Strawberry | Hockey Rivalry 1 [Completed]

Teaser

Their History 

Reilly felt like the world would not stop hurting him. First, the world tells him that his father was killed in action. No information was given besides he died protecting his country. Not even his team members would give Reilly any information. His mother went into grief and stopped doing the things she loved. Reilly lost all momentum in his final moments of high school. Valerie was by his side the entire time-- making sure he knew she was there, that she loved him, that someone was there to care for him. 

Valerie also helped his mother, Melissa, come back from this grief. She went with Melissa to grief groups set up by the Navy. She met with other counselors and widows and tried to find a way to help Melissa. It took a few months, but with Valerie's support, she was able to get back into what she loved doing... being a book critic.  

Valerie didn't stay at her home. Her parents did not welcome her back after her Olympic win. They told her that it was too much money and they couldn't afford to fund her lifestyle. Her dreams were crushed and she had no idea how she was going to try and continue to be a part of the USA team. What was she going to tell her trainer? That she had no money? No support? Instead, she stayed with Reilly and Melissa until graduation. Making sure they were both okay. 

Reilly wasn't. He was drinking nonstop. Jameson was his whiskey of choice. It continued to get worse, especially after graduation. Reilly was struggling to get out of his own way. Valerie didn't know what to do to help him. She showered him after he drank a bottle. She made sure he didn't puke in the middle of the night and lay in it. She helped him sleep. She made sure he was eating and making it into Michigan State. They were all supposed to go there in the fall. Leave Colorado and go to Michigan. 

Then the world threw another punch at Reilly. Brock found a document detailing how Reilly was actually his brother. That Brock's father slept with both Melissa and his mother in the same time frame and both of the boys were his. Brock battled telling Reilly and instead told Valerie first. Valerie took it the hardest, knowing that when Reilly found out that his father wasn't his father, the hole would get deeper. Brock supported her and knew that Reilly was going to go deep into a fucked up state. And it got deeper than they both imagined. Reilly smoked pot every day and would be constantly high or drunk. Never sober. He claimed being sober wasn't fun. That a sober life was boring. It was killing Valerie to see him like this. For his past teammates to see him like this and know that their leader was spiraling out of control. 

Then Reilly confronted Brock's father. Everything went to hell. Melissa tried to explain the situation to her son, but it only made him sicker to think his mom would cheat on his dad. On his superhero dad. Clyde Gold was the man he aspired to be. The world didn't make sense anymore to Reilly. Brock didn't know how to help. He was upset with his father, for cheating on his mother Polly, but he wasn't ashamed that Reilly was his half-brother. He liked the idea of Reilly being his half-brother. 

But Reilly didn't like it. He continuously got worse. And Valerie was doing everything she could to help him. She was skipping ice practice to pick him up from the ground and get him showered. She made sure he was semi-sober when talking to the Michigan State recruits about summer training. Brock was training, but Reilly wasn't. Their high school teammates threw a 4th of July party at Brock's house. He had the best backyard. Valerie watched with tears in her eyes at Reilly self-destructing and collapsing in stress. Brock brought her to his room and tucked her in bed, trying to calm her down. But she couldn't stay calm when she missed the love of her life. She missed the old Reilly. She was worried he was never coming back. 

Reilly went looking for his girlfriend and best friend to play beer pong. He wanted his partners. He needed Valerie to help him stand. When he got inside he immediately turned sober upon seeing his best friend in bed with his girl. He threw up in his room and Brock immediately got up, trying to help. Reilly didn't want his help. Brock tried to explain but Reilly wasn't having any of it. Valerie woke up from them fighting and her heart bottomed out knowing that Reilly was too drunk to see straight. He had no idea they were both fully clothed. She knew she lost all of him in that moment and wouldn't stop crying. Brock tried to tell Reilly to open his eyes and see what was going on. He went to Valerie to calm her down and Reilly threw up again. Brock told him to stop, take a shower, and talk this out. 

Instead, he went out and told everyone that his half-brother just fucked his girlfriend. The next day he was in Michigan. Sober.  He began training and reached out to teammates for a place to rent. He got a job at the pizza place and never looked back. 

Valerie was in hysterics and Brock had no idea what to do. In a spur of the moment at the end of July, he transferred to the University of Michigan. Valerie felt her world crumbling from under her and Reilly wouldn't answer her calls. She began to turn angry before it all turned into an immense sadness. She didn't want to be near either of them. Brock had to leave for U of M training. He met older teammates and left. 

Jeremey and Claire Wilson sought her out during one of her summer programs. They wanted her to become part of their family and support her Olympic career. She moved to Michigan with them but told them she wanted to live on her own and make her own path before she fully joined their family. She remembered their son, Gordie, was friendly and supportive of her during her first Olympics. When she re-met him, he mentioned always wanting a sister and that this felt right. She needed a family and the Wilsons wanted to take her in. Claire fell in love with her when she met her through a video call during Valerie's first Olympics. It took two years for the adoption papers to go through and for all the finalization of a name change along with legalities revolving around parental rights. It took three months for her to call them family. And it only took one month before she realized one brother was fine, but the other wasn't. She stuffed all her feelings into a box and refused to open it. 

She poured her heart into skating and trained an excessive amount to avoid thinking about Reilly. About him leaving her after all she did for him. 

She trained early in the morning and late at night, in hopes to make sure that when Brock called high out of his mind, she would be there. Her heart bleeding hurt for both brothers' pain.