He's The Goal

by Faith M Troyer

  There was no way that she could have known it was my Granny's china set, but the bitch somehow knew it would hurt me and did it out of spite. It’s a shame that none of the china remained, or I would have popped each one of her obnoxious implants!

  Max came clean and told me Saturday afternoon when I snuck out of my room to use the bathroom. I didn’t want to see or talk to him, but it was either taking that risk or getting a bladder infection. Either way, I knew I’d lose.

  I wipe my eyes with my palm as I stare at the space where Granny's favorite plates once sat. She gave them to me on my eighteenth birthday. They were a gift to my Granny on her wedding day. They managed to bring those plates from Scotland when they moved to America in the early 1920s. That china set had been a fucking family-heirloom! I’ll never be able to forgive her for as long as I live.

  “I have to work, Max. I can’t come.” I don’t dare look at him in the eye right now because I know if I do, I will for sure lose it.

  He doesn't say anything, and for a second, I think he walked away from me. I don’t blame him. I’m hard to love sometimes, and I know this. I turn my back to the kitchen table and run my hand over the space where the china once sat and sniffle quietly. Then that’s when I feel a pair of robust and warm biceps curl around my shoulders, and my body instinctively gives into his gentleness as I sink into Max’s hold.

  I’m so sick of fighting him. I can’t do it anymore, but it doesn't seem fair that he’s been leading me on. I want to slap and kiss him silly, and all in that order. Feeling his soft, full lips and angular jaw, prickly with a few days of growth against my neck, I almost faint. His breathing is labored just like mine, and I swear I’m dreaming. He wraps his strong arms around the smallest part of my waist and pulls me into his embrace.

  “I’m so fucking sorry about this weekend. I was an idiot and should have respected the rules of your house. Instead, I was a horny bastard and thought with my other head instead.”

  I fight a smile and softly chuckle. I want to tell Max right now how I feel and take that chiseled jaw in my hands and kiss those gorgeous soft lips that I’ve been dreaming of having all over my body for years. But I feel something stopping me, and that’s a paralyzing fear that Max will reject me and break my heart all over again. This time, the hit will be “intentional,” and I don’t think I can survive another blow.

  I slowly escape from Max’s arms and turn to face him.

  “If I could somehow get your Granny's china back, I would, I swear. I know how much those plates meant to you, and they were more than just plates. They were your last piece of her, and it makes me sick that she did that to you. It’s my fault, Vada. I shouldn't have even asked her over from the start.”

  My lips quiver as I take in Max’s sullen expression and my heart compresses with anxiety. I watch his eyes drink me in as if I’m his first sip of water in years. His hands slide under my chin and hold my gaze with those amazing blue eyes that seem to teleport me to a different dimension every time.

  “I’ll be off next weekend. Maybe I could come then?”

  “I don’t play on Saturdays. Maybe we can just go out to dinner instead?”

  My eyes grow wide in shock, but I try to keep my surprise to a minimum.

  “So now you’re asking me out on a date? I thought we hated each other?” I try not to smile, but the way the corners of his eyes crease when he gives me that charming lopsided smile gives me butterflies, and I feel the need to let him ravish me already.

  It’s the perfect setup for some freaky kitchen sex. Max touches my cheek with his thumb, grazing my lower lip with the rough pad driving me crazy. His eyes search mine and seem to be asking permission if he should keep going or just stop and walk away. I fight the urge to suck his entire finger inside of my mouth; God, I’m so excited. I can’t give it out, though. I need to stand my ground, but I’m finding it impossible.

  “I don’t hate you. Is it a bad thing for a guy to ask his friend out for a nice dinner?”

  Shit. My stomach falls to my feet as Max says the word friend.

  That’s it. I’ve been friend-zoned.

  Max will want to have a nice “day date” at a coffee shop and go bowling afterward. I knew Max didn’t want me or find me attractive. Well, I’m sorry that I don’t flounce around and show my tits off to every good looking, available semi-professional hockey player in Miami. I can’t lie.

