Chapter 124

"Jesus Max, what happened to your face?" she exclaimed when he walked through the door.
He let out a heavy sigh and sat across from her at the kitchen table.
"Sid," he stated simply. "He knows bijou."
"Knows what?"
"About us."
Her heart lept into her throat and seemed to get stuck there.
"How?" she asked barely above a whisper.
"I don't know, he didn't say; but he thinks we're sleeping together and now so does the whole team."

Bekah went stark white at the news Max revealled.

"No, no, no, no, no," she kept saying over and over.
Max reached for her hand but instead of accepting the gesture, Bekah rose from the table and began pacing the kitchen floor.
"How did this happen? This was not supposed to happen. And the whole team knows? Fuck!" she growled.
He could feel his anger rising and it was about to come to a head.
"Why are you so upset?" he asked not being able to hide his irritation. "He was going to find out sooner or later."
Then a thought hit him like a lightening bolt.
"You didn't want him to know did you? Or anyone else for that matter," he sneered.
"No, that's not it at all Max. But this is a sensitive situation and a brawl in the locker room is not exactly how the information should have come out."
"And how exactly were you planning on letting it out? Or were you?"
She sensed the volatility of the conversation rising and it was not something she was prepared to get into it right now.
"Let's just take a breath here Max, before we say something that can't be taken back."
"No, let's resolve this now."
She gave him a warning glare.
"Fine," she said sharply.
"How long were you planning on keeping our relationship a secret?"
"Not a secret Max, just quiet. Sidney and I have only been broken up for a short time and jumping in to a new relationship with his teammate; his friend so soon is not something I feel should be broadcast to everyone. I should have been the one to tell him. I owe him at least that much."
"Owe him!" Max scoffed "You don't owe him a damn thing after the way he treated you!"
"Come on Max, how would you feel?"
"I find it hard to believe that sparing golden boy's feelings is the whole reason you're so upset."
"It's about protecting all of us Max."
"Just tell me one thing. Were you planning on telling anyone about us?"
"Yes, eventually. Trying out this new relationship is only a few days old, and frankly nobody's business but ours. I don't think it's something to be shouting from the rooftops just yet."
"Oh, I get it. You don't see us going anywhere is that it?"
"How did you get that out of what I just said?"
"You're forgetting how well I know you bijou," he said softening his tone. "I don't think you want anyone to know because you don't really want to be with me."
"Max,"
"No, it's all becoming clear. You don't feel anything for me other than friendship do you?"
"Max I..."
"It all makes sense. That's why we haven't made love yet."
"You think I don't love you because I haven't had sex with you in the what, five days we've been 'together'?" she snapped not being able to hide the anger any longer.
"In case you haven't figured it out Maxime, I am not one of your slutty bar girls you take home and fuck without even knowing a name!"
"It always comes back to my past doesn't it! I know you're not like the others for fuck sake! That's why I'm in love with YOU!"

Her glare was replaced with a softness in her eyes as she sat down beside placing her hand over top of his clenched fist.

"No you're not Maxie. And I'm not in love with you either."
He gazed at her for an eternity before finally lowering hi head and saying "I know."
They laughed and at the exact same time said "What are we doing?"
"How did we get here Maxie?" Bekah chuckled.
"I don't know," he shook his head. "Why did you even agree to trying a relationship bijou?"
"I don't know," she sighed. "I was hurting, and probably a little vulnerable and you took me away and made me part of your family for the holidays. We were in a perfect setting and when you told me you were in love with me it made me feel good; made me feel like I was worth loving so I got caught up in the moment. I'm sorry Max, I never meant to hurt you. I would never want to hurt you."
"I know bijou, " he said gently caressing her face.
"What about you? Why would you tell me you're in love with me when you're not?"
"Honestly, I have no idea! I mean, I thought I was for about a minute and you seemed open to the idea so I just went for it."
"And when you realized we didn't feel that way?"
"Well then it bacame about revenge of course."
"Revenge for what?"
"For golden boy breaking the heart of my best friend. I wanted him to hurt as much as he hurt you."
"So you told him about us."
"No, I swear. I have no idea how he found out."
"Great! Now what do we do?"
"Damage control."
"Do you really think that's possible? I can only imagine how Sid's feeling right now, let alone what the rest of the team is thinking about us."
"Let deal with one thing at a time. It's obvious you're still in love with him bijou, so I guess the question is do you want to be with him?" he asked even though he knew the answer.
She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and nodded. "Yes."

