The Road to the Cup ~ Wattys 2015

Christmas in Cole Harbour

"What do you mean you aren't coming home for Christmas?" Jules shrieked over the phone.

"Well, Jules, I mean I will not be coming back to the Mitten for the holiday known as Christmas on December 25th," I replied sarcastically as I packed my suitcase. I would be leaving with Sidney for the airport in a little over an hour.

"Erin!" She whined. "You can't miss Christmas!"

"It's not like I'm going to be dead or anything, I'm just going to be in Canada."

"Why couldn't he have taken you to meet his parents on a weekend like a normal boyfriend?" She complained.

"He's not my boyfriend. He has a girlfriend; her name is Annalise."

"Then who is your boyfriend? I heard them talking about him when y'all came in."

"I don't have a boyfriend anymore. The night of the game I found out he was cheating on me," I replied, some of my anger seeping into my voice.

"What the fuck? Why would he do that? How dare he?" She demanded. "I'm gonna come out there and kick his ass!"

"Don't worry about it, Jules. I'm pretty much over it. Just don't tell anyone, okay? Please? I haven't told anyone but you and I don't want them to know," I begged.

"Why not? They'd want to kick his ass too, and rightly so, he was a dick to you," Jules said.

"Well, it keeps Robert from trying to flirt with me all of the time and I don't want Sid to know," I said.

"Why not? He'd support you, you know he would."

"It's not that. It's just easier this way. If he still thinks I'm dating someone, he'll focus more on Annalise, which is what I need him to do. It will be easier for me to do my job and for him to do his if we aren't all over each other," I explained.

"When did he start seeing this girl?" Jules asked.

"He met her on Halloween and I guess they just clicked."

"So it's been almost two months?"

"Yes," I said.

"And you guys have been tanking since when?"

"What are you implying?"

"Justin is under the impression that the two of you could be a thing because he doesn't think there are rules about coach and player relationships at this level. He thinks that they wouldn't care and that-"

"I know what he thinks. What are you getting at," I interrupted, not wanting to hear about the potential relationship I could have with Sidney Crosby.

"If there are no rules, the only thing keeping you apart is his girlfriend and your imaginary boyfriend," Jules paused, as if waiting for me to catch onto something. "Also, since he had been spending more time with this girl, y'all have been losing."

"It's not that, we had a little slump, but we are back on track now that we fixed the ritual."

"He gave up the ritual for her?" Jules shrieked.

"I let him. I just want him to be happy, Jules. I don't think that he would be happy with me."

"You're afraid."

"Am not."

"You are! The fearless Erin Fitzpatrick is afraid of dating Sidney Crosby!" Jules crowed.

"I'm not fearless," I said, trying to sidestep the discussion about Sidney.

"Why don't you want to be with him? I thought you were in love with him," Jules asked.