Chapter Eighteen

I spent the next few days thinking. Just thinking. I barely left the house, I barely ate, all I was focused on was making decisions and sorting things out. With the boys being on a Southern road trip, I was able to think freely and without distraction. Sure I got a few texts and calls, but I didn’t return any of them, except one frantic text from Max begging to know if I was okay. Other than that, I had no communication with them. I needed to do this on my own, without being distracted or having my opinion swayed. So, with all this thinking, I came to two conclusions. One, I didn’t actually feel anything towards Geno. Yeah, he was nice and sweet and pretty much the perfect boyfriend, but he wasn’t what I needed and I had to let him go. And two, I had, unwillingly, fallen for Max and I had to let him know. I figured I’d deal with Max first, so on the night they returned from the road trip, I got in my car and headed over there. I didn’t bother dressing up because it was just Max. I’m pretty sure he couldn’t care less what I was wearing, so it was just skinny jeans, flip-flops, and a fitted tee. On the way over, it started absolutely pouring, so I had to drive slower than usual to avoid an accident. Finally, I arrived and pulled into the driveway. I got out of the car and waited. I stood next to my car for about ten minutes trying to decide if this was the right thing to do and needless to say, by the time I approached the front steps I was absolutely soaked. After what seemed like another ten minutes, he opened the door. He looked so handsome. A little flushed, but handsome nonetheless.

“Hey,” I said and smiled weakly up at him. He wore an expression of shock and maybe happiness? Or maybe I imagined it because I wanted to see it.

“Riley what are you doing here?” he asked frantically. “Is everything okay, are you hurt?!”

“No, I’m not hurt, and everything’s more than okay. I just wanted to see you.” I answered simply, because it was the truth.

“Riley,” he said softly with a look in his eyes that I couldn’t quite place.

“And I wanted to tell you something too, Max I---,” I was cut off by a voice inside.

“Maxie! What’s taking so long? I’m getting cold,” the female voice floated out to us. I watched Max cringe and he stepped outside into the rain with me, closing the door behind him. I had wondered why he didn’t invite me inside and I guess that was the reason. Hearing that voice made me want to cry and I probably did. With all the rain, it was hard to tell. I slowly started to back away from him, down the steps and on to the walkway.

“Riley wait, I---,” he began, but I stopped him.

“No Max, I’m sorry. You’re busy. I should have called or something. Please, don’t let me keep you,” I said while turning to go. Before I could move, he grabbed my hand.

“What did you want to tell me?” he asked, staring at me intently.

“Nothing of importance,” I answered not being able to meet his gaze.

“Riley, just say the word and she’s gone,” he almost pleaded with me.

“Have a good night,” I said, breaking away from his grasp and making my way towards my car. I pulled out of his driveway and left him standing on the walkway, just staring after my car. Looking back wasn’t an option because if I did, I probably would have turned the car around, screamed at him to get rid of the girl, and taken my rightful place next to him on the couch. But I wasn’t going to be the weak one. That wasn’t me. So without a glance back, I drove home (a little too quickly for the slick roads) and crash landed on my couch. I didn’t even have the energy to make it upstairs. I just cried and cried on my couch. And finally, when I couldn’t possibly cry anymore, I felt empty. Like there was nothing to cry for anymore. I was just Riley. Just another girl who was stupid enough to believe the shit that Max said. Stupid enough to think that I was any different from the other girls he picked up. He just liked the thrill of the chase because I was unattainable. I had a boyfriend and I was willing to leave him to be with Max. Not anymore. I had to distance myself as much as I could from Max. No matter what that meant. Being cold towards him, avoiding him, whatever it took. I had to get myself off of whatever fixation I had with him. So without further contemplation, I decided to stay with Geno. It was almost like I was punishing myself, but I didn’t care. Geno did deserve better than me and I really should have let him go, but I made a promise to myself to be the “trophy girlfriend” so to speak. I would be perfect and everything he asked me to be. I’d be there for him, supporting him every step of the way. It’s what I had to do. It’s what I owed him. The next day I got up bright and early, went to the bakery, and packed up breakfast into a basket before making my way over to Geno’s apartment. He seemed surprised to see me but not unhappy.

“Good morning, Riley,” he said sleepily. It was easy to tell he had just woken up.

“Hey Geno,” I answered giving him a quick peck on the cheek before making my way inside. I walked over to the kitchen table and placed the basket down.

“What’s in there?” he asked pointing at the basket.

“Oh, just breakfast,” I smiled as I began to plate the food. I took out a variety of scones, bagels, and muffins along with orange juice and apple juice. “I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

“I like everything,” he answered coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. “This so nice. Thank you.” I quickly imagined how Max would have reacted if I had done this for him. He probably would have snickered and complained about how it was all “girly” food. That ungrateful son-of-a-bitch. Ugh. I was letting Max ruin my day and he wasn’t even here. No. I wasn’t going to think about him. I couldn’t. It hurt too much. So, I pushed all of those thoughts to the back of my mind and had an enjoyable breakfast with Geno.

“What time is practice?” I asked as I washed the dishes.

“No practice today. Have no plans today,” he answered chugging the last of the orange juice.

“Well, now you do. Go take a shower and get dressed. We’re going out,” I said with finality. He smiled at me and trudged towards the bathroom. I took a seat on the couch and about twenty minutes later he came out, his hair still dripping. That look was actually quite becoming on him. He leaned on the kitchen counter.

“Ready,” he said, smiling at me. I got up and walked over to him, slipping both of my hands behind his neck.

“You look so good,” I purred into his chest. I had to admit, he was quite easy on the eyes. Learning to fall in love with him couldn’t possibly be too difficult. He leaned down and let his lips meet mine. I kissed him back hungrily and let my head rest on his chest. It took a great amount of my will power to pry myself off of him and hold his hand instead as I lead him to the door. He reached for his sunglasses, then his car keys, however I made him put the keys back. “Nope. We’re walking.” We made our way out onto the street and proceeded to walk until we were in the downtown area. Every now and then someone would stop and ask for an autograph and then a group would form, but overall most fans were too polite to ask or didn’t even notice. Eventually we made our way to a park and shared a bench. We were sitting, just watching the people pass when I thought I saw a familiar face.

“Hey Geno, isn’t that Marc?” I asked tugging his arm and tilting my head towards the left. Sure enough Marc slowly approached with a beautiful girl on his arm.

“Hey guys!” he said happily standing in front of us.

“Hi Marc,” I answered brightly for the both of us.

“Riley, this is my girlfriend, Vero,” he said introducing us.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” I said smiling up at her. “I’m Ryan’s cousin and---”

“Geno’s girlfriend,” she finished. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you.” She laughed lightly.

“Oh?” I asked. “Well I guess I may have caused some trouble these past few days.”

“Don’t worry, everything I’ve heard has been good,” she assured me.

”We were just heading over to meet some of the guys for lunch. Care to join us?” Marc asked. Geno looked at me for approval and I nodded happily.

