Love On the Brain (Corey Crawford)

27| Highly Recommended

Jessica

Since Corey's been hurt I've been staying over at his place. I help him make food and do things that he can't with his concussion. Not that he ever cooked before. But he's slowly getting better and that's good news, but it's still a long road from here. It's been a week but I think we've had good physical progress to the diagnosis.

And since I've spent the past six straight days with Corey I've been able to help him both as his life coach and his best friend. We still have meetings but we also relax and watch Netflix and I help him communicate with the Blackhawks about how he's doing. He's scared about getting another concussion, I know he is and he has every right to be. But you can bet your ass that I'm doing everything to make sure he is okay.

"You know, you've kind of saved my life" he mentions as he folds his laundry in his room and I helped him. I was going to let him do it himself but he was doing it wrong so I had to step in. Sometimes I really do feel like we're together.

"I have done nothing of the sort" I insist as I toss a shirt at him.

"Five months ago I was given the ultimatum, get help or get the hell out of Chicago. My abilities on the ice couldn't make up for the way I was behaving outside of it. There was nothing I could have done on the ice, no amount of Stanley cups I could have won that could make up for how I was acting off of it. I started to take pain killers and they caught me before I was addicted. I took them for so many reasons and none of them were the right reasons. They told me that I was their goalie until I decided I wasn't, and that was entirely up to me. But I tried to get help before, I reached out when times were tough and I felt like I had nowhere to go. I all but gave up hope on getting better so I figured what the hell...

And I thought it would be the same here with you, that no one could help me. And in a way I was right, because I was the only one who could help me. But you're the only one who got me to see that. You're the only one who cared enough to make sure I was doing better and that I was staying better. So in a way you saved my life" he explains.

That was the first time he poured his heart out into the open like that. Usually he thinks it through and speaks carefully, but I can tell with how fast he was talking and what he was saying that those had only been thoughts for a little while. And now I know how he truly feels.

"I-" I start but my phone interrupts me. I see his face fall as I defer to my phone but I had a important job so I couldn't just ignore it. "I'll be right back" I say.

I excuse myself and step out to the hallway to answer the call. I see it was a New York Number and I blink a few times before pressing answer.

"Hello" I answer.

"Hello, is this Jessica Davidson" the person asks.

"This is her" I assure the caller.

"Great. My name is Mariah and I work for the New York Rangers management team. I read your story about how you have helped Corey Crawford in Chicago and was wondering if you would be interested in coming to work with some of our players here in New York" she says and my eyes go big.

"You want me to work with your players" I ask. It was one thing with Corey because it was kind of a last resort desperation situation, but these people actually wanted me?

"We do. Corey and the Blackhawks say that you have changed him and he feels like he can do anything now. While the NHL players are great athletes they are human too and have a life that could use some guidance. You're very highly recommended in the hockey community and a few of our players asked for you by name" she says and I shake my head.

"But I've only ever worked with one hockey player, sports it's hardly my thing" I insist.

"They're athletes but they're human too, their personal lives are even more of a thing to focus on considering most of them don't give it a second thought. You have the knowledge to make athletes learn that there's life outside the game and that life goes on no matter what happens on the ice, that kind of thing can help them with their game too. What you do anyone would be lucky to have, and especially a athlete" she explains.

"I never thought about it that way. I honestly thought this thing with Corey was a one time thing" I admit.

"Well we have a few guys here wanting to work with you, only if you can" she says.

"Of course I can" I insist.

But the problem is do I want to do this? Do I really want to go all the way out to New York and try to recreate there what I had done here? But who am I to deny these people the help they need? If they think I'm the answer to their problems I can't just tell them no because I want to stay here with Corey. But at the same time I kinda just figured that by the end of next month we can finally be together and we can work on a life together. But I can't do that if I'm in New York and he's here.

"Hello" she asks and I shake my head.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that" I ask.

"I said that you don't have to decide right now, take your time and think about it. I know you're with Corey until next month but if you can we would really like to have you here when that's done. We have a place for you to stay and can cover a lot of the costs like traveling and food and a lot of other things. Anything you need we'll give you. Just let us know" she says.

"Alright. I will let you know as soon as I make a decision" I promise.

"Of course, please let us know as soon as you decide. We would like to have you start as soon as possible" she says.

"Of course" I nod.

I end the call and let out a long sigh. That's the last thing I needed right now. So many things were going through my mind and I didn't know what to say. I couldn't even think straight.

"Who was that" Corey asks as he sticks his head out the door of his room. I figured he had heard some of that because I can see he hardly made a dent in his laundry.

"Since when were you my life coach" I tease.

"I'm pretty sure we're past the typical life coach-client relationship" he insists.

"Yeah, way past it" I mumble.

"Since you're dodging my question I'm assuming that the call wasn't something good" he says.

"I don't know what it was" I admit.

"Well who was it" he wonders and I advert my eyes. I know I don't have to tell him but he has a right to know. I would be mad if he kept something like this from me so I have to tell him right here and right now.

"It was a woman from the Rangers organization asking me to come work with their players once I'm done with you" I explain and I hear him inhale sharply. His eyes grow dark as I can see his breathing pick up.

"Oh" he whispers.

"Yeah. They offered to pay for everything and apparently they were asking for me after finding out what you and I were able to do" I explain.

"Well that's awesome Jessie. I'm happy for you" He claims and I look at him funny.

"No you're not" I accuse and he laughs.

"I'm feeling a lot of things, not a lot of them very good, but I'm definitely happy for you" he claims.

"And..." I trail off.

"And upset and scared and a little sad" he claims and I laugh.

"I didn't say I would go" I tell him.

"Why not" he wonders. 

"Because I'm not sure I can leave here... leave you" I say and he smiles.

"Awww" he coos and I roll my eyes.

"Don't make this decision easier for me" I tease.

"Fine, I'll make it as hard as possible" he smirks.

"I don't doubt it."