  I hate the nagging ‘I told you so,’ feeling in my gut. I knew all along, having a romantic relationship with Maxwell would never work.

  Yet here he is, still holding me. I’m relatively sure that a friend wouldn’t intimately touch my face with such adoration.

  “So like a day date to a cheesy coffee shop, or something? Would you take me bowling after?” I can’t believe I said that out loud.

  Max chuckles and leans down to whisper into my ear. His breath is warm against my cheek like someone is pouring warm thick honey all over my body, and I inhale a deep breath.

  “I thought we could try that new Italian place that just opened in Coconut Grove. Maybe go for a walk on the beach afterward? I would love to see you in a dress. Something other than those damn leggings you always wear, but those are nice too.”

  I’m surprised I’m still standing up at this point! I thought I would have turned into an aroused puddle on the floor at Max’s feet. I’ll most definitely wear a dress for him. Hell, I’d wear a potato sack if it made Maxwell happy.

  I smile and slide my hand up to his thick biceps and sigh softly.

  Max barely flexes, and I can feel my pants dampen with desire.

  “Well, that sounds so much better than bowling,” I can’t help but to happily laugh.

  Before I know it, Max catches my mouth in a soft kiss. My body stiffens underneath his hold, but I quickly relax and let him take charge of this moment. I open for him, allowing his thick tongue to invade my mouth, and find my tongue in a sensual dance.

  Max’s low hum of approval is all I need, and my confidence shoots to an all-time high as he leans me backward against the countertop to deepen the kiss. My head spins with possibility and happiness, but also self-doubt and fear of the unknown.

  But he holds me securely, planting soft kisses along my jawline and neck, as he softly repeats my name with a hushed whisper.

  Is this real life? Am I dreaming?

  Someone, please pinch me and tell me to wake the hell up.

  Nevertheless, I know this is real, and I never want it to stop.

  Buzz Buzz Buzz! I nearly jump out of my skin when I feel my watch’s alarm go off, and I realize that I should have already been in class.

  I break away quickly from Max’s affections, even though I’d rather die than tell him we have to stop. This is important! I slide out of his arms and stare at his lips, flushed bright pink and swollen from kissing, knowing mine look the same. I swallow hard and find that he took the breath from my lungs, as I find it hard to speak; it’s a head-spinning feeling.

  I grudgingly present my left wrist, and Max lets out a low groan as he sees it’s buzzing again.

  “I’m late for class,” I say quietly, still mesmerized by the most earth-shattering kiss I’ve ever had. Max grunts a low sound of disapproval and burrows his lips into my neck again.

  “Oh fuck it. Missing one class won’t be the end of the world,” I say and pick up where we lift off.

  I’m in far too deep now and too damn greedy. I need more of this man and his intoxicating kiss.

  Max

  I pull away slightly from Vada’s lips to get a good look at the woman I’m hoping to call my own soon. Her lashes flutter open, and she looks so incredible, so sweet and vulnerable. That’s a rare thing for her. Vada hates showing people that side of her, but I can't get enough. We’re holding each other now, and neither of us is saying a word, and I swear this is perfect. Vada shifts a little under my hold, and my heart lurches, thinking she’s finally come to her senses and realizes that all of this is a mistake and will ask me t
o leave her place immediately.

  “You want to watch a movie? It looks like I’m not studying after all. I can do it tomorrow.”

  I breathe heavily, a little too loud for my comfort, and I can feel her chuckle against my chest. God, I want, Vada. I’d like nothing more. Well, except for sex, but I won’t push my luck.

  Wordlessly, we begin to gather the supplies for stove popped popcorn and a few cans of grape soda. With the oil sizzling along with the ambient sounds of the kernels popping against the metal pot, I open the cupboard and grab a few bowls, napkins, and the salt shaker.

  I don’t say anything about the unexpected makeout session we just experienced, but thank fuck that it happened at all.

  We take everything into the living room, including a few theater-style candy boxes, and settle on the couch. Chester sleeps peacefully on the sofa’s back, and his tail is tucked around underneath his paws. Then a sense of dread floods my veins as Vada sits on the opposite side of the couch. I decide not to let it eat me alive, even though I know it will. She selects a scary movie, and I’m hoping she might get scared and snuggle up to me at some point.

