Left With Liam

Chapter 2

Mel

I never imagined I'd be back here, back in the place that took so much from me. I thought I could be happy again with my friends and family in Florida, but I was a fool to think things would be that easy.

Losing Justin left me with a massive hole in my chest. It was like my entire heart was ripped out and thrown in a gutter. I ran after that. I ran away from the city and my friends- away from all the things that held memories of Justin. It was too hard to heal with constant reminders of what I'd lost surrounding me.

My whole future was crushed in an instant when that drunk driver struck Justin's car, taking away the person I expected to spend the rest of my days with. Since that day, I've felt this longing for a life I'll never have. Justin and I had big plans for our future, for our lives together.

We were going to get married one day and have a big family. We talked about it often- how we'd spend the first few years of marriage just the two of us, then we'd start trying to get pregnant. Together, we mapped out a plan for our lives, and it was beautiful. I'd never been so happy.

Even now, it's hard to think of those times without feeling sad. I miss him so much, but it's time to plan a new future. He wouldn't want me to wallow forever- that would break his heart.

So, one day, I planned a visit to New York. I wanted to see if I could go back there and see my friends and Justin's old teammates without having a mental breakdown. To my great surprise, I was able to.

When I came back to visit, I found myself smiling again. I was able to remember the good times and not cling to the bad. I feared that my heart was still too wary of returning to this place. The second I stepped foot on the sidewalk, I thought I'd have flashbacks to the worst days of my life, but I was wrong.

Being in the city again, I felt lighter. It was like the dark shadows that loomed over my heart had lifted. At first, it scared me. I thought I was losing my mind, but when the lightness stayed, and my smile grew, I knew I didn't have to be afraid anymore. I knew I could come home.

With a bit of help and some prodding from Justin's sister- and my best friend- Taylor, I made the decision to move back to the city. It was scary and exciting all at the same time. Initially, I planned on moving in with my sister until I found a place of my own, but Taylor had another idea.

She insisted I move in with her and Liam since Chase and his fiancée, Lindsey, moved into their own place. I was hesitant at first, but Tay wore me down and convinced me that it was the best idea in the world. So, I agreed. And a week later, I moved into the room that used to belong to Justin.

Tay offered to keep Justin's room and give me the space once occupied by Chase and Lindsey, but I declined. Tay's boyfriend, T.J., was moving in as well, and they could use the larger room more than me. So, Justin's room became my room, and it reminded me of all the good times we had together. Staying there, I felt close to him again, and it made me realize just how much I missed this place.

Being back, seeing the people that meant the most to Justin made me realize that I was wrong for running away. Coming back here, I started to feel my broken heart mending- I was beginning to feel whole again.

~

It's been almost a year since I moved back to the city. So much has happened in that time. And I've noticed so many things have changed since I first lived here.

Chase and Lindsey are about to tie the knot. Their wedding is next month, and there's still so much to do. She and I have grown closer since we first met. She, Taylor, and I are like sisters now. We're even closer than I am with my real sister. So close that she's asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. It's such a fantastic feeling to see her and Chase so happy. It warms my heart and reminds me of how happy I was with Justin.

It's getting easier not to think of him in this place and feel sad. Now, it's as though I can honor his memory by facing my fears and starting my new path in this place where we had so many plans together. I think he'd be proud of me for that.

When I first moved in, the hockey season was barely starting. Now that season has come and gone, and the Cobras pulled off their second straight championship win in a row. I was so proud of our boys, and I know Justin was looking down on them, cheering them on from his spot up above.

Last season was a crazy ride. So much was going on, both on and off the ice. T.J. was still recovering from his car accident, and Tay was healing from the trauma of almost losing the love of her life.

It hit way too close to home when Lins and the guys called and told me what happened. I knew what that kind of loss could do to someone, and I wished more than anything that my friend wouldn't have to face the nightmares that I had.

Luckily, she didn't. T.J. made a full recovery and even got to play a few games before the season ended, including the championship game. His goal was the one that ultimately won the Cobras the title. The second that buzzer sounded, alerting everyone in the arena that the game was over and the Cobras won, I thought Taylor was going to storm the ice and celebrate her man's accomplishment right there in front of everyone.

She was so proud. And so was everyone else. After the hell they'd been through because of Tay's crazy ex, Max, it was a much-needed morale boost. It was a welcome reminder that good things do happen to good people.

And on the flip side, sometimes the bad guy gets what he deserves. I never liked Max, and I don't understand how anyone could be so cruel to do what he did- crashing into T.J.'s car purposely to try to harm him, trying to take away the person who made Tay happy out of jealousy. It's disgusting! Now, he's paying the price, serving his sentence where he can no longer be a danger to society.

The guys on the team would be lining up to take that guy out if he somehow got away with what he did. The team is more of a family than anything; if someone hurts one of them, the others rally around and make sure justice is served. It's an amazing family to be a part of.

That family has changed a bit since last season. A few guys got traded, another retired, and there are several new faces on the team. But the ones I've grown to know and love the most are still there- Liam, Chase, and T.J.

Speaking of Liam, he's my new suitemate. Since I moved into Justin's old room, I now share a Jack and Jill bathroom with him. I'm roomies with Tay and T.J. now too, but it somehow feels more intimate with Liam. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but sharing a space like that with someone- an area where you bare yourself completely and make yourself vulnerable- feels different.

He and Justin were like brothers back in college. I remember meeting him and thinking he was sweet. He was quiet, though, and for the longest time, I thought maybe he didn't like me. When I'd come around, he would disappear. I thought he felt I was trying to distract Justin from his goal of going pro- like I was trying to come between him and the team.

I've since learned that isn't the case. I didn't get a detailed answer from Liam when I asked him about it one day. He just said my assumption was wrong and moved on to a different topic. I've spent a lot of time getting to know him better over the past year. Ever since I first came back to the city for a visit, the two of us have grown pretty close.

It always seemed like Liam and I were pushed together when the group would all go out. I don't know why exactly, it just seemed to happen. I didn't mind it. That gave me a chance to talk to him like I hadn't all those years before. I was able to clear up the lingering questions in my head about if and why Liam disliked me. I guess I just had him pegged wrong.

Now that we're suitemates, we've somehow grown to know each other on a new level. Sure, we're friends now, but something in my gut keeps telling me there's more to it than simple friendship. I just haven't figured out what that means yet. Or how I feel about it.