“Hello, may I please speak to a sexy nurse in-the-making? I think her name is Vada Renee Finley,” Max requests, his tone playful and flirty.
“What are you up to, handsome?” I ask as I settle on the couch and look at the time on my phone. He was supposed to be home from practice about a half-hour ago, but I don’t want to seem pushy and question him about his whereabouts.
I can trust Maxwell. I know he wouldn’t be out “bunny hunting.” He’s told me that he’s over the puck-bunny lifestyle.
I stretch out on the couch, getting comfortable.
“That’s why I’m calling. The practice is over, but Joe asked a few of us guys to stay over and help coach the youth hockey league for a few hours. I’ll be home later on. I can’t wait to hug you, baby. I love you.”
My heart always beats a little faster when he refers to me as “baby.”
“Speaking of Joe, did you ever talk to him about posting what Bianca posted about you? Can he make her recant her statement? That’s your career on the line that she’s trying to screw with.”
Maxwell sighs, and I can tell he’s more than a little irritated that I brought her up.
“I’m sorry, Max. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You’re not upsetting me, and please don’t be anything but your sexy self, baby. Joe already has the team's PR manager taking care of it. Can’t wait until I come home to see you.”
“I have to study, and I can’t have your sexy, and I do mean sexy ass distracting me. I have an exam next week, so I need to be ready.”
Max replies with a low chuckle, the one that always makes my ovaries explode.
“Maybe we can play that anatomy game again, the one where you stick note cards to specific parts of the body,” he suggests as my cheeks flush hotly.
“Goodbye, Mister Hockey-Teacher, you sound soo administrative right now!”
I’m such a wicked tease, and Max adores my sass.
“I’ll see ya later tonight, Vada. Love you, sweetheart.”
Sighing a deep, dreamy sigh, I hang up the phone and set it on the armrest of the couch. Hearing the tea kettle begin to whistle, I come to a standing position and see that Monica has emerged from around the corner, where she said she’d be taking a nap in Jack’s room, but she doesn’t look right. Her face is flushed, and her usual sparkling brown eyes look sad. I notice that she’s holding something behind her back.
I know something is wrong.
“What the hell is going on?” I ask, feeling a wave of panic wash over me.
The kettle whistles louder, and I can feel my heartbeat matching its urgency.
Vada
“Don’t freak out, Vada. Maybe it’s not what you think it is,” Monica says, trying to reassure me, but I’m not an idiot. I know what I’m looking at, and I wish that I could turn back time. If I could go back to the day Maxwell Vahn barged into my house, and I would have told him to stay the hell out of my life forever.
My lower lip quivers with emotion as Monica has laid out the hard evidence of Max’s blatant infidelity. My eyes zero in on the light pink lace panties that are not mine; more like something that would fit a lingerie model.
I have to take a deep breath as my eyes flit over the two opened foil condom wrappers.
“I went into Jack’s bedroom and saw the unmade bed. I thought it was weird because no one’s been sleeping in there.”
Monica quietly takes a seat next to me on the couch. Our pizza has was delivered, but I don’t feel much like eating right now.
I should have seen it for what it was. Max was a player before meeting me, so why did I expect him to change just because we’re dating now? I bite my bottom lip, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Maybe the condoms were from a previous role in the hay?” Monica suggests gently, and I feel her place her head on my shoulder, offering her comfort.
I shake my head, sniffling.
“We don’t use condoms, Monica. I’m on the pill, so there’s no need for condoms,” I say, and my voice breaks into quiet sobs as she pulls me into her arms.
Okay. Let me think about this logically for a second. Who am I fucking kidding?! There is no being logical at this moment.
Max hasn’t been sleeping in Jack’s room for quite some time now, since we’ve made things official. It makes absolutely no sense as to why the bed would be slept in since he’s been sleeping in my bed with me. Not to mention the sexy panties and condom wrappers left behind. I know that Max has been fucking another woman in my house, and I think I have a good idea of who it might be.