“Yeah, okay,” Geno replied. So Geno fell in step with Marc ahead of myself and Vero. I found that conversation came to us naturally as if we had been friends our whole lives. She was so easy to get along with and fun to talk to that I barely noticed when we entered the café. But when I did take a minute to look around, I kind of wished I hadn’t. We had approached a rectangular shaped table at a far corner of the restaurant. Sid was sitting at the head of the table and to his right was Jordan, next to him was Max, next to him was Kris, and next to him was Tyler. They had left all four chairs on the opposite side vacant. So, Marc took a seat all the way at the far end, across from Tyler. Geno took a seat at the other end, across from Jordan. Vero obviously sat next to Marc and across from Kris. And I was left sitting in between Vero and Geno. Across from Max. Got all that? Anyway, when I went to sit down, I could feel Max’s eyes on me, but I wouldn’t look at him. I was not giving in that easily. Surprisingly throughout the lunch, conversation carried on easily and without strain. Everyone seemed to be having a really good time. Jordan was cracking jokes like there was no tomorrow and everyone was in a great mood. I was enjoying myself so much that I happened to glance up at Max. He gave me a smile and I only looked away. I couldn’t fall back under his spell. About five minutes later Vero excused herself to the restroom and I joined her.

“So, what’s up with you and Max?” she asked while fixing her hair in the mirror.

“What? Nothing,” I answered a little too quickly.

“Come on Riley. He won’t stop staring at you. You won’t even look at him. Did something happen between you too?” she continued. In the short time that I’d known her, I felt that I could trust Vero completely so I told her everything.

“And now, this is where we stand,” I finished.

“Wow. It seems like you and Max both have it pretty bad for each other,” she said.

“Is that all you can take out of this story?” I asked in mock anger. She laughed and leaned against the counter.

“Well, I can tell you that you should probably tell Max what’s what. When the time comes of course. And Geno. I don’t know if you can make yourself fall in love with him. It has to happen. And to tell you the truth, I think you already have fallen in love. With Max,” she said with finality. As if it was the simplest conclusion in the world.

“Vero, I haven’t even known him a month,” I answered.

“So? Love at first sight?” she asked. “It actually does happen. And you two seem perfect for each other. Just give it time. It’ll work itself out.” Everything she was saying sounded so reasonable. I just wish it was as simple as that. We made our way back out to the table where the guys just finished paying the check. Everyone was getting up to go when suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Max asked when I turned around to face him. I looked over at Geno who was standing a few feet away watching us intently.

“Go ahead, babe. I’ll meet you outside,” I said. Geno smiled, nodded, and walked out the door. Max took a seat at our table and motioned for me to sit next to him.

“Yes Max?” I asked once I was seated.

“You don’t want to be with him,” he said simply, as if he was reading my mind.

“Um, of course I do. That’s why I’m with him,” I said. I heard the edge in my own voice.

“No, you really don’t.”

“And just who do I want to be with then?”

“Me of course.”

“Ha! Max that’s a good one, really. What would ever make you think that?”

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe the time you kissed me. Or both times you kissed me.”

“I was drunk. You know that.”

“And the first time?”

“I told you that I felt sorry for you. We’ve been over this.”

“I feel sorry when someone punches Sid or Jordan, but you don’t see me running over to them for a quick make out session the first chance I get.”

“And what? Those kisses were all one sided? I came onto you completely? You didn’t do a thing to lead me on at all?”

“I never said that. They definitely weren’t one sided. I wanted them.”

“So stop making it seem like I’m the aggressor here! You know damn well you want me too!”

“Too?” A smug look of satisfaction spread over his features.

“This conversation is over.” And with that, I picked up my purse and stormed out of the restaurant.

Chapter Seventeen

I opened my eyes, straining against the sunlight and stared at the ceiling. It took me a minute to get my bearings but I soon realized I was in my own bed. I wondered if my texting Max last night was all a dream and if I really did go driving with him. I moved to sit up, but the sharp pain in my head was enough to alert me that last night was very much real. I looked to my left and saw a bottle of water sitting in a bowl of ice that had mostly melted and next to that were two aspirin. I smiled a little when I saw a note from Max next to that on the nightstand. “Treat that hangover well and get a lot of rest. I’ll talk to you soon.---Max.” It even had a ridiculous smiley face at the bottom. I took the aspirin with the water and laid back down, trying to remember what happened last night. Only bits and pieces of it were coming back to me though. And then suddenly, a fear gripped me. Had I said or done anything insane? Oh my god! Did we sleep together? Not quite wanting to face the world just yet, I pulled the covers over my head and went right back to sleep.

When I awoke a few hours later, it was nearing three in the afternoon. My headache had subsided and I was now able to move around without a pounding in my brain. I took a quick shower and changed into a different pair of sweats and a Rays t-shirt this time and headed downstairs. I grabbed my cell phone out of my North Face, which had been placed so neatly on the back of the couch, and sat down. I had one text from Max that read “call me when you wake up. i wanna know your okay.” I took a deep breath, afraid to find out exactly what went on last night. Finally, I mustered the courage to call him.

“Hello?” he answered groggily. I was immediately mad at myself. I should have known he was taking a nap at this time.

“I’m sorry! Did I wake you?” I asked apologetically.

“No…well yeah, but it’s okay. I had to be up in a little while anyway,” he said. I heard him trying to stifle a yawn. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. My headache’s pretty much gone. Thanks for the aspirin,” I said, biting my lip. My nervous habit.

“Yeah, no problem. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he replied. Then the awkward silence ensued. I waited for him to say something else and when he didn’t, I decided to change the subject.

“So, how’s Geno?” I asked nonchalantly. I heard him sigh heavily on the other end. I could picture him closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said, “Geno’s fine. We’re all fine. Everything’s fine.”

“Max,” I began, “what’s wrong with you? Did I say something? Is it because I mentioned Geno? Max, come on. I’m with him, not you.” I could hear Max trying to control his breathing on the other end.

“But that’s not what you---,” he cut himself off mid sentence. “Nevermind.”

“That’s not what I, what?” I asked, fearing the answer he would give. “What happened last night?”

“Well…we kissed,” he began quietly, “and you…you said some stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” I asked, gripping the phone with both hands.

“That you…that you wanted me,” his voice was almost a whisper now and I wasn’t even sure if I heard him correctly. I closed my eyes and all of a sudden everything that transpired last night came flooding back to me. I could remember, clear as day, telling him that I only wanted him. I remembered calling him “Maxie”. And most of all, I remembered his answer when I asked him why he didn’t have a girlfriend. The silence on my end of the call had gone on too long. “Riley?”

