chapter 1

June 2, 2010--Dallas, Texas

We both lie silently still in the dead of the night

Although we both lie close together

We feel miles apart inside

Was it somethin' I said or somethin' I did

Did my words not come out right

Tho' I tried not to hurt you

Tho' I tried

But I guess that's why they say

Mike Modano had never realized that his relationship with Lindsay Thompson had gone to dust and that he was having trouble picking up the pieces of their torn relationship. He had been with Lindsay for most of his life and he couldn’t believe that Lindsay broke up with him and moved on with her life in New York City as the editor of New York Times Paper. He couldn’t figure out why Lindsay broke up with him in the first place and for some reason, that had stuck with him. He wanted to know. He just wanted to know but there were times he didn’t.

He had moved on with his life but every time he had went on dates, his heart wasn’t in the right place and his mind always wandered off thinking about Lindsay and what she was doing. He couldn’t get her off his mind. He had proposed to her and she had broken his heart by breaking up and running away. He was devastated. He had decided to not contact her, no matter how much it hurt him. He had remembered the exact words she had used after his last game in Dallas. Why did she have to say those words after his moment with the fans, his parents and teammates. Why?

April 9, 2010

Mike skated on the ice for the last time as Lindsay and the rest of the Dallas Stars along with Mike's parents, Mike Sr. and Karen look on. The fans cheer for their heart and soul, someone who was wonderful to his fans. It was their last time seeing him in a Dallas Stars uniform. It was time to say goodbye. Mike who cared about the fans and the community. They continued to cheer as Mike had skated for the last time. Mike knew it was time for the Stars to go on and bring a championship.

He looked back at Lindsay and smiled but she didn’t smile back. Mike wondered what was going on in her mind. He had to talk to her. He had asked her for hand in marriage and she didn’t give him the answer.

Lindsay looked at Mike and wondered whether or not she should tell him about her decision. Was it important right now or not?

“Lindsay, I know what you are up to. Please don’t do this to Mike on his day,” Brenden Morrow, Stars captain and one of Mike’s close friends, replied.

“Brenden, he asked me to marry him. I have to do what’s right for me and I accepted this position as an editor for the New York Times. I want a better life and Dallas isn’t my city.”

“What about Mike’s heart? Have you ever thought about that?”

“Brenden, what I do with my decision is not your problem?”

“Fine. Whatever.” Brenden shook his head and went over to stand near his fiancée Addison.

“Brenden, why don’t you just back off next time?”

“I am not going to do this anymore, Lindsay,” Brenden replied.

“Fine.”

Mike was done skating and done giving his jersey away to a young boy who smiled and hugged him. He walked over to Lindsay and pecked her lips as she walked away before he could reach it. “Lindsay, what is your problem today?”

“Can we talk alone?”

“Okay.” Mike skated over to the bench and walked towards the tunnel before looking at Lindsay. “Yes, what is it baby?”

“Please, don’t call me, baby. I am sorry to do this to you on your special day but I am not ready to get married. I got the job as an editor for the New York Times paper. It’s time for me to go, Mike. The plane is leaving tonight. So this is good bye.” Lindsay gave Mike the engagement ring and turned around and walked away, leaving Mike devastated.

That moment was killing him every single day; even his teammates could see that. Mike would show up for the last team meeting with huge black rings around his eyes and a heart broken look in his eyes, Mike was even less vocal than usual, which basically meant that his answers to questions consisted of one word and not much else. Only a selected few of his teammates knew what was going on, and why his reactions where as severe as they were. Only Marty and Brenden knew how Mike felt about Lindsay and how it was taking a toll on him. They all told him on separate occasions, that he needed to step it up if he wanted to get Lindsay back to him. Brenden, in particular, had been particularly vehement. Lindsay rarely calls him and now it's been two months since the breakup.

Every rose has its thorn

Just like every night has its dawn

Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song

Every rose has its thorn

Marty, who considered Brenden and Mike, to be his brothers that he had never had, was sick and tired of seeing Mike self-destruct the way he had been doing. His teammates noticed the change in him had been drastic. Something Mike has never done in his life. After games, Mike would go to clubs or bars and he'd drink himself into a stupor. There were many times Marty would have to go to pick him up, and bring him home. Even though they had all told him that his cycle would do nothing except end up killing him, Mike didn't do anything to stop himself from going into the downward spiral that was depression.

What brought on the most frustration and pain for Mike was that there was nothing that he could do to ease the devastation and pain he felt over the breakup. He had done all he could to show Lindsay he still loved her. Right now the ball was in her court, or rather, the puck was in her zone, as to what she wanted to do with the relationship. All he could was wait, and drown his sorrows. What was he going to do now? Sit in his sorrow and regret, trying to figure out why Lindsay broke up with him and ended the engagement or get the bottom of it. He didn’t know if calling her was the greatest idea for his mind and heart right now but he had to. He was getting tired of letting this break up get to him. He had to move on. He was going to call Lindsay.