The intense anger that courses through my veins right now could rival the Hulk. I’m shaking, my are eyes watering, and my ears ringing. How could he fucking do this to me? To us? I wasn’t looking for anything or anyone when Maxwell came into my life or my house!
Yet, somehow I managed to fall in love with him. Max was my first. He was my everything— and now I feel like a used kleenex. I knew I shouldn’t have allowed him in.
I’m an idiot.
“These are Bianca’s panties. I don’t wear a size small, and if there aren’t hers, they belong to some other woman; a puck bunny that got into my boyfriend’s pants.”
I’m so fucking livid right now, I can’t control the tears as they spill from my hazel eyes.
“Max took a nap today before practice. I went to the chem lab, thinking nothing was out of the ordinary. He had another woman here, most likely Bianca, and fucked her in my brother’s room! I’m sure he took her in there so I wouldn’t notice or suspect anything.”
I’m sobbing so hard, and I can’t catch my breath. Monica’s arms offer a warm, safe cocoon for me to wrap myself up in, and sheltering from being cheated on and the blinding pain that followed.
Why did he bring her here? To the home that we shared? Did he get some sick thrill fucking Bianca or whoever in the place where we make love?
“I thought I knew him. I’m an idiot, Monica! How could he do this to me? To us?”
She says nothing and just holds me close, doing her best to console my broken heart.
Images flash through my mind of the days that we spent in Key West. I can picture Max tackling me from behind as we fall into the pool together. Making love for hours, enjoying the feeling of being so close, skin to skin. The sweet, impromptu photoshoot. The laughs, the kisses, and the promises he made to keep me and our relationship safe.
“Max said he called for a restraining order against Bianca this morning, but instead, he’s having sex with her in our house!”
I laugh bitterly, and Monica looks at me as if I’ve lost my fucking mind.
I suppose I have.
“This entire time, Max has told me exactly what I wanted to hear. He saw me as a challenge, a conquest to nail. I was never anything special to him, Monica.”
“Oh honey, don’t think that way.” She tries to console me.
“He broke me,” I whisper between my sobs.
I can feel every part of my being go numb. I hope it lasts because I can’t handle any more pain right now. My world feels like it has fallen apart.
Monica suggests that I take a nap for a while, but there is no time for that. I feel so betrayed, stupid, and deceived. Maxwell double-crossed me, and he honestly thought he could get away with it. Part of me wants to act as if nothing happened.
As they say, ignorance is bliss.
But I could never live with myself, so that’s out of the question.
My head pulses with a mix of pain, disbelief, and anger. I went to my room about ten minutes ago and closed the door. I don’t ever shut Monica out, but right now, I need to be alone. Chester is lying beside me in a soft, fluffy ball of comfort. He knows when his mom is sad and how to deliver the correct dose of love. With a shaky hand, I reach for another tissue from the box and dab at my swollen, puffy eyes.
Monica knocks softly on the door from the other side and quietly lets herself in. The smell of pizza lingers in the air, and I know she has reheated some for me. With my bac
k turned to her, I don’t bother rolling over. My best friend sets the plate on the bedside table and crawls into bed beside me.
She slides an arm over my hip, and my hand finds hers underneath the blankets. Chester purrs loudly, his little cat motor practically vibrating the entire bed.
“It hurts so much, Monica. He knew just what to say.”
I recalled each time that he called me pretty and how he enjoyed every bit of my body, and for someone like me, that’s all I needed to hear. Monica holds my hand tightly as my emotions uncontrollably pour forth.
“I feel so fucking foolish!” I exclaim with fury. “He’s a liar, Mon, and he knows it! He’s nothing but a fucking liar!”
Monica doesn't say anything as I sob away on her shoulder. Previous breakups never hit me this hard. Sure, they hurt, but I can’t see how I can move forward from this new type of pain. Maxwell had become my entire world, and now I feel as though I was nothing more than some sort of disposable play-thing for him to do away with when he tired of me.
