Eight.

Max's POV

I stand as close to her as I can while still being able to keep control of myself, and I wait. I wait for her to think and contemplate about things, I wait for her emotions to take over, tears inevitably falling, and I wait for her to come to terms with what she's feeling. I watch her as she tries to avoid me, but she can't hide the memories that are flashing through her mind. She's thinking about our past, and I only hope she's focusing on the good, which there was a lot of.

I continue to wait patiently, letting her see that this is purely up to her, that I'm not going to pressure her into anything, that this is her decision. Just when I think she is going to back away, I feel her moving closer to me, her lips lightly touching mine hesitantly, waiting for my reaction.

In an attempt to prove that this isn't just about sex, I kiss her back softly, letting her set the tone of pace, but as I feel her hands moving up under my shirt, tracing across my skin I don't know how much long I'll be able to be patient.

She pulls away from me, her eyes boring into mine curiously. I can see a thousand thoughts dancing around in her eyes as she watches me. I stand, not moving an inch, waiting for her to make up her mind.

I see a small smile tug at the corners of her lips before she presses her lips to mine again, much rougher and passionate than the previous time, standing on her tip toes in an attempt to get closer to me, which can only make me smile. Her mouth opens underneath mine, and it's just like old times. No words, just her body pressed next to mine.

Rylie's POV

I feel his fingertips on the skin of my stomach, loving the way I can almost feel an electric current flowing from his hand to my body. I squeal in delight as I feel him push me all the way up against the door, picking me up shortly after. I love the way I feel as light as a feather in his arms, as if it is effortless for him to hold me like this. I run my hands up his arm and to his biceps, wrapping my fingers around them as they flex due to the weight of my body they are supporting.

He sits me back down on my own two feet, much to my dismay, but I hardly have time to object as his kisses move in a line from my lips to the shell of my ear, and then lower to my neck.

"I thought we were suppose to talk about things," I manage to squeak out in between deep breathes. It seems as if I haven't been breathing at a normal pace since we walked in my apartment, but something about the ferocity I see in his gaze right now has me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, loving the feeling of his soft caresses that have turned into something much more passionate.

He pulls his lips away from the skin of my shoulder, bringing his forehead up and resting it on mine, gazing into my eyes. His hands trail up past the hem of my skirt on the inside of my thighs, toying with the lace of my panties.

"I've never been good with words," he says in a husky voice before moving my panties aside, timidly inserting a finger, and then another, making me moan out at the feeling of his touches before I rest my head on his shoulder, not wanting him to see the look of satisfaction I know he would find there.

Max's POV

I lean back and watch in amusement as she tries to hold on, but I can feel her muscles clenching around my fingers nevertheless. She looks up from my shoulder, and I can see the tears pooling there, but I can also see her fighting the urge to want to give in.

"Damn it, Max," she moans while leaning her head back in pleasure. "I hate you," she whispers while shoving at my chest once, and then twice, but I don't step away. Instead, I move my fingers in a come hither motion one last time, making her eventually give in as I feel her thighs begin to quiver.

"I know," I soothe while taking my hand away from the small of her back and brushing it through her hair, feeling the tension in her shoulders as she tries to not lean into my touch.

"I hate you so much," she sobs quietly, avoiding my gaze. I move my hand to her chin, pulling it lightly to make her look me in the eyes.

"I know," I reiterate before kissing her forehead, nose, and then finally her soft luscious lips.

Seven.

Rylie's POV

I know it was probably pretty harsh to do a thing like that to him, to tease him, but nevertheless a smile tugs across my face as I walk over to Jodi, feeling the intensity of his gaze on my moving form as I walk away. I can feel him watching me intently as he moves back over to where the other players are sitting. I avoid his gaze, not looking at him because I know that if I look into those eyes with that much intensity in them, it will just have me thinking about other nights that they were starring at me that way, but for much different reasons, and I don't need to think about that right now.

"What was that about?" Jodi asks when I reach where she is sitting, looking at me in pure bewilderment.

"What?" I ask, trying for innocence, but I can tell that she knows I'm toying with him.

"That was so cruel," Jordan says while shaking his head, laughing while probably putting himself in Max's place and Jodi in mine, knowing that it would suck to be tempted like that.

"And well deserved," Jodi adds, directing it mostly toward Jordan as she narrows her eyes at him. "Don't you let him off the hook. What he did was wrong," she instructs after looking back toward me. I'm listening to her, but I can't help but take my eyes off of Max as he sits at a table across the room, starring at me as well. "Rylie," she says, getting my attention to get her point across. "You make him work for it," she pleads in a strong, forceful tone. I nod my head in response, agreeing with her completely as I stand up to head to the dance floor.

