You and Nico first met in Primary school. You were a loner, and he the first kid to approach you during lunch and ask to play. He was your first friend, and the person who always provided an escape when you so desperately needed it.

As Nico grew up with you, he discovered a few things about you. One; you were the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, and over the ongoing years that would never change.

Two; your father was a drunk, and a terrible man. Most of the time, he was never there. But the times he was were never good.

Nico was always there trying to help where you’d let him, but most of the time you just asked him to not get involved. He respected that enough to listen, but he never liked it.

You were there for his first Hockey tryouts, and there when he was accepted. You came to his first games, even when you were punished for it. Your determination to always be there for him was why he fell in love with you.

It was accidental, but not a mistake. Nothing about you was a mistake to him.

But the circumstances seemed to be against the both of you, because when your father found out in senior year, all hell broke loose.

“If I ever see that boy around you or my house ever again, I’m gonna fucking kill him, you hear me!?” he shouted, the small gun he kept in the kitchen cabinet aimed at Nico. There was no doubt he’d follow through.

It was the last time you saw him.

Nico went on to be more successful than you could ever be, and couldn’t have been more proud. Even with the hole in your heart after. he took a piece of it with him.

Until your friend scored a couple tickets to his teams hockey game a few years later and invited you, unaware of your history with the teams captain. You went, not totally sure what to expect. Maybe he wouldn’t recognise you after all this time.

There were two seconds left on the clock. The crowd roared as Nico shot the puck into the net as the timer rung. His eyes seemed to widen as they met yours, and everything went still.