“I’m sorry I’ve been busy, Melanie,” Noah said, sincerely, and Melanie quickly shook her head. She hadn’t said it because she wanted to make him feel guilty or wanted his sympathy. She understood why he was busy, and that hockey was important to him. At the point Noah was at in his career, hockey needed to be his main focus.
“It’s okay,” Melanie said, assuring him because she really meant it.
“It’s not okay,” he argued, shaking his head. He looked disappointed in himself, and Melanie felt bad for making him feel that way. “I’ll try not to be so busy so often, and I promise you I won't be late again. I don't want to be an ass like my father.”
Melanie quirked a brow with interest. She didn’t want to pry about his relationship with his father, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to seem uninterested by not asking either. Sometimes, people wanted to be open, but other times, some people wanted to keep certain things to themselves, even from their lovers. But as Melanie stroked Noah’s jaw, she felt like he wanted to talk.
“Is your father too busy for your family?” Melanie asked. She watched the frown form on his face, and Melanie quickly smoothed out the tension in his face, wanting him to relax. Clearly, his father was a sensitive topic.
“My father was never too busy for me,” Noah said, shaking his head. “But that’s because he was busy spending his time molding me since the moment I was born. My mother said he took me to an ice-skating rink after I was born, and she was so angry because she feared me getting sick.”
Melanie giggled at the thought. “Is that some type of voodoo to turn your son into a great hockey player?”
“He thought so,” Noah said with a snort as he flipped on his back, looking at the ceiling. “My parent’s relationship isn’t terrible. I’ve seen much worse with my friends. But I know that most of their problems were the result of me. My mother has always wanted different for me because she never liked being in the spotlight. On the other hand, my father was born to be a star. You think I’m arrogant, but he's worst.”
“Does your mother resent your father?” she asked, having a feeling that was the case. She didn't take married couples as clients because they weren't interesting to her. All of their issues were usually similar; childhood trauma and looking at your significant other as a healer, unrealistic expectations, and the simplest of all, miscommunication. Their issues weren’t any different from the common conflicts that most people had with each other. It was natural when you had two different people with two different mindsets. But the worst thing about couples, and why Melanie chose not to work with them was because of the redundant cycle. Two people fall in love, but when things go wrong, they neither know how to let go and move on or let go of their problems so their relationship can continue. Melanie would bet that Noah's parents weren't any different.
“My mother loves my father a lot. She just doesn’t like that he can be selfish. All he thinks about is himself and hockey, and then, his family. Even with me as his pet project, my feelings still come second to his desires for my hockey career.”
“Is that why you want to prove yourself?” Melanie asked. “Is it to the world or him?”
“Both,” he said. “In the beginning, I didn't take hockey seriously. It was just a hobby for me. I was good at it, and it got me the attention of all the girls.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “Of course, that’s the reason.”
Noah chuckled. “That was my reason at first, but then the incident happened, and my father got caught trying to bribe me on teams. The world went crazy, and I felt stupid. I was so fucking hurt. It was like he had never believed in me at all. Then everyone started to doubt me. No one believed that I had gotten as far as I did because of my own skill. I was so angry at him for that. I still am.”
“Did you tell him that?” Melanie asked, knowing that for most people, it was important for them to get things off their chest to be at peace, and it was clear from the irritation in his tone, that what his father had done still bothered him.
“Like my father would listen,” Noah said sarcastically. “He was too worried about how the public viewed him to worry about my opinion. I realized then that I didn't want him to have anything to do with my career. I started taking it more seriously, and I did everything on my own from there. He's angry with me because I'm not following the future he planned for me, but I don't care.”
When Noah finished speaking, he sighed deeply. “Sorry, Mel. I'm probably boring you with my family drama.”
Melanie shook her head. “No, you aren’t. You can always talk to me about anything,” she said, and she meant it. To her, this didn’t feel like one of her sessions with her patients. It felt like she was talking to a friend, and she wanted to comfort him. “You know, you’re not the only person with family problems.”
Noah quirked a brow. “You have family problems?”
Melanie sat up, affronted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Noah sat up too, chuckling. “Nothing, it’s just surprising. You seem like you have everything all together.”
“I will admit,” Melanie said, “that my issues aren’t as dire, but I do have them.”
“What are those problems?” Noah asked, giving her a comforting smile. “You can tell me anything too. I’m your man, after all, right?”
Melanie snorted. “You like saying that, huh?”
“Yeah,” he admitted smirking. “I’m proud to say I’m your man. Do you know how hard it was to get you? You’re a pretty hard woman to chase, and even though I have you, I’m still chasing you.”
He tugged her to him, wrapping her in a hug as he placed her in his arms. He kissed her forehead, his hand stroking her thigh. “Tell me about your problems, baby.”
Melanie was melting, and it wasn’t from the flames in the fireplace, but from the fire Noah sparked in her. She felt cared for and adored. Noah always found some way to show her through his actions that the words he spoke to her were true, and not just lies so he could have her sexually. Every time she looked into his eyes, she knew. Every time he touched her, she felt it.
“Just the typical ones,” Melanie said with a shrug. “Not living up to family expectations. You know, I guess that’s what makes us different. You’re trying to avoid expectations, while I tried to exceed them.”
“Is that why you’re a perfectionist?”
“I wouldn’t call myself a perfectionist.” Noah gave her a look, and Melanie burst out in laughter, hitting him.
