Nola Scott

Tonight was the third game of the second round for the Kings. They were playing the Oilers and so far it was a tied series.

1-1.

I haven't talked to Miles so much since the last night we were together. I'm assuming it's because of the stress he's under. He mentioned something about the Oilers being a tougher competition than Winnipeg.

So much had changed between us these last couple of weeks but we were good. We hadn't had a conversation about what the hell was going on between us but it was understandable. Not only my life but his as well was changing so quickly.

I had just lost at Worlds.

He had just met his birth mother and was trying to win the Stanley Cup.

Our lives were as complicated as whatever the hell was brewing between us.

Every time we spoke, I felt the lingering tension. We had not kissed again since the first time we did in Miami. I certainly wanted to kiss him again. I always wanted to kiss him. But like I said... the talk had yet to come.

The only reason I wasn't rushing anything was because I knew the amount of pressure he was under with hockey. I cared about him so much and he cared about hockey more than most things. Which is why I was going to wait until he wanted to talk about it.

I would wait for him forever if I had to.

While I could be patient, there was also a part of me that wanted to hear words from his mouth about our situation. Good or bad, I didn't care. I just had to know. So in hopes of potentially getting an answer from him tonight, the Kings game became my plans for the night.

Ember's been so caught up in school that she couldn't make it out tonight. She and JT have also been on and off since their fight that one night. She watches the games at home instead of coming but I'll have to drag her out one of these days. I know how much it'll mean to him to have her support him in person.

Luckily I'm not completely alone. Kaitlyn and her whole family keep me company as we cheer the team on. The second game was a total shit show from the beginning. The guys were off entirely for most of the game. In the end, they had only scored one goal to the Oilers' five. You could see just how much they wanted to fight back today because they were giving it their all.

Miles had one of the three goals of the night so far. The star players were doing great but so we're some guys who hadn't gotten much recognition this season. It was refreshing to see new faces popping up on the big screen whenever someone made a goal. I could feel Miles' excitement from all the way up here. He had gotten into a small confrontation with a player from the opposing team but Tate pulled him away quickly.

I caught the name Williams on the back of the orange jersey. He and Miles had been shoving each other all night but it never went too far until when Tate had to pull him away. It was back to normal now, only the occasional shoving. Once there was another intermission, I decided to go get another drink. All the cheering had my throat feeling dry. The line to get water was long as everyone else had the same idea as me.

Still, I got into the line. It took me about a good fifteen minutes to get my drink and as I walked back, the game had already started again. Trying to get to my seat as fast as possible, I ended up running into someone. My body hit another lightly and it took a small gasp out of me. "I'm so sorry," I apologized quickly.

The brunette turned her head toward me. Once her brown eyes interlocked with mine, my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. Her lips parted slightly then, like she wasn't expecting to see me either.

She wore the Oiler's orange jersey, a pair of light-wash jeans, and some white heels. Her long brown hair was perfectly styled like she had just gotten a blowout. The minimal makeup on her face was gorgeous. You could tell she was just naturally beautiful.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. Goosebumps formed over my body at her beauty. She was so pretty. I was jealous.

"Nola, right?" Allie was the first of us to speak. I nodded my head at her words pathetically. God, why couldn't I say anything? She looked me up and down which immediately made me feel self-conscious. Her arms crossed over her chest then. "I figured I was right," she adds. Confusion makes my brain short-circuit. What is she talking about?

"Excuse me?" I stutter, mentally slapping myself. She scoffs. "You and Miles. You're here for him aren't you?" Oh. "Well yeah," I pause before adding, "and JT." I don't know why I'm trying to cover up the fact that I'm here for Miles. She's not an idiot. It just makes me feel uneasy that Miles used to tell me Allie would become jealous when she saw us together.

Miles and I aren't together but that still doesn't mean this doesn't look bad. In her head, she's probably thinking she saw this coming. Even though he and Allie had more of a relationship than he and I have had.

She has a pinkish drink in her hand, a little black straw floating in it. Some kind of alcoholic beverage I'm sure. I glance down at her jersey which has the number 43. Wasn't that the number of the guy Miles was getting into it with earlier? Williams? As much as I want to check for a name on her jersey, I don't. A chuckle escapes her lips then and she shakes her head.

"Look, Nola," she starts, stepping closer to me. I take a slow step back when she does. Her brown eyes stare hard into mine as the smile slips from her face. "Miles isn't interested. Coming from a woman who's been with him, don't waste your time. He's not looking for anything serious. He's just in it for the sex. Also, soon you're going to start to notice that he's a goddamn narcissist."

If she would have told me this a couple of months ago, I probably would have believed her. Now? Not a chance. Maybe it's because I know him better than she ever did. In a different way, of course. Still, her words bother me and it takes a big part of me to stay calm.

I have a short temper and when people speak on my friends or family, it's even shorter.

But she doesn't stop there. "You're young and he's taking advantage of that. He's playing with your emotions, Nola. You must know that you two are in different parts of life. You're not good enough for him now. You won't be in the future. Miles is looking for something greater. Take my advice. Dump his sorry ass before he dumps yours."