"Jodi, let her make her own decisions," Jordan scolds while I walk away.

I can hear them arguing slightly over helping me or not, but its all a blur as I make my way to the center of the room. I can feel his eyes tracing over my hips as I walk and can't help but suppress a small sigh before looking over in his direction, needing to know if he is till watching. I glance over at him, and I was right, his eyes are still focusing on me, which is exactly where I need them to stay put.

Max's POV

I watch her sitting over there talking to Jordan and Jodi, and I watch as she watches me, her eyes never wavering from mine. But then, I watch her as she walks out toward the dance floor, suddenly the room getting a little warmer and it getting harder for me to breathe as she gives me one last look before throwing her hair over her shoulder as she turns away from me, breaking our intense gaze for the first time in what seems like hours.

But then, I see him approach her, dancing up against her. She laughs, playfully raising her arm to touch his chest as she begins to dance with him, making my blood broil and the sight of another man touching her.The way her hips are moving is mesmerizing, the way she makes them sway, the rest of her body following their lead. I can't help but look, let my eyes roam over her hips up to her tiny waist and then further to where I find the soft rise of her breast, and it sudden as gotten even hotter in here and I find myself gasping for air.

She twirls in slow circles around the lucky bastard, her hips hypnotizing more men then I'd like to admit, but then she shifts her gaze over to me, and I realize that her little show isn't for the guy she's dancing with. No, he is just a prop in one of the games she's decided to play on me, and even though I don't want to admit this either, her little game is definitely working, and I definitely feel like I'm getting the payback she thinks I deserve as I watch the way her body moves to the music, making my heart beat so fast that I think surely I'll pass out before her little tirade is over. But then, I see him run his hands over the same curves my eyes had been moments earlier, and the only emotion I feel is envy, and everything goes red.

I get out of my seat, probably scooting it away from the table with more force than was probably necessary before I can see Jordan and Jodi being to panic, but as I walk out onto the dance floor, I'm focused on nothing but her as her eyes go wide with fear, not knowing what I am doing. I feel my hands circle around her waist, pulling her against my chest and successfully out of his arms. I start to drag her off of the dance floor, but then I feel him grab onto my arm, obviously irritated I interrupted his dance with her. I spin back around, willing to fight him right here, right now if it will mean that he doesn't touch her anymore, but when I go to take a step toward him, she pulls on my arm before stepping in between us.

Rylie's POV

I feel him whip around, and I know that things are quickly going to get out of hand if I don't step in. I saw the way he was looking at me, and I was just about to quit my game when I saw him fling his chair away from the table he had been at, and the only thought that came to me was 'Oh shit...' as he made his way out to where we were. He takes a step toward the guy who I have no idea what his name is, and I tug on his arm, hoping he will stop, but I have a feeling he won't, so I step in between the two of them, successfully protecting both of them from each other. He looks down at me, and I'm scared by the look I see in his eyes, just for a moment, before his eyes soften, even if it's a small amount.

"Move, Rylie," he commands while grabbing my shoulders with a stronger embrace than I figured he would, trying to move me out of the way.

"No," I answer defiantly, catching him off guard.

"I'm not joking around here, Ry," he says again while trying to push me out of the way again, but I stand my ground.

"Max, I'm not moving," I reiterate again for emphasis. "Come on, let's just go," I say while tugging at his arm in the direction of the door, and I see him look over at me to see how serious I am. "Please?" I plead, hoping he can just let this go. "Come on," I continue when he is starring down this stranger I had been dancing with, "and maybe we can talk more about how we left things," I finish. He looks at me, and I know I've go him now as his eyes soften even more.

He allows me to pull him toward the door, but I can still feel how furious he is in the stiffness of his body. I finally get him out of the club, and shove him once we get out there, because I am just as furious as he is.

"What the hell do you have to be mad about?" he asks while raising his arms but reluctantly follows me as I start to walk the short couple blocks to my apartment.

"Don't even start with that," I bark back while turning around and scowling at him. He opens his mouth to say something back, but he smartly closes it and follows me in silence back toward my house.

