Chapter 3:

What had I done, I just broke off a marriage.  I am going to be in the news and I am going to be the woman who broke off Sidney Crosby’s marriage. The whore, the puck bunny, the home wreaker.  Sidney is dragging me out of the church, reporters had gathered outside the church. Sidney closes in on my ear, “Stay close, and don’t answer any questions, you’ll be fine.” I didn’t think he was serious until I was pushed by a man twice my size with a camera and lense into my rib. And then the questions started rolling.

            “Sidney! This isn’t your girlfriend!” snap snap snap.

            “Where’s Summer!” snapsnap           

            “Why aren’t you with your wife-to-be?!?!”snap           

            “What the hell happened?!?!?!” snap snap snap.

By this time we were at Sidney’s Range Rover, and he opened the passenger side door for me.  He then ran over to his side and got in.  I put my head in my hands, and started shaking. When Sidney got inside, he knew something was wrong.  Putting the truck in drive and driving away from the church he pulled over, and took off his bowtie, and sighed.  My head was still in my hands, I couldn’t move, couldn’t talk, I was so stupid. “I just broke off a wedding, I’m pretty sure I just sinned. In a church.” I say quietly, and I heard a familiar giggle that I missed so much.

            “Well I think I was just about to sin, to marry a women who was insane,”

I laugh, and reply, “That’s not a sin, Sid.” I laugh again, and pick up my head. He looked like he hadn’t slept in months, “You look like shit,” I say, and laugh again.

            He roles his eyes. “My life has been hell for the past few months,”

            “Were you even dating at the Olympics?” I ask

            “No, I met her back here, I was never in love, but her Dad, man he is scarier then mine,”

            I gasp, “No one can be scarier then Troy!”

            I could tell he was serious now. “Oh he is.” And with that his blackberry started to ring. “Speaking of him” Sid pressed a button, and put the phone to his ear, “Hel-“ the man was so loud that I could hear him from where I was sitting.  “I was never in love with her, sir.” He said at one point. “I couldn’t do it, I knew I couldn’t.” he said at another, “I’ve very sorry for the pain I have caused her.” And with that he hung up the phone. And the silence started again. This time I spoke first and I didn’t think he was going to like what I was going to say.

            “I leave at 6”

            “ We have all night” he replies.

            “No, we have 4 hours.” I looked at him and so many emotions and memories come rushing back towards me.

            Flashback: I was in love. I was 17 and in love. He was 18, and we sat on a blanket in Cole Harbor on a beach near a boat launch. A radio in the distance was playing, and I never wanted to leave. I didn’t want the NHL to come in between us. I didn’t want my school. My hockey. My future to come in the way. I wanted to stay 17, and in love. But I knew it wouldn’t happen. In two weeks the draft would be taking place, and I would be shipped back to the States and we would start our new journeys.  I felt him snuggle closer to me, smelling my hair. He rapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder.  The sun was going down, and the orange had an aroma on us, from the radio we could faintly hear “You’ll Think of Me” by Keith Urban, and Sidney loved country, for some odd reason. And I loved Keith, there was something about his accent. And soon as the chorus came around I heard the awful, but wonderful sound of Sid singing, “Take your records, take your freedom, take your memories, I don't need'em, take your space and take your reasons, but you'll think of me, and take your cap and leave my sweater, 'cause we have nothing left to weather, in fact I'll feel a whole lot better, but you'll think of me, you'll think of meeeee” I was going to miss this and I wanted moments like this is the middle of winter. I wanted to walk out of the old theatre in the middle of my town. I wanted Sidney to say, ‘this is a shit load of snow’, just like he says ‘this is a shit load of rain,’ I wanted him to come to my senior game, my big rival game. And I wanted to go to his. This past week I had kept wondering to myself why I had ever been introduced to this kid, and why I fell in love when fate had another plan for us. Moving Sidney to a city, he could be anywhere, west coast, or east. And I would be stuck in little ‘ol Lake Placid. Where hell meets snow. And what we do for fun is what people do when their bored. Then I heard the three littlest words, that mean so much. “I.Love.You” and with that Sidney Patrick Crosby, the kid with the bee stung lips, the unsymmetrical smile, turned me onto his lap, and kissed me so passionately, in such a rush that I forgot all the negatives and lived in that moment. I will never stop loving this goofy kid. And I am 17, and in love.

