Chapter 4-If You Can, So Can I

Donna, Patrick Sr., Jackie, and Jessica stood there staring at their son and brother and me not knowing what to say.

“I told you so,” would be too much of a stab for us, so they went with the next best thing.

“Ally,” Donna said holding her arms out to hug me, “It’s about damn time you got together with Patrick.”

“I’m the youngest one here with no experience in relationships but even I knew you two were in love with each other,” Jackie said smiling.

“So, you guys aren’t mad like Erika,” Pat questioned scratching his head.

“No,” Pat Sr. replied, “Why would we be mad? You two are adults here.”

“Erika is just angry that you guys kept it from her,” Jessica spoke to her brother, “I’m sure she will understand that you didn’t want the ‘I told you so’ line flying around.”

“So neither one of you are mad,” I asked repeating Pat’s question just to make sure they weren’t joking with us

“Nope,” Jackie said smiling.

“At least I know my son is with a girl who truly loves him and is not just with a girl who loves him for being an NHL player and his money,” Donna said.

“Thanks guys, it means a lot,” Pat said putting his arm around me.

“Since it’s still a little bit early, do you guys want to leave and go to another restaurant, somewhere quiet,” I asked.

“Yeah because clearly the guys in the corner are drunk and loud,” Jessica said pointing to Burish, Sharpie, and the boys.

“Ignore them, they’re harmless,” Pat smiled, “They’re my teammates.”

“I feel sorry for you then bro,” Jackie laughed and Pat hugged her.

“I really missed all of you guys,” he said hugging everyone in his family including his dad.

“We’ve missed you too,” Donna said hugging her son.

“I think we need to go find Erica,” Pat Sr. said to his family.

“She’s fine,” Pat reassured his father, “Jon followed her out the door and he’ll make sure she’s safe.”

“You mean Jon as in Jonathan Toews,” Jackie asked.

“Duh,” Pat said sarcastically to his sister, “Who else would it be, Jonny Appleseed?”

“Real funny smart ass,” Jackie said to her brother.

“JACQUELINE WATCH YOUR MOUTH,” Donna warned her youngest daughter.

Jackie just rolled her eyes apologizing, “You do realize Erica has a crush on him,” she asked Pat.

“Oh crap I forgot,” Pat laughed, “Oh well pay back’s a bitch.”

“Hey Erica, wait up,” Jon yelled running up to the blonde who was walking into the Starbuck’s near the hotel.

“I’m sorry who are you,” Erica asked dumbfounded not recognizing who Jon was at first.

“I’m Jon, one of your brother’s teammates,” Jon said sticking out his hand.

“Oh my God, you’re Jonathan Toews,” Erica said smacking her forehead with her hand, “I’m so mad at my brother right now I forgot who you were for a second.”

“It’s okay,” Jon smiled and Erica felt her heart flutter in her chest.

“Which one of the two backstabbers sent you to find me,” she asked.

“Neither of them, I figured you may need someone to talk to so I followed you out of the restaurant,” Jon said honestly, “Were you aware you walked ten blocks?”

“Actually I didn’t,” Erica laughed, “You ran that whole way?”

“Almost got hit by a car twice,” Jon smiled, “But I caught up to you, didn’t I?”

Erica smiled and just shook her head, “You’re an idiot just like my brother.”

Jon laughed and pulled his ringing phone out of his pocket, “Hello,” he answered signaling for Erica to hold on while he took the call outside.

Erica watched him from inside the coffee shop. She ordered her drink and sat down at a table by the window watching him talk. He turned and smiled and mouthed, “Patrick.”

She rolled her eyes and took a drink of her white chocolate mocha frappucino. Erica pulled her phone out to text her sisters where she was so that her parents didn’t worry.

“I’m sorry about that he wanted to make sure I found you and that you were okay,” Jon said walking over to her, “Hold on one more minute I’m going to go get some tea.”

Erica laughed at how cute he was. Tea of all things for a hockey player, she always thought hockey players were supposed to be tough but she knew her brother was a softie and from the looks of it Jon was too. Maybe that’s why he and Patrick got along so well and quickly became best friends.

Jon walked back over to the table with a venti hot tea in his hand and sat down.

“What else did my brother say,” Erica asked.

“He wanted to know if we wanted to meet up with the rest of your family for dinner later at another restaurant other than the one we were at,” Jon said.

“Oh,” Erica smiled, “I guess we should go, I mean I need to face them eventually.”

Jon just smiled and took a swig of his drink, “How does Patrick know Ally anyways?”