“Um, I gotta go. Bye,” I said quickly, then threw the phone on the other side of the couch. Oh man! If it took me getting completely drunk to admit my true feelings for Max, I certainly didn’t want to admit them to myself when I was sober. Sure I had some type of attraction to Max, but that was natural…right? He was so good looking and charming and sweet and sensitive and…no. I could not fall for him. I was with Geno. Geno, Geno, Geno. He was my boyfriend. Not Max. But something inside me always drew me to Max. I couldn’t stay away from him and that was an issue. It’s like I was looking for trouble. There were a million other people I could have texted last night, but something made me text him. And then, what he said about why he didn’t have a girlfriend. That was about me. And it made me feel special. That was it! He made me feel wanted and needed. That had to be the reason why I liked being around him so much. I closed my eyes and tried to sort out all my thoughts and when that failed, I decided I needed a distraction. So, for the next four hours, I unpacked every last box that I had been neglecting. And when I finished, I had such a feeling of accomplishment. At around 7:30, with pizza in hand, I plopped myself down in front of the television and settled in for the game. Pittsburgh killed Nashville 5-1 and it was actually a pretty interesting game. Geno scored twice, Max scored twice, and Ryan scored once. Great, some creepy, weird scoring competition now. Maybe they weren’t consciously aware of it, but still. That night I decided to turn in early so I grabbed my stuff and headed up to the bedroom. No sooner than when my head hit the pillow did my cell phone start vibrating. I contemplated ignoring it, but once I saw that it was Geno, I answered.

“Hello?” I asked, even though I knew full well who it was.

“Hi, Riley,” he said gingerly. “How you today?”

“I’m doing great,” I answered. “You played awesome tonight.”

“Oh thanks. I glad to hear you good. Miss you,” he said sweetly. My heart ached in my chest and I wanted to, again, throw my phone on the other side of the room. I didn’t deserve him. He was too good for me. I suddenly felt the urge to cry.

“Miss you too, Geno,” I choked back sobs as I spoke. And I really did miss him. He was my comfort zone. I needed him. I could almost see him smiling on the other end.

“Well, we get ready to go out. Just call to say goodnight,” he said.

“Goodnight babe, I’ll see you soon,” I replied.

“Goodnight.” And the called ended. Before I could stop myself, I felt the tears begin to leak out of my eyes. I was crying way too much these days. However, as I sobbed silently into my pillow, my phone began to ring again. Max this time.

“Hello?” I tried to clear my throat before answering, but it was no use. I still sounded as if I just finished crying.

“Riley?! Are you crying?” Max asked frantically.

“No,” I lied into the phone. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” I could feel myself pouting and I hated that quality.

“Okay, I understand,” he answered. Awkward silence.

“Well?” I asked, finding myself getting more annoyed by the second. And not so much at him. More at the fact that I secretly was hoping he called. I just wanted to hear his voice. And when I let myself realize that that’s what I had been waiting for all night, I got even angrier at my stupid, confused, can’t make up my mind, feelings.

“I just wanted to see if you were okay. You hung up kind of quickly before. I mean I understand if you don’t feel the same way at all as what you said last night. I mean, I told you you’d regret it today if you remembered…,” he trailed off and I felt the heat rising to my cheeks.

“Oh, no. I don’t know,” I admitted, my head swimming with confusion. What the hell did I want?

“We don’t have to talk about it now, or ever if you don’t want to,” he said in a reassuring voice. And the truth was that I did want to talk about it. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to be myself. I wanted to be honest. Maybe I did want him the way I did last night. Or maybe that was just the liquor talking. Before I could even answer I heard Ryan’s voice in the background.

“Who is that?” he asked severely, obviously meaning the call.

“None of your goddamn business,” Max retorted.

“Is that Riley?!” he shouted.

“Could be, could be not,” Max answered smugly.

“Hang it up!” Ryan shot back.

“Come over here and fucking make me!” Max replied. Honestly, they sounded like third graders.

“I’ll do it for you. Goodnight Max,” I said, hanging up the phone. And just to release some tension, I threw it to the other side of the room and went to bed.

Chapter Sixteen

I heaved myself out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. I was really in no mood to go out especially when I looked like this. I took out the loose knot I had made and ran my fingers through my hair, thankful that I had straightened it earlier in the day. I threw on a pair of sweatpants with “PINK” emblazoned across the back and an old Maple Leafs t-shirt and made my way downstairs. I had just made it into the kitchen when I heard the low rumble of an engine in my driveway. I put the ice cream back in the freezer, rummaged through the pantry, then threw on my North Face before heading out to meet Max. I opened the passenger’s door and threw a box of Pop-Tarts into Max’s lap.

“Pop-Tarts?” he asked looking at me quizzically.”Who brings Pop-Tarts on 1 AM car rides?”

“Um, they are the perfect late night snack,” I retorted.

“Well, I have a bottle of tequila in the back to wash them down,” he said, smiling mischievously.

“Well who randomly has that in their car?” I asked as he eased out of the driveway.

“I’m always prepared,” he said turning off my block.

“Where are we going anyway?” I asked, rolling down my window and letting the night air fill the car.

“This place I know,” he replied speeding along steadily. We were silent for a moment until I had an idea. I climbed into the back and rolled down all the windows, then rolled down my own window, then leaned across Max’s lap and rolled down his window. “You know, I can’t really drive like this.” He looked down at me while I just shrugged and pressed the button to take the top down.

“That’s so much better!” I said, feeling my hair floating freely behind me. The full moon shining overhead gave me such a sense of relaxation that I didn’t even mind when Max reached across the center console for my hand. He took it tentatively, almost testing the waters and I could swear I heard a sigh of relief from him when I didn’t swat his hand away. We drove the remainder of the way in silence and finally he pulled up to the “place”. He had followed this gravel road to a clearing in a field of some sort. It actually looked pretty sketchy, but I guess once you got past that initial feeling, it had the potential to be cute. A brook babbled aimlessly down on one side.

“Well?” he got out of the car and waved his arms around.

“Well,” I repeated. “Is this where you take all your conquests?” I stood beside him as he looked over the field.

“You,” he began, “are not a conquest.” His expression was suddenly serious. I turned away from him and made my way back to the car.

“Where’s the tequila?” I asked going to the back seat.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he said coming over to help me. We both found a spot of comfort in his backseat. He with his feet perched on the center console and me on the opposite side with my feet in his lap. We talked about everything. It was so easy to be myself with Max. I didn’t have to try and impress him and he seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say.

“Who was your first love?” he asked breaking off a piece of Pop-Tart.

“Hmmm, this guy Brien. When I was sixteen,” I recalled. “What about you?”

“You,” he answered without hesitation.

“Stop!” I made a lame attempt at kicking him to which he just laughed. My alcohol intake didn’t help my already poor coordination.

“Alright, alright, my first love was this girl Tanya. When I was fifteen or sixteen,” he answered. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend?” I asked taking a swig from the bottle of tequila. Max was silent for a minute, thinking about how to answer.

“I’m waiting,” he began carefully.

“Waiting on what?” I pressed. I watched as Max closed his eyes as if preparing for a long answer.

