Chapter Twenty Five

Max slowly rolled out of bed, yawning and stretching. His head was pounding. He maybe had a few too many last night.

The same thing could be said of the night before and the night before that. Really every night since he got back to Pittsburgh.

He looked down at the bed behind him. There was a pair of legs sprawled out on the bed, twirled around a sheet that barely covered them. He searched his memory for the name of the girl those legs were attached to but came up blank. He didn't really care. She was just another piece of ass that he was filling his time with. She was clearly not that memorable…

He got up and picked up his robe off the floor, wrapped it around his body and headed to the bathroom. He leaned over the counter and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked rough. He looked like he looked after losing to Montreal in game seven, like he had been beaten from the inside. He knew he would have to snap out of it, he'd have to stop feeling sorry for himself. The guys would all start heading back for the season and he would be expected to be the Max they all knew - the happy, jolly Max full of fart jokes and dirty stories.

Looking back at the reflection it was hard to imagine that he could get back there. The things that normally made him happy were offering no relief. He tried to spend some time in Montreal with his family, after leaving the cabin, but being that close to her was hard, so he went on vacation. He took a couple buddies and headed to Bermuda. He banged everything that walked past him. He drank everything in sight. Nothing worked. Nothing cleared his mind. He went back home, knowing that she would be back in Ottawa, back at work, back to her regular life, but his mom and her mom kept whispering over the back fence and he couldn't handle it. So back to Pittsburgh it was. He figured he could through himself into his training, working out harder then ever before.

Of course that still left the nights when all he had to do was sit around and think. His trainer told him to take it easy but he couldn't get out of his head… so he drank. And he went to clubs. And he brought home random women, who he had no intention of getting to know. And he hated himself for it. All he wanted was Amber. Only she could make this better. She could save him and pull him out of this and make everything right again.

But he couldn't have her – not yet anyway. He had to keep reminding himself of that. 'In time', he thought to himself.

He walked back to the bed and looked at the girl lying there. Her long, brown, slightly curly hair fell over her face. If he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, it could be her – the scent was so close. Her body was similar to Amber's – slender but athletic, with curves in all the right places. Her boobs weren't the same though…

Max climbed back into the bed and ran his hand over her hair. It felt the same – soft and silky. He leaned down to her hair and pressed his face into it. It smelt like her too.

"Mmm… good morning sexy…" the girl responded to his touching her. Her voice was deep and husky. She certainly didn't sound like Amber but that was easily solved.

"Shhhh… don't talk," Max waived his hand in her face, then rolled her onto her stomach and kissed her back while climbing on top of her. If he couldn't have her, he could certainly try and pretend. He leaned back on his knees and forcefully pulled her ass up to his cock, planting it firmly into her tight entrance. She let out a moan that was too deep to be Amber.

"Shut the fuck up," Max hissed as he pounded his dick into her. Max continued to pound away, ignoring the protests from the receiver. He couldn't care less if she liked it. She was an idiot if she thought for a second that he was there to make her feel good. He closed his eyes and pretended it was Amber. Of course, he would never treat Amber like this. He would be gentle and passionate. Unless she wanted it rough, and then he would oblige.

Max wound up and slapped the make shift Amber's ass. At least he could get out his aggression now. Punish her for making him feel this way. Punish her for making him wait. He continued fucking the girl below him, feeling his anger growing within him. He felt himself getting close and pulled out of her wet hole, and blew his load over her ass. Then with a huff, he threw her down face first into the bed.

"You're a FUCKING ASSHOLE!" the name-less girl yelled up at him, surely trying to figure out how to get his cum off her ass...

"Whatever…" Max stood up and walked over to his laundry pile to pick up a pair of discarded boxers to wipe his cock off with. "I'm having a shower… when I get out, you need to be gone…"

"What? What's wrong with you?"

"Get out of my house," Max picked up a piece of her discarded clothing and threw it at her before turning back towards his bathroom. He hadn't told anyone what was going on in his head and he certainly wasn't about to start sharing with her.

-.-

"Rough night dude?" Kunitz asked as Max walked into the weight room.

"A bit…" Max admitted, leaning back on a weight machine.

"Maybe you need to slow down a bit. Training camp is around the corner," Kunitz reminded him.

"Training camp... whatever dude... They aren't going to send me back down. I'll be fine," Max retorted angrily.

"Maybe not but there are a lot of guys who would die for your ice time… being on the power play with Sid is a huge opportunity."

"Thanks Mom… maybe you should worry about yourself and leave me the fuck alone?"

"Wow, Jordan mentioned that you were a temperamental bitch this summer but I thought it was just his pain meds talking… you need to chill the fuck out…"

"I came here to work out, not get a lecture, so if you wouldn't mind…"

"Whatever man… I am clearly wasting my breath," Kunitz returned to concentrating on the stationary bike and let Max go back to being an ass.

Max zoned out on his weights, going through his routine as designed by his trainer. He was more determined then ever to be in top form for this season, to make up for his dismal production last year. His shoulder surgery had really set him back and this was a contract year for him, so if he had any chance of getting a good deal he had to be at the top of his game.