“She’s been my best friend since kindergarten,” Erica said, “I knew Pat had a crush on her and I knew she had a crush on Pat, so I can’t really see why I am mad. I think it’s just the whole fact that they lied to me and said they weren’t together when they were.”

“They haven’t been together that long from what he has told me,” John replied sticking up for his best friend, “I guess he told her how he felt the day he left to come here and they have been talking on the phone every night. They haven’t had any time alone since she has got here because he’s been at practice leaving her with the other Ally who is Brent Seabrook’s girlfriend.

“Oh,” Erica frowned suddenly feeling bad for snapping the way she did.

“Your brother really loves her,” Jon said, “I can see it in his eyes that he really cares about her. I haven’t felt that way with anyone since I was sixteen but my relationship didn’t work out since I hardly ever got to see my girlfriend since I was in tournaments and everything. It’s hard being in a relationship when you’re a professional athlete, but I have to give major props to your brother for trying.”

“You’re right,” Erica smiled, “I feel so bad for yelling at them the way that I did.”

“Well I guess we should get going then,” Jon said standing up, “Oh and by the way please take my number in case you ever need someone other than your brother and sisters to talk to.”

“Okay,” Erica smiled punching the number in her phone then sending Jon a text so he had hers.

Patrick, myself, and his family sat at the restaurant waiting for Jon and Erica to arrive.

“Are you sure Jon said he would talk her into coming,” Pat Sr. asked.

“Yes dad,” Pat answered his father, “He said he’d sit her down and talk to her.”

“Here they are now,” Donna said as Jon walked through the door with Erica.

“They look so cute together,” Jessica said to her family.

“Just leave it go Jess,” Pat warned his sister, “Not tonight.”

“Fine,” Jessica whined, “But we will work on getting them together sometime soon.”

“Okay but just not tonight,” Pat said again smiling at his sister.

“Sorry we kept you guys waiting we were talking and time slipped away from us,” Jon said pulling the chair out from the table motioning for Erica to sit.

“…and they thought chivalry was dead,” Jessica whispered to her mother and Pat kicked her under the table sending her look that gave her a warning not to start causing Jess and I to laugh.

“Pat, Ally,” Erica began, “I owe you both an apology, after talking to Jonathan I see why you two kept it from me. You’ve only been together for three days since you’ve talked on the phone a lot and I overreacted.”

I smiled giving her a hug, “We didn’t want you to be mad at us, we just wanted you to be happy for us. You have to understand why we didn’t tell anyone. We didn’t want the ‘I told you so’ line flying around.”

“I’m sorry Erica,” Patrick said standing up and going over to his sister, “I love you and I hate it when you’re mad at me.”

“I love you too Patty cake and I don’t like being mad at you,” Erica replied giving him a kiss on the cheek and a hug.

“I miss you,” Pat told her honestly and she smiled.

“I miss you too,” Erica said smiling, “However I don’t miss you chasing all of the guys away.”

Jon laughed and Pat smiled knowing that Erica liked him. Jon’s the only one Patrick would ever approve of for his sister since he knew him well enough to know that he would never hurt a woman no matter how hard he tried and wouldn’t just use her for sex.

Dinner went well for us and afterwards we all headed back to the hotel. It turns out that the Kane’s were in the same hotel that we were staying in.

“Good night,” everyone told each other as we all went to our different floors.

“Jon go ahead up,” Patrick said to his friend, “We’ll be up in a minute.”

“Alright, I’ll leave the door unlocked,” he said before turning to Erica, “It was nice talking to you.”

“You too,” she smiled, “Thanks for everything.”

“No problem and just remember if you need me, I’m just a phone call or text way,” he replied as the elevator doors shut.

“So, you and Jon huh,” Pat asked his sister.

“There is nothing go on between us,” she defended.

“So, why do you have his number then,” I asked.

“He told me that if I ever needed anything to call him,” Erica said, “We aren’t going to be dating each other.”

“I already know you have a crush on him,” Pat smiled cheekily at his sister.

“Ally, I’m going to kill you,” she threatened.

“You won’t,” I replied and she smiled.

“Well, I guess we’re even,” Erica said to Pat.

“What?”

“I guess if you can date my best friend then so can I,” she smirked.

“What are you talking about,” Pat asked.

“If you can date Ally who is my best friend then I am going to ask Jon out.”

Oh Lord, can tonight get anymore weirder? First, Verbeauty sings Fergie without a monitor, Sharpie is pulling the pedophile card thinking Erica, Jess, and Jackie are hot, and my best friend is not dating my boyfriend’s best friend. There is one thing that I am certain of dating Patrick, my life has officially become a circus.