“I know that it’s the last thing you want to do, Vada, but I feel that you should talk to him. It solves nothing unless you confront Max,” Monica points out to me. “But at the same time, I feel like something isn’t quite right. Max isn’t the cheating type.”
“My dad didn’t seem like the type either, Monica. That man had so many affairs over the years, not to mention the call girls and sugar babies he had on the side. Besides, he’s at the rink coaching youth hockey. Or is he?”
I scoff angrily and bury myself deeper underneath the mountain of blankets. If that bastard is using the excuse of coaching a kid’s hockey team, while he’s most likely banging some woman or Bianca, he’s a worse monster than I could have predicted.
“I can’t imagine what you’re feeling, V.,” Monica says soothingly. “But, I think you owe it to yourself to get answers.”
The thought of getting out of this bed right now feels impossible, and I’m exhausted just thinking about it. But, I know Monica’s right.
I do want an answer. No. Wait—
I deserve an answer.
Max
Joe has asked us to coach the youth sports teams a few times in the past, and it's been something I've enjoyed each time. It's a little different from being on this end of the game. Still, I like coaching the little guys and instilling a sense of love and respect for the game. Standing near the goalie net, I watch seven fourth-grade boys dash across the ice as if they're already on professional teams. The newest boy, Aiden, has been the most excited one on the team today. Even during practice skills and drills, I could tell he was smiling from under his helmet.
Blowing the whistle, I gather all of the kids together on the ice as they take a knee— the ambient sounds of the rink echo around us as I kneel to the boys' level. Joe's son, Eathen, sits in the back of the group and waves a delighted hand my way.
"Mr. Christy has asked me to help coach you guys today, and I hope you've all had just as much fun as I did. Are there any questions before we get going?"
Cooper Campbell, a promising future goalie, raises his hand high in the air. He giggles, and his light blue eyes sparkle with mischief. I chuckle and point at him.
"What's it gonna be, Mr. C?" I ask, jotting something down on my clipboard.
He stands up, pulls a small piece of paper from his pocket, and clears his throat before reading.
"Dear Maxwell, I gave this note to my son to give to you, and I hope he isn't reading it aloud right now."
My head snaps up from my current paperwork to see that this nine-year-old boy reads a written letter to me from his mom. I groan as the group of boys giggle.
"Are you single? Maybe you'd like to go out sometime? Let me know. Love Lacey."
I know my face is about ten shades of purple right now. I scratch the thick stubble around my jawline as I think of a way to settle this.
"Who wants fifteen free minutes of ice time?!" I ask excitedly, and all of the gigglings abruptly stop as everyone cheers gleefully and skates off to different parts of the rink. I take a deep sigh of relief, shaking my head. I know Lacey, and she is a nice lady. However, I'm a man who's over the moon-happy with his current relationship.
As I'm getting my things together to go home, I see that Kane, our fullback, is talking to Bianca, just the way that I used to; she's on the ice with him, and he's holding on to her while she chats on about something. I don't give a fuck what they do; I wish they wouldn't do it here. She is the most toxic person on earth, except for Charlie.
Bianca has no business even being here if it's not game night.
I sit down on the bench near the ice to unlace my skates when Bianca catches my attention. She's staring at me, her eyes finding their way to mine. Her blonde hair is piled high on the top of her head in a messy bun. She tried a new lipstick shade out, which looks great with her fair skin and green eyes.
I’d never tell her that In Bianca's mind, that's a marriage proposal, so I allow my eyes to flicker to the floor as I lean down to take my skates off, opting for a pair of gym shoes. Now I’m prepared for a quick escape from Bianca if a situation calls for it.
Kane is in for a rude awakening if he thinks he's found some good girlfriend-material in Bianca. The entire team has told him their horror stories about her, mind included. But he believes he has a good thing with her— poor bastard. I almost feel sorry for him.
