No Romance (Brendan Gallagher)

I Wish I Didn't Have To

Brendan's POV

As Quincy turns around from me and walks out the locker room door my eyes drop and my shoulders slump. I was a complete dick, that's easy to see. But she doesn't understand that how I was acting wasn't actually me, it wasn't who I am. I needed to act like that, and tell her those things, to protect not only myself but also her. Once that fucking article was posted on twitter and online, Michele immiediently got ahold of it from our PR guys. He called me into his office before practice to talk to me about the situation and told me the consequences if things were to take a bad turn and affect the team. *Flashback*

"Brendan get your ass in my office!" Coach shouts from down the hallway. I was just changing for practice, pulling on my shirt, when he shouted my name. I dropped everything and made my way to meet with him, what could he need? I enter his office and sit down in the chair across from his desk, leaning back. "Do you know why I called you in here?" he asks me.

"No I don't sir," I answer respectfully.

"Take a look at this," he tells me, sliding his phone across the desk for me to look at. When I grab his phone there was an article pulled up, an article on me and a supposed 'new girlfriend'. I see the picture of me and Quincy from our little date the other night and my heart immiediently drops into my stomach. I continue reading the article, my hands slightly shaking. Thankfully it wasn't long, and they didn't even know Quincy's name, just calling her 'the mystery girl'. I nod my head once I was finished and slid Michele's phone back to him. "So what's going on?" he asks me.

"Nothing Coach, I promise. We just went on a date the other night; put put golfing, dinner, and ice cream. Nothing bad at all. I didn't even know media was there."

"I know I know, you can calm down Brendan you're not in trouble-yet," he tells me, his smiling face quickly dropping. "I can tell you like Quincy and she likes you. I also know that you're serious about your job, and so is she. I don't want the media getting ahold of our first, the league's first, female athletic trainer dating or seeing one of our players. It just won't be good for anybody."

"I understand ..." I say, my heart continuing to drop.

"Look, i'm not saying you have to completely stop seeing Quincy, but you can't see her in public. I just can't risk the media getting ahold of anything and then coming at us as an organization. I'm sorry Brendan I really am. But if you guys continue seeing each other then she'll most likely lose her job, and you'll get reduced playing time."

My eyes widen at what he just told me. I understand where he was coming from but nothing seemed fair! I have never felt this way about another girl before, and then of course she is working for my team and nothing could ever happen between us for obvious reasons. I just don't know what to do.

"Alright coach," I answer simply. I don't think I could talk to him about anything because I honestly might break down or get pissed at him.

"You're good to go," he dismisses me with a nod.

I get up and leave his office, heading back down the hallway. I start to kick the wall and give it one punch before continuing to walk. I need to calm down and clear my mind before heading back into the locker room. I step outside of the rinks' building into the fresh air to breath and think about what in the world I was going to tell Quincy. She most likely has seen the article too and is wondering what to do. The problem is though, I don't think I can be just friends with her. I can't be with her if I can't be with her. Does this make any sense? Probably not. Maybe the best thing for the both of us is to just part ways and do our jobs. I mean I don't want to never see her again, but I can't just not have feelings for her. Damn this is all so complicated. And on top of all of this, I need to focus on hockey. We have an important game tonight and a whole season ahead of us. I decide on what I was going to tell Quincy, and even though I know it'll hurt her I know it has to be done. *end of flashback*