A New Beginning [An Eric Godard One shot]

“Eric, Eric,” her voice called across the room to the man who sat on the bed in just his boxers.
“Huh?” he was pulled back into reality.
“That’s it; you never pay attention to me. WE’RE DONE!” She screamed the last part causing him to flinch.
Cat, Cathryne, was Eric’s girlfriend of about a year and this was what always happened. She would go on and on about herself causing Eric to slip into daydreams. Eric had just woken up to get ready for morning skate and apparently Cat had asked him a question concerning what she had to do that day.
After screaming at him she went on, speaking too fast for him to pick up everything that she was saying in his still half-asleep state. It would have been hard for anyone, even if they were wide awake to comprehend all that she was babbling on about.
“I should have listened to my friends when they said that you weren’t good enough for me. You’ve never treated me well enough, always with your friends and going on road trips.”
“Those friends just so happen to be my teammates, and those road trips, they’re so I can get paid so you can have all of that shit you’re throwing in my hockey bag!” He was still confused as to how all of this had happened, and all in a matter of seconds.
When Cat had thrown the last of her things into Eric’s hockey bag she screamed one last thing, “GOOD-BYE!” before leaving the room and Eric.
He sat on the bed; sleep still in his eyes, confused. When he went to take a shower to wake himself up is when it really hit him. “Did that really just happen?” He asked himself.
He loved her, how could everything have gone so wrong? This couldn’t all have been his fault, could it?

Before leaving for morning skate he just sat in his truck, in the driveway, thinking. Some many things were going through his mind, most of which involving Cat. After a few long minutes he forced himself to push those thoughts to the back of his mind and he placed the key in the ignition. Revving the engine of the truck he took a sip of his of his coffee and started off towards the arena.
Normally he was one who liked to drive fast, just like all hockey players, but today he drove abnormally slow. His speedometer matching the speed listed on the white sign on the side of the road. He couldn’t help but drive slow; he needed time to himself, to think.
Arriving at arena he signed for the few fans that were there, though he was in a bad mood he wouldn’t make his fans suffer. Pulling in to his spot he put the truck in park and turned the engine off but sat for a few more minutes, trying to get himself out of this funk, at least for practice.
“Let’s go Brooks,” he said without looking up from his phone and cup of Starbucks coffee that he had stopped for on the way there.
Brooks stood just inside the players’ entrance flirting with a girl that he was too afraid to ask out, Sam. She was sports journalist for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette who had been a Pens fan for her entire life. She didn’t have work today but she still liked to hang out with the arena, and the guys.
“Hey Eric,” she said to her best friend.
Eric, not in much of a talking mood said hello weakly before another one of the guys joined them. “Hey guys, whose pumped?!” Kuni practically yelled.
Eric was upset by the happiness, something that was understandable for what had happened to him less than an hour ago. He mumbled something along the lines of, “Dude it’s morning skate,” to himself.
After discussing how the only way that Kuni could be this excited was that he had gotten some the night before Sam asked, “You need a hug Big Ric?” Eric nodded, what he really needed was a punching bag, but for now he could settle for a hug, especially one from Sam. “I love you sweetheart,” she hugged him tightly and got up on her tip toes to place a kiss on his cheek.
“He better knock down the chipper or the chipper gets chipped,” Eric grumbled again once they had made it to the locker room. He was suiting up quickly today; he needed to hit the ice.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Sam asked handing him his gloves.
“I’m angry,” he said getting up from his stall, grabbing a stick on the way to the ice.
Sam stood there, shocked. “I can see that,” she said to herself. She followed him to the ice, grabbing a hold of his jersey causing him to stop.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked sympathetically as she saw the puffiness around his bloodshot eyes. Eric briefly told her of the happenings of earlier in the morning. With each detail his grip on his stick got tighter, it almost snapped in his hand.
“I’m sorry,” she hugged him tightly. “You are the greatest guy that any girl could ever ask for. Cat didn’t deserve you and you’ll find someone better, someone who loves you for you.” Part of her hoped that he would be able to see that the someone she was referring to was her, but another part of her tried to hide it.
Eric asked a few questions but soon couldn’t take it anymore. His eyes started to well up, tears gathering, and he skated away, trying to hide his emotions from Sam. “Later,” he said in reply to Sam’s request to come back and talk.