********************************************

His emptiness was replace with anger. Not anger; rage! How could he? How could she? Had everything between them been a lie? It had to be. If she really loved him as much as she said she did, she could never be with someone else so soon. Not just someone; Talbot.
'Fucking idiot!'  he chastized himself. 'Just friends my fucking ass!'
"NO!" he said out loud to no one in particular.
 He refused to believe that the woman he loved; the woman he was so deeply in love with he now realized, could ever be so deceptive. She had the same deep rooted love for him as he had for her; he knew it. He felt it to the depths of his soul. Bekah belonged to him in every way, and he was going to claim her. Now all he needed was a plan.
'Of course!' he thought to himself. Go back to basics; back to the beginning. After all, it had worked for him once. Fingers crossed it would work again.

Chapter 123

He hadn’t slept; couldn’t. Every time he tried to close his eyes he was haunted by the vision of his teammate’s lips on the woman he loved and it made him want to throw up. He wasn’t even sure how he got home in the wee hours of the morning. He didn’t remember anything except him kissing her and in just a few short hours he was going to have to face him. He had no idea what he would do or say. He didn’t even know how to feel. Was he angry? Hurt? Heartbroken? Numb. He didn’t feel anything; he was numb.  This couldn’t last forever. Could it?

He made it through practice with coach Therrien only screaming at him a few times to get his head out of his ass and into what was happening on the ice. His only saving grace was that Max was working with his line on the other end of the ice; although he would have loved to drill his ass into the boards as hard as he could.

“CROSBY! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?” Coach’s intense voice shook him from his thoughts. After a few more missed plays and a half-assed attempt at a goal the coach had it.

“SID. HERE. NOW.”

Sidney skated over to the bench where the coach was waiting for him.

“I don’t know where your head’s at today Sid but it sure as hell ain’t on the ice. “

“Sorry Coach.”

“I don’t want your apology I want your best. Can you give me that?”

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Never in a million years did he think he would be in this position. At a point where he was so distracted he couldn’t even concentrate on a practice. This is what she did to him.

“No coach, I can’t.”

Coach was dumbfounded. Even though he had been witness to Sidney’s lacklustre performance this morning, he was sure this little reprimand would snap him out of it.

“Then hit the showers. I don’t want you back on the ice until you can give me 100%. Got it?”

“Yes sir.”

He gathered his stuff and skated towards the tunnel. He was almost oblivious to the whispers and stares from his teammates. Almost.

He punished himself in the gym for an hour, then another on the bike. By the time he was done in the showers the rest of the team was done with practice and their meetings. He was fine until…

“You fucking son of a bitch,” was all anyone heard before the punch was thrown and Max was on the ground.

Max and everyone else were so stunned that Sid got a few more good punches in before a few of the guys managed to pull Sidney off of Max still swinging.

“What the hell is wrong with you today Sid?”

“Why don’t you ask the fucking scum bag who’s sleeping with my girlfriend!”

A deafening silence fell over the room as a few of the guys helped Max to his feet and the rest just starred.

“How long asshole? How long have you been screwing around with her? What do have to say for yourself? Come on, I’d love to hear this,” Sid shouted not giving Max a chance to say anything.

After a very intense starring match Max finally spoke.

“You seem to be forgetting one very important detail golden boy; Bekah is not your girlfriend anymore. That means she’s free to date whoever she wants and right now, that appears to be me. Sorry dude, but she’s moved on.”

Sid lunged for Max once more but was stopped by a large, strong arm around him.

"Sidney, my office. Now. Talbot I suggest you get your ass to the doc and then get out of here,” was simply stated in the thick French accent of the head coach.

He did nothing further except follow the coach into his office. Max and a few of the guys made a quick exit.

“Hey you guys wanna go grab some lunch?” Max asked on their way across the parking lot after 6 stitches and an ice pack?

Staalzy and Bugsy looked at each other, then at Max.