I open the door, and when I turn around, Max is standing right in my way, at a dangerously close distance from me. I stand there, mesmerized by the look of pure desire that shows on his face, especially in his eyes, while he pushes the door shut, moving so that I'm the one by the door now. He moves closer to me, and I back up as far as I can until I'm against the door, but he doesn't stop. He keeps moving toward me until his face is close enough to me that I bet he can hear the pounding of my heart, which I think is trying to break my ribs or at least puncture a lung by the way it's reacting to him. I think he's going to kiss me, but he never does, he just continues to stand there and look at me, and no I know exactly what it feels like to be toyed with.

I know exactly what he's doing, he's waiting for me to make the move on him, which I desperately want to do. I want to just reach out and pull his body close to mine, to pull his lips against mine, but I don't, I sit there and look at him as he is me instead.

In front of me, within him I know lies one of the biggest decisions I've ever had to pick between. I could crash and burn so easily if I gave into the feelings deep in the pit of my stomach right now or at the end of this road we've been on I might catch even just a glimpse of happiness, or at least closure. Tears begin to well in my eyes uncontrollably, but even that makes me think about how long of a time it's been since I left those hands of his catch my tears, and that just makes me hurt worse.

I know that my next move, here tonight, could either break my heart or save me. Nothing is real until you let go completely, so I throw all thoughts I've been saving and all the fears I have that are weighing on me out of my mind and take the half step of distance between us, and press my lips lightly to his.

Six.

Max's POV

I know that I can't take this back or make it go away, but I pray that she at least lets me attempt to make it better. And at this point, everybody in the room is watching, waiting for my reaction and response, but I don't care that we are the center of attention, because if this is what it takes it get her back, I will pay this small price gladly, so I continue to let her yell at me, right here in front of all of these people.


She glances around the room, noticing that everybody is looking at us, and her eyes finally loose some of their intensity while she regains control of her emotions.


"My sister, Max," she says in a softer tone, hurt written all over her face as she tries to compose herself, but I know her far better than just about everybody else in this room, and even though it appears as if we are having a small disagreement to outsiders, I know that she's hurt deep. Thinking this is finally my turn to apologize and get a rational response from her, I speak up.

"I know, and I know that it might take a while for me to make this right, but I want to do that. I want to do that for you Ry, because I miss you," I plead, hoping she will give in. I step closer to her and raise my arm to wipe the tears away from her face, but she leans away from my touch, and as much as it hurts, I know it's well deserved.

"Why?" she asks simply, keeping her gaze locked on the ground at our feet.

"Why do I miss you?" I ask in confusion.

"No, why did you do it?" she asks, looking up at me for the first time, letting me see exactly how much pain swims in those tantalizing eyes of hers.

"I had been drinking, and I made a mistake," I say while shrugging my shoulders. She sighs, biting on her bottom lip and just stands there, taking into consideration what I've just said. She moves over to the table to our left and sits down, so I follow her, sitting directly across from her.

Rylie's POV

I move over to the vacant table closest to us and sit down. I need answers, and I know that it is going to be hard on me when I get them, so sitting down is probably the best option for me right now. Luckily, he follows without making me ask him to.

"I need to know the full story," I say while crossing my arms across my chest again, as if it could act as a sort of barrier or protector from the words that will come out of his mouth next, as if it could stop the ache that I know I will feel in my heart. He closes his eyes and sighs, probably wondering how he can put that night into words that won't upset me to much. Like that is possible..

"Okay," he says while focusing his attention back to me. "If you want me to stop, just say so." I nod in response, telling him to continue. "It was your sisters last night here, so I figured she would be out at a club or something. I go to your apartment and see her standing at the sink. From behind, you guys look identical, not to mention I had already been drinking." I nod my head again, agreeing with that much. Sometimes it sucks having a twin sister... "And anyways, I walked up behind her, thinking it was you, and pulled her into my arms. One thing led to the next, and then you got home."

The memories of walking into my apartment and and seeing them on my couch together comes rushing back, even as hard as I've tried to get that vision out of my head, it's something I've always never been able to accomplish. I grip onto the edge of my chair, knowing that I probably shouldn't ask this next question, because it has the possibility of hurting me the most, but I ask it anyways.

"Was it good?" I ask while closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, bracing myself for the answer I'm hoping doesn't come out of his mouth.

Max's POV

"What?" I ask in pure shock, hoping she didn't ask exactly what I think she just did.

"You heard me," she says while opening her eyes and focusing her intensity back on me.

"Ry..." I say while shaking my head, not wanting to go this far into depth about that night with her and praying she lets me off the hook on this one.

