by Ines Saint
“Wait, why are you so scared?” Charlene spoke a little too loudly.
“She doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.” Mrs. Kirkpatrick spoke for her. She reached over and grabbed Jamie’s hand. “But you have to know that you can’t control the future. You are both good, smart people, with the best intentions, and that’s really all you can ask for.”
“Whatever! Just go for it, Jamie! Nick’s a great guy,” Charlene butted in.
“He’s leaving tonight. I’m not going to drive like a madwoman to the airport and tell him to throw twenty thousand dollars in airplane tickets away when I’m full of doubts. I won’t do anything unless I’m a hundred percent sure it’s the right thing, and I’ll never be a hundred percent sure.” She still had questions about who Celine was to him. But her mind seemed to be making her out to be more important than her heart did, as if her heart wasn’t worried. It was all too confusing.
“He’s not leaving tonight. Dylan told me he changed his plans and is leaving tomorrow night from Boston — after he faces off against a certain Justin Viera at a charity game. But neither of them knows they’re facing off against each other. Jim Reilly wanted to see the sparks fly when they found out.” Mrs. Kirkpatrick squeezed Jamie’s hand, hard.
Jamie sat perfectly still, her heart beginning to thunder. Maybe she could see him one more time? Let him know she’d try and work out her fears while he was away? Nobody would get hurt if they weren’t physically together. But would he wait for her?
Chapter Seventeen
“Why can’t we go to Uncle Justin and Nick’s game?” Timmy whined as they made their way to Joseph and Cindy’s house the next day.
“Because it’s too much money, and you guys wouldn’t be able to see or hear very much with everyone standing up and yelling. Those games can get really rowdy.”
“Will you tell Nick I said goodbye, and that I’ll miss him?” Michael asked.
“Listen, if I do see Nick and get a chance to talk to him, I’ll tell him we’ll all miss him.”
“You’re going to miss him, too?” Michael now asked.
“Yes,” Jamie answered simply. She looked over at Michael through the rear-view mirror, and she could see the little wheels turning behind his eyes.
“Do you like Nick the way I like Paula Mitchell?” Michael looked up and met her eyes in the mirror.
Jamie took a deep, nervous breath and thought hard. She was treading uncharted territory. “I do like Nick, and I like having him around, and part of it is because I think you two like having him around, too.”
Her boys smiled at each other, and her hope swelled. Maybe in a year …
“Grandpa Joseph doesn’t like Nick,” Michael interrupted her thoughts.
“No, he doesn’t. But that doesn’t change the way you feel about Grandpa or Nick, right?”
“No,” both boys agreed.
• • •
There was more of a crowd than Jamie expected, and she wondered if she’d be able to find Nick before or after the game. She’d found her family only because they’d agreed on where to meet.
The crowd moved and flowed around them, and they were all swept into the movement, unwittingly floating toward the doors with everyone around them.
“Jamie!” a young female voice cried out from the crowd. Jamie turned and looked around before seeing Emma, Susan, and Claire struggling to make their way toward her.
“Why are you here? Please tell me why you’re here!” Emma was breathless when she reached Jamie.
“Yes, tell us why you here,” Susan demanded. Her eyes glittered as Jamie’s eyes widened. She and Susan had never even been introduced.
“Um, I’m — ”
Claire looked over Jamie’s shoulders, spotted Justin, and gloomily responded, “I think she’s here for Justin. Is Justin playing, too?”
“Yes, but I also need to talk to Nick,” she admitted. She’d rehearsed it all in her head — she was going to tell him she would use his time away to try to regain faith, to find hope, and to let go of fears … and to ask him to wait.
Emma’s eyes lit up, and both she and Susan impulsively hugged a stunned Jamie.
“I’m just going to go on in and change. I’ll see you guys after the game,” Justin called.
His words rustled Emma into activity, and she let go of Jamie to point toward a group of people. “He’s right over there.”
Jamie caught Justin’s eye, and they both turned to look in the direction Emma was pointing. It was funny how they were both nervous to see the same man. Justin looked away from her, and then quickly looked back at her as Jamie herself caught what he had just seen.
Celine. And Nick. Kissing. On the lips. Everyone turned to look at Jamie, but Jamie couldn’t look away from Nick.
She inhaled and pain filled her lungs. Time stopped for a long beat.
She exhaled, and in one quick and equally painful moment, she turned to see Reilly slapping Justin’s shoulder. She and Justin again exchanged a glance — his horrified, hers blank — as Reilly pulled him toward the entrance.
“There’s no way, Jamie, I swear there’s no way,” Emma was practically yelling, but they were being swept away from each other. Emma and Susan by Claire, who had taken off in an angry stride, and Jamie by Liz, who was trying to pull her forward and away from what they had all witnessed.
“Don’t let it get to you, Give him a chance to explain,” her father was saying, but he sounded anxious.
Jamie was shocked — but another feeling, one she hadn’t experienced in a long time, was trying to break through.
