Off Ice.

Chapter Twenty-Nine.

Finn

Handling all of this from San Jose just wasn't working. I somehow managed to get through that game without costing it for my team, but my head wasn't in it. Not when the last thing I heard from Avery was that she was going to just let him take her.

Casey was calling me as soon as I got to the bench in the dressing room and that's when I asked Jack if I could use his phone to book a flight. I didn't even answer the call yet, but I decided during the game that I needed to be in LA. I had a maintenance day anyway, so it was really a no brainer.

I hated that phone call. Casey was trying to sound calm and confident that everything was okay, but I could hear how worried he was. He said that Avery was completely blacked out and he could only get a couple of words out of her before she was out for the count. Do you understand how fucking terrifying it is to hear that your girl is unconscious? Especially when you know the reason why she drank herself into a coma was because of how hopeless she felt? He carried her to bed and he said that it didn't seem like she had alcohol poisoning or anything, she just needed to sleep but I didn't care. I needed to be there when she woke up.

There was no direct flights so I flew into Phoenix for a layover, but it was only about an hour or so. I got into LA around 8:15 and to her apartment around 9, which was right when Cam was about to leave. He looked stressed out of his fucking mind and I was happy to see how relieved he was when I got there. He was going to skip class to keep an eye on her and I'm glad he didn't have too. She would of absolutely hated that.

I cleaned up her apartment a bit after he left and got rid of any reminder of last night. Like the empty bottle of Jack that was still on the counter and the couch pillows that were on the floor. I got the water bottle and the Tylenol and set it next to her bed when I went in to see her and, fuck. She was dead asleep but she looked so sad. She looked distraught even while she wasn't aware of what was going on around her. It broke my heart.

Although all I wanted to do was slip into bed behind her and hold her, I didn't want to wake her up. I was afraid if I did, she would be too consumed at the fact that I was here and she wouldn't of been able to fall back under. So I just sat in her desk chair and watched her sleep, as creepy as it sounds. I haven't stopped worrying about her and finally being able to make sure she was okay was one of the most relieving feelings I'd ever experienced. Besides, I could of gone into the other room and waited for her to get up but the last time I did that she had a nightmare that I wasn't there to wake her up from. I didn't want that to happen again.

I still don't know what that nightmare was about. I asked her the night before I left again, but she just told me that it didn't matter - that she was okay. I didn't believe her, I still don't, but I didn't want to push. Maybe I'll get it out of her at some point.

She's still at her class and I just woke up from an hour nap and I have to get up to go and pick her up again. Her bed is just so comfortable and it smells like her, which I know is just as creepy to say. I'm just really glad that I'm here, I'm glad that I didn't use any maintenance days yet so I could be here tomorrow too. I know it's only two extra days that I'm with her, but those two days mean something.

Okay, time to get up. I want to get her some flowers before I pick her up. I don't want her receiving roses to be tainted because of Hughes - I want her to still like them as much as she did. It's one of the things that makes her the happiest and I really want to keep it that way.

When I stand up, I stretch my arms above my head with a loud yawn, my muscles feeling tight from the long night I had. I didn't have time to stretch after the game and then sitting in planes and at the airports really just did me in a bit.