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.