“Waiting on someone who doesn’t want to be with me because of who I am. Waiting on someone who I can be myself around. Someone I can talk to about anything and trust completely. Someone who has a sense of humor and understands my sense of humor. Someone who I can laugh with but also be serious with. And to tell you the truth, I think I’ve found her. Actually, I know I have. We can’t be together just yet though, but I’m willing to wait. She’s worth it,” he looked down then back up at me. I suddenly felt all the tequila rushing to my head. I got up and crawled over to where he was seated.

“She’s very lucky,” I whispered letting my head fall on his chest.

“No, I am,” he corrected me and I felt his arms close around me and I relaxed into him. We stayed like that for a moment until I propped myself up and looked at him.

“Maxie,” I said looking into his eyes. I didn’t quite know what I was doing and I certainly wasn’t in the right frame of mind. Without thinking I attacked his mouth with my own. I didn’t expect to be pushed away either.

Max’s Point of View
I had no choice but to push Riley away. I couldn’t take advantage of her when she was like this even though every part of my body was screaming “Yes! Just do it!”. My mind won the battle. I watched a look of hurt play across her beautiful features, tears filling her eyes.

“Don’t you want me, Maxie?” she asked. There was that word. Maxie. She never called me that until tonight and I liked the way it sounded. It was endearing. I looked into her eyes and saw the glassy effect the liquor had on them. She had far more to drink than I did and it was showing.

“Of course I want you,” I began, taking her hands in mine, “but I can’t let you do this. You’ll regret it in the morning. It’s not what you want.” I hated how the words sounded.

“I do want you!” she half shouted at me and then she was back in my lap. “I want you Maxie. I really really do. I promise. I do. I want you.” I felt her nuzzling my neck and my body involuntarily arched towards her. “And you want me too.” Her mouth was back on mine and this time I gave in. I kissed her back like my life depended on it. She let herself fall in my arms and I tightened them around her in an attempt to keep her upright, but that’s not what she wanted. I felt her pushing me back, into a reclining position. Her weight on top of me was such a welcome feeling that I wanted to remember it forever. I reached up to stroke her face, but it was moist. I pulled back and squinted in the dim moonlight to see that she was crying. I abruptly got myself upright and positioned her next to me.

“Why are you crying?” I asked taking her face in my hands.

“I…I don’t know,” she looked down then back up at me. “I’m sorry, I ruined everything. And I had way too much to drink and I can’t even think straight and I want you and…I don’t know. It’s confusing.” She then placed her head on my shoulder and I wrapped my arms around her. I was actually glad that something had interrupted us. I certainly didn’t want to go any further with her if she wouldn’t remember it. Hell, she probably wasn’t even going to remember this.

“You didn’t ruin anything, okay? Listen, I’ll take you home and we can talk about this tomorrow….if you remember,” I added. She nodded and placed a fleeting kiss on my lips.

“Thank you, Maxie,” she said and laid down in the back seat. I hopped into the front seat and put the top back up. I left the windows rolled down though to afford Riley some fresh air. The ride back to her house was quick and by the time we arrived she was passed out in the back. I grabbed her keys out of her pocket, picked her up, then carried her inside. I had never been inside Riley’s place before and it seemed so her. I assumed that her bedroom was upstairs and I was right. I put her down on the bed, removed her shoes, and tucked her in. I really didn’t want to leave her, God forbid anything happened, so I drove back over to my place, grabbed my packed bag, came back to her house and slept next to her until I had to leave.

Chapter Fifteen

Max’s Point of View
Riley walked away from me and into the arms of a waiting Geno. I had to admit, they were a good looking couple. The way he towered over her and completely engulfed her as they embraced. He was a good four inches taller than me and for some reason, this sparked a jealousy in me and made me desire to be taller for her. Not that she was taller than me or anything, but still. There they were kissing in the middle of the locker room like it was no big deal. Well, I guess it wasn’t, seeing as how they’re dating. But it makes my blood boil, nonetheless. I watched as she sat down carefully on the bench with her back to the room to afford us all some privacy. Her legs were tucked up beneath her and through her hair I could see the letters of “MALKIN” making a peeking appearance.

“You wanna get dressed sometime this century?” Jordan called from across the room as he slid a t-shirt over his head. I didn’t respond, only made my way to showers. After I returned, Geno and Riley were still sitting there. Only this time, she was outwardly facing the room because the vast majority of the guys were gone and those who remained were fully clothed. I heard Geno ask her out to dinner which I thought seemed standard. But when I heard her decline and then invite him over, my heart almost stopped beating. I saw a stupid grin spread across his face as he placed his arm around her waist and they exited the locker room. A few minutes later I got a text from Jordan that read “we’re going out for a few drinks, come along”. I contemplated it for a moment then decided against my better judgment to join them. I needed a night away from thinking of Riley. I needed a break.

Riley’s Point of View
I made my way back up to the regular part of the arena, so Geno and I wouldn’t exit together. Neither one of us felt like dealing with the media tonight. I hopped into my car and waited until I saw his car approaching. I backed out of my spot and got in front of him so he could follow me back to my house. I don’t know why I was suddenly nervous. I’ve had guys over before and it had been no big deal. But I felt the need to impress Geno for some strange reason. Even though he clearly didn’t mind my imperfections one bit. When we reached my house, I let him pull into the garage. You never know if a fan could have followed him back here, so I thought it best to conceal his car. And I left my own on the street in front. After parking his car he came back out to me and I shut the garage. Geno’s eyes widened as he saw all of the flowers still adorning the front of my house. I made a mental note to have the trash guy come take them away.

“Why all flowers?” Geno asked staring at the bouquets.

“Ryan got them for me,” I answered.

“Oh, sorry, should I have…?” he asked looking down at the ground.

“NO!” I practically shouted at him. “No, I don’t like flowers all that much anyway. To tell you the truth, I prefer chocolate.” At this he smiled and we made our way inside.

Max’s Point of View
I went home and changed before I went out to the club with the guys. It took me longer than usual to get ready and I felt as if my actions were in slow motion. However, I finally decided on jeans and a button down with the sleeves rolled up. I put on cologne, fixed my hair, and was ready to go. Once I stepped foot in the club, the smell of alcohol attacked me. It wasn’t a smell that I had any aversion to either. I made my way through the crowd and over to the bar, ordering my usual. With the drink in hand I met up with the rest of the guys in the VIP section.

“I wanna take home something pretty tonight!” Jordan howled as he downed another shot. I watched as two blondes to his left giggled, hoping it would be one of them…or both.

“What took ya so long?” Tyler asked as I took a seat next to him.

“Oh, you know…” I responded not quite sure what excuse I had anyway.

“Yeah, man,” he answered. Clearly he had had a few and my non-answer was answer enough for him. I surveyed the scene around us. Jordan chatting it up with the two blondes, Tyler leaning dangerously close to a pretty brunette, and Sid and Kris having a drink and sharing a laugh a few feet away. Everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves except for me. I took a sip from my drink, closed my eyes, and pressed the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. Before I could open my eyes, the aroma of a beautiful perfume surrounded me. I looked to my right and saw this pretty blonde sitting next to me. She smiled and offered her hand.