He was almost finished his circuit, when a couple of guys walked into the room, laughing and joking. Max grabbed his towel and water bottle, getting up to head to the showers. Normally he was the first to jump in with the guys joking around but his head was still pounding from this morning and he really just wanted to go home and have another drink to scare it away.

"Hey man, we are going to head onto the ice. Wanna come? Quick, friendly game?" Dupuis asked.

"No, I think I'll pass," Max shook his head while draining his water bottle. "I've got plans tonight, so I should get home... i might need a nap to prepare, if you know what i mean..." Max offered quickly, as several of his team mates looked at him in shock. He was always the first one to want to play but he just wasn't in the mood.

"Plans? Hot date? Does she have a sister?" Tanger asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly. Max shook his head, forcing Tanger to turn his attention to the rest of the group. "Hey Sid! Wanna come out tonight and help me get some girls?"

Max looked up and across the weight room to the wall where a group of the guys had formed. He hadn't even noticed that Sid was there. He hadn't seen him since coming back from Montreal. Honestly, he had changed his entire routine to avoid seeing him. Last year, it had always been him and Sid here first thing every morning working out together. They were both morning guys and creatures of habit. It hadn't been easy for Max to change his schedule but he knew that Sid never would. So unless he wanted to see him every morning a change was in order.

"No sorry dude… I got a hot date tonight," Sid offered to his eager teammate. Max hoped that Sid had caught the disapproving, if not flat out threatening, look on his face.

"Oh right, I am down another wingman aren't I? Fuck! Going with you always guaranteed me a lay! Hey, anybody up for a night out?" Tanger bellowed to the rest of the room.

Max quickly grabbed the rest of his things, hoping to get out of the locker room without having to talk to anyone else – especially not Sid.

"So this is how it's going to be eh?" He heard a familiar voice coming up behind him.

"What? You following me into the showers? I didn't think you swung that way?" Max retorted, trying to keep the atmosphere light. If Max was going to get what he wanted, he was going to have to put on the best act of his life.

"Funny. I think by now we both know that's not true," Sid chuckled. Max didn't laugh. "Sorry, too soon?"

"Yeah, too soon." Max watched Sid shift awkwardly.

"I just want things to be okay between us, especially in here. I understand that you probably don't want to be anywhere near me but it's important in here… the guys don't need to deal with our shit," Sid offered.

"Dude, I told you I was fine and I am but don't push it…"

"K, clear as mud." Sid nodded his head. "See you tomorrow?"

Max grunted his agreement and headed into the showers.

-.-

"Hey! How was your day?" Sid jumped up from his chair in the players lounge and wrapped his arms around Amber's waist, as she entered the room with Nathalie by her side.

"It was great… busy but fun…" Amber responded.

"Well, I guess my job here is done. I have delivered Amber scar free. Her first day as a WAG and she has escaped unharmed. Not all women can say that!" Nathalie joked. "I best be off. I better start dinner. Will you two be joining us?"

Sid shook his head. "We have reservations for dinner."

"Okay, well then we will see you when we do," Sid and Amber both thanked Nathalie for her hospitality, as she headed for the exit and then Sid returned to wrapping his arms around Amber.

"So really? You had a good day?"

"No… It was fucking hell! What the fuck am I doing here?" Amber dropped all her bags at Sid's feet and climbed into one of the bar stools, rested her forehead on the bar and wrapped her arms around her head and started to sob.

-.-

Max climbed out of the shower and towelled himself off. Considering it was his second shower of the day, he was surprised how very unclean he still felt. He headed into the expansive new dressing room and got dressed into the clothes that he had arrived at the arena in. They kinda smelt bad. He really needed to get a maid - or go shopping. Doing laundry never seemed to be a priority for him. It was easier to just buy new clothes. He tried to mask the funk by adding a couple extra squirts of his cologne but he doubted that that was going to fool anyone.

Max grabbed his bag and dug out a Gatorade, taking a quick drink. His stomach was growling and it was probably time to feed the beast. He hadn't wanted to add anything except coffee on his way to the rink, thinking that with the amount of undigested alcohol that probably remained in his system, whatever he added wouldn't have lasted long inside him anyway, so why waste the money? The training staff would kick his ass if they knew how bad he had been eating this summer.

He headed out of the dressing rooms and into the players lounge to see if their new team chef could whip him up something quick – and probably more nutritious then the beer, expired yogurt and mouldy cheese in his fridge.

As he entered the lounge, he quickly surveyed to see who else was in the room. The room was practically empty, except for a couple of the new guys up from Scranton and a trainer and – 'Oh shit,' Max thought to himself, as he recognized the head of hair at the counter. He was surprised to see her there, surprised that Sid had actually been able to convince her to come to Pittsburgh. When he had asked to her move here with them, she had flat out refused and Max remembered all the negative things she had to say about the 'Burgh. A part of him was pissed that she would come here for Sid but not for him, but being pissy about the situation wasn't going to get him anywhere. 'Okay man, play it cool – stick with the plan'

"So you're actually in Pittsburgh? I never thought it would happen…" Max asked, walking up behind her. He watched as she slowly turned around in her chair. He was expecting to see a smile and her to jump to her feet and wrap her arms around him in a big bear hug, like she had done so many times in the past but as she turned to face him, there were streaks of tears mixed with mascara running down her face.

"What the fuck is going on?"