My chest rises and falls faster now though I hope it's not too noticeable under my white puffer jacket. Some part of me wants to think that she's right. After all the signs he's given me, it seems like she could maybe be telling the truth. It's just the way she's talking to me that throws me off. Like I'm some child. To her, I might be but her attitude really isn't showing how mature she might be either.

Confirming my thoughts, she gives me a fake smile before turning around without letting me get a word in. The not-so-confrontational part of me is telling me to let her walk away and assume whatever she wants about my relationship with Miles. But the better part of me is telling me to not let someone talk badly about a person I deeply care about and myself as well.

I'm tired of being stepped all over by people who think they know me better than I know myself.

"Hey, Allie!" I call out. My eyes laser in on the last name on her jersey. Williams. I try not to think about the possibility of Miles fighting with that guy because of the woman in front of me. It takes her a second to turn around but she does. Trying not to cause a scene, I walk closer to her again. What do you have to lose, Nola?

"I'm sorry, okay? I never intended on falling for the guy you used to be with. If that makes me an enemy out of you so be it but don't make assumptions about me or Miles when you don't know us enough to-" Allie scoffs, cutting off my rant. "You think you know Miles better than I do? How long have you known him again?" she asks, already knowing the answer to her own question.

"Yes, I do. I know him in a completely different way than you do. He might not have wanted anything more with you and I'm sorry for that but that doesn't mean he's going to do the same with me. And he's definitely not the horrible person you're painting him out to be. You'd know that if you knew him the way I did, but I guess you don't, so," I retort,

Her eyes narrow in my direction and she clenches her jaw. "All this for a man who's going to drop your ass once he finds someone prettier and more interesting. There's so much more a woman your age can't give him, Nola. Don't be naive." Her words tick me off. I want to say shut the fuck up but I see my mom standing in the corner disappointed.

Since when do we fight with women because of a man, Nola Scott? I hear her voice in my head. While she's right, Miles is more than a man to me. He's my friend and I'm not going to let Allie insult him. I'd do the same for JT.

"Again, you don't know me. You don't know what I have to offer. If Miles wants to leave because he thinks he can find better than me, fine. He's going to realize sooner or later that he's wrong. In the end, we are none of your business so focus on the man whose jersey you're wearing and stop worrying about mine." I don't even give her another chance to speak as immature as it may be.

My attention must have been shifted completely to that interaction because when I made it back to my seat, the score was 4-1. "You missed a goal from Miles! Was the line really that long?" Kait asks, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Yeah. Sorry," I don't know I apologize. She smiles and rubs my shoulder. Without another word, I try not to think about my interaction with Allie anymore and finish watching the game.

I'm starting to notice the occasional shoving between Miles and Williams now. My brain starts to scramble with all these possibilities of why they're fighting. The main possibility my brain always sends me back to is Allie. Kait must have noticed I'm distracted because she wraps her arm around my shoulder again. There's less than a minute left on the clock now. "Hey, me and some of the other girls are going out for drinks tonight. Nothing fancy just casual, won't be back home too late hopefully. You in?"

Her words swim around in my brain for a little. I'm not really in a drinking mood but I suppose one drink won't hurt. "Sure," I reply. Her pearly whites gleam. "Did you drive here? I rather catch a lift with you than Carissa," she tells me. "Yeah, you can join me," I say. "Heck yes. Let me let the girls know." Kaitlyn pulls out her phone to text the girls.

When the game is finally over, we make our way over to where the guys file out of the locker room. I don't miss the way my heart starts racing once we get there. It does this every damn time I know I'll be in his presence. Lucky for me, JT comes out first. He has a way of calming me without even realizing it. Talking to him doesn't make me feel like I'm going to have a heart attack and I'm grateful for that.

"Going out for a drinks with the WAGS, eh?" he teases throwing his huge arm around my smaller shoulders. "That'll be a movie. They don't behave if Mrs. Anderson isn't around." Mrs. Anderson is the Kings captain's wife. I laugh and Kait gives him a look like she's telling him not to scare me off. "We behave. Nola will have a blast." JT looks down at me and ruffles my hair. "Oh, I'm sure she will."

I scrunch my nose and stand on my tip toes to reach the top of his head and ruffle his blonde hair. Only it backfires on me, as his hair is wet from his earlier shower. Miles comes out next. His dark strands are wet and he wears a simple, matching sweat set. He makes a surprised face when he sees me standing at JT's side. I didn't tell him I was coming tonight.

The nerves don't leave my body but his presence makes me comfortable enough to grab his arm and pull him off to the side. He looks around the space we're at and I drop his hand almost quickly. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" he asks making me feel queasy. I thought he'd be more happy.

My mind goes back to my conversation with Allie earlier. "Guess who I ran into earlier?" I blurt out without even thinking. I wasn't going to say anything to Miles about my interaction with Allie but his strange demeanor makes my mouth spew the words out. "Who?" he asks. Before I'm able to say her name, Kaitlyn comes to my side and grabs my arm. "Okay, I'm ready to go! Just had to say bye to Tate."