"Max." she says defiantly, matching my plea. I sit there and don't answer, so she finally continues. "I don't think you really have a say here, I'm giving you a chance to talk and explain, so talk or I'm leaving. Was it good for you?" I lean across the small table in front of me, making my face very closer to hers while grabbing for her hands that she has placed on the table, which she reluctantly lets me do before I talk in an attempt to explain and make myself very clear.

"Ry, you are the only woman I want."

"Where was that mentality that night?" she shoots back at me, but she doesn't move further away from me or take her hands from mine. "Stop avoiding my question. I need to know," she pleads in a soft voice, almost as if this conversation is as hard for her to hear as it is for me to talk about it

"No, it wasn't. You are the only woman that makes me want to try to be a better person, makes me want to rush home to you instead of to a club after a big win, makes it hard for me to breathe when I'm with you, makes me a touch insane when I'm not able to come home to you.." I answer, but she's still starring at me as if that's not enough or a good enough answer, so I continue. "Nobody has the effect on me that you do, and holding someone else in my arms doesn't compare to holding you. It was one night of bad judgement," I finish, hoping that is enough for her to finally forgive me.

Rylie's POV

I sit there, taking everything he's said into consideration, but I'm beginning to wonder if his face being this close to mine or his hands holding mine isn't already effecting my judgement, so I pull my hands from his and sit back in my chair. His story does seem plausible, but that doesn't make it any easier to forgive.

"Why should I believe that you won't have another bad night of judgement."

"You are just going to have to have a little faith in me, trust me like you use to," he says while shrugging his shoulders, as if what he is saying is the simplest conclusion in the word. Oh, how I wish it was that simple. I know that I love him, and I probably always will, but I don't know what I would do if it happened again. I don't know if I could take it. But then again, he already slept with my sister, so I don't know that he could hurt me any worse.

"How many others have there been since that night?" I ask, knowing about his 'party boy' image. He looks at me in pure shock, and I can see him thinking about not answering, but finally does.

"None," he answers shortly. I look at him questioningly, so he continues. "The only woman I've been thinking about is you, and trying to get you back. And no matter how long it takes,ch I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of your trust again, Ry, because I need you."

"Absolutely no one?" I prod, in with he only nods his head so I continue. "Promise?"

"Yes," he answers simply before raising his hand from he table and just gently brushing it against my arm, and it takes all the self-control I have to not jump him right here. But then it dawns on me that he knows exactly what he is doing, and he knows just what his touch is doing to me, and that pisses me off even more.

If he can play games, then so can I.

Max's POV

I know it's not really fair, but I need all the help I can get right about now, so I reach out and touch her and her face automatically softens. After a couple seconds, I see her soft smile turn into something devilish and something that seems more animal than woman, and as sexy as that is, I don't know if I should be excited or not since it is directed toward me.

"You wanna prove that to me?" she asks while getting up out of her seat and walking toward me. I nod my head, the only response I can muster with her this close to me again, while she scoots my chair away from the table and straddles my lap. She brings her lips close to mine, literally a breathe away, but no closer. To add to her assault, she takes her hands and rakes them down my sides at an achingly slow pace. Her smile returns before she leans closer and presses her lips to my jaw, making a line of kisses from there to my ear, but she stops there, her lips lightly touching the shell of my ear.

"Game on Max Talbot," she whispers in a sultry voice that automatically makes my blood rush faster before climbing off at me, making me miss the heat of her body as she leaves me craving her touch, before sashaying across the room to where she was sitting before, leaving me breathless.

Five.

Max's POV

The game ends, us luckily winning after coming back from a 2 point deficit in the third. After each of us congratulate each other on the win, I glance up to where she was previously sitting, wanting to share this moment with her, just like I use to. Except she's not there. Damn it. She must have made a quick escape right after the final buzzer, because I know I saw her sitting up there just moments before.

I drag myself off the ice and into the locker room, being thankful that I'm not like Sid or even Geno now, and that I'll probably be able to slip out of the locker room without the hassle of having to do an interview before I leave. I get dressed quickly, not really saying anything to anybody. As I'm about to leave the room, Jordan grabs me by my shoulder, making me look at him.

"You gonna go to Diesel?" he asks, but I just give him a 'are you kidding me?' look so he continues. "I really think you should come out tonight, it might do you some good," he states while looking up at me intently, as if he is trying to clue me in on some secret without totally giving it away. A smile crosses my face when I come to the conclusion that Jodi is taking Rylie out tonight, and he probably was told to remain neutral on this very topic, to not clue me in on anything. To try and see if I'm catching onto what he's saying, I continue on with this topic.

