Baby Steps (Mark McMorris FanFic)

Chapter 29

That following Saturday, I drove myself to the city's airport. I was so nervous, I couldn't even listen to music for the entire two-hour trip. My palms were sweaty from the moment I left my house, and my heart was racing. I pulled into the parking lot, cut the engine, and just sat for a moment. I was overcome by a sudden wave of anxiety. I didn't know what was going to happen, what I was going to say, or how I'd cope. I was scared out of my mind, but I knew this was something I had to do.

I sat in Tim Hortons with my beloved cup of coffee, pretending to casually scroll through my phone. Not long after, I saw a petite, muscular figure make her way up to the counter to place her order. She was dressed in an effortless pair of ripped jeans and a cardigan, and her long, dirty-blonde hair cascaded down her back in perfect, beachy waves. I quickly looked back to my phone, pretending to be oblivious to her presence. Seconds later, she was sitting across from me.

"Hey, Liz, I'm glad you came all this way to see me!" She smiled, clearly trying to diffuse any tension between us. I smiled back politely.

"No problem. My journey was a piece of cake compared to yours." We both laughed. "It's nice to see you again, Coco." I said this with a surprising warmth. In a way, it was good to be around her-It made my memories of her and you-know-who much more realistic. "So...you wanted to see me?"

Coco had called during school a few days ago. She had somehow gotten my number, and she told me that she desperately wanted to talk. She was even willing to fly all the way out to Canada, just to have a face-to-face conversation.

Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. "Well, it's kind of a long story, but I'm assuming you have the time." Another nervous, mutual laugh. "Well, after you left the resort in December, Mark pretended to be fine." I looked down. Hearing his name drove a knife through my gut. "He kept snowboarding and acting like a goofball, as usual. But, we could all tell there was something missing. However, me being the stupid, insensitive girl that I am, I decided to go after him again, this time when he was vulnerable. Finally, he accepted my offer. We've been dating since that week." I could feel myself filling with hurt, jealousy, and disappointment. Against my will, I could feel my eyes growing warm and moist. I looked up and blinked, trying to prevent any tears from spilling out.

Coco saw my sadness, and quickly attempted to do some damage control. "But, I broke things off the day that I called you. I mean, it was nice being with him, but that wasn't really him, you know? I could tell he missed you and I realized that I had made a huge mistake. I thought that being single might make him feel a bit better, but it hasn't helped at all. He's still miserable, even though he tries to hide it." I had to stop her. I couldn't listen to any more.

"Coco, I appreciate you telling me all of this, but I'm missing the point." The words came out harsher than I expected, and I could see her flawless face flush ever-so slightly.

"Well, it's just...Mark has the Olympics coming up next month, and he's got a lot of pressure already on him. He's been training like a beast, but I'm just scared that mentally, he won't be strong enough to compete. What I guess I'm trying to ask is if, well, maybe you'd try to talk to him, maybe make things right? I don't know what happened between you two, but I know that you're both hurting. I think that you guys need closure, a retry, something! Please, for everyones sake, consider it." She then did something that threw me off gaurd-She reached across the table and grasped my hand, like an old friend might do. In that unexpected moment, I realized that Coco Ho was not my enemy, she was only trying to help me, and I wanted to please her.

"Coco," I started, feeling guilty. "I wish I could do something, but there's nothing for me to do. I basically turned Mark down on our last day together, I threw his brother under the bus, and I confused him majorly. He probably hates me." My voice cracked. This was not going as smoothly as I had planned.

In a quiet voice, she replied "Honey, he doesn't hate you. In fact, I have a feeling that he feels just the opposite. He's hurting, that's all." I sighed, wanting desperately to believe her. She kept talking. "I have everything already arranged-If you agree, you'll come with us to Sochi in February to see him him compete. I think that would reassure him and give him the confidence that he really, really needs. What do you say, Liz?" She looked right into my eyes, as if trying to force an answer out of me.

My heart silently screamed out to her "Yes, yes of course I'll do it, I love him and I'd do anything to see him!" But my mouth was only able to  choke out a whisper. "I'll think about it."

Coco gave me a half-hearted smile. "Well, that's better than nothing."