Chapter 20

Gah! I can't believe that I'm writing chapter 20 already. Also, does anyone else think that Crosby's vocabulary is hilarious? I've noticed he uses a lot of old-fashioned terms like "youngster" and various other words that always manage to crack me up when I see an interview. He's just so...wholesome or something that it's amusing. Maybe these aren't old-fashioned words but for a big, tough hockey player, it's pretty tame. Anyway, on to the story.



Eliza's POV:



I sat down at my desk as soon as he left giving myself some time to calm down. How could he just blow up at me and then tell me that he loves me? He couldn't possibly really love me. We had only known each other for a few months and we had only decided to become exclusive two short weeks ago. As soon as my shocked brain absorbed what he had said to me, I felt my body experience a slow melt-down and I was almost worried that my brain was going to ooze out of my ears. Normal people don't just say things like that in the middle of an argument especially when in that moment, I had been ready to do and say anything as long as it wiped that betrayed look off of his face that made me feel like scum. How did he not see that I was completely torn up about the decision and that's why I had been crying when he walked in? And then he had walked in calling me 'baby' and trying to make me feel better that I felt even worse. Lower than scum.



The absolute worst part of the whole night had been him leaving but there was no way in hell that I was going to go after him when he was in that kind of a mood. We both needed to cool off and when we were ready, we would talk. Until then, I was too shaken up still thinking about his declaration of "I love you" to do anything but go home and fall face first into bed. Alone.



Max's POV:



I left her office still angry and like I had just been sucker punched. I needed to go home and cool off but knew that I would only end up sitting in my house which now smelled like her and spend the entire time thinking about what had gone wrong. Which was everything. I texted Marc to see if they had gone out. What I needed right now was a distraction and alcohol. Marc texted back saying that a few of them had gone to Diesel for drinks after the game. I left the arena happy that all of the fans had left by then and drove over to the Southside not giving a damn about how fast I was going.

Inside Diesel the temperature was already climbing as more and more people got into the slutty dancing portion of the evening that was always fueled by alcohol. Normally I would be content to get in on the action or kick back and watch everyone but tonight I just wanted a beer. Or vodka, or both. Before I could flag anyone down for a drink, I felt my arm clasped in a death grip.

"Where's Eliza?" Vero asked not letting go of my arm. My mood went from bad to worse at the mention of her name and I finally shook her off of my arm.

"Not here" I said hoping to leave her so that I could get a drink.

"What did you do?" she asked looking at me suspiciously. She didn't even know what had happened so why was it automatically my fault?

"Marc, shake your woman off" I called over to Marc who was giving me a 'I'm not involved' look and backing away with Jordan.

"Don't act that way with me Max. I know you too well. Did you guys talk?" she asked grabbing my arm and shoving me into a chair in the corner with her. For someone so small, she was pretty strong.

"Yeah, and she's going to D.C. End of story" I said not looking at Vero and finally flagging down someone to take my drink order.

"You son of a bitch. You didn't even really listen to her did you? Let me guess, you just freaked out, right?"

"Why are you blaming this all on me? She's the one who's leaving and she never even talked about it with me!" Seriously, how was I the bad guy?

"It's one interview you imbecile. Did you give her the chance to explain? Did she tell you why she's so torn about the decision to even go for an interview? It's not even a guarantee that she'll get the job and if she does, she hasn't decided if she would take it. She wants to see if she can do it and you're the reason she thinks that she wouldn't take it if they offered it to her. Even though she's completely brilliant and you're undeserving of her and her brilliance" She huffed out looking like she wanted to smack me. I didn't doubt that she could cause some pain. I let what she said sink in and was starting to feel like the world's biggest fool.


"So she's testing herself?" I asked trying to get it all straight.

"Have you been listening at all to what I've just said? Yes!" she said looking like she actually was going to smack me. "She's worried that she'll never have another opportunity like this again and doesn't want to have any regrets. You're just too selfish to ask her this."

"I told her that I love her" I mumbled needing her to understand everything that had happened. Her expression changed from anger to sympathy.

"Aw honey, you really are stupid aren't you?" she said patting me on the hand.

"Max, go talk to her and more importantly, go listen to her" she said. I knew she was right but was still unsure of what to do or say.

"Groveling is a good place to start" she said reading my mind. My drink arrived and Vero sent it back with the waiter.

"He won't be needing this but thanks, I'll still pay for it" she said to the waiter who stared at her like she was crazy.

I guess I have no choice.



