The Girl Next Door Chapter 16

The next day, all of the Hansons started their Christmas shopping. Kate was looking around for something for Sidney, and narrowed down a few things, but didn’t buy anything. She got some presents for her friends and family, and while she was at the mall, Sidney called.
“Hey!” Kate said into her phone in the middle of Gap. “What’s up?”
“Not too much,” he said. “Just finished up the game day skate, we’re headed back to the hotel.”
“You sound kinda tired,” she told him, “everything okay?”
“Nah, I’m fine,” he said. “We just didn’t get in until late, that’s all.”
“Something’s wrong,” Kate told him, sensing the tone in his voice that something was up. She walked out of Gap, and sat down on a bench.
“Well, your brother and I had an interesting little chat last night,” he told her.
“What about?” Kate asked him, even though she had an idea what it had been about.
“Well,” he began, “he essentially told me that he’d kick my ass if I did anything that would hurt you.”
“Oh my God,” Kate said, slumping down in the bench. “I can’t believe he did that!”
“Well, it didn’t really freak me out or anything,” he told her, “but I was kinda surprised by it.”
“I’m gonna kill him,” she said.
At this point, the person next to Kate gave her a really weird look. So Kate got up and started walking around again, so no one would eavesdrop on her conversation.
“No, it’s okay Katie,” he reassured her. “I’ll probably say the same things to Taylor’s boyfriends, but hopefully that won’t be for a really, really long time.”
Kate laughed, and knew that everything was okay.
“Hey, I’ve gotta go Katie,” he said. “We’re back at the hotel, and I’m gonna take a quick nap.”
“Okay,” she said. “Good luck tonight Sid!”
“Thanks,” he told her, “and good luck to you tomorrow! You guys need to stay undefeated!”
“Thanks,” she laughed. “Hopefully that’s the case!”
“I’ll call you after the game,” he told her. “You’ll be up, right?”
“Ya,” she told him with a smile on her face.
“I’ll talk to you then Katie,” he said.
“Bye!” she told him, as she went off to find her brother. She was going to kill him.
*****
“Why did you tell Sid that?” she asked her brother when she found him.
“Tell him what?” he asked, trying to act very innocent.
“That you’d kick his ass if he hurt me!” she told him.
“I just had to make sure he wouldn’t hurt you,” he told her. “It’s my job.”
“And?” she asked him.
“And what?” he asked back.
“What’d he say?” she asked him. She had a sense of urgency in her voice.
“He promised me that he wouldn’t hurt you,” he told her, smiling. “It was just a test he had to pass; I knew that’s what his answer would be. I’ve seen the way he looks at you Katie, he really likes you. You remind me of how Allison and I started out.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Everything you guys do remind me of how Allison and I were like in the beginning.”
“I hope we end up like you guys,” she told him.
“I can tell he likes you Katie,” he said, “and that you like him back. Hold onto him, okay?”
“Definitely,” she said, nodding her head in agreement.
“So do you forgive me?” he asked, jokingly pouting.
“Fine,” she said, hitting him in the shoulder. “I forgive you.”
*****
The Penguins lost to the Florida Panthers that night, 3-6, and true to his word, Sidney called her afterwards. The two of them talked for awhile, then he had to go because they were at the airport, flying to their next game. They made plans to go out by themselves when he got back. Kate hung up the phone, and thought more about what her brother told her. She could tell Sidney liked her, and she liked him back, but it was extremely obvious to her brother how much she liked Sidney. She made a note to herself not to talk about Sidney that much about anything around anyone except the people that already knew. She did not want it to be obvious to her friends, because even though they were her friends, she wouldn’t be surprised if they went to the press. Some friends I’ve got, Kate thought to herself. They would go to the press, and it would ruin everything.