Kaleb

The next morning, I wake before the sun rises. My back aches from sleeping on the couch and there's a slight kink in my neck. To say my arrival in Vancouver has been shitty would be an understatement. Spending time with Shea, Brenna, and Ella last night was a lot of fun. But everything turned to shit as soon as I knocked on Ella's door.

I splash cold water against my face, expelling a deep sigh. There are dark-purple half-moons beneath my eyes. My hair is a disaster; sticking up in every direction. No matter how many times I try to smooth it out, it springs right back up. Pushing away from the mirror, I stare at my reflection, my posture deflated.

Yeah, I look like shit.

Québec is three hours ahead of Vancouver, so the time change is messing with my head and sleeping schedule. While it's five A.M. here, it's eight A.M. in Québec. All together, I think I had four hours of sleep last night. Not the best way to kick off my first day in Vancouver. Especially when I have a pre-season meeting with the team. We'll be discussing our home practice schedule, line-ups for games, and roommates.

The last thing I expected was watching Ella's relationship crumble.

I grab my toothbrush, forcing my hands to do something. If I can't distract myself, I'll storm over to Ella's apartment, break the door down, and beat the shit out of Ryland. Ella gave him too many second chances, but's not her fault. Gaslighters and assholes are consistent with their manipulative behaviour. He did his job well.

Which fucking infuriates me.

Shoving my toothbrush into my mouth, I brush my teeth. The motions are aggressive, but they feel good against my gums. As I'm brushing, I fire Melody off a quick text. I need to talk to her about Ella. Gain some advice from a woman's perspective on how I'm supposed to approach this. Although Ella and I have remained friends over the years, we're not as close as we once were. After the falling out with her father, Ryland was there to comfort her. I'm not sure how she'll take to me trying to comfort her. This is far from doubting her strength, too. She's been hurt and I want to approach this right. I don't want to make the pain worse.

The timer on my toothbrush goes off. I spit into the sink and turn the tap on, rinsing the toothbrush and making sure the sink is clean. Just as I'm about to collect the necessities for shaving, my phone goes off. It causes me to jump, but I'm quick to answer, hoping the ringtone didn't wake Ella. My bedroom is just down the hall.

"Hello?" I whisper.

"What the hell happened, Kal?" she asks. "Ryland was cheating on Ella, I know that. But how long? Did you beat the shit out of him? Please tell me you beat the shit out of him. If you didn't, then you can bet your ass I'll do it the moment I arrive in Vancouver."

A smile splits my tired face. "Give me a second."

Mel would so beat the shit out of him.

"Okay."

Tip-toeing down the hallway, I head into the living room. The living room is spacious, with nothing but a TV, a small coffee table, and a few camping chairs. Most of my stuff hasn't arrived yet. At least, the things I want in the apartment. Once the previous homeowners move out of their house, Mel and I will live close to Brenna and Shea. Then we'll unpack everything.

I ease the sliding glass door open, breathing in the musky ocean air as I step outside, shutting it behind me. The air is crisp, and I tighten my sweater around my body.

Then I sigh.

"Last night, Brenna, Shea, and Ella helped me unpack some boxes. We ordered pizza and had some drinks—you know, the usual. Ten minutes after Ella left, I noticed she'd left her sweater behind. Figured I'd return it to her. Which I did. But when Ella opened the door, she was in tears and Ryland, that fucking asshole, was with her best friend. Janae."

A sharp gasp escapes from Mel's mouth, and a string of curses follows. "Those fucking assholes! Oh my god. Is Ella okay? I was upset enough when you said he was cheating. Knowing it's with Janae?" She curses again.

Despite the shitty situation, a smile encompasses my lips. Mel isn't one to swear. So it's a little amusing when she does.

"Don't laugh at me, Kaleb Rose Jones!"

A crease forms between my brows. "No need to use the full name on me, Mel. Just trying to make light of a shitty situation."

My tone is joking. I love my middle name. Roses are my mom's favourite flower, and flowers aren't associated with sexes. They don't justification on why they can be masculine because I don't believe in that shit. You're you, and social constructs are stupid.

But it spurs Mel on.

"Good thing you gave Ella her sweater back. Otherwise she would've gone to Abbey's. Hopped on a bus or walked downtown." She shudders. "Keep her safe, Kal. Let nothing else happen to Ella. She doesn't deserve this."

Every muscle in my face softens, as does my heart. No, Ella doesn't deserve this. No one does. Cheating... it just... I shake my head. It's repulsive. The lowest someone can get. If you have feelings for someone else, you tell the person you're dating. You don't have clandestine meetings and fuck their best friend while acting like you still love them.

"She doesn't," I reply. "And that's why I've called you. Should I try talking to Ella about it? Or wait until she brings it up? And if she does, how do I avoid saying the wrong thing? These are new grounds for me, Mel."

She's silent on the other line. While she's collecting her thoughts, I survey the space below. The streets are still aglow from the city's lights. Aside from the occasional honking or screeching of brakes, the area is quiet. But the city will come alive soon; people will crowd the streets and grab their early morning coffees. Drivers will succumb to road rage and the constant whir of traffic will cause noise pollution beyond belief.

How do I know this?

For starters, Montréal is a city, too. And all cities are the same. Concrete jungles filled with urban lifestyles that don't give a shit about green spaces. Second, I've stayed in the heart of Vancouver multiple times. Good thing Shea pointed me in the right direction. Although North Van is a good twenty minutes away from Rogers Arena, the drive is worth it in exchange for less noise and light pollution.

Melody exhales. "Sadness is a universal emotion. We feel it for different reasons, yet it affects us the same. It's like getting caught in a rainstorm. Before you know it, you're soaking wet with no way to fix it. She's suffering, Kal. There isn't a proper way to approach it. The best you can do is make sure she knows you care. Cook her breakfast. Like you did for me while I was in remission."