“Let’s just go inside and find a seat. I really think you need to sit down right now.” Liz grabbed her hand and held on tight. It was as if she was afraid Jamie would bolt, which wasn’t a half-bad idea. Faith that her father was right, that there was an explanation, meant she already trusted Nick, and that was frightening.
Hannah pushed through the crowd and had them inside and sitting down in what was admirable time considering the fanatical crowd. Liz and her parents were distraught, casting worried glances at her, not daring to speak. They knew what she’d been through, knew she couldn’t go through it again, and knew she wasn’t good at talking about things with others. She’d always had the need to process things internally.
Jamie drowned out the crowd and just focused on a spot on the ice so she could sift through her feelings.
She blinked when she saw the players — including Nick and Justin — waiting to skate out, knowing she must’ve been lost in her thoughts for quite some time. The loud banter that had been going on was now a low buzz as everyone waited for the game to start. Two commentators sat in a press box, flipping through notes.
Commentator One began speaking about the charity they were skating for tonight, as images of youth centers across the country played on four large screens on each corner of the arena. Grateful parents and children spoke about the impact each youth center had on their community. As the images faded, the second commentator’s voice took on a louder, more excited ring as he explained the “Legends Past” theme.
Jamie tried to see the looks on Nick’s and Justin’s faces as images of both the BU and BC teams throughout the ages flashed before the screens, but she couldn’t read their expressions from afar.
The crowd’s reverence and pride was palpable as the screen first played old, black-and-white snippets of film of earlier teams, and then video clips of more recent games.
“Let’s go back in time twenty years as we welcome Boston University legend and two-time MVP Justin Viera to the ice,” Commentator One shouted out.
A huge sense of pride swept through Jamie as images of Justin throughout the years now played on the screens. The applause was deafening as Justin skated around and waved. Gripping her sister-in-law’s hand excitedly, Jamie couldn’t help but smile.
“And starting for Boston College, please welcome two-time MVP and BC legend Nicholas Grey,” Commentator Two yelled even louder. Excitement and fear coursed through her. The crowd again went wild. Her grip on Liz’s arm loosened as she watched a young Nick on the screen change until he was the Nick she knew today. He really was more handsome now than he’d ever been, she thought as she watched him skate into position in front of Justin.
The knowledge that she really was in love with him filled her more powerfully than it had the first time she’d admitted it to herself.
“A rivalry for the ages,” the first commentator continued as the rest of the BC and BU teams skated onto the rink. Images of Nick and Justin’s “rivalry” played on the screens, and laughter broke out on the stands as fights throughout the years were shown.
Jamie relaxed and laughed at images of the two goons she knew so well throwing down their hockey sticks and pushing each other against the boards in anger and frustration. It was hard to tear her eyes away. Those two really had a history, and the first commentator seemed to know it well as he went through it.
The crowd’s pleasant murmuring and laughing turned into a louder and more energized buzz, and Liz swore under her breath. Jamie quickly shifted her eyes to the rink and gaped when she saw Justin up in Nick’s face, yelling.
“What’s going on?” the first commentator, who had been reading about their rivalry from notes, asked. His low voice was just a few inches away from the microphone.
Liz, Jamie, and Isabella strained their necks toward the rink as Jaime’s father, Chris, and Hannah stood up to get a better view.
The coaches began yelling stuff back to one another, and the commentators began, well, commentating — although Jamie was sure this type of play-by-play wasn’t what they’d had in mind.
“Coach Thornton is telling Coach Burns to control his guy — seems Viera’s in Grey’s face about something,” Commentator One said as he tried to get a hold of what was happening.
“You gotta remember, though, these guys are here for one night only, it’s not like they take orders from these coaches,” Commentator Two responded. Coach Burns yelled something back at Coach Thornton, and they both began shouting stuff to their respective teams.
Nick and Justin were now both up in each other’s faces, their bodies inches apart. “We don’t know what’s going on quite yet, but a heated argument is taking place between Grey and Viera, and it seems both teams are just itching to get in on it,” Commentator One’s deep voice broke through the speakers.
Justin pulled his gloves and helmet off, and angrily threw them on the ice. He looked ready to pummel Nick.
Someone closer to the guys in the sidelines yelled something back to the commentators.
“Nick Grey is telling Justin Viera to get a hold of his teenage bull … ” Commentator Two paused as the same guy yelled something back at him. “And Justin is telling Nick to get a hold of his adolescent-hormones? People, I’m not sure what this is about, but Coach Burns has decided to go in and break these two up, seems like they may not be starting for their respective teams after all — oooh!” Commentator Two stopped short when Justin shoved Nick, hard.
Liz and Jamie finally stood up. The crowd around them — the BU crowd — stood up as well, and began yelling either support to Justin or obscenities at Nick. Jamie and Liz could only stare as Nick forcibly shoved Justin back.
“Nick Grey wears a bra! I saw him!” Chris shouted angrily. A few people behind him laughed.
Nick shouted something, threw his hockey stick down, and pulled his gloves and helmet off as well. Justin didn’t back off. Liz watched with her hand over her mouth. Justin said something that stopped Nick as both teams seemed eager to pounce, and both coaches and a few referees gathered around, trying to figure out what to do about the two ex-players while they held back the teams.