Tate comes up next to Miles and sighs looking at his smiley girlfriend. "Don't leave her by herself please," Tate tells me, a pleading look on his face. "I won't," I promise. "Where are you two going?" Miles questions his brows furrowed. "Out for drinks with some of the other girls," Kait says. Humor crosses his pretty face. "You know she's not twenty-one, right?"

"I have a fake," I defend, shrugging. "HA!" Kait says to Miles before looking at me. "We should get going, the rest of the girls are already on their way." I don't get the chance to say bye to any of the guys before she pulls me in the direction of the nearest exit. "Be careful with her, Kait!" Miles shouts out as we leave.

That gets a sigh out of Kait. "I really wish the guys had more faith in me. We'll be fine."

***

I don't know how we got to this point.

One minute Kait was doing fine, sipping on her vodka cran. The next she was trying to get on top of the bar and dance. All the pervs at the bar were cheering her on too, getting mad at me and the girls for not letting her have fun. I was scared we would have to take a trip to the hospital if she got up there.

About thirty minutes into our night out, I had gotten a text from a number I didn't recognize. Turns out it was Tate. Miles had passed on my number and he told me to shoot him a text if Kaitlyn got too hard to handle. Even if she had, I didn't text him. I knew her family was in town and I didn't want anyone to worry too much about her.

Plus, I had it all under control now. At least this was my idea of under control.

"We have to go home now, Kait. The bar is closing soon," I lie. It was barely 12:30 but there was no way she was going to go on for another two hours. "Noooo. Let's go to another one!" she suggests. "All bars close at 2, Kait," Nyla, a girlfriend of one of the players named Kyle, adds. Kaitlyn groans as she struggles to stay on two feet. Nyla and I grab her arms so she doesn't stumble.

"I don't want to go home yet, can we have a party? Who's down to host it? Wait, I am! Party at my place people!" she hollers. "No party. Tate needs rest," Julia, a wife, says. Kait frowns. "Okay, we'll meet you at your place to continue the party!" Nyla adds. We all look at her like she's crazy. "Take her home Nola. We'll meet you guys there." Oh. She's lying. "Yay!" Kait exclaims. "Let's go!"

She pulls my hand and I wave bye to the girls. I make sure Kait is buckled in before I walk over to the driver's side. She's an absolute chatterbox on the way back home. There's not one minute when she's not talking. A bunch of what she says goes in one ear and out the other since I'm trying my best to get her home safely.

My phone also keeps vibrating in my back pocket which is kind of distracting me. Once we get to Kaitlyn's, I tell her to wait for me to help her out. "I don't need help, Nola," she insists when I open the door to my car. Still, I grab her hands and help her out. She stumbles as soon as her feet hit the ground and I wrap an arm around her waist to hold her up.

Standing on the doorstep, Kait grabs strands of my hair and runs her fingers through it. "You know you're so pretty." I grab my phone from my back pocket and text Tate that I'm here. He said to text him instead of ringing the doorbell since everyone would be asleep. "Thanks, Kait. You too," I say. "It's no wonder Miles likes you so much," she giggles as the door opens up.

I'm damn near about to drop her when she says that. Holding her weight, I walk with her into the house but Tate grabs her from me quickly. Thank you, he mouths to me. "Hi babe!" Kait says loudly. "Shhhh," Tate tells her, moving blonde tendrils from her face. "Your family is asleep."

Kaitlyn turns to me and I smile lightly, her words still wracking in my brain. "Nola is so pretty, isn't she, Tate? She kind of reminds me of Dani." Tate's face turns a bright red color at her words. "Let's get you to bed, okay?" he tells her. "Miles is a lucky guy." Kaitlyn wags her brows.

"Kaitlyn!"
"Yes?"

Tate gives her a face. "He is," Kait adds. Tate sighs deeply. "Ignore her. She doesn't know what she's saying." I feel my cheeks flush slightly. It makes me wonder if Miles has talked about what's going on between us with them. "Thanks for bringing her home, Nola. Get home safe," Tate adds. I nod, tell Kait bye, and leave.

Her words stay with me and when I get back into my car I notice that the vibrating I felt earlier came from Miles.

Miles Dempsey: Are you good?
How's Kait?
Sorry for being annoying, Tate says you haven't texted him.
Just checking in on you. Text me when you're home.

Nola: just dropped her off, on my way home now.

The three little bubbles come up quickly so I stay in the chat.

Miles Dempsey: Come over.

Those two words get my heart going a thousand miles a minute. It's about to be one in the morning and I'm debating if I should just go home instead. Come up with some lie so I don't have to flat-out say no. But a little part of me really, really wants to be with him.

Okay, a big part of me really wants to be with him. Taking a deep breath, my fingers hover over my keyboard as I think of what to reply.

Just do it, Nola.

Nola: i'll be there soon.