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.