Sam was very happy that she didn’t have work that day; she could really take the game in for the first time in a long time. She didn’t have to take her notebook as she would have no article due by the end of the night, something she was glad to admit that she was excited about. As much as she loved being a sports writer she would rather watch the game from a fans’ perspective than a reporters. And this was one night that she was definitely glad that she was wearing the shoes of a normal fan and not a journalist.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Sam said angrily. “Worst officiating I’ve EVER seen! Seriously, Jordan you were high-sticked, you were bleeding, and nothing. Bill you were high-sticked too, I mean you ended up needing stitches. And Geno getting the instigator, that’s complete bullshit. Douche bag Avery started it all! And for you to actually drop the gloves,” she turned to Geno. “Obviously you were pissed, and you had a right to be.”
“Sam, calm down,” Eric said, in full uniform except his jersey and chest protector, so in other words he was shirtless. He wrapped his arms around her from behind. “It’s okay, it’s one game.”
Eric was upset about the officiating as well as the events from that morning, but it hurt him to see Sam this upset. When he took the ice for the game he had brought all of the thoughts of Cat back to the foreground of his mind and went on a rampage, hitting everything that moved on the ice. This had made him feel a bit better and he used this happiness, however small of an amount it was, to help cheer up his best friend.
He tightened his grip around her and breathed in her scent, it was a thousand times better than the smell of the locker room. Being friends the way they were they often hugged so this was nothing out of the ordinary.
Sam felt comfortable in his arms and was calmed, at least the slightest bit by his embrace. “I know, thanks Ric.”
“Let me get showered and I’ll give you a ride home, okay?”
Sam nodded. Eric didn’t want to let go but he did so reluctantly. As much as he enjoyed just being friends with Sam he had feelings for and he had for a while. Although he had been with Cat for a long time, even since he played in Calgary he had a special place in his heart for Sam.
As he went about taking his gear off he tried to remind himself that he had just ended a relationship and that he needed space, at least for a little while. Also that there was no way that Sam would ever like him, at least not as more than a friend.
‘But how great would it be to hold her like that; whenever I wanted, and not have to have a reason.’ He thought as he walked into the showers.

“You okay now Sammy girl?” Eric asked as they pulled out of the players’ lot after he had signed for all of the fans who were waiting.
“Only you Ric,” she smiled.
Eric knew what she was talking about and smiled. She hated when people called her Sammy but for some reason Eric could get away with it. “Yeah, I’m okay now.” She smiled. “The question now becomes, are you okay?”
Eric was glad that he was stopped at a red light because at this question memories of that morning came flooding back. He could clearly see Cat pulling things from her drawers and throwing them in his bag. He took a deep breath in attempt to push those memories away. Along with the memories he choked back a few tears.
“No, you’re not okay,” Sam answered for herself. “Pull over.”
“No, I’m fine.” He tried to be strong, but Sam could see right through him.
He pulled to the shoulder and walked around to the passenger side where Sam was waiting for him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and felt his breath catch, he was crying.
“You really loved her?” Sam asked although she knew the answer. “You deserve better.”
“We should get you home,” Eric said finally pulling away from Sam’s comforting arms.
“And you’re coming with me. You’re in no condition to be by yourself, at least not tonight, okay?”
Eric forced a smile and when to get back into the drivers’ seat. “No, give me your keys Eric; you’re in no condition to drive.”
Eric took the keys from his pocket, reluctantly, and placed them in Sam’s hand. She went around to the drivers’ seat after placing a kiss on his cheek and they were off to Sam’s house.