I let the kids skate and have fun out on the ice until their parents come to pick them up, and I'm looking forward to seeing Vada. When the parents begin flooding past the doors to find and collect their kids, I see that my sexy girlfriend is amongst the thick crowd.
I raise an eyebrow, a little shocked that she has come to see me but happy nonetheless. Monica is walking beside her, and they both look as if they've just come back from a funeral. My stomach drops when I notice Vada's swollen, puffy eyes. Has she been crying? It better not be the work of Bianca's badass because I'm going to raise hell if she did.
You know the feeling that you get when something isn't right? The gut feeling that tells you your entire life is about to change, and not for the better?
Yeah, that one.
That's exactly how I feel right now.
I cautiously take my time walking up to her but keep my arms out in a loving embrace, and hoping it's just my imagination. Still, the look in Vada's eyes can't be faked or imagined. She's pissed about something. I glance at Monica, but she looks away as she grabs Vada's hand, giving it a soft squeeze. What the hell is going on here?
"Will you give us a minute alone?" Vada asks Monica.
She nods and walks over to the concession stand.
Vada keeps her eyes to the floor, and I feel the sudden urge to touch her, to comfort her in some way. I hate seeing her this way. I take my thumb and forefinger, lifting her chin to meet my eyes, but she turns her face away, and two tears come streaming down the apples of her cheeks, and my heart lurches in my chest.
"Baby, what's going on? Is it Bianca?" I ask, and Vada's eyes ignite with anger.
She looks over my shoulder and notices that Bianca is standing by the rink's large plexiglass enclosure, smirking in our direction. What in the hell is that crazy bitch doing? Is she watching us from her first-class seat only twenty-feet away?
"What the fuck is she doing here, Max? “Vada demands as her lower lip trembles. “You said you’d do everything to keep our relationship safe!”
Unfortunately, I could not put a restraining order out against Bianca because she was never in physical contact with Vada. No charges were ever filed against her by either Vada or me, leaving her free to go wherever she wants.
I know Vada is upset about this, but as I told her this morning, I will do anything to protect her, but I can't control where Bianca decides to hangout. In an attempt to reach for her hand one more time, Vada recoils as if I've burned her and crosses her arms over her chest, accusingly shaking her head at me.
What is the actual fuck is going on here? I need answers.
"Did you fuck Bianca in our house this afternoon while I was in class? Don't lie to me, Maxwell, please."
My entire world crashes to a screeching halt. Did I hear Vada correctly?
"What? No. I've been here all day, Vada. Why would you think that?"
She replies with a shrug as her eyes travel across the rink to Bianca, who I'm sure knows a lot more than she lets on. Vada inhales a deep, shaky breath before pulling out a ziplock bag containing a pair of women's panties and two condom wrappers.
Those aren't Vada's panties, and what about the condoms? Vada and I don't use them.
My blood runs cold as it's all beginning to make sense now.
"Monica came over after class today to keep me company, but she was tired and asked to take a nap in Jack's room, and she came out a few minutes later to tell me that someone had slept in his bed."
Vada pauses as I feel a soft feminine hand cup my shoulder from behind. The open hand slides down the length of my heaving chest.
"Oh, hi, Vada!” Bianca exclaims with fake flattery. “You brought my panties back, thank you. Max just loves this pair."
I feel Bianca rest her chin against my arm.
Vada lets out a strangled gasp of air, and all of the colors drain from her cheek as Bianca reaches around me to take the bag from Vada's shaking fingers, but not before I rip myself away from this lunatic’s clutches.
"What the fuck did you do, Bianca?" I roar in anger.
Bianca's eyes darken as her lids lower over green irises.
This chaos is some sort of sick, twisted joke of Bianca’s. I was here at the arena all day long, first with my practice, and later helping the little kids, as Joe had asked. I would never have sex with Bianca! Not after I gave my heart to Vada.
"Why don't you just come clean and tell her what we did, Maxwell. She was going to figure it out one way or another," Bianca says, trying to grab for my hand, but I pull away.
He's The Goal Page 20