  I take the disk and pop it in the DVD player, and take my seat on the other end before turning the lights off, watching the entire room go dark and fall into shadows around us. I feel something on my lap as the cushions shift from underneath me, and my stomach flips with excitement. Vada lays down and sets her head in my lap, and my heart warms. She makes herself comfortable and smiles up at me. I feel Chester stand up and stretch from behind my broad shoulders, which makes me jump. Vada giggles as I hear him jump from the couch and pad his way into the kitchen.

  “You okay? Are you sure you can handle a scary movie?” she asks and pulls her fuzzy fleece-lined throw blanket above her shoulders.

  I grin at her and wink. Smartass!

  I take the remote and press play, then nod my head in agreement. Her eyes have this little glint of mischief in them, and it makes me want to kiss her again. As we watch the movie, I find myself playing with her hair again and lacing my fingers through the silky strands. I quietly laugh a few times when Vada hides her face with the blanket when the killer stands unknowingly in a corner, the light from an adjacent hallway of the quiet, creepy hospital reflecting off his large knife that’s held high above his head.

  “No, dummy! Don’t go in there!” she yells at the screen as if she hasn't seen this movie only a hundred times.

  The music builds to a hair-raising climax, and finally, the scary, white-masked killer comes around the corner and plunges his knife straight into his victim’s chest. Vada gasps from fright and covers her eyes. We forget all about the popcorn, and after an hour and a half, the pale yellow kernels stick to the side of the plastic bowl, thick with congealed butter. The movie has just ended, and we both watch in silence as the tiny credits roll slowly up the screen.

  Vada yawns and stretches her arms above her head. She sighs softly, and her fingers find my cheek, and she caresses my skin. I close my eyes, taking in the feel of her soft touch.

  “What did you first notice about me, Max?”

  My eyes fly open, alert to her question. I’m not sure how to answer it correctly. I catch her hand in mine, and she allows me to hold it; my heart nearly stops as Vada laces her fingers with mine. I swallow hard and brush a few hairs away from her face, and her eyes flutter closed again at my touch.

  “Your eyes.”

  “Corny.” Vada fights a smile.

  “Nope. They took me by surprise. I never knew someone’s eyes could be that captivating.” I want to dip my head down to kiss her perfect, red lips and maybe smear some of that lipstick over her neck and collarbones.

  “What about me?” I ask, and now I’m afraid to hear the answer.

  “I noticed your muscles and how sexy you looked in your hockey jersey.”

  I find myself blushing and feel like someone should revoke my man card. Guys, don’t blush unless an unbelievably gorgeous woman like Vada is complimenting them.

  “That is until you opened your mouth, then I was like, “this guy is an asshole.”

  Now the blush is gone, and I feel like a tool. I wasn’t expecting Vada to be that blunt, but then again, I’ve known her for years, so I guess I was aiming too high. She holds my gaze and flattens her open palm on my chest, just over my heart, and I can guarantee she can feel my heartbeat thumping against her hand.

  “Truth is, though, I’ve always liked you, Max. I was too afraid to tell you or show it because I see how you are with other women. You treat them like they are kleenex. You’ll use them a few times, keep them in your back pocket, but once they serve their purpose, you throw them away and just grab a few more like it’s no big deal.”

  Vada’s words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I want so badly to change her mind, but actions speak louder than words. I stroke her cheek lightly with my thumb, and she leans into my touch, but she opens her eyes to look at me again, and I can see they’re glossy with unshed tears. How am I such a shit human being? I'm trying my best to be real and straight with her, yet I’m still hurting her.

  “My mom and dad were married for years. They seemed so happy on the outside, and everything seemed as if it were perfect. Growing up, I wanted to have a marriage just like theirs. Until he dropped a bomb on my mom one day and told her something so devastating,” her voice trails off, but I place a reassuring hand on hers and squeeze gently. Vada takes in a deep breath before continuing her story.

