Page 106 of Puck Me Secretly

“Hockey is your life, Max.”

“Now I feel like a complete asshole.”

“Why?”

“Because you were looking out for me and I was…”

“What?”

“The idea of you and Calder pissed me off.”

“Calder’s sleeping with Katrina.”

“What!?”

“And she’s sleeping with Baxter.”

I guess tonight, I was blurting out all my secrets.

Disbelief laced Max’s voice. “Katrina!? Media Katrina is screwing Baxter?”

“Tell no one.”

“Who am I going to tell?”

“I don’t know. My point is you don’t need to be pissed about Calder.”

He took a deep breath and shifted the conversation back to us. “I didn’t use a condom, but I’m clean.”

I knew that. All players have to go through a medical when they started each season.

“I’m good there, too.”

He cleared his throat. “I’ve never not used a condom before. Idon’t even want to think about why I didn’t, but if something happens, I want you to know I will man up.”

It took me a few moments to realize that he was talking about me accidentally getting pregnant. My stomach pitched wildly at the idea of being pregnant with Max’s baby.Do not go there. “I’m on the pill.”

“You are?”

“Yeah.”

“Well. I guess that’s good.”

I guess that’s good!?I bite my lip. "We can’t do that again."

“Why not?”

“I told you. My dad…”

“I give everything to this team. But I will let no one fucking dictate who I date in my personal life.”

My eyes widened at the worddate. “Max.”

“We need to sit down and talk about that, but not while I’m whispering on the phone in some fucking hotel bathroom.”

I tried to keep my heart from dancing in my chest. I tried to remember why we needed to stay away from each other. “Let’s talk in the new year when we come back from break.”

The time apart would be good for both of us. I needed to think. Max also needed to process how much was on the line here.