“I’m gonna get changed,” Sam said when they arrived at her house. “You can make yourself comfortable,” she smiled and turned to go to her room.
Eric sat down on the couch and sighed. It had been a long day for him and all he really wanted was for it all to be a dream. He wanted to wake up the next morning and have it all be different. He knew that this couldn’t happen and that he really shouldn’t even be wishing for this. Cat was only in it for the money really. She treated Eric like dirt and turned around to say that he treated her wrongly. Eric had never done anything to hurt her, he did tend to ignore her a bit, but it was only because all she ever talked about was herself.
“You okay?” Sam asked coming back into the living room with a pile of clothes in her hands. Eric nodded. Sam knew that right now he was the furthest thing from okay, but he was fighting for himself and that was a start.
“I think these are yours,” she handed the clothes to him. “I’m pretty sure you left them here when you stayed after your last--” She stopped herself. “But yeah, you left them here.”
Eric knew why Sam had stopped herself from finishing her statement. This wasn’t the first time that he and Cat had “fought” and the last time Eric sought refuge at Sam’s house. He had left the clothes there after that fight, but this time it wasn’t a fight, they were done.
“Thanks, Sammy.” He got up and headed to the bathroom to change.
He returned to the living room a few moments later and sat down on the couch next to Sam. She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her, bringing her into a hug. “Thank you Sam.”
A week passed and Eric was still really down, but no one blamed him and everyone on the team, including Sam, gave him his space. His anger towards Cat and the hurt she had inflicted upon him was really helping his game though, not that he had needed help on the ice. Other teams had players practically crawling to their benches after big hits along the boards, the Pens’ fans all cheering.
The Pens six game home stand was drawing to an end which meant that they had to go on the road to play Montreal, it was their last game of the regular season and the standings were tight. It had been a week since Cat broke Eric’s heart and he was slowly beginning to piece his life; outside of hockey that is, back together.
The boys were piling onto the bus that was taking them to the airport and their favorite addition was there, their favorite reporter; Sam. She boarded the bus and found the seat that had been saved for her; it was in the middle and on the aisle. Her best friend had his bag their so that no one else could sit there, not that anyone else would, knowing who the seat was saved for. When he saw her face lit up with a bright smile he tried to force himself to smile, but it was something that he was still having trouble with, truly being happy.
He had smiled the night before when he recorded an assist to help his team defeat the New York Islanders on fan appreciation night and also when he gave his jersey away after the game. He wasn’t letting the rut that he was in affect his interaction with his fans, they were the most important part of the game and he knew that.
“Hey Sammy girl,” he said moving his bag.
“Hey Ric,” she sat down and rested her head on his shoulder. “Sorry,” she said quickly lifting it again. “Long day at work.”
It was only two pm, it couldn’t have been that long, or at least Eric thought.
“It’s fine sweetheart, when we get on the plane you can sleep.”
They talked for the bus ride to the airport and continued talking until take off. At that point Sam rested her head back on Eric’s shoulder.
“If you actually wanna get some sleep lift your head up,” Eric said softly, he knew that she really was tired. She lifted her head and looked at him questioningly.
He wrapped his arm around her, in a friendly way and pulled her a bit closer. “Now put your head down.” She did as he said, nestling her head into his chest and she was soon asleep. She was so beautiful sleeping in his arms; though her hat covered most of her face Eric could still see her lips, how he longed to kiss them.
‘Pull yourself together Ric,’ he thought. Then he remembered that this was how his flights with Cat were spent, she would sleep in his arms until just before the plane landed. ‘Now you really have to pull yourself together Eric, come one, she’s gone, MOVE ON!’
After arriving in Montreal the team dropped their things at the hotel and had the rest of the day to themselves. While getting off the bus and grabbing their things Sam and Eric were separated and decided to find their rooms on their own and they would meet in the lobby at a quarter to seven, fifteen minutes later. They both went to their room and tossed their bags on their beds. For some reason on this trip Eric ended up having no roommate. He knew this before arriving in his room and would have asked Sam to stay with him, after all there were two beds, but he knew that the Post-Gazette was paying for Sam’s room and that it would be awkward to ask her to stay with him, even if she would be sleeping in another bed.
Both wanting to make it to the lobby on time they left their rooms and turned only to find each other. “Hey Ric,” Sam smiled. “Whoever made room assignments may have made a huge mistake.”
“They may have,” again he tried to smile. “Let’s get out of this hotel for a while.”
They made their way outside and eventually found their way to an overlook. The sun was setting and the lights from the city made for an amazing view. Sam had her elbows up on the railing, her chin resting on her arms, and a smile on her face. “This city is so beautiful.”
“It really is,” Eric said, forcing himself not to put his arm around his best friend. Scanning the skyline Eric let his mind wander, and just as they had earlier in the day, his thought found their way to Cat. The year before the Flames had had a road trip to Montreal on which Eric had brought Cat. They had been dating for a few months, six to be exact and that’s why Eric had brought her along.
They had come to this exact spot on the night before his game and he gave her a beautiful diamond necklace, something that he was sure that she took when she left. He had told her that he loved her and placed the necklace around her neck. Their lips then came together, and that’s where Eric stopped the memory.
“You okay?” Sam asked. She obviously knew that something was wrong. “Something about Cat?” She knew by the look of pain in his eyes.
“Yeah, it’s getting better though.” He tried to smile. “It’s only the second time today.”
“Good sweetheart,” she wrapped her arms around him. “And you’re allowed to still be hurting, it was only a week ago, and you were together for a long time.” As she said this Eric’s grip around her tightened and she knew that he had struck a nerve with what she had said.
“We should head back; you have skate in the morning.”