"I don't know, I'm not so sure I feel like going out tonight." He lets go of my shoulders before standing up and giving me the same stare he did earlier.

"I think you really need to get out tonight, maybe a crowd of people will cheer you up," he says while grabbing his bag and walking past me, leaving me smiling like an idiot before I grab my bag and follow him diligently.

Rylie's POV

I can't believe I let Jodi talk me into this. She insisted that getting out is what I needed, and she also said she doubted Max would show, even after a big win, because she also insisted that she knows that he is hurting as much as I am.

I shake my head as I allow her to pull me up to the VIP area in Diesel. She goes and gets me a drink, while I survey the crowd, glancing over at the door just in case. She finally gets back, and I grab my drink, knowing that it could be a long night when I see the door swing open again, a file of the guys pouring in, and much to my dismay Max slinking in at the back of the pack. I take the drink that was sitting in front of me and down it, figuring I can't put this conversation off anymore, and maybe a little liquid courage is exactly what I need to say exactly what is on my mind.

As he enters the room, his eye sight automatically moves to me, followed by his timid footsteps. If I wasn't so anxious about what is to come of this conversation, I would be more than pissed at both Jodi and Jordan for their role in tonight. I specifically told Jodi that I wasn't ready to talk to him, but do you think that she could respect me wishes? No. Of course not. She had to go and play match-maker. By this time, Max is standing in front of me.

"Can we go somewhere to talk?" he asks while finally looking up and into my eyes. I stand there looking at him, trying to make the decision of whether or not I really want to do this. "Please?" he continues when I don't respond.

Instead of answering, I push him in the chest to get him to back up so I can lead him over to a quieter corner of the room, not trusting myself to be alone with him. I turn around after getting there, and cross my arms across my chest, also not trusting myself to not reach out and touch that rugged face of his....

"Talk," I command, trying not to sound like a bitch, but also trying to get my point across that I will not give in easily.

"You have to believe that I'm sorry," he says while stepping closer to me.

"I do," I reply shortly and bluntly. "But that is where my sympathy ends."

"Jesus Christ Ry, its been longer than 2 months. Can you not just give it up a little? I understand that you are mad but,"

"You understand?!" I interrupt, raising my voice, causing people to glance over at us, but at this point I don't care. "You understand?" I repeat, knowing that by the look on his face, my animosity has caught him off guard. "She was my sister," I continue, but he doesn't look me in the eye. "Damn it Max," I say with a large amount of bitterness in my voice. "She. Is. My. Freaking. Sister!" I say while enunciating each word for emphasis.

By now, everybody in the room is watching us, and I can't really seem to fine a reason to care as all the hurt comes rushing back, and it suddenly feels like I'm reliving that horrible night. I glance around the room and finally catch Jodi's gaze. She gives me a look that tells me to be a little less cruel, and as I think about it I notice that it hurts me even more to hurt him, as ironic and unbelievable as that is.

"My sister, Max," I add in a softer, quieter tone, the tears finally forming and rolling down my face, leaving wet streaks.

Four.

Okay, I'm not going to lie here. I literally know nothing about Max, so I'm sure I'm going to make more mistakes than just the eye color(which is now fixed), so I'm apologizing in advance :-) If/When I do make one, point it out and I'll gladly fix it. I could look some stuff up, but then that feels more like a research project than writing because I like to, so it kinda takes the fun out of it. I honestly don't even know where he's from. Guessing by his accent, I'd say Canada, but that is just a pure guess. :-S Oh, and new song up. ---> It's about his brother that recently died, so that's pretty sad, good song though. I got David Cook's cd the other day, and I love it!I have a lot of ideas for this story, so you'll probably see a lot more updates for it than my other stories because its my fav. right now. :-)

Rylie's POV

I slink into the arena behind Jodi, cursing myself for even coming to the game at all, but yet I couldn't really help myself. As much as I hate him, or better yet think I hate him, I'm still drawn to him just as much as ever, which quite frankly pisses me off. He hurt me, I'm not suppose to want him. Not anymore. At least I think so..

We head to our seats, which luckily aren't our normal ones thanks to the help of Jordan. Even though I caved in and showed up, the last thing I wanted was for him to know that I did. That would just give him the impression that he has a chance, and that's not something I can promise. I don't like giving false hope, even though it could possibly hurt him as much as I'm hurting now.