“There’s definitely drama in the rink,” Commentator One began, by now reveling in his new duties, but he was interrupted by Commentator Two, who had news from one of the referees still shouting back at him from the rink.
“Okay — this is what I’m getting from the rink — the argument seems to be something about someone named Jamie and a kiss.”
“Ooohhh.” A low murmur came from the crowd. Jamie slowly sunk onto her seat.
“Seems like there’s more to this rivalry than meets the eye … could they be fighting over a woman, as well?” Commentator Two, clearly the one with the most flair, was really getting into the dramatic twist in events.
Liz sat down and grabbed Jamie’s hand.
“I believe Justin is married,” Commentator One said as Justin got back into Nick’s face, saying who knew what.
Justin was clearly incredibly pissed that Jamie had come all this way to witness Celine and Nick kiss. If she wasn’t so ready to kill her brother, she’d feel touched by his concern.
“What the hell is going on?” a gruff woman a few seats back inquired.
“Uh — seems like Justin’s married and having an affair with someone named Jamie who he caught kissing Nick — ” a man a few seats behind them said.
In one beat, Hannah had gotten up and angrily swirled around to face the man a few seats back “Hey! My dad is not having an affair, and my mom’s right here, okay?” she yelled, and she pointed to her mom. “Jamie is my aunt, therefore, my dad’s sister, not my dad’s mistress!” she now pointed to Jamie.
“Jamie? The Jamie they’re talking about is Justin’s sister?” the first man asked.
“You’re Viera’s wife?” the woman who had originally asked what was going on turned to them. “Why did you ever let him shave his head?”
“So Justin Viera’s pissed cause Nick is having an affair with his sister?” another woman in the crowd began to figure it out.
“Something like that,” Liz muttered, pulling Hannah back down to her seat.
Back on the rink, Justin was flailing his hands in Nick’s face. Justin moved another inch forward, ready to shove Nick again, and Nick finally snapped, pushing him away hard.
“Hey, Nick!” someone farther up yelled as both teams broke away from the hold their coaches had on them and headed toward each other as gloves and helmets came off.
“Hey, Nick!” The man yelling had somehow gotten a hold of a megaphone. “Jamie’s right here!”
Jamie snapped around and saw a few people standing up and pointing at her with huge foam fingers. She turned back to see that Nick had obviously heard them because he scanned the crowd and located the foam fingers. His gaze shot down and finally rested on Jamie.
“It seems we’ve found Jamie,” Commentator One informed the crowd.
Jamie looked up to see herself on the big screens and did her best to disappear down into her seat. She had never been so mortified in her life. She was really going to kill her brother this time. Murderous thoughts clouded her vision. She hated being put on the spot.
She caught a glimpse of Nick skating toward the rink’s exit before being knocked down by Justin, then a BC player angrily attacked Justin.
The whole thing had gotten way out of hand. Jamie’s father began making his way toward the rink, and Jamie decided to follow his lead, except she would be heading toward the exit door. She could hear Liz and Isabella calling her and the megaphone jerk yelling, “Jamie’s getting away!”
She forcibly pushed her way out of the stands. Outside it was cold, but her blood was boiling. She took a deep breath that did nothing to calm her and looked around to see where she could just sit down and think for a moment. Pacing around the statue of Harry Agganis, she leaned against it and slid down, her hands over her eyes, unable to believe what had just happened.
She tried to feel anger toward Justin for putting two grown adults in the spotlight like that, but she couldn’t manage any more anger. She realized she just wanted
to laugh. Justin had finally gotten his chance to outperform Nick, to settle the rivalry once and for all, and all he could think of was that Jamie had been hurt again. All he could do was call Nick out on it.
She sat down, gathered her knees to her chest, and laughed.
“Jamie?” Nick’s voice calling her name quieted her. Nervous anticipation hummed through her veins, and she began to get up.
But a split second later she heard Justin — and then a host of other voices burst out of the double doors. There was a small commotion at the entrance, and a confused Jamie stayed where she was — trying to make out what was being said and who was saying what.
• • •
Nick tried not to knock the living daylights out of Justin. “I want to find Jamie, so just leave me the hell alone.”
“No! You leave Jamie alone already. She doesn’t need this,” Justin spat out.
“Nobody needs this!” Nick yelled back.
“Both of you calm down and talk this out like adults — you were getting along fine the other day,” Dr. Viera said.
“Because I thought he cared about Jamie, but then there he was kissing some blonde. I thought you were for real, man.”
“That’s what this is about?” Nick’s voice went down a few notches.
“Celine is the one who kissed Dad. Dad would never kiss her, and you’re going to ruin everything for them,” Emma practically yelled at Justin.
“Calm down, Emma,” Claire’s voice was firm.
“Celine’s in a fragile state of mind right now, and she’s gotten it into her head that Nick will make her feel good about herself again,” Susan explained.
Nick ran a hand through his hair. “Have you and Emma told Celine details about my friendship with Jamie?” Nick now knew who had told William Bertrand about Jamie.