The walk back to the hotel took about ten minutes, a bit longer than was to be expected. Eric was walking slower than normal, dragging his feet. The last memory of Cat had really hurt him. Sam grabbed his hand, an attempt to comfort him, squeezing it to assure him that she was there for him. He had gotten better at hiding his emotions around the team lately, but for some reason he felt that he didn’t have to mask his feelings around Sam. He hadn’t cried today and only once yesterday, a step toward recovery.
“Can you come in for a bit?” Eric asked when they arrived at his room, he still hadn’t let go of Sam’s hand.
“Let me get changed and I’ll be back over, okay?”
Eric nodded and just as every other time he let go of this girl, he reluctantly let go of her hand.
A few minutes later she was back at his door and he wrapped his arm around her. “Thanks again, Sammy.”
“Anything for you Ric,” It was true; she would do anything for him. Still wrapped in his arms she crawled onto the bed and hugged him tightly. “I hate seeing you like this.”
“I hate being like this, but I can’t help it.”
“I know sweetheart,” she tightened her grip and rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
She loved being there for Eric, helping him out, but she wished that there could maybe be something more between them. When Eric had come to Pittsburgh at the beginning of the season it was Sam’s job to interview him, get to know him so that the fans could do the same. Get his thoughts on the team’s chances, not her favorite question, as well as what he thought of the city and they guys that he would now be playing beside. Since that first interview there was a connection between the two of them, they were closer than Sam was to anyone on the team, even the guys that she had known for years.
Eric moved so that he was leaning back against the headboard, leaving Sam in the middle of the bed. “What are you doing over there? It’s movie time, come here.”
He pulled Sam back to him and again wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back, nestling her head against his bare chest, and waited until they found a decent movie on TV.
“I’ll stay until the end of the movie and then I really should get back to my room, okay?”
“Mhm,” he rested his head on her shoulder before whispering, “I love you, best friend.”
“I love you too Big Ric,” she smiled and went to watching the movie.
‘If only he know how much I really did love him,’ she thought, as her mind moved from the movie to the man who was holding her. She felt safe in his arms, she didn’t want to ever leave them, and if she didn’t that would be completely fine with her.
Eric was thinking along the same lines, he was comfortable holding her, he never wanted to let go of her. “The movie’s over Sammy, Sammy?”
Sam was sleeping soundly in his arms; this caused his lips to form a slight smile. He turned the TV off and gently laid her on the other side of the bed. “Goodnight Sam, I really do love you.” He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. He crawled out of bed and went to the bed on the other side of the room.
He lay down, thinking of how much he would have loved to have held her all night. But he was a gentleman and did the right thing. Pulling the pillow from the other side of the bed he wrapped his arms around it, he had gotten so used to falling asleep with someone in his arms and a pillow was the next best thing. He looked over to Sam one more time, and watched her sleep until he himself fell asleep.

Sam woke the next morning and for a moment was confused about where she was. Then all of the sudden it hit her, she had fallen asleep in Eric’s arms. ‘Shit,’ she thought to herself. ‘I wonder what Eric thought about this whole thing?’ She turned to the other bed so see him sleeping peacefully, apparently he was okay with it, or he would have woken her up the night before and made her go to her own room.
She glanced at the clock on the table between the two beds, seven-thirty. The boys were instructed to be in the lobby by nine so she figured that she could let him sleep a little longer. She lay her head back on the pillow and did just as Eric had done the night before, she lie there and watched him sleep. Although unlike he had done the night before, Sam didn’t fall asleep. The sun was so bright that it came through the curtains, warming Sam’s back and casting a glow on Eric’s face, making him somehow even more adorable as he slept.
“Hey sweetheart, time to get up.”
“Huh?” he was still half asleep until he realized who was waking him up. “Oh, Sam.” He practically shot up in bed, making sure that they had slept in separate beds.
“Calm down Ric, anyone should be freaking out that we’re in the same room it’s me.”
“I’m sorry Sam, you were asleep and I didn’t want to wake you. So I did the next best thing, I slept over here.”He slowed down when he realized that she was smiling.
“It’s fine Eric, it would have been okay if you slept over here with me.” She hoped that she wasn’t giving herself away too much.
“Oh, I’ll remember that next time,” normally he would have chuckled here, but he was still quite down in the dumps so nothing about his facial expression changed. “That is if there is a next time.”