“Hey, I’m Kate,” she said. I noticed she had green eyes, just like Riley.

“Max,” I replied, releasing her hand.

“I know,” she laughed. “I was at the game tonight. You looked hot out there.” I smiled knowing exactly where this was going. It was the same strategy every time you went to a club. A girl would come up to you, compliment you a bit to try and inflate your ego, then make some small talk, and she would end up back at your place. I was tired and wanted to get out of there, so I figured I’d skip all the steps in the middle.

“You wanna come back to my place?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” she purred as she got up. I followed suit and as we made our way out of the club I heard Jordan’s voice ring out over the crowd.

“Yeah Max! Yeah!” he called as we reached the door. I rolled my eyes and led her to my car.

Riley’s Point of View
“I like you house,” Geno said as he took a seat in the living room.

“Aw, thanks,” I answered, bringing him back a beer from the kitchen. He took it graciously as I had a seat next to him. He put his arm around me and I cuddled into him curling my legs up to the side. I closed my eyes and listened to his steady heart beat. I leaned my head back and instinctively he brought his face down to mine. I felt the soft pressure of his lips as his tongue looked for entrance. I allowed it and while doing so, turned around so I was seated in his lap. He leaned forward to put the beer on the coffee table and once his hands were free, he placed them on either side of my face. I liked the feeling and responded by kissing him back more aggressively. Almost as if I wanted to prove something to myself. However, I felt Geno back off. And when his breathing returned to normal, he spoke.

“I not want do this right now,” he started apologetically. “Really like you and want first time more special.” I thought my heart was going to break. I didn’t think I could be any more fond of him than I already was and here he was, being the most absolute perfect gentleman. It was so sweet that it hurt.

“Oh Geno,” I said snuggling back into him and turning on the TV, “thank you.” He kissed the top of my head as he reached back for his beer.


Max’s Point of View
When we got back to my house, Kate didn’t waste any time. Her mouth was attacking mine before I even had a chance to shut the door. I guess it’s because she thought that’s what I wanted and she didn’t want to disappoint. In fact, I needed it. I needed a living, breathing, distraction from Riley. Anything, anyone. I brought Kate into my living room and threw her down on the couch to which she squealed in delight. I straddled her, lifting her shirt over her head and kissing a trail down her neck. She writhed in pleasure beneath me and in a swift motion I brought her on top of me. Her hands meticulously worked the buttons of my shirt and once it was discarded, she went back to my mouth kissing me deeply. She moved on to my neck and began biting down. I couldn’t stifle the moan that escaped.

“Riley,” I called without thinking. If she heard it, she didn’t acknowledge it and just continued to bite. “Oh Riley.” Again nothing. I began to think that maybe I only called Riley’s name in my head. “Riley.” Third time’s the charm.

“Excuse me,” she said looking down at me. “My name’s Kate and I do not appreciate being called someone else’s name.” And she was right. I was a complete douche to call her the wrong name. But, I also didn’t like being reprimanded in my own house.

“Alright, Kate,” I began, “It’s been a lovely evening and maybe I’ll see you around.” I got up off the couch and led her to the door.

Riley’s Point of View
I stood in the doorway as Geno leaned on the frame.

“Goodnight,” he said as he leaned in to kiss me.

“We’ve been saying goodnight for fifteen minutes,” I laughed as we pulled apart.

“I no want to go,” he answered frowning at his feet.

“You have a flight to catch early in the morning! Go!” I said shoving him down the pathway. I had already opened the garage and his car was now sitting in the driveway.

“I’ll miss you,” he said sweetly.

“You too,” I said as we kissed one last time.

“I’ll call you,” he replied getting into his car.

“I know,” I answered smiling. He laughed and eventually drove down the street. I ran back inside the house, grabbed some ice cream from the freezer, and hopped into bed. It was nearing 1 AM and I was unusually wired. I looked over at my phone and eventually grabbed it, flipping through the contacts. Who could I text?

heyy max. you up??

i’m at your beck and call.

what are you up to?

well, I WAS sleeping. but now im up, talking to my favorite person (:

lmao shuttup. && stop using those smileys. girls use those. =p see?

yeah yeah yeah. what are you doing up so late?

late? isnt your night normally just getting started around now?

normally. but that doenst answer my question. things didn’t go so well on your date with geno?

not that its any of your business but they went perfectly fine. thanks for asking.

hey! wanna go for a drive?

don’t you have a flight to catch?

i’ll be over in ten.

Chapter Fourteen

Most of the game was uneventful until late in the second period when Max decided to be a moron and get into it with Dean McAmmond. The first couple seconds of the fight were standard, nothing too severe. But soon, I was on my feet with the other 12,000 fans around me when a right hook from McAmmond sent Max hurtling to the ground. He was only down for a few seconds, but a trainer quickly made his way over and helped him off the ice. About two minutes later the period ended. I wanted to go see him, but not with all the guys around. So I stayed in my seat throughout the whole intermission and when the third period was about to begin, I left the arena and made my way to the player’s entrance. I saw my guard and with a wave he let me pass through. I quickly walked towards the locker room and slowly pushed the door open. Sure enough Max was sitting at his stall looking through his phone.

“Hey,” I said quietly, making my way over to him.

“Hey yourself,” he replied giving me a bright smile.

“How are you feeling? What’d they say?” I asked quickly.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. And it’s nothing really, no damage done,” he said easily. I looked at him hard and I already saw the beginnings of a black eye forming. He saw me looking at it and reached up his hand to touch it. I swatted it away.

“Don’t touch it! You’ll make it worse,” I said.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” he laughed. I stared at him intently.

“Just shut up for a minute okay?” I asked him and he nodded. I gently put my hand where his had been. Tracing over the right side of his face with my left hand. I watched him wince a little. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be, you’re doing much more good than bad,” he answered softly. I smiled a little as he closed his eyes. I let my hand wander from his face up to his hair. Running my fingers through it slightly. He took my other hand and laced our fingers together, resting on my thigh. He opened his eyes again and he were face to face. Then he leaned forward and found my mouth with his own. I kissed him back, not entirely sure why. I soon moved both hands to the back of his neck and his hands lingered on the small of my back. After a minute we pulled apart and he stared at me. “Are you doing this because you feel sorry for me?”

“Maybe…I don’t know,” I answered honestly, because I wasn’t too sure myself.

“Okay,” he replied and moved back to my mouth. Again, I let him and again I found myself enjoying his touch. It was new to me and different and I had wondered what it would be like to kiss him. And, I had to admit, he was skilled. His tongue worked expertly through my mouth and his hands caressed my back in all the right places. After our last kiss, I looked at him, his face still close to mine.

“I’ve wanted that. I needed that,” he spoke tenderly. I smiled at him and looked around the room. And almost instantly, I wished I hadn’t. My eyes landed on the place where all of Geno’s belongings were and a surge of guilt washed over me.

