Just One Look

What's Your Deal?

Nicole's POV:

Today Artemi and Teuvo have an early game in St. Louis so they might not be back in Chicago tonight. So, Chelsea is coming over to have a Girl's day because she's scared to be at the apartment by herself. I hop into the shower and wash my hair. I hop out of the shower and dry my hair, then put it up into a fishtail braid. I looked in my half or 90 percent of the closet I share with Artemi and tried to find something comfy and cute. After about 25 minutes of deciding, I choose to wear a pair of plain dark denim skinny jeans, a grey, red, and black flannel, and some red vans. I put on some natural makeup. After getting ready, I decide to straighten up the apartment so it does not look messy. I'm kind of a neat freak. I do the remaining dishes in the sink, dust the furniture in the living room, vacuum the rug in the living room, and light a couple of lemon scented candles to freshen the place up. About a half hour later, Chelsea waddles into my apartment with a couple pizzas from Giordano's

"Sorry a couple pieces of the pizzas are missing. I was a little hungry on the way here and the twins needed to eat for the hundredth time today. I look like a freaking whale, I can't wait not to be pregnant anymore. Only about three and half months left. " Chelsea says giving me a big hug. Damn, I miss this chick.

"You don't look like a freaking whale, Chels. You are pregnant and need to embrace the bump. What does Teuvo say about it?" I ask taking some plates out and we grab whatever pieces Chelsea didn't eat on her long voyage (Note the sarcasm) over here. I grab some a wine glasses and some Sparkling Grape Juice since Chelsea couldn't drink wine. We get our food and drinks and sit on the couch.

"Teuvo loves my baby bump...he can not stop touching it and kissing it. When we are laying in bed at night, he is always rubbing it. I have even heard him talking to my bump in his sleep about how much he loves the babies. It honestly brings a happy tear to my eye because, he is going to be a fantastic daddy." Chelsea says sipping a glass of her cider.

"I miss you so much babe, it is so lonely when Artemi is gone and I have the apartment to myself. " I say as take a bite of my pizza.

"When do you think the boys will be back tonight?" Chelsea asks

"Probably around midnight since the game is at 3 in the afternoon. I think it is on now...Want to watch it?" I ask and Chelsea nods while pulling the blanket from the end of the couch and covering herself with it.

"Sure, I want to see my baby daddy kick some Blue's Booty." Chelsea gets excited like a five year old who spotted some chocolate cake. I turn on the game and see that the score is 3-1 with the Chicago beating St.Louis in the middle of the second period.

 All of a sudden I see Backes hit Artemi and slam him super hard against the boards. Artemi must have been pissed because both pairs of gloves flew off and hit the ice. All of a sudden, I see him take Backes to the ground and start sucker punching the crap out of him. Then the referee leads him off the ice and into the locker room.  He comes back later, but that point St. Louis took the lead of 4-3 after Tarasenko got a hat trick. About twenty minutes later, the game concludes with St.Louis clenching the lead and winning with a final score of 4-2, with Seabrook scoring late in the third period. I shut off the television.

"Artemi and Teuvo will be in a quite splendid mood tonight." I say rolling my eyes

"Yeah. Hey, I am going to leave and make Teuvo a nice dinner to make him feel better about losing the game. We are doing another girl day freaking soon or I may hurt you. Bye, I love you babe." Chelsea says jokingly and gives me a massive hug.

"Bye, Drive carefully and I love you too baby mama." I say blowing her one last kiss and shut and lock the apartment door. After Chelsea leaves, I clean up the kitchen again and straighten up the living room so it looks nice when Artemi gets home. I finished cleaning and decided to slip into something a little more comfy. I decide to put on a pair of sweatpants and a red v neck t-shirt. I then go back to the couch and read the Vogue magazine I had left out on the coffee table and eventually managed to pass out while reading it. A little while later, I hear the door knob click which jolts me awake immediately. I look at the figure that is know standing in my kitchen and see that it's Artemi.

"Baby, I missed you." I ran and hugged him, which he abruptly pushed me off him. That is weird as hell....

"Get away from me." Artemi said in the monotone voice....Ok, what the hell is wrong with him

"Artemi, baby...What is your deal?" I ask and he looks pissed.

"Well, I lost the game and almost got kicked out the game because you were distracting me." He said looking at me. What nerve he has.

"What the hell do you mean I was distracting you? " I say while trying to keep my temper in check. It is about to boil over though at this point.

"I had mind on you the whole game which me get in that fight with Backes. That made us lose the game." Artemi says with his Russian accent getting thicker with his rising temper.

"So you are seriously blaming me for fucking up your game? You are so pathetic right now. I do not want to have this conversation when you are acting like a four year old who did not get his way. Come talk to me when you start acting like a mature adult." I yell at him and start to walk away

"Yes, I blame you for this. If you were not in mind, the loss would have never have happened." Artemi says yelling back and crossing his arms.

"When I thought you couldn't have sound any more pathetic and like a douche, you prove me wrong. I can not believe you are so petty to blame me for a loss to ONE GAME." I say putting emphasis on One Game. I turn and walk back to our room. I lay in our bed and put the covers up all around me.

I can not help but cry when I think of just what happened. This situation parallels what used to happen between me and my last boyfriend Henri. He used to belittle me and make feel like a worthless piece of trash. He put me down constantly and almost never said a kind word to me towards the end of our relationship. I start to sob because, I tired with everything in my will to never have this situation ever again in a relationship where I felt like a lonely penny rolling up a wall. I hear the bedroom door click and feel the side next to me indent. Then, I feel two arms around me, I should have pushed him away like he did to me, but I feel his hugs comforting.

"Nicole, Baby, I am sorry. I should have not taken my frustration out on you." Artemi says with a sniffle and I look up and see his eyes are glassy and bloodshot from crying.

"Artemi. Do you know how you made me feel when you blamed me for being the reason you lost your game? It hurt me to the core." I say sobbing

"You are not a distraction, I am just have been stressed out from playing hockey for the first time in the NHL. I want to prove everyone, including you and my family and friends back in Russia that I'm making something of myself.  If I didn't play hockey, I would be back in Korkino where I would have worked a lousy job and would have never had the great life I have lived so far. I just get so hard on myself when the team loses because I feel like I'm the reason we lost." Artemi says with tears running down his face.

"Artemi, you are making everyone , Coach Q, your teammates, your family, friends, Russia, America, the World, and especially me so damn proud of you. You are a star that comes around once in a blue moon. You have something a lot of people don't have...pure determination and talent. I forgive you for blaming you. Please the next time you feel this way, come and talk to me. I'm going to be your wife soon, you can come to me anytime with your problems. I will always lend an ear." I say giving him a hug and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you baby. I love you so much. You are my motivation for me to better myself." Artemi says kissing me back.

"Love you to the moon and back."

Finished with this chapter! Please comment and tell me what you thought of this chapter. I love all your guys feedback that you give me! :)