  “My dad confessed to my mom that he had a sex addiction, and he was fucking all kinds of women, mainly expensive call-girls. He drained my entire college savings and most of Jack’s too. He ended up having to apply for loans.” She stops talking for a second and sits up to wipe her eyes as tears begin to fall down her cheeks like rain.

  I’m stunned. I didn’t know that happened. Jack never spoke of his dad, other than saying he nor Vada had any contact with him over the past several years. I didn’t want to pry and ask for any sordid details.

  Oh, fuck! The realization hits me like taking a puck to the balls. Inviting Bianca over was the most giant ‘fuck you’ to Vada, without meaning it that way at all. Jack is a better man and a better friend than I ever knew. I'm surprised he didn't try to kill me when I told him that Bianca was coming over. Thankfully, he knows deep down that I'd never hurt Vada.

  Fuck, he knew it before I even admitted it to myself; I'm in love with her.

  “I mean, I could forgive him if it were drugs or alcohol because I know that’s not a choice, and my mom told me neither is sex addiction. But I just couldn't stand that he told my mom how much he loved her and still had sex with all of these women behind her back. That’s not love, Max.”

  “Do you think that I would do that to someone? To you?” I ask as I take my fingers and gently lift her face to mine.

  This is it, Vahn. Come clean and tell Vada about your past, your relationship with your dad, how it affected you in the long run, and the beating you took from Josie’s rejection. None of that is who I am now. I won’t let the past affect me anymore, and I know why.

  Vada’s too important to me, and I want this to work.

  Vada

  “This was a mistake,” I say, as I look him in the eyes and pull away from his warm touch that I’ve been craving again since our impromptu makeout session in the kitchen.

  What the hell am I doing? I wanted this! I dreamed of this happening for so long, and now I’m just going to let it pass me by because I’m scared Max will tell me I’m just a fun conquest, and he just wants to fuck me. Yet, the flicker of pain in his eyes gives me hope that this could be more than that for him.

  Pushing past my defenses, I lean forward and kiss his cheek, but feel his arm snake around my waist and hold me there. I breathe in the scent of his cologne, and my stomach does a cartwheel. Max presses his warm, muscular body against mine as he holds me against him.

  “I would never hurt you, Vada. I swear on my own life. Besides...” His words are
profound and carry such meaning, and I feel a sense of peace.

  I know he wouldn’t hurt me; I feel as if I can trust him.

  “My dad was a piece of shit. He hit my mom and treated me as some kind of verbal punching bag. Charlie Vahn was close to being a professional Goalie, but alcohol took his soul, and before we knew it, the house we lived in went into foreclosure, and my mom finally left when I was twelve. She left me alone with Charlie, and that’s when he truly began to show his hate for me.” He pauses, swallows hard, and I feel his pain flow through his entire body.

  I cup his chin in my palm, sliding the pad of my thumb gently just under his bottom lip. Max lets his eyes flutter close and leans his cheek into my hand.

  “We were always moving around somewhere, and it was hard for him to keep a permanent address. He would meet some unlucky woman, live off of her for a while, and when she got sick of his games, she’d kick us out, and it was on the next one. I was going down a bad path and fast. I was fighting at school, getting kicked out for bringing marijuana to school and selling it to the underclassmen. However, the principal knew Charlie and how much shit I was going through. So instead of calling CPS, he took me under his wing and got me on the ice. I threw myself into hockey as an outlet for all of my anger, but I soon began to love it, and on some level, it loved me too.”

  His words are killing me right now. For so long, I looked at Max as being this asshole, douchey prick who wanted to nail anything in a skirt, but he’s deeper than that. He’s been through hell and back, and instead of trying to understand where he was coming from, I just kicked him when he was down. I look down at our joining hands and bring his up to my lips for a kiss, and I hear him softly gasp.

  “When I was eighteen, I got the fuck out of that shithole apartment and found my place. I met my ex-fiance, Josie, not too long after that, and just a few years later, I joined the Leopards, and life seemed to be amazing.”