“Geno,” I stated. One word was all I needed to explain to Max just how bad I felt.

“It’s okay, Riley,” he tried to comfort me, but his effort fell flat.

“It’s not,” I said simply. I got up to go. “I’m sorry?” I heard the questioning tone in my voice. He got up too and before he let me leave, he kissed me one more time.

“Again, don’t be,” he said and I turned to leave.

Max’s Point of View
I watched her leave and I couldn’t wipe this ridiculous grin off my face. I was an idiot. Why should a girl get me this crazy? I walked back over to my stall and sat down again. Without thinking I ran my tongue over my lips briefly and I could still taste her. It was a sensation I never wanted to go away. I shouldn’t be enjoying it this much anyway because she felt sorry for me. Maybe that kiss would have happened one day on its own, but today, it was because she felt sorry for me. Although, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it than that. Everything about it felt so right. It felt as if from that one kiss, the pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place. I wanted to be with her, I had to be with her. I allowed myself to get lost in replaying our kiss in my mind and before I knew it, the guys were barreling through the door. And by the excitement in their voices, I could tell that we won. I barely acknowledged them until I was spoken to.

“Dude, why are you blushing?” Jordan asked causing everyone in the locker room to turn and look at me. I put a hand to my cheek and felt the heat.

“Um, no I’m not,” I replied defensively. Jordan squinted his eyes and looked at me knowingly.

“You totally are! Did something happen with Riley? I saw her come in here just before we were going out,” he raised his eyebrows suggestively and at the mention of Riley’s name, Geno turned on his heels and Ryan shot daggers at me.

“Whaaa….what the fuck? No,” I answered quickly. “She’s dating Geno.” At this remark, Geno breathed a sigh of relief and went back to undressing. While Ryan continued to give me the death stare. Jordan looked as if he wasn’t buying this one bit. In a sudden motion, he bent down and was about a quarter of an inch away from my face.

“Hmmm, your lips look swollen. You were definitely kissing somebody,” he said, a grin breaking out across his face.

“Dude, back the fuck away from me. I was just punched in the fucking face. I’m pretty sure that if that happened to you, some parts of your face would be swollen too,” I answered, shoving him.

“Okaaaaay Maxie, whatever you say,” he called as he headed off to talk to Tyler. That was such a close one. Ryan continued to glare at me as he made his way over to sit down next to me.

“Listen to me,” he began in a low tone, “you stay the fuck away from her. Do you hear me? I don’t want you in her life messing everything up for her, okay? Just leave her alone, or I promise you, I will make your life a living hell.”

“Well, well, well, those certainly don’t sound like the words of just a protective cousin. If I didn’t know any better, it sounds like you have some sick, creepy incestuous ‘thing’ for her,” I said triumphantly as I watched his face flicker first to shame, then to rage. I felt his fist connecting with my face before I actually comprehended it. But in an instant Jordan and Sid were holding him back. Blood trickled down from my nose and I could feel someone putting a towel up to it. It was Kris.

“Thanks man,” I said gratefully and pinched my nose with the towel. Kris nodded but remained seated next to me.

“Dude! You need to calm the fuck down,” Jordan started. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but you’ve gotta stop. Seriously Ryan.” I watched as Ryan shrugged the guys off and in a huff returned to his own stall.

Riley’s Point of View
I hastily made my way out to my car. How could I do that? I had been so good all day with Max and last night. Sure I teased him and tempted him, but that was fun. Just fun. And here we end up kissing. There were so many opportunites to do it yesterday when the sexual tension was at its highest, but I didn’t want to then. Actually, I didn’t even know if I wanted to now. I did feel sorry for him, but why did that mean I had to let him kiss me? And more importantly, why did I kiss him back? I couldn’t quite put a finger on what I felt in that moment or what I felt now for that matter? I drove a few blocks but then realized that I didn’t even stay to congratulate Geno. He played a great game with a goal and three assists. So, I hooked a U-turn and made my way back to the arena. Once I parked the car, I hastily made my way to the locker room and without even knocking opened the door. Thank God no one was completely naked, but the scene I saw before me was even worse. Max with a bloody towel up to his nose, Ryan fuming at his stall, and all of the other boys just simply confused.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked to no one in particular. Jordan took the liberty of answering on behalf of the group.

“Well, Ryan went ape-shit and punched Max in the face because Max made some kind of remark to him, I don’t know what he said though,” Jordan explained. I looked over at Max although he wouldn’t meet my gaze. The crowd began to disperse and I took a seat next to Max and waited for him to say something. When he didn’t, I started the conversation.

“Let me see,” I said referring to his nose. He removed the towel and while it was a bloody mess, it didn’t appear to be broken. “You’re a fucking moron, you know that?” At this, Max gave me a small smile.

“I know,” he said, “but it’s all part of my charm.” I rolled my eyes at him and his smile grew wider.

“What’d you say, Max?” I asked tiredly. He looked down, almost with guilt.

“All I said was that it sounded like he had a creepy incestuous thing for you, you know with the way he’s so overprotective,” Max said. I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. I didn’t know that it was that obvious or that Max was that perceptive.

“You know that’s crazy, Max,” I answered calmly.

“I know, but it really set him off, it was weird,” he said, contorting his face into an expression of curiosity.

“Max, wouldn’t you be upset if someone thought you had an “incestuous thing” for one of your cousins?” I asked trying to divert the attention away from myself and Ryan.

“I guess so,” he replied, placing the towel back up to his face. At that moment Geno walked out of the showers. He was wearing black gym shorts and he had a towel draped over his shoulders, his bare chest glistening with droplets of water.

“Well, I guess I should…” I trailed off. I had no idea why I was making it sound like going back to my boyfriend was a chore.

“I know,” Max answered looking down to avoid meeting my eyes. I got up to go but before I took one step I turned back to him.

“Please take care of yourself, okay?” I asked quietly. And with that I turned and sprinted at Geno. When I reached him, he lifted me off my feet and held me in his arms for a deep kiss. I kicked my feet in delight until he eventually set me down.

“You played so great tonight,” I gushed as he took both of my hands in his.
“Thanks,” he answered with a smile. “I like you wear my jersey.” I looked down almost forgetting about my earlier purchase.

“Oh, really?” I asked doing a small spin.

“Yeah, look good,” he said proudly.

“Oh Geno,” I laughed sitting down on the bench while he continued to dress. Geno was oblivious to it, but I could feel the tension in the locker room. I had my back turned to them for the most part, to give them privacy. But no one was speaking except for a few nervous comments here and there. I could see Ryan out of the corner of my left eye and all of his actions were being completed in huffy, pissed movements. I wondered why no one was making a bigger deal out of this. Maybe it’s the “everybody gets one” policy? Where everybody gets one flip out no questions asked? But still, attacking another teammate seems in a completely different category. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Geno finished dressing and had his bag ready to go.

“You want go dinner?” he asked as he straightened up his area.