         “Addie” he whispers and reaches for my hand. “I don’t want us to leave each other… again.” He could not look at me, and he shakes, “I just walked away from over 300 important people. I-I-I, I have an ex-fiance or wife or whatever that has shit in my house. I have this issue now. You cannot leave me here, I know that these are my problems, not yours but I am going to need your help. You always know what to do in my deepest downs, my highest ups. I need you.”

            Rubbing his hand, trying to soothe him, trying to get him to stop shaking and calm down I reply, “Sid, I have to leave tonight, fly to the city, take a train to Albany, and then drive to Lake Placid, but I promise, I promise you that I am not going to leave you, I need to get clothes that are not wedding attire, so give me a week, a week Sidney, that’s all I ask, and then I will come to Pittsburgh, find an apartment, and we will try us. We will give us another chance. And hopefully this is the only chance we will need.

~

            While boarding my plane back to the city I thought I was going to loose it. I knew I was going to loose it.  How do I explain to everyone that Sidney and I were giving “us” another chance, I was so confident in his SUV but truly I wasn’t confident, I was terrified.

             

Chapter 2

A/N: Hey all! If there is anyone reading this, comments would get me motivated to update more often. The reason that I updated twice in two days is because I am not in school at the moment.  But once school starts up updates will be far and few between. So heres chapter 2, it is kind of short.

The month had passed and now Addison was on her way to a hotel in Pittsburgh, why the hell was the face of the National Hockey League getting married in the middle of October when hockey season started in late September.  It took her three hours to pack a bag for a weekend, and the hardest part was the dress.  She finally picked a strapless dress that was a deep purple and it had a black ribbon that was around the waist, with a bow in the front. She was going to wear black heals.

            Checking in at the hotel she heard a voice that she had heard before.

            “NO, I am not talking to him, why would I, I have nothing to say. He’s dead to me actually.  You have met this bitch Max, you know how the hell she treats him, she treats him like he’s shit, he’s my brother, he deserves someone like Addison, not Summer, Summer deserves Ovechkin, and even then I would feel bad for the guy,” Dragging her bag behind her Addison pulled it along, with a shoulder bag on her shoulder, rounding a corner she sees Taylor and Max, Max looks tired and defeated while Taylor looked like she could kill someone.  “And there is no way in hell I am being in this shit-show wedding, they all look like pastries, disgusting I tell you.”

            I slip into an elevator invisible, that was goal for the weekend, to not be seen, or heard, be at the wedding, and leave, quick and easy.

            Waking up in the morning sucked, I never liked it, even when my coach decided to have 6 am practice. I also wasn’t a morning person, which made this day even worse, because I am guessing Summer is. The wedding started at 11 o’clock and I wanted to shot someone, or something. Rolling out of bed I took a shower asleep still, and straightened my curly hair, and then pinned it back only half asleep. Walking out the door of my hotel room I glanced at myself. She was sexy, but wedding material.  

            Walking into the church was probably the funniest thing I had ever scene in my life. There was pink, everywhere. Pink bows on the ends of the rows of seats, pink flowers draped everywhere. I was late, so there were only seats in the back. The place was packed. She could see Trina and Troy, along with the ‘Nana’s’ and Taylor. I sat down next to a group of guys complaining about the wedding, and surprisingly the bride. “Is this taken?” I asked nicely with a smile.

            “Sure thing,” the guy smiled. He must be a hockey player he is sitting with Mike and Hilary, I thought. I waved to The Comrie’s and the other started talking “I’m Kris, and this is Mike and his wife Hillary,” Mike and Hillary smiled and Kris went on “Are you on the right side umm…”

            “Addison, and yes I am on the right side, I was a childhood friend.”

            “She is The Addison,” Hilary whispered to Kris. I smiled, and before he could ask me the music started to play and Sidney and walked out of the doors in the back. He smiled, but it wasn’t genuine, he wasn’t happy I could see and so could Kris, Mike, and Hilary.