We take our seats just as the guys come out onto the ice for pre-game, and my eyes automatically go straight for him. He looks so happy out on the ice, and even that infuriates me a little. He seems completely in control of himself, while it feels like my mind has been telling my body to do things uncontrollably since he left. As hard as I try, I find that I can't tear my gaze away from him.

Looking at him, he isn't what you would call classically handsome. I see him scan the crowd, looking toward our normal seats, and I think that I can just maybe see a trace of disappointment cross his face when he sees that our seats are vacant. As he skates to our end of the ice, I can see the ache in his eyes, even if it's momentary. Scanning his face, you can see the markings of a typical hockey player, scars from him losing his temper and taking it out on one of the guys from the opposing team, making him strong and courageous in my eyes. Nothing is hotter than seeing your man take a few jabs at somebody, but then again slightly disheveled men have always been a weakness of mine, which inevitably leads to a weakness for hockey players. No, he is not handsome. He is sexy as hell.

I continue to watch him from my seat in the stands, knowing that I am invisible to him, which is ironic because I wish he was invisible to me. I wish I didn't still want him, but I can't help it anymore. I miss him.

I watch him as he scans the crowd, until his eyes focus on me, and that little smirk of his that crosses his face after he has spotted me makes a shiver run down my spine. I search his gaze just as intently as he is mine, and in the depth of his eyes I see hope, like as if he knows that by my being here I'm not completely done, we aren't completely finished. With the way he is looking at me, I can't help but want to forgive and forget, as cliche as it sounds. Snapping back to reality, I shake my head before focusing on something else, hoping I haven't already given him enough ammunition to overcome my defenses.

Max's POV

I skate around aimlessly after getting on the ice, still slightly disappointed from the outcome of my talk with Rylie earlier. I'm so lost up in my thoughts that I don't notice when Sid joins me in making my laps, matching me stride for stride easily.

"I'm glad this is only a game in the beginning of March and not one at the end of April, because you are definitely somewhere else," he says while taking his stick and hitting my shins, pulling me from my thoughts. I know he's probably slightly worried about me since we are friends, but right now I think he is trying to do his captain duties than anything else.

"Uh.. yeah. I guess I am a little distracted," I answer shortly, scanning over where she use to sit, just in case, but finding it empty.

"Your talk not go well?" he ask, even though I know he probably already knows the answer. Jodi and Rylie are pretty close, and I know Jodi and Jordan talk about everything, and everybody knows that even though we adamantly deny it, guys love to gossip in the locker room. I simply shake my head and shrug in response. He looks at with that 'Poor guy..' gaze before skating off, leaving me to my thoughts again.

I scan the crowd, thinking just maybe she is making her way down the isle, that just maybe she hasn't made it to her seat yet. I know it sounds silly, but as I slide down to the ice to stretch, I just know that she is here, somewhere. I'm not sure how I know, I can just feel it, can feel her eyes on me and it makes me shiver to know that she is watching me do this, watching me stretching, which inevitably has me imagining getting out of this uniform and pressing her up against a wall and having my way with her.

I close my eyes and try to think about the game, try to think about our opponents, try to think about how much I would love to beat the Caps, how I would love to wipe that confident smile off Ovie's face. But then, I'm back to thinking about how she would congratulate me later for putting the cocky Russian in his place, think about how she would jump into my arms and press her lips up to mine..

Shit. I have to concentrate, and thinking about her cool soft skin is not helping at all. I get up, starting to skate again as I see Jordy coming up behind me.

"Section B17," he says while skating past me, but I know exactly what he means. I should have known he would know where she was sitting. I glance up and see her sitting there, her gaze locked on mine. She blushes slightly at being caught, but she doesn't look away, and I find myself smiling uncontrollably.

She's here. She still cares. I continue to stare at her, not really believing my luck before she turns her attention back to Jodi, leaving me wondering.

Three.

Woo! No more high school! Yay!!! I've written quite a bit for all 3 of my stories, while some of my classmates were probably still recuperating. They kinda had a rough morning I'm betting.. :-S haha Anyways, I'm sure the people that read my other stories know that this one is pretty different, but I needed to change things up a bit. Hope you like it as much as my others.. Leave comments! I didn't think I'd have enough ideas to keep up with 3 stories, but yet I can now see that I was wrong because I have ideas for a 4th story bouncing around in my head, I just don't know who I want it to be about.. lol. Leave any suggestions you have, because I'm clueless. haha

Rylie's POV

I make my way back toward my office, Jodi disappearing down toward the locker room to see Jordan after their morning skate. Not thinking anything of it, I take Mario his coffee before sitting down at my desk. I sit watching the screen saver on my computer, the same one of pictures of the players that is on all of the computers in the arena. Max's picture slides across the screen, causing all the havoc that was rushing through my mind earlier to come screaming back into my thoughts. I sit here, running the same possibilities through my mind that always seem to come up at the mere thought of him.

