. “His name was Isaiah Kingston. Does that sound familiar to you?” I thought for a moment and didn’t recognize the name. I shook my head no again.

“Why don’t you tell us what happened?” Detective Harrison asked. I told them everything I could remember.

“Do people need to know the whole thing?” I asked when I was done.

“We have to report back to our lieutenant, yes,” Detective Jackson responded. “Why?”

“Can we keep some of that from becoming public knowledge? I don’t want my family and friends to know what happened. Please,” I begged.

“We can do that for you,” Detective Harrison said understanding what I meant. I thanked them and they left after saying they’d be in touch if there was anything else they needed. My parents and Sidney came back in and I pushed the memory out of my mind.

The next day the doctor told me that I could go home. My mom pleaded with me to let her stay with me because I “shouldn’t be alone.” Sidney assured them that he’d stay with me and I insisted that they go home. They finally agreed saying they’d call later to see how I was doing. Then Sidney took me back to his place. I couldn’t go home yet while the police were still investigating so Sidney had me stay with him for a few days.

I spent my time lying in bed watching TV all day. It was hardly my ideal break from work, but the painkillers practically knocked me out making it impossible to do anything else. Not to mention that I was seriously sore and even laughing hurt. Sidney waited on me hand and foot renting me movies and bringing me food. The food almost always came from a restaurant since he still couldn’t cook and I wasn’t able to do it for him.

After a few days I was allowed back into my house. When Sidney pulled into the driveway my breath caught in my throat. All the fear from that night came charging back into my brain and I didn’t even want to get out of the car. When I opened the door I felt sick and I wasn’t sure if it was from the painkillers or the emotions. I finally got up the courage to walk into the house, with Sid’s help of course.

I felt like I could see the man standing at the top of the stairs waiting for me as I slowly made my way up them. I froze when I reached the doorway to the guest bedroom. I looked in it and could see everything that had happened in there all over again. I grabbed the doorknob and shut the door determined to never look into the room again. I walked down and did the same with the office. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get anything I may need out of them, but I’d figure it out later.

I got into bed in my room and fell asleep. My sleep was plagued with nightmares about my ordeal and I decided to give up on sleeping. I turned on the TV and found a comedy on that I was hoping would make me feel better, but it didn’t. Sidney brought home dinner from our favorite Italian restaurant but I could hardly make myself eat.

“How are you feeling?” he asked me later getting into bed next to me.

“Better,” I lied.

He smiled and kissed me. Based on the kiss he gave me, I could tell he wanted more even though he was holding back because of my stitches. Just the thought made me sick and I pushed him away. He gave me a confused look and I sighed.

“Sorry, I’m just really sore,” I told him.

“You just took the painkillers half an hour ago,” he said confused.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t,” I told him as if it he would understand. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be okay again.

“Loralei, what’s wrong?” I didn’t know how to answer him so I stayed quiet. “You’ve been acting strange since you got here.” I still wouldn’t answer him. “I understand why you closed the door to the office, but why the guest room?” he asked. Sometimes I wished he was your typical dumb hockey player. I turned away from him as the tears came along with the memory of what that man had done to me in there. “Oh, God, Loralei,” he said finally putting it all together.

I couldn’t keep the tears back anymore and I began to sob. He put an arm around me and pulled me into him. I buried my head in his chest as he held onto me tightly as if I’d fall apart if he didn’t. When I finally started to calm down he pulled away from me and walked into my closet.

“What are you doing?” I asked when he didn’t come out for a few minutes. He finally emerged holding a suitcase full of clothes. He started opening my drawers and throwing more clothes in.

“Packing some clothes for you.” I was still confused.

“Why are you packing my clothes?”

“Well, you’re going to need them when you leave,” he replied as if that explained anything.

“Where am I going?” I asked still not understanding what he was doing. He walked into the bathroom emerging a few minutes later with all of my shower products, my toothbrush and toothpaste and other things he’d randomly grabbed. He put them down and sat down next to me on the bed.

“You can’t live here. I never should have even let you come back in. I saw how you were outside before you came in and I should have known better. Move in with me.” I stared at him wide-eyed. We’d obviously spent the night with each other many times, but live together?

“Sid, I don’t know. I don’t want to force you into asking me just because you feel bad.”

“You’re not forcing anything. I love you, Loralei. I want you with me all the time. I always have. If you live with me you’ll always be there and you can always know that I’ll never let anything happen to you ever again. Move in with me.”

For the first time in days I felt myself smiling. He smiled back and wiped away the tears on my face. Then he wrapped his arms around me and held me for what felt like forever. I followed him down to his car as he carried down what he’d packed. We drove to his house and got into bed there. He held onto me the rest of the night. I was grateful that he didn’t ask me about what happened or push me to explain any of it. It was a night I never wanted to think of again.