            “You are so much better then Summer, and I don’t even know you,” Kris whispered into my ear. I blushed and turned to him.

            “You are right, you don’t know me,” I winked and cringed, there was too much pink.  I got bored easily and started to whisper-talk to Kris.

            “She’s a bitch, she yells at Sid if he goes to the hospital to visit children, signs too many autographs, if she’s cold in a rink. But it’s perfectly fine if she goes and sleeps around, Sid looks the other way. You are Addison, right? He’s still in love with you, I know, take it from me. Yea I might not be in the wedding, but that’s because I told Summer off,” he chuckles “do you still love him?”

            “We went through a lot. I will always love Sidney,” I now laugh. “My good friend from home wants me to speak now, but if Summer is as viscous as I hear I am afraid.” The music plays again and the march of bridesmaids starts, and then Summer and her Father start down the aisle. Snotty. She wore a dress that looked like Princess Diana’s, I couldn’t hold in my giggles, and neither could Kris, Mike, or Hilary.

            “Do it,” Kris whispers, and we calm down for the ceremony.

“We are gathered here today, on this happy and joyous occasion, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.” The preacher starts. A person coughs, “Marriage is a solemn institution to be held in honor by all, it is the cornerstone of the family and of the community. It requires of those who undertake it a complete and unreserved giving of one's self. It is not to be entered into lightly, as marriage is a sincere and mutual commitment to love one another. This commitment symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives and still enhances the individuality of each of you.”

            My mind was racing, I should, I shouldn’t, he loves me, and he loves me not.  Would we work, or wouldn’t we. Kris nudged me, and whispered, “He still has pictures of the two of you, so happy, so in love. He needs you, not Summer. Screw the bitch.”

            The preacher looks up, pushes his skinny wire glasses up with his middle finger, and says “If a person shall have reason to doubt of the lawfulness of the proposed Marriage, may demand sufficient surety for his indemnification: but if no impediment shall be alleged, or suspected. If anyone does not see that this marriage is right, please speak now,” Kris nudges me, I gulp, and slowly rise.  People gasp, and someone from the grooms party yells ‘Hell yes! I receive death stares from Summer’s side; my hands start to shake because all eyes are on me. I am looking straight at Sidney and Sidney looks directly at me. Summer yells, “This is an outrage! Sidney doesn’t listen to her! Someone get her out of here!”

            “I don’t do this,” I start “I……I” I look at Kris, he nods and winks. I get a boost of confidence. “Don’t say yes, runaway now. Look at yourself, your not happy, look at your sister, she’s not happy for you, no one likes Summer. You need someone who understands, you,” I gulp “You need someone like me. So give let’s give our relationship another chance, so don’t say yes, meet me in the front of the church where your horse and buggie is.”  Sidney didn’t wait, he ran to the back of the church, where I was, he grabbed my checks, and looked directly into my eyes.

            “Thank you,” he mutters and he closes the gap between us and his soft bee stung lips touch mine. Moments later he breaks away, and rubs his fingers over the scare on my forehead.

            By this time Summer was screaming at Sidney to get back up to the alter, the groomsmen were yelling, Taylor was screaming out joy, Sidney laughed and whispers, “Stay with me, and let’s get out of here.” He takes my hand and leads me out of the church.

Chapter 1

Dear Miss Addison Slolfus,

You are cordially invited to the celebration of unity of Miss Summer Janet Brown and Mr. Sidney Patrick Crosby on the 25 of October of the year 2010.

             “Wow, just wow. That’s all I can say.”  Blair, Addison’s old History teacher who became a friend after she graduated says stunned.

            “ I can remember when you sent pictures of the two of you when you were in Cole Harbor being a foreign exchange student!”  Holly, another old teacher who is now a friend exclaims.

            “Do you remember her senior prom?! The two of them were so in love, adorable. What the hell happened?” Blair screams through the walls of her brightly decorated classroom.