I could take him back. Lord knows I would be a lot happier if I did.. I know I miss him, and I can only pray that he misses me just as much, or hopefully more. And he did look apologetic this morning.. Maybe if I just gave him a chance..

Then my thoughts turn over to that one night, and all my reasoning is exchanged for fury. No. I can't be with him. I will not be hurt again, not by him.

Max's POV

I sit down in my stall and shrug out of my practice gear, watching Jodi walk over to Jordan, a smile crossing both of their faces. Normally I would be happy for them, but I haven't been able to find a whole lot to be happy about here recently. I see Jodi approaching me, and I can only pray that she has good news for me.

"She misses you," she states simply while sitting in the stall adjacent to mine. I look up at her, knowing that her just 'missing' me isn't enough for her to want me back. "She is pretty miserable right now. Have you tried talking to her?"

"I've tried calling, but of course she wouldn't answer. I've left messages, begging for her to call me back, but nothing," I shrug. She rolls her eyes, obviously irritated at my effort level.

"What about in person?"

"You saw her today, she barely even glanced in my direction."

"You know Ry.. she's stubborn, she's not going to be the first to cave in. Come on, she's in the office now. Let's go talk to her," she says while pulling me to my feet, not giving me a chance to object.

Rylie's POV

I see Jodi come walking around the corner to the office, and she has that mischievous look on her face so I know she is up to something. She walks over toward me and sits in the chair directly to my left.

"Rylie, you miss him. I see it, Jordan sees it, everybody does. Why not try to forgive him?"

I turn to face her, knowing I shouldn't be angry with her, she hasn't done anything, but I can't help it. "He hurt me Jodi. And how would I ever be able to trust him again. I should have listened to Kailyn's advice when I first came into town and I never would be in this position," I sigh before resting my head in my hands.

"You should at least talk to him then," she says before getting up and leaving. Seconds later, Max makes his way into the office, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and his head hung low, looking as if he is waiting for his punishment. I wish I was strong enough to push him back toward the door, act like I'm not even a little happy that he is here, but when he looks up at me and I see the sadness in those blue eyes of his, I know I need to get out of here before I give in to him like I always use to seem to do.

Max's POV

I walk into the room, and I automatically see the 'deer caught in headlights' look cross her face, and I don't blame her. She sits though, waiting for me to say something. I walk toward her desk and stand in front of it, willing the right words to form from my tongue.

"I'm sorry, I know I made a mistake," I start, thinking an apology would be a good place to go from. "Ry," I sigh when she doesn't look up at me. She finally does, and I can see just how much I've hurt her. "You have no idea, I really am sorry."

"Don't worry about it" she shrugs before turning her attention back toward the computer screen that previously held her gaze. I know that that is her dismissal, that she doesn't want to talk about it anymore so I take a different approach.

"Are you coming to the game tonight?" I ask, waiting for her to look back up at me. She shrugs her shoulders before getting up and walking past me. I grab her arm, needing to get one more question in before she disappears. She looks down at where my hand circles around hers, and then finally up to my eyes.

"Can you at least let me try to fix this?"

"I don't know that you can.." she says before turning to leave again, but not before I can see the formation of tears in her eyes, and I can only curse myself for being the one to put them there.

Two.

Rylie's POV

I walk ahead of Jodi out toward my car, trying to let the tears dry from my eyes before she can see just how much he does still affect me. I can't get the look of his face out of my mind, so I close my eyes, but the vision doesn't go away, it never has. Every time I think I'm moving on, think I have finally forgotten about him, he comes rushing back into my life and I am left completely helpless from trying to stop it. Everything I do seems to have a memory with him attached to it, making it almost completely impossible for me to forget. Washing dishes, watching TV while lounging on the couch, showering, laying in bed at night... it is still all vivid memories of mine, enough so that sometimes it still feels as if I can feel his arms snaking around me, holding me close to his strong body.. I shake my head, trying to rid it of the previous thoughts that went through it before standing at the door of my car, not able to get in.



