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."

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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.