            “Don’t you still have that” Holly points to a filing cabinet  “Right there! The picture of the two of them.” Blair pulls it out, and I slump back into Blair’s old comfy chair and listen to the round of awe’s that now fill the air.

            “So what are you going to do?” Blair asks.

            Sidney and I were over, it was high school, and when we dated then it was too much. When I was in Cole Harbor, he was in St. Mary’s, when I was home in Lake Placid he was either in Canada or Pittsburgh. Long distance relationships never work, and I learned that the hard way. “Go I guess,” I say.

            “But you still love him!” Blair explains, “The only reason why the two of you broke it off was because you were in Cortland and he was in Pittsburgh, and I mean you two were still friends then, you have been to a hand full of his hockey games. WAIT, have you met this woman?”

            I cringed, no I hadn’t met Summer. Sidney’s sister, Taylor called me three days before I received the fancy invitation, sealed in gold, and hand written in what looked like a black felt pen, in a wonderful hand. Taylor didn’t just tell me that she hated Summer, she went into full detail of how Summer hates me, and yet this woman has never even met me. ‘Sid has pictures of the two of you, from high school to college to the Olympics last year. And because of this she despises you!’ Taylor exclaimed. After ranting about her hatred for Summer, Taylor cried, and her crying turned into sobs. I felt for her, Taylor was like a little sister to me, and when she cried it broke my heart, this is her brothers doing, which made me furious, and want to catch a plane and go and beat the shit out of Crosby, but what would that do, nothing. Shaking my head I answer “No, but I hear stories all the time from Marc, Vero, and Max, and now Hilary and Mike. Summer is a handful, and Sidney has his work cut out for him. She is rich snot who doesn’t love, and hates kids, and Sid wants four children. “

            “Sounds like you should go dressed up to the tens and speak now.” Blair winks, “LET’S GO SHOPPING!” she yells.

            “I feel like I should wear black.” I respond grabbing a tissue and blowing my nose, which has been running ever since I got back to Placid. “God hates me,” I say softly, and blew harder. “And so does this town, and my immune system, and my joints, AND SIDNEY CROSBY!”  With that the two women grow into a fit laughter and a bell rings.

            “Crap, my class starts soon,” Blair says in between laughter, “What are you going to do today Addie?”

            “Go home, watch The Notebook and cry my ass off, with my soft blanket and I am going to steal my parents dog so we can snuggle.” I say, “Oh and find a hott ass dress that shows off boob-ige and Jimmy Chou’s so I can knock a hockey player back to reality.

            “Make sure the heals are sophisticated Hun,” Holly winks.

            Sidney tried calling his sister again, for what he thought the 20^th time today. “Fuck Taylor, answer at least one call, or even a text would do.” His teenage sister hadn’t answered any of his calls, texts, e-mails, i.m.’s, ichats, or Skype messages since she found out that he was marring Summer, who had been begging for Sidney to move up the date of the wedding. Why would he want to do that, he wants to be a free man for as long as he could. Walking into the arena he gave up, and turned off his phone, no use to keep it on, Taylor wasn’t going to call him back, hell if she had her way she wouldn’t even go to the wedding.

--------------------------------------------------------           
There wasn’t practice today but Sidney needed to get away from Summer. She was head over heals for him, but he wasn’t head over heals for her, when he looked at her he saw the curly chestnut hair that Addison had, with her tan skin she got from her Native American blood, and her piercing brown eyes. When Summer laughed Sidney swore it was fake, no one could ever have a better laugh then Addison. He also didn’t know why he even proposed to Summer, it was more expected, she was the jealous kind, telling Sidney that if he didn’t get ride of his pictures with Addison that she would leave him, but Summer never will leave Sidney, this is her reputation on the line, not Sidney’s.  Changing into work out clothes Sidney wished he never said the things to Addison to screw everything up in their romantic relationship, he was a dick back then, and now all he wanted was to run away and listen to her. But it was too late, and in a month his life was now with Summer, his less then half committed relationship, which he wished he could get out of.  

             Sidney put in his earphones, hopped on the elliptical and started, and wasn’t going to finish until he couldn’t walk, or until he decided his punishment for hurting Addison was over, which would be never.