Jodi comes up behind me, putting her hand on my shoulder for support and finally making the tears fall. I turn around and look at her, knowing that she is about to say something.



"Don't. Just don't.. okay?" I plead, knowing that now more than ever she knows the truth. I'm not over him. I probably never will be.



"I wasn't going to," she soothes while pulling me into a tight hug, but even that makes me remember a much stronger embrace..

Max's POV

All through the morning skate, I can't keep my mind off of her. It's been nearly two months, and I haven't gotten so much of a hello from her. Not that I blame her.. what I did was incredibly stupid, but I can only hope that she finds it within herself to forgive me, at least eventually. I don't know what I was thinking.. I went and ruined just about one of the only correctly functioning relationships I've ever had, and all for nothing.

But then I think back to the way she looked this morning, the almost haunted look that covered her face. Seeing that face that sad almost puts daggers through my chest. One of the things I loved most about her was her personality, always happy and welcoming. Now, I felt anything but welcomed by her. I missed the way her smile use to light up her face, or the way she was always happy to see me. I try to free my mind of all thoughts of her, knowing that I need to concentrate completely on practice. It sounds like an easy task, but it has been anything but easy since that once night that seems like so long ago.

One.

Rylie's POV

I make my way into the arena, trying my hardest to get to my office without running into a lot of people. I make my way through the dark hallways by memory, finally reaching my office and sighing in relief when I do. Jodi gives me a questioning glance as I put my stuff in place before sitting down in my chair which is directly across from her. I try to go on with my morning business, hoping she will find someone else to harass for a little while. And it's not that I don't like Jodi. I love her, but this is just one topic I have been trying to avoid for some time now. I see her still looking me over, so I finally give her the satisfaction and raise my gaze to meet hers.

"Go on, say it," I state bluntly, hoping she has some new information for me but also trying by best to not look too interested. A smile crosses her face, which makes me think my acting skills aren't as great as I was hoping they would be.

"He told me he called you," she offers, that same smile still plastered on her face while she types away at her computer.

"Did he also tell you I didn't answer?" I ask while getting up and heading to the big cherry door at the back of the room, knocking on it and waiting for acknowledgement from 'The Boss' on the other side before opening it. After Mario's approval I open the door and ask if he would like coffee or anything, trying my best to put this conversation off again.

"Yes, he did mention that too," Jodi says while following my suit and reaching for her purse as well.

"What are you doing?" I ask while heading out the door, the click of high heels on the cement floor telling me she's intending on coming with me, but talking about leaving her behind is a lot easier than talking about leaving a particular someone else behind, because even though it's what I would love to do, I've had issues accomplishing that, even though I pretend I don't.

"Getting coffee," she replies in a sarcastic voice and giving me a 'you can't put this off any longer' look that makes me want to look anywhere but at her. As I shift my gaze, it comes into contact with a much more intense gaze that automatically makes a shiver run down my spine. It looks as if he is going to say something, but I know far too well if I keep looking into those eyes that they will break down my defences, and I really need to not be weak now, so instead I look straight ahead and march toward the door.

Max's POV

I see her walking toward me, and I think about saying something, but the blank stare she is giving me tells me she is still being difficult.

Looking at her, watching her walk in my direction makes me want her even more, but also reminds me that she's not mine to claim. Not anymore. I watch as her skirt clings to her legs, caressing the skin I wish I could run my hands over, just once more. I watch her, watch the way her hair surrounds her face, touching it lightly with a softness that makes me remember our most intimate of nights shared together. Her dark eyes watch my every move, wary of my presence before she quickly adverts her eyes to the ground, avoiding me once again like she has the past months. She walks past me, mere inches away, and I feel my body bend towards her, wanting to be able to touch her like she once let me, feeling it in every nerve ending I possess clear down my spine. Shaking myself from my thoughts, I look over at Jodi, but she just shrugs and gives me the same 'I'm working on it' look that she has been for probably the last 2 weeks. I stand motionless, unable to talk to her, so instead I just watch her shapely legs march toward the door.

Welcome..

Alrighty, I'll keep this short.

I've decided to go ahead and start a Max story. It will kinda be a mini series type deal, like Tangled Up In You with A Perfectly Good Heart..? still being my main story. I'll probably have the first post up sometime this weekend or early during the week. Oh, and leave comments telling me what you think. If you don't like it, I might as well not bother writing it. I've also considered making videos with my webcam for this type of information stuff, so if you would rather watch a video instead of read all my random thoughts, you should comment about what you think about that too.