Shirts and Skins

Chapter Nineteen

Lindsay's POV

"Good-bye Jeff." I kissed him one last time, holding back tears.

I slowly let go of his hand, and walked away. I put my backpack on and walked towards security.

"Don't look back, don't look back." I continued to tell myself.

I couldn't look back. If I did, I'd run back to him. I didn't want to leave him, but I had to. I had to go back home, and go back to my routine. I had school and work tomorrow. I had my family to get back to, I know they missed me. I just couldn't stay here any longer, no matter how badly I wanted to stay. And if I looked back at those boys, I never would be able to leave.

"Put your bag in here, take any electronics out and take your shoes off, Hun." said a larger security woman with a strong southern accent.

I put my bag in my the plastic container, put my iPhone in and pulled my Chuck Taylor's off. I walked through the body scanner, coming out clean (thankfully). I pulled my shoes back on once I was through and put my bag on my shoulders. I put my iPhone in my pocket and walked towards my gate. It wasn't open yet, but there was nothing else I wanted to do. I sat down on a chair near the gate. There as no one nearby, no one even close.

I pulled my iPhone out and started going through the pictures of my weekend with Jeff. I smiled as I flipped through them, tearing up a little.

"Goin' through a hard time?" an older male voice asked me.

I looked up and saw a bald older man in a red vest. He sat down on the chair beside me as I nodded.

He sighed. "Leaving someone behind or going to someone?" He asked.

"Leaving someone behind." I barely got out.

"I'm guessing you're not from here."

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"You have an accent. Where are you from?"

"Winnipeg."

"Oh, up in Canada there?"

"Yes sir." I smiled.

"So who are you leaving here?"

"My boyfriend."

"And why are you leaving him?"

"Well, he lives here, and I live in Winnipeg."

"Bit of an odd pairing there. How'd you two meet?" he asked.

"Through work."

"Who do you two work for?"

"Well, I work at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, and he's Jeff Skinner."

"Ahhh you're Jeff Skinner's girl!"

"What?"

"Yep, your picture is on all the local sports and entertainment pages."

I was in shock. I had to see this. I saw a copy of the News & Observer sitting on a chair nearby. I flipped through the pages as I walked back to my seat beside the older man. I found the sports section and flipped through the pages. And then I found it. Second page of the entertainment section. A picture of Jeff and I spinning at centre ice when we went skating together, one of the two of us holding hands in the arena and one of Justin and I watching last night's game, with the headline "Skinner's got a girlfriend?"

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There shouldn't have been photographers in the arena when Jeff and I were on the ice. And I didn't think this was such a huge deal. I wondered what Jeff would think when he sees it, because I'm sure it'll be brought up to him soon.