Chapter 24

Okay, pretend the conversation between Flower and Max is French. I’m too lazy to translate it all haha

Oh and thanks for all the comments lately, I have been trying to get this updated. This one is kind of on the fly haha. So I hope you enjoy it :)

The sight of the two of them was burned into my brain. I can’t believe I actually pushed her back to him. I let her get away and now I was reaping the consequences. The constant thoughts of her, the dreams, hearing Kris talk about her since they got back together, it was driving me insane, sometimes I wish I could be traded.

“What has been up with you?” Flower said as he sat next to me at the bar, “Is it Julie again?”

“It’s always Julie” I replied, “There’s no one else Marc”

“Max, you have to have to face it, she loves him”

“Damn it I know” I snapped taking another drink.

“You need to find someone else”

“You don’t get it, I don’t want anyone else. I want to want someone else, but just the thought of being with someone else other than her is impossible”

“Well, I guess before you can find someone else, you just need to take the time and get over her, however you may go about doing that”

“I suppose some distraction could be nice” I shrugged.

“Okay then” he replied, “Well how about a few drinks tonight to get the mind off of her?”

“I can do that” I said breathing a sigh of relief.

--

I followed Kris into the bar as he made his way over to the guys. I looked over at the bar and spotted Max by himself, I knew I needed to talk to him, but I wondered if he was even sober enough to hear it.

“Hey” I said sitting beside him.

“Hey” he replied.

“I’ll have a Bud” I told the bartender. I turned my attention back to Max, “how are you?”

“I’m fine…and you?”

“I’m good” I replied, “but I miss you”

“You have Kris” he replied taking a swig of beer.

“Max…you’re still my best friend. I miss my best friend. We were fine until Kris and I got back together”

“Exactly why I‘m not fine anymore. I need some time Julie, I think I just need to focus on hockey” he replied.

“Fair enough” I replied as my drink was placed in front of me, “I guess that’s my cue, have a good night Max, call me sometime” I said gently squeezing his hand. I took my drink off of the bar and made my way over to Kris.

He made a valid point. I think the only way we were going to get back to normal was if he got over me. The fact that he was actually willing to get over me was big of him, I knew how stubborn he was.

“Everything okay?” Kris asked.

I looked over at Max and sighed, “I think it will be”

“Good, I don’t like seeing you upset”

“I don’t like seeing him upset” I sighed looking over at Max again.

“He doesn’t look too good”

“He will be, he’s strong” I replied, “but I think it’s time that I don’t come out with the guys anymore for a while”

“Why?” he asked curiously.

“Max wants to keep his distance from me, for now. He wants to focus on hockey, and keep his mind off of me, and I think he’s got a point”

“If you say so” he shrugged.

As the night went on some of the guys started to get a bit more rowdy. I just stayed back and watched as the guys made fools of themselves. I turned my head to see Max and Kris in a conversation. It looked to be getting a bit heated, and I saw some of the guys start to surround them.

I stood up to approach the scene, but I couldn’t see much over the guys, who were, what seemed like, ten feet taller than me. I pushed through them and saw Kris and Max both arguing, in French of course. Man French-Canadians could be real asses sometimes.

“Excuse me!?” I yelled over the music at both of them.

Both their heads turned toward me, “Julie…”

“At least talk in English, so we can understand you” I snapped, “Max, I thought you were better than this, and Kris, you know better than to get him started”

“I’m not just going to pretend nothing happened Julie. He knows what he did”

“And he owned up to it Kris. Get over it”

I heard Max snicker and I glared over at him, “You’re not off the hook either” I replied, “you wanted to get over me, right? Then why the hell are you fighting over me?”

“He’s had a few” Marc explained, “It’s kind of my fault, I told him too”

“I’m not surprised…”

“Julie, I’m sorry” Max replied.

“No, you know what, I’m going home, you guys need to settle this, and I really don’t care how you do it. You’re both being jack asses and I’m tired of it”

I grabbed my clutch and quickly left the bar. I decided to walk, I was only a few blocks away. I found myself in tears on the way home, wondering if either one of them would come after me.

“Julie!”

I wiped my eyes and turned around. I saw Max standing in front of me and all I did was fall into him.

“I don’t have it all figured out” I sobbed, “I thought I did, but maybe Kris isn’t who I thought he was. He doesn’t like to see me upset, and he still goes and does that, knowing it will upset me…I don’t get him”

“Julie, you don’t need him”

“Max, don’t start” I said pulling away from him.

“Julie…look at me” he said as I turned my head in his direction, “I’m not like him…”

“Max…”

“I’ll listen to you, I won’t hurt you, I promise I’d never hurt you”

“But Max--I love--” he interrupted me by placing his lips on mine. I felt my entire body melt and I didn’t want him to stop. I don’t even think he knew how he managed to do that to me.

“Wow…”

“Jules, I--”

“No, don’t apologize” I replied, “It’s really okay”