The Pens won the game in Montreal and three days later started the first round against their rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Game one and two were to be played at Mellon Arena as the Pens miraculous got home ice advantage. Game one was won by a score of four to one. Eric was scratched making room for Craig Adams in the line-up. He didn’t seem to be too affected by it, after all he had been in the line-up most nights since Craig arrived at the trade deadline and he deserved his chance to play.
Thursday morning the team had practice for which Sam was present, as always. She was working that day and spent practice taking notes while the boys ran drills and plays to prepare for the next day’s game. Eric would be giving her a ride downtown so that she didn’t have to walk about to work, but he would also be taking her out to lunch, something that the two of them did regularly when the team practiced and she worked.
“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” Brooks asked catching Sam after practice as she made her way to the lot to wait for Eric.
“Yeah sure, what’s up?”
Brooks took a deep breath, “So uh, I uh.”
“Sweetheart, what are you trying to say?” Sam smiled.
“I’m pretty sure that I’m in love with you.”
Sam smiled; she was flattered by this but took a deep breath, preparing for what she had to tell Brooks. “Aw Brooks, I’m sorry. You’re handsome, and sweet, and caring, and I love you, just not like that.”
“Oh,” he said, obviously crushed. He had finally worked up the courage to tell this girl that he loved her only to be turned down.
“I’m so sorry Brooks; I hope that everything can still be okay between us.”
“Of course, is there uh…someone else?”
“I actually think that there is, I think I’m in love Brooks.” Sam looked down the hall to just outside the locker room and there stood Eric talking to Jordan.
“Big Ric?”
“Mhm, I’m sorry Brooks.” She wrapped his arms around her.
“Don’t worry about it, you can’t help who you fall for,” he forced a smile. “Ric’s lucky to have a girl like you, even if you are just friends right now, that may change.”

“Hey Brooks,” Eric said as he passed him in the hall on his way to meet up with Sam.
“Hey,” Brooks said just above a mumble.
Normally Eric would ask what was wrong but he could tell that Brooks wasn’t in a talking mood. “What’s with him?” he asked when he had finally made it to Sam.
“Long or short version?” Sam asked, attempting to smile. She felt bad for hurting Brooks the way that she did, but all she did was tell the truth.
“Which ever.” He really didn’t care; he liked hearing Sam’s voice so he would listen to whatever she had to say. After all they had time to kill, there was no set time for Sam to be back at work so she would go back whenever she was done spending so quality time with her best friend, the man who just so happened to be her love interest.
“Short version,” she said, smiling as they walked out of the player’s entrance and into the unusually hot weather for a Pittsburgh, April day.
“Okay, before you start,” Eric said. “Do you mind walking to lunch, it’s so nice out.”
“I would love to go for a walk, by the way good practice today.”
“Thanks kid,” he said putting his arm around her. When she didn’t do anything to remove herself from his grasp he tightened it, now a one armed hug. “Love you.”
“You too Ric, so about Brooks.” She could tell that she was about to tell Eric that she really did love him and needed to change the subject to keep herself from doing so.
“Yeah,” he said loosening his grip a bit, somehow sensing that she was uncomfortable for some reason. He was almost positive that it wasn’t because his arm was around her. If it was because of him she would have told him, wouldn’t she?
“So he caught up with me and confessed his love for me.” She still felt bad for the poor guy, he had probably sat in front of the mirror rehearsing what he was going to say to her.
“And?” Eric asked anxiously.
“I told him that I loved him, just not like that.”
“Damn kid, he looked like someone tore his heart out, threw it on the floor and stomped on it.” Eric, of all people knew how this felt, it was still less than two weeks ago that Cat had done the exact same thing to him.
“I know and I feel bad,” she nestled her head into his chest.
‘Definitely not me that she’s uncomfortable with.’ He thought.
At this point they were arriving at Qdoba; he removed his arm from around her not wanting anyone to make false assumptions. He opened the door for her and followed her in, trailing behind in line a bit as his eyes trailed up and down her body.
“Everything okay, Ric?”
“Huh, yeah everything’s fine,” he shook his head and caught up with her.