I dip my head down, toeing the edge of the balcony. Then I clear my throat. "Your situation is incomparable to Ella's, and vice versa."

"Exactly," Melody replies. On the other end, she snaps her fingers. "While the situations are different, you see the same reactions: tears, a broken heart, anxiety. Sadness breaks you, Kal. It makes you feel despondent and incapable. As if the world is against you."

As per usual, Mel is right.

"Just take care of her, Kal. Call Abbey and Brenna; she won't want to relay the story to them."

I run a hand through my hair. "I don't know, Mel. It's not my story to tell."

"She would appreciate it, but if you're not comfortable, then offer to tell them for her. See what she says. I'm telling you, though, make her breakfast. And coffee. You make the best coffee. Way better than the shit I'm drinking."

To add emphasis, she slurps her coffee.

A small chuckle escapes my lips, but I focus my mind on what she's said. I don't doubt her statement. Mel's correct about Ella wanting someone else to tell the story. It's some very Ella-ish. However, it's not in my nature to do that unless I have permission. This was Ella's personal experience, and I feel as though I won't do her justice by explaining it. I see Mel's point, though. Mentioning what happened with Ryland may be too traumatic for Ella.

All in all, I'll do whatever Ella wants.

Sighing, I say, "I miss you, Mel."

"It's been a day. You can't miss me that much."

From the pocket of my sweatpants, I remove the ring I bought last month. On multiple occasions, I could've proposed. Yet they didn't feel right. I'm waiting for the perfect moment.

The ring doesn't glimmer in the dim light. Instead, it weighs heavy in the palm of my hand. Not in a bad way, though. The weight is from giddiness. From the excitement of spending my life with Melody. Of growing old together and having kids.

"I do," I say. "Miss you that much."

Her tone is soft when she speaks again. "I miss you, too, Kal. Only one month to go. Then I'll be there. We'll move into our house, and I'll see Brenna and Ella and Abbey. Shea. It'll be good. I'll miss my family, but it's not like I'm entering a new city where I have to make friends with strangers."

Huh. I never thought about it that way. About Mel already having friends here. It makes me feel better than I did prior to leaving Montréal.

"You're amazing. You know that, right?" I ask.

Melody's laugh is melodic. "I knew there was a reason you loved me."

I laugh with her, slipping the ring back into my pocket. The reminder of weddings sparks my memory. Brenna and Shea gave me permission to tell Mel.

"Oh," I say. "By the way, Brenna and Shea are expecting."

There's silence on the other line for a fraction of a second.

Then she explodes.

"WHAT?! KALEB. HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN?"

"They told us last night. Brenna's not far along, so don't get too excited. She wants everyone to be optimistic, but not blinded. Especially you. Brenna knows how supportive you were about them getting pregnant. And how badly you want a niece or nephew. Not related by blood, but yeah. Harrison and Smith are having a kid."

"Please," she drawls. "Continue. I love it when you blab."

A crooked grin appears on my lips. "I'm excited, too. Do you know how exciting it was? I've been wanting them together since high school. Knowing they're having a kid? It's surreal. Almost want to cry for them." I pause, throwing in a bit of my humour. "Smith can't say he did any work, though. Getting Brenna pregnant. His dick still isn't functioning properly."

"Kaleb!" Mel laughs. "Where is your filter?"

"Hey. I'm running off of four hours of sleep and no coffee. Plus, I'm just teasing Smith. What he did was honourable."

"Yet you still haven't done it," Melody teases.

"That's a lie, and you know it."

Her laughter trickles off. She knows she's lying. As soon as Shea mentioned the no-condom and no side effects for women factors, I was sold. A month after Shea got his vasectomy, I scheduled an appointment and got the procedure as soon as the season ended. Months later, I learned what Shea meant about having sex without a condom.

Pure. Fucking. Bliss.

"It is," Mel admits. She expels a deep breath, her mind wandering back to Ella. "Will Ella be okay?"

I rest my elbows against the railing. "She will be. Ella's strong. Not sure what the living conditions will be like, though. But I'm not doubting her. She'll figure something out, and we'll all be there to support her. I hope she kicks that asshole out of their apartment."

Melody is silent for several seconds.

"What if Ella stayed with you until I arrived? That way, she could take over the apartment after. It'll give her time to get back on her feet. Having her return to Ryland... I don't know. Something doesn't feel right. It may make her relive the pain. It's best she has nothing to do with him."

Rubbing my jaw, I nod. Melody is always looking out for people. Sometimes, I fear her heart is too big. "I'll talk to her. See how she feels. Then we'll go from there."

"Take care of her, Kaleb. And I would suggest making pancakes. You're fantastic at making pancakes. Especially when you make the maple-whipped butter with them."

I snort. "Tucker taught me how to make those."

"Yet you still make them every Sunday."

Below me, a car drives by. Another one is close behind. Two people are walking down the sidewalk. Coffees from Starbucks are in their hands. A throb echoes through the back of my skull, signalling an oncoming headache. Which will persist until I've had my morning coffee.

It's funny. I used to hate coffee. Now it's a staple, like peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Just like needing coffee in the morning, I have to eat a peanut butter and jam sandwich prior to a game.

"Make them and some coffee," she continues. "Then call me later. Also, tell Ella she can call me any time she wants."

"I will," I murmur. My gaze flicks up to the sky.

The sky is a lighter indigo. Clouds are forming above the city, promising more rain. Which is suitable for today. I miss Melody. Ella just had her heart broken. Shea and I have to deal with Mikael, the biggest playboy in the NHL, and his cocky attitude.

Something tells me the streak of shitty days is just beginning. 

But if there's one thing I know won't be shitty, it's my coffee.