The Hockey Star and the Ice Princess (Complete)

Ch. 42 - Learning to Carry On

***** Two Days Later *****

Rachel sat at the bar, shooting back her fifth shot of whiskey and feeling the old familiar burn that she hadn't felt in a long time. She wiped her tears and looked up at Lou, the owner of the bar and said sadly, "Why Lou? Why do these things always happen to me? Am I cursed?" she sobbed. 

Lou gave her a sympathetic look and then she turned to her side and saw Cain sitting down beside her. 

She hung her head and asked, "How did you know I was here?" 

"Lou called me. He was worried about you," Cain said, lifting her chin up and looking into her eyes. "This isn't the answer Rachel. Getting drunk isn't going to do anything but make you feel worse."

"Well then what will make me feel better?" she asked, with tears filling her eyes. 

"Not this," he said softly, scooting the shotglass away and taking her hand. "I'm taking you home."  

When they got out to the truck he helped her into the passenger seat and she passed out before they even got to his house. 

***** The Next Morning *****

Cain came in the bedroom and pulled back the curtains and the light reflecting off the bright white snow outside blinded Rachel and she shielded her eyes. She groaned and pulled the blanket up over her head. Cain sat down on the bed next to her and pulled the blanket back. 

"I made you breakfast," he said, lifting up a tray and sitting it across her. 

She took a deep breath and let it out as she sat up. The tray had some oatmeal with fresh fruit and yogurt and one of his healthy smoothies. 

"Thank you babe. That's really sweet of you," she said in a hoarse voice, leaning over and kissing his cheek. 

"You're welcome. Now eat and then you're getting up and taking a shower with me. You were in this room for two days straight without moving, besides your trip to the bar last night to get drunk. It's time to get up and pull yourself together and start training again."

She sat there, staring at the oatmeal, pushing her spoon around inside of it in a daze. "I don't know if I can," she said softly. "I don't feel motivated to skate at all right now. I just want to dig a hole and crawl inside and bury myself." 

She slowly took a bite of her oatmeal and looked out the window at the beautiful lake with the bright white snow and forest surrounding it. It seemed like so long since she had been in the outside world during daylight even though it had only been two days. 

"Hey," Cain said, putting his hand under her chin and turning her head to face him. She looked into his grey eyes and his ridiculously handsome face. 

"What?" she asked quietly, letting out a sigh. 

He studied her face for a second and asked, "What do you think Coach Sumners would say to you if he was here right now?"

She took a deep breath in and let it out before picturing Coach standing behind Cain by the window wearing his polo shirt, track pants and his favorite worn Minnesota Wild baseball cap  with the shiny whistle around his neck. 

She could hear his loud, deep voice saying, "Get your butt out of bed right this minute and stop feeling sorry for yourself young lady. There's no time to waste. You've got an Olympic gold medal to win and we've worked way too hard for you to give up now!" 

She sighed, hanging her head and looking down at her hands.

"He'd be telling me to get up and get to work and quit feeling sorry for myself," she said quietly, slowly lifting her eyes to look into Cain's. "That's easier said than done though. I'm too depressed to skate."