“Actually, why don’t you come over?” I smiled sweetly at him. His eyes seemed to light up as he placed his arm around my waist and led me out of the locker room.

Chapter Thirteen

Once again, I opened my eyes, but this time found the sunlight streaming through the window. I looked to my left and found Max still asleep. His breathing was even and he muttered a little. I gently nudged him until he woke up.

“Whoa, what are you doing here?” Max asked startled. He blinked his eyes in the bright sun.

“Waking up,” I replied easily.

“When did you come in here?” Max questioned. He was staring intently at me.

“Oh, last night, around three in the morning,” I answered. My nonchalant attitude caught him off guard.

“Um, why?” he asked.

“I don’t know, I was bored,” I laughed.

“Damn, I can’t believe I missed sleeping with you!” he buried his face in his pillow. I laughed again and laid back down.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I decided to come in here. Sometimes it’s easier to sleep if you have someone next to you.” He pondered this as his cell phone rang. He answered it and put it on speaker phone.

“Where the fuck are you dude?!” Jordan’s voice was frantic on the other end.

“At home, in bed,” Max answered, “Dude, calm down.”

“You need to get your ass to practice right now,” Jordan spoke quickly.

“Oh shit,” Max said. “I forgot about that. Ugh I’m coming.”

“Hurry up! The coach is gonna kick your ass, this practice is mandatory!” Jordan said before hanging up. Max rolled over and out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. I heard the shower turn on and fifteen minutes later Max emerged, wearing only a towel. He shook his head and water sprayed all over me.

“Thanks for that,” I said sarcastically.

“Anytime babe,” he replied going over to his closet and pulling out some gym clothes. He brought them back into the bathroom, dressed, and headed downstairs. I followed him, right on his heels.

“I’m not going to practice today,” I said watching him in the kitchen.

“Don’t wanna see Ryan?” he asked while rifling through the pantry.

“Not at all,” I said as he tossed me a granola bar. “Thanks.”

“No problem. I wish I had time to make you something better. Sorry about that,” Max answered apologetically.

“This is fine with me,” I said while unwrapping the granola bar. I bit into it and only then did I realize how hungry I actually was. “Is this the first time that you had a girl sleep over and you didn’t hook up with her?”

“Actually, yeah it is,” he answered. He smiled at me, grabbed his bag and headed for the door. I grabbed my bag and followed. I opened my car, then threw the bag into the back. “You’re coming to the game tonight right?”

“Yup, I love a good hockey game,” I answered. “We’re season ticket holders.”

“Oh really?” he asked pleasantly surprised.

“First row,” I answered, “but I haven’t been to a game in such a long time.”

“Nice, where at?” Max questioned.

“Right next to the penalty box,” I replied. Max thought about this for a moment.

“I’ll make sure I look for you,” he said.

“Alright,” I laughed, “see ya tonight.” I hopped into my car and drove off.

When I arrived home, the flowers and gifts were still all over my steps and walkway. I pulled into the driveway and hacked a path to my house. I opened the front door and left the flowers outside. I checked the answering machine and it flashed with 53 messages. I didn’t even bother listening to them. I just pressed “delete all” and headed upstairs to go lay down. When I awoke a few hours later, I needed a nice hot one to relax myself. After my shower, I came out and dressed. I didn’t have jersey so I figured I’d just buy one once I was at the arena. I ran downstairs, out the door, and hopped into my car. Once I was on the road, I decided that I actually did have time to stop at a sports store and pick up a jersey for a price that wasn’t a rip off. I pulled into the parking lot and eased into a spot. I got out and made my way inside. A friendly looking man who looked to be in his mid-forties stood behind the counter.

“Hi there,” he said with a pleasant smile, “can I help you?”

“Um, yes,” I replied, “I’m looking for an Evgeni Malkin jersey.”

“Oh, those sell out so fast,” the man said, “but let me check in the back, I might have one left. What size?”

“Well, if you have women’s then medium, but if you have men’s, small,” I said. The man nodded and headed to the back of the store. He disappeared behind a heavy metal door.

“Um, excuse me?” I heard a woman’s voice behind me. I turned and instantly recognized her. She was the woman from the Russian restaurant I went to with Geno the other night.

“Yes?” I said as she approached me.

“You asked for an Evgeni Malkin jersey right?” she asked.

“Yes, I did,” I said.

“Well, didn’t I see you with him the other night?” she questioned. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

“Um, yes you did,” I laughed. The woman smiled at me. She was older. Maybe late forties, early fifties.

“Are you…together?” she asked gently. Her voice was soft and she waited eagerly for my reply. I contemplated her question. I had never discussed with Geno whether we would make this public or not.

“Um, Geno doesn’t like to discuss his personal life,” I said as evenly as I could. The woman continued smiling at me.

“I’ve been around quite a bit and I can see from the way you talk about him that you are together,” she answered. “Don’t worry, darling. You’re secret’s safe with me.” She winked, took her bags, and left. I turned back to the counter and thought about the odd encounter. A moment later, the man came back out of the storage room.

“We’ve got a small men’s in black,” he said.

“I’ll take it,” I answered. I paid the man and took the bag out to my car. I cut the tags off and slipped it over my head. It was so cute. Then I wondered how Geno would react if I called his jersey cute. I laughed to myself and got in the car and made my way to the arena. I parked in the lot and walked towards the arena. I caught up to the throngs of people headed in the same direction. The man checked my ticket and I made my way inside. I walked through the fans and past the little kids staring around in wonder. It made me remember my first game. Ryan’s dad took us. We sat right up in the front row and when Ryan saw Mario Lemieux skate by, he almost had a heart attack. That was such a good day. I walked down to the glass and stood there. The players were getting ready to come out for their little pre-game skate. I waited patiently, took out my phone and texted a little bit, then turned my attention back to the ice. The players came out with a roar from the crowd. Max came out first. I caught his eye and he winked at me. A girl to my left squealed, assuming he was winking at her and I laughed to myself. She looked to be about fourteen and she was with another girl her age and her father. It was a cute scene that reminded me of my own childhood. Max picked up a puck and threw it over the glass right at me. It caught me off guard and I almost dropped my phone as I tried to catch it.

“You’re an idiot,” I mouthed at him as he laughed.

“You love it,” he mouthed back and skated away. I heard the girl to my left gasp.

“You know him?!” she asked in amazement. I turned and smiled at her.

“Yeah I do,” I said as she continued to gaze at me. “I’ll tell you what, you take this puck. I don’t need it.” I handed her the puck and she looked close to tears.