“Are you seriously banging Bekah Talbo?” Ryan asked.

“Hey don’t talk about her like that.” Max snarled.

“I take that as a yes. C’mon bro, there are unspoken rules about that shit; you know that. You don’t bang another guys’ girl. Bro's before ho's and all that shit.”

“She’s not his girl! He fucking blew it and I just so happened to be there to pick up the pieces.”

“Even if they did break up, she was his first and he’s clearly still in love with her. It’s just not right” Jordan added.

“What are we in seventh grade? We are all grown ups and can make our own decisions. If Bekah chooses to be with me and not Sid, then so what?”

“But dude,” Ryan started.

“Look, I’m in love with her okay. I didn’t mean for it to happen but it did and I can’t change it. She never screwed around on Sid. This only happened over Christmas; she came home with me to get away from everything and I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. I told her I loved her and asked if there was a chance she could love me back. We’re giving it a try and I couldn’t be happier if either of you care.”

Jordan and Ryan eyed each other; both shocked by Max’s candid revelation.

“You realize this could completely divide the team, not to mention fuck things up with you and Sid forever right?” Jordan asked.

“And Bekah could be the girl I spend the rest of my life with so…”

“What the fuck happened to you Talbot? Screwing another guys’ girl, talking about spending the rest of your life with her? Jesus Max this is not you. You’re a player through and through so are you really doing this because you love her or to get back at Sid?” Ryan asked.

“I do love her Bugsy. Can we just drop this and get some food, I’m starving?”

"Just be careful here Talbo. Everyone knows how bad she had it for Sid. Do you honestly believe she can all of a sudden be in love with you? Just food for thought."

"Wow, that's pretty deep coming from you Bugsy. I hear you okay, but you're just gonna have to trust me on this one."
"I just hope you know what you're doing because this is going to affect the whole team."

****************************************************
All Sid wanted to do after his ass reaming was go home and crawl into bed and never come out. He knew that by the time he reached Mario's he, and in turn Nat would have already heard about today. Neither of them would be pleased; in fact he was positive that he would have to endure not one, but two more ass reamings from his Pittsburgh parents.

"FUCK!" he said out loud to no one in particular as he was leaving the arena. Troy. He was sure it wouldn't take long for his dad to hear about his pathetic performance this morning. He was not looking forward to that phone call.

A friendly voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Hey bud, you wanna grab some lunch?"
"No thanks Army."
"Then do you want to talk about the show you put on back there?"
"Not really."
"Come on Sid, what the hell is happening to you?"
"I saw them," he stated only slightly above a whisper.
"Saw who?"
"Talbot and Bekah. I went to her house last night to try and talk to her. When she got home he was already there waiting. He came out of the house and they..."
He couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
"They kissed Colbs. And not just a friendly kiss. I feel like such an idiot!"
"Why?"
"Why! I thought she loved me. How could she do that? How is she kissing someone else already? And not just anyone; Talbot! Best friend my ass! Guess I'm the idiot for believing that one."
"Come on Sid, anyone who saw you two together knows how much she loves you."
"Sure doesn't seem that way."
"Bekah and Talbot have always spent alot of time together...as friends. Did you ever think that maybe she's just so upset about the break up she's seeking comfort with Max?"
"By kissing him! I saw that kiss Colbs, that was not just someone being comforted."
"You and I both know how Talbo operates. Maybe he's taking advantage of the situation and she's just too heart broken to realize it."
"Thanks Army but that doesn't make me feel better. Bekah's way too smart to fall for that bullshit. If she was kissing him it was because she wanted to."
"Have you talked to her?"
"No, not since that night at the hospital when she ended things. She didn't even return any of my phone calls or messages over Christmas. Guess now I know why."
"Talk to her. Find out what's going on from the source; it's the only way you're ever going to get an peace."
"I'll never have any peace as long as she's with someone else; anyone else."
"Talk to her."
"How am I supposed to talk to her when she refuses to talk to me?"
Colby shook his head.
"Sidney, Sidney, Sidney, you disappoint me. You pulled off some crazy shit to get her, figure out how to get her to talk to you. Pull out all the stops if necessary. Now, let's eat cause I'm starving!"