Eliza's POV:



I had just settled into my bed after doing any little chore that I could in my apartment to distract myself. Without anything to do and nothing good on TV, I had no choice but to try to go to sleep and pray that I felt better in the morning. I didn't feel like being in Pittsburgh this weekend and contemplated catching a flight to D.C. in the morning just to get away. Anything to get away from Max. I was past the state of feeling mad anymore and had moved into sad and on the verge of tears. I shut the lights off and settled in under the covers tempted to pull them completely over my head. As soon as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I heard my phone ringing on the bedside table. Groaning I answered without checking the I.D. and regretted it as soon as I heard his voice.

"Lizzy, we have to talk. Let me in." I sat up in bed listening to him breathing on the other end.

"Come on, I know you're there. Please let me in" he said sounding slightly desperate.

"Hold on" I said shortly before hanging up on him. I was tempted just to leave him out there but I knew that he would only stand out there and make noise. I pulled a sweatshirt over my tanktop and grabbed sweatpants before padding out into the foyer. I opened the door and Max brushed past me walking into the apartment.
"Sure, yeah. Just come right in" I said sarcastically locking the door back up again.
"We have to talk" he repeated ignoring the waves of anger I was positive were radiating off of me.
"Are you going to say anything?" he ground out looking frustrated.
"Me? You're the one who freaked out and left when I would have gladly explained myself to you" I said actually wanting to smack him.
"Not about that, I meant what I told you. Do you have anything to say about that?" I waited for a second thinking about this. I was torn up about enough right now and this was not the right time to talk about that. He couldn't keep pulling out the 'love' card and expect me to react calmly. It was a big deal to keep hearing it from him- especially when he's the first man to say it to me besides my Dad and especially when I think I might feel the same way. Instead I forced the conversation back to the original problem.
"Max! Stop doing that! Why can't you just listen to why I want to go on the interview? Or do you just not care?"
His eyes flashed at me and he moved closer causing me to take a precautionary step back. "So you don't think I care?"
"No!" He moved closer and I felt my body go on alert "I mean, I don't know. Stop coming closer" I said when I felt my butt hit the kitchen table. He took the opportunity to trap me against the table with his body.
"I talked to Vero tonight" he said placing his hands on my hips to keep me in place. "She told me what I should have waited to hear you say" he said his dark eyes looking at me intently. I knew that this was his apology and felt myself soften against him. Damn him.
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you right away. I just didn't know what to do and tonight I was talking to Vero and she kept telling me that you deserved to know- and she was right. So that's when you found me in my office after the game." I could feel myself tearing up apparently unable to control my tear ducts anymore. This would all be so easy if Max hadn't told me that he loved me. And if I wasn't feeling like I felt the same way.

Max's POV:

She looked away and I saw that she was crying again making me feel even worse for how I had acted.
"Lizzy, don't cry, please" I said clumsily wiping her tears off her cheeks. She looked so small and cute in her oversized sweatpants that I pulled her closer into a hug feeling her sniffle against my sweater. Her arms went around my waist and she leaned back to look at my face again.
"So you're not mad? Because I need to do this and I need you to be okay with that" Her beautiful blue eyes bored into mine and I knew that even though I wasn't happy about this, I loved her. I knew she could love me too- she was just too stubborn to admit it right now.

"You have to be honest from now on, okay?" I told her leaning down to kiss her damp cheek. She nodded and I saw a smile start to form on her lips for the first time since this morning. Suddenly I was aware of how close we were standing and the feeling of her body pressed against mine through the layers of clothing between us. Her hands went to my back to press me closer bringing our lips together softly. My mind told me to leave it at that- just a peck, but as soon as I felt her mouth open to mine invitingly, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to hold back.

The breathy noises she was making were driving me crazy and she eagerly pulled the sweatshirt she was wearing over her head so that I could feel more of her soft skin. Somehow her sweatpants were gone too leaving her in the shorts she had been wearing to bed as a thin barrier between us. I skimmed my fingers along the lines on her shorts where cotton and skin met.
"Max, please" she begged as I propped her up on the kitchen table, her legs wrapping around my waist tightly. She loosened my tie for me while I explored the sensitive skin of her neck and within seconds it was off with half of the buttons on my shirt unbuttoned.

I picked her up moving to the couch, both of our bodies shifting to accomodate each other. Our mouths met again and even though I knew we still had things to talk about, I was helpless to ignore the heat of her body beneath mine.


Afterwards I carried her back into her bedroom and watched her sleep, her body automatically curling into mine. She's the first woman to fascinate me even in sleep and I marvel at how beautiful and relaxed she is with her hair tossed everywhere and her mouth open slightly in an almost silent snore. Even though there's a lot going on in our lives right now I know for sure that I'm in love with this woman and while it's scary, it's more terrifying to think of her being gone from my life entirely because of a job in another city. Yes, I'm going to be okay with her going on the interview because she needs me to be, but if she thinks that she's getting away that easily, then she's not as smart as she thinks she is.