“Thank you so much!” She said and she turned to her friend and the two of them talked excitedly. A few minutes later I caught Geno’s eye and he smiled at me. However, unlike the moron before him, he knew better than to come over to me and risk causing a scene. I gave him a thumbs up and he smiled in acknowledgement. Then, he too skated away. They all looked so cute warming up. I got even closer to the glass just staring. It was mesmerizing. I loved watching them skate and I would definitely be seated here more often. Just as I was starting to relax, I saw Ryan. He was talking to Sid about something. When we made eye contact, I quickly looked away and I could feel him trying to catch my attention. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. I would not look at him. He didn’t deserve it. Looking at him would be like accepting his apology and I was nowhere near ready to do that. That is, if I even accepted it at all. After a few more minutes, the guys eventually went back to the locker rooms and the game was about to begin.

Chapter Twelve

“I am so glad that we cleared everything up,” I said into the phone, “But you really should get to bed. You have a game tomorrow!” Sergei translated this to Geno.

“He says he wishes he could actually talk to you and that he’ll try extra hard to learn English. But he’s glad that it was cleared up too,” Sergei said. I breathed a sigh of relief and Sergei continued. “Well, he wants me to go, just so he can say goodnight. I’m glad I could help you guys.”

“Thanks so much Sergei,” I told him sincerely. I heard a click then it was only me and Geno.

“Goodnight Riley,” he said, “See you at game tomorrow night?”

“Of course,” I answered, “goodnight babe.” I snapped the phone shut and looked at Max who was still watching me.

“I’m glad for you,” Max spoke.

“Thanks Max,” I smiled. “Actually I’m gonna head up to bed. You should too.”

“Right behind you,” Max said devilishly. I rolled my eyes and headed up the stairs.

“Where’s the guest room?” I asked as we reached the top landing.

“Guest room?” he asked as he grabbed my hand. “You’re sleeping with me.”

“Guest room,” I continued. Max sighed and led me down the hall and to a giant bedroom.

“This is it,” he said. The room was fantastic. It had a gigantic bed in the center and the walls were painted a cute yellow. The bay window had a bench and an incredible view of the backyard and the greenery behind it.

“Wow,” I said. “Do you bring all the girls you’re trying to get with to this room?”

“Just you,” he answered, measuring my reaction.

“Well,” I started, leading him back towards the door, “I’ll see you in the morning.” I closed the door and rested my head against it. I could hear Max’s heavy breathing on the other side of the door. I smirked to myself, waited a minute, and then opened the door again. Max was headed towards his bedroom. “Oh Max.” I called his name and he did an immediate about face. I motioned for him to come back. He practically bounded down the hallway and met me outside of my door. “Max.” I whispered as I let myself fall into his arms.

“Riley?” he questioned, excited but confused. I nuzzled into his neck and felt his arms tighten around my waist. He rubbed his hands up and down my back.

“Oh Max,” I breathed into his ear and felt him shiver. I sucked on his earlobe and heard him sigh and tighten his grip on me. I moved to kissing his neck and bit down hard to which he responded with another shudder. I pulled back and put my hands on either side of his face. His eyes were closed and I moved closer to him. “Max?”

“Mmm?” he answered. I came closer to him and leaned in as if I was gonna kiss him, but stopped.

“Go to bed,” I said and loosened myself from his grip. He looked absolutely astounded and I backed into my bedroom. I laughed to myself and laid down in my bed. I continued laughing as I drifted off to sleep.

Max’s Point of View
I watched Riley shut the bedroom door. I breathed heavily and waited. I hoped to God that she would open the door again. After a moment, I decided to just head back to my room. I was almost halfway down the hallway when I heard her door creak open.

“Oh Max,” she called down the hallway. I turned around to face her and saw her motion for me to come back. In an immediate response to her, I quickly walked down the hallway. “Max.” I heard her say again as she fell into my arms.

“Riley?” I asked as I tightened my grip on her. I didn’t know what she was doing, but I didn’t care. I rubbed my hands up and down her back, enjoying the fact that I was holding her.

“Oh Max,” she whispered into my ear. I involuntarily shivered at her words. Her mouth went to work on my ear and I released a sigh of contentment and held her tighter still. She worked her way down towards my neck. I felt her bite down and again, I wasn’t able to control my shudder. Next I felt her hands on either side of my face. I had my eyes closed and I heard her speak. “Max?”

“Mmm?” was all I was able to respond. I felt her draw nearer to me. I readied myself for her kiss.

“Go to bed,” she said and I felt her untangle herself from me. I was astounded as she backed into the guest room and shut the door, leaving me standing in the hallway struggling for my breath.

“Son of a bitch,” I muttered aloud. I looked down at my growing bulge that had ceased. I slowly made my way back to my bedroom. Once I got there I tried to relax myself. I thought of the most unsexy things I could imagine. As soon as my heart rate returned to normal, I began to process what just happened. I could not understand Riley for the life of me. What was with her? Was she into me? Or did she just like playing games? Well, it was apparent that she loved games, but why did she have to be so damn good at playing them? It was obvious that she was into Geno, but what was that whole deal back there? Just a trick? Really, is that all? It seemed like much more to me. Or maybe I was just reading into it because I wanted it to mean more. I wanted her to want me as much as I wanted her. After what seemed like hours of figuring, I finally rolled over and went to a restless sleep.

Riley’s Point of View
My eyes opened and there was still darkness all around me. I looked over at the clock and it read 3 AM. I heaved myself out of bed and decided to use this time to explore. I gingerly made my way out of the guest room and into the hallway. Making a left would lead me down the hall to Max’s bedroom so I decided to try making the right. I walked until I came to a first door on my left. I opened it and found another guest room. Standard. It wasn’t as big as the one I was in, but it was still nice. I closed the door and continued. On my right was another door. I opened it to find an office. The walls were lined with hockey memrobillia. There was so much of it covering the entire room. I turned on the light to find signed jerseys, signed sticks, and signed pucks. All of which were in cases of different sizes and shapes. I exited the room, closed the door behind me, and turned to walk back down the hallway. I passed my room and was now on the other side. The stairs were before me and I decided to take them. I was now in the foyer and I made my way through all of the places I had been earlier in the day. There was another hallway that I had not seen before and I decided to explore. I opened the first door I saw and was faced with a set of stairs leading down. Why not? I followed them and was standing in the center of a “party room”. It was set up like a club, complete with a bar, a lounge, and even a stripper pole. “That sick bastard,” I muttered under my breath. I wondered how he was going to get all of this stuff out of here when his lease was up. This room was by far the biggest. I figured walls must have been knocked down to make this. I walked around and found that the “party room” was complete with its own bathroom. This was ridiculous. I went back upstairs, down the hallway, through the kitchen, and back onto the bedroom floor. I hooked a right at the top of the stairs and the first door was on my left. It was a bathroom. I closed that door and opened one to my right. Another guest bedroom. After shutting that door, there was only one door left. This was the one that belonged to Max. I slowly creaked open that door and peered into the room. I saw Max sleeping peacefully on the huge California King mattress. I entered the room, shutting the door behind me. I made my way to the bed and gently climbed in, pulling the covers around me. In a response to the shift in weight, Max turned around and put his arm around my waist. This time, I didn’t shake him off. I just breathed deeply, relaxed into the mattress, and drifted off to sleep.