Peu Importe la Distance | D. Mercer

CH 1

Liliane walked into the Prudential Center one last time. She was walking in to meet with Lindy Ruff one last time. There was something about this meeting that seemed weird to her. Was he going to tell her good luck or all the wrongs that made him trade her across the country?

Well, she was about to find out as he stood in front of her by the locker room. She sighed as she walked up to her former coach.

"Lindy." Liliane said as she walked up to him. He nodded to her.

"Liliane. There are a few things I want to talk about." Lindy said. Of course, Liliane agreed to let him talk. Liliane rocked on her heels as she waited in anticipation.

"I want you to know that your playing is incredibly good and that we'll miss having you with us." Lindy began. Liliane wanted to scoff and walk away. If she was such a good player she shouldn't be leaving this team. She pushed down any annoyance she felt in her system.

"But, you're leaving because I can't coach you to have you help us win. I know you are a good offensive player, but the first thing you did when you got here was start a relationship with another player. It's the only thing that's been on your mind for the season you were here and that makes you uncoachable to me. It's not a good look on the team and it's not a good look for you." Lindy said with a straight face. He was used to giving this talk to players and it showed. Liliane felt her gut wrench and she suddenly felt like crying. She was leaving the team because of her personal life. She knew what she and Dawson had was unprofessional. She should have listened to herself and stopped it while she could have. Maybe she could have stayed.

"Lindy, I want you to know that I liked playing here and with the team, but knowing what you just said, I'm happy to leave. If you think my personal life makes me uncoachable, I want to leave and be coached by someone who only cares about what I do in this rink to make me and my team better." Liliane said. She didn't mean to express her feelings like that, but it seemed like her emotions were dying down. It's like all she needed was to finally let out that last bit of steam and she was going to let it out on Lindy.

"Let me ask you, did you know me and Dawson were together before or after I rejected Jesper?" Liliane asked. Lindy looked surprised by the question, but he quickly composed himself.

"Before. I didn't mind it until you started hurting other players. It ruined Jesper's motivation for a while and that alone hurt the team." Lindy said. Liliane rolled her eyes.

"So, if I wasn't dating Dawson because dating your teammate is 'unprofessional' and I still rejected Jesper would I have been here still?" Liliane asked. There was a part of her that was desperate for an answer and another part that just wanted to retreat to Dawson and cry.

"I don't know. There's only this moment that I really know my choice. I'll let you in one time before you leave." Lindy changed the subject to the locker room door behind him. Liliane was going to cry when she walked in, she knew she would. All the people she was leaving behind, it was like that was all she could do when she got to really know people.

Liliane walked around Lindy and opened the door. She took in a breath and took her first step inside. She walked to her locker and looked up where her name was. It was still there because she was going to be the one to take it down. She looked to the stall next to her and up at the name.

Mercer.

She felt a tear slip from her eyes as she ran her fingers over the name. She was really going to miss that boy. Liliane looked down and ground and let her head lean against the wall separating the two stalls. She cried even harder. She was leaving the place where she fell in love. She was leaving the place where the man she loved was.

Liliane breathed in and out deeply before moving from her and Dawson's lockers to Luke's. They stopped talking during the season. He was always Dawson's friend rather than hers. She'd miss him anyways.

Then she stopped at Jesper's. She didn't mind leaving him behind, but it hurt either way. They didn't talk much outside of games and practice, but he was always there for her.

Then Jack and Nico's. They were right next to each other, but knowing the two they might as well just be one. It was never just Jack or just Nico. It had to be Nico and Jack. She smiled at the names and wiped loose tears from her eyes.

"Thank you, guys. I wish I could have stayed. You helped me a lot." Liliane spoke to the names like the people were actually listening. But, they weren't. She wouldn't speak to them again unless they were chirping at each other on the ice.

Liliane walked back to her own stall and slid the name out of the metal slot. She made sure to not bend the plastic so she could keep it. She walked back out of the locker room and past Lindy. She didn't want to see him again.

"We'll see you on the ice, Liliane." Lindy said as Liliane rounded the corner and ran out of the building. She didn't want to ever be back here. But, she did. She wanted to have her name above a stall and she wanted to switch jerseys with Dawson. She wanted to have a life here, but Lindy didn't want that for her.