A good while passed and as time went by Eric seemed to be getting over Cat. The hurt was disappearing, even if it was only the tiniest bit each and every day. The Pens were in Philadelphia to take on the Flyers in game six. The Pens had the lead in the series three games to two but the Flyers had taken the last game in Pittsburgh, shutting the Guins out.
The Wachovia Center was packed, Sam sitting in the press box and Eric in another box just down the hall with the rest of the players that the Penguins’ had scratched that afternoon. The Guins took the ice for the three pm face-off and the Flyers still had the momentum from two days earlier. They scored two goals in the first and the Pens looked as though things were going to end the way that they had back at Mellon Arena. Four minutes into the second period the Flyers stuck again and just like that the Pens were down three nothing.
The Pens needed this win, they needed to take the series by embarrassing their cross state rivals and move on to the semi-finals. Max Talbot stepped in when he needed to just after the Flyers’ third goal was scored. Squaring off with Daniel Carcillo seemed like the right thing to do, causing the home crowd to cheer for their man. On his way to the box Max shushed the crowd and the rest of the Penguins’ team soon did the same.
Ruslan Fedotenko notched a goal with a stab at Marty Biron’s pads fourteen seconds after the two combatants had been send to the box. Mark Eaton, Sidney Crosby, and Sergei Gonchar also scored goals to take the lead and Crosby tapped a wrap-around into an empty net to top the game off.
As was expected the Flyers and their fans were upset, the season was over and they had every right to be. The Penguins though, and their fans back in Pittsburgh were ecstatic; beating their rival was something that all Pittsburghers cherished no matter what sport it was in.
“Eric, you guys did it,” Sam said excited when she made her way to the locker room after cheering loudly in the press box. She wasn’t allowed to show how much she loved these boys in her writing, but when she was at the game she display her feelings after goals and wins.
“I know,” he said, smiling. He was smiling, a real smile for the first time in weeks.
“I’ll talk to you in a little bit, okay?” She said looking down at her phone. The guys would be showering soon and she needed to get some information for her article that was due that night. “I’ve gotta catch the end of a least two interviews.”
“It’s fine, I’ll wait for you here.”
Sam smiled and she entered the locker room where the rest of the team, just as Eric displayed wide smiles on their still sweaty faces.
Back in the hall Eric waited anxiously, trying to decided if he was going to go through with it.

“Hey Ric, sorry about that,” Sam said finding him where she had left him.
“It’s fine it’s your job,” he said pulling her into a hug. “Can I ask you something?”
“Technically you just did,” she smiled and sat down on the floor leaning against the wall. “But yeah, anything.” She looked up at him and waited for what he had to say, he sat down as well.
The look in his eyes had changed, only the slightest bit but Sam could tell. “Everything okay, sweetheart?”
“Mhm, Sam--”
“Yes Eric?”
“Okay,” he took a deep breath and looked straight into her eyes. “Samantha, I love you. I may be way out of line saying this, but it’s true I love you.”
“Eric, I love you too,” she smiled.
Eric ran his hand along Sam’s cheek and brought her face just inches from his. He began to lean in to kiss her but stopped himself to say, “This is where the sappy music would start.” He smiled.
Sam laughed and Eric ran his hand along her cheek again, finally kissing her. It was a short, sweet kiss and both Eric and Sam pulled away smiling.
“So Sam, will you be my girlfriend?” Eric asked shyly.
“I would love to,” she smiled and kissed his lips gently.
Soon they made their way to the bus. There were only a few people on the bus when they reached the top of the steps and most of them were trainers, so no one noticed that they were holding hands. Once they made it to their seat, Eric in the window seat and Sam on the aisle, Sam rested her head on Eric’s shoulder and smiled. “I love you Eric.”
“And I love you Sam,” he was about to kiss her but heard voices, the guys, and stopped.
“Hey guys,” Cookie said.
The rest of the guys said hello as well until it came to Kuni. He stepped onto the bus looking down at his phone, obviously reading text. “Alright you two, there’s something going on.”
He hadn’t even been on the bus a minute yet and already he was questioning them? One of the guys if not more had obviously texted him and told him that he was the one who had to ask.
“What is it?” He asked smiling.
Sam and Eric looked to each other, smiles on their faces and Sam nodded signaling that Eric would be the one to talk. “Sam and I are together.”
“See I told you Sam,” Brooks said from two rows behind her.
“Yes you did Brooks,” she smiled and sat back down and turning to Eric. Eric pressed his lips to hers, not caring at all that the entire team was watching. Smiles remained on their faces as the kiss continued, a new beginning for both of them.