[twenty-one]

Lillianah's POV

I twirled my fingers around and slowly opened my eyes to see I was playing with the small hairs on his chest. I went to move my head up to look at him, but I felt his cheek resting on my forehead, preventing me from moving. His arm, which I'm sure was once wrapped around my shoulders, was now lying flat on the bed behind me and my head was resting on his shoulder. I looked back down at my fingers and ran my fingertips over his chest, watching his breathing suddenly start to pick up in pace. I stopped moving my fingers and watched as his breathing went back to a normal slow pace. Curious, I moved my fingers again, up and down his chest and his breathing got fast, "stop that tickles," he chuckled and I started laughing not knowing he was awake. I felt his head move and before I could even say 'good morning' I felt his lips on mine. He deepened the kiss and rolled over to lay on top of me. I ran my fingers through his hair which was starting to get long. He held himself up with one arm as his other hand found the bottom of my tank top. I felt his hand grip into my waist and I quickly knew where this was going. I felt his kisses go from my mouth down to my neck and I had a firm grip on his hair. "OH MY GOD!" I shouted and Max quickly jumped off looking terrified. "I am so sorry," he said as he placed his hands on my cast. "I totally forgot about that damn thing," I started to laugh as a few tears crept down my face from the pain. "I shouldn't have moved my leg like that so quickly." "Max, it's okay." "Do you need pain killers?" I thought about it for a minute, I didn't really feel like sleeping for most of the day so I declined. "Sorry for being such a mood killer," I laughed as he pulled me up to sit next to him on the edge of the bed.

"I have a game tonight, so can you promise me that you will stay on the couch with your leg propped up until I get home?" He looked over at me as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Where are you going now?" "Morning skate, then I come back, eat lunch, take a nap, wake up, cook a nice big meal then head to the game." I nodded my head and wanted him to come over and give me a kiss but he just smiled at me and walked out. I propped my leg up on the pillow on the couch and looked at the coffee table. Pain pills, water, trail mix, remote, a few magazines, and is that a, yes it is! A back scratcher! I leaned over and grabbed the back scratcher and shoved it down my cast. Finally the itch on the outside of my ankle was taken care of, but the pressure of the little plastic fingers was a little too much on my tender ankle, so I set down the back scratcher and reached for the pain pills.

Max's POV

I felt like such a jackass, how could I forget about the big ass cast on her leg? I thought for sure she was going to murder me when I saw a few tears trickle down her cheeks, but then she started laughing. "Sorry for being such a mood killer," she laughed and I brought her up next to me on the edge of the bed. Her head fell on my shoulder and I started circling my fingers on her lower back. "It really hurts doesn't it?" "Yeah, but I have a high tolerance for pain. I had a spinal tap from hell when I was seventeen, ever since then nothing really phases me." I brought my hand up to her head and ran my fingers through her hair. "Why did you get a spinal tap, if you don't mind me asking?" "Oh I had a migraine for a month that wouldn't go away, so they did a spinal tap to make sure there wasn't any internal bleeding causing the migraine. The whole thing took about thirty minutes, which was about twenty minutes too long, and I could feel the needle in my spine, it was terrible. Afterwards the hospital sent me home, telling me I was fine to go to school the next day, which I did. Two hours into school I started throwing up, and my migraine was about a hundred times worse. The only way I felt better was when I was lying down on my back. So I stayed on my back for three days before a doctor told me the hole they punctured in my spinal cord didn't heal, so all the spinal fluid in my head was draining out of that tiny hole, causing the headache. It was causing my brain to swell when I was upright, filling the space where the spinal fluid would have been. It was hell. I had to go back and get a blood patch, which is pretty much an epidural, but instead of anesthetic they insert your own blood, which clogs the hole, then it heals." She looked up at me and for a minute I could feel some pain in my lower back, just thinking about a hollow needle going into your spine. "That sounds like hell. All because of a migraine? Wow." This girl really can tolerate pain, sometimes I want to cry after getting a paper cut. If that happened to me I would never let a needle near me ever again, and look at all of her tattoos, that's amazing.

Geno must have been in charge of the music as I walked into the locker room, hearing some European techno music playing at too loud of a level. "Where were you yesterday Talbot? You never skip practice," Crosby smirked at me as I started to undress at my stall. "Bite marks on the shoulder, that would explain it," Flower pointed his fingers into the bright red marks in my shoulder. "I missed practice because Lillianah broke her ankle, the bite marks are from her dog." "I smell bullshit. Those are human teeth, look you can count them, I see she got her wisdom teeth out." I lightly punched TK away as he looked at my shoulder. "Since when do you NOT kiss and tell?" "Since I know I really care about this girl and she's not going to turn into a locker room story," I snapped back at TK as I pulled my pads on. The room went silent, expect for the horrid music, and I continued to get ready for the skate. "So she really broke her ankle?" Flower asked after awhile. "Slipped on ice after we left the diner, fell on her foot at an awkward angle, snapped it and it barely phased her."

Lillianah's POV

I quickly reached for my crutches and somewhat sprinted into the bathroom. I tossed the crutches aside and gripped onto the edge of the toilet, bending myself over only to throw up in it. I heard footsteps come up behind me and I was immediately embarrassed, I didn't even know he was home. "You okay?" he asked as he pulled my hair out of my face. "I think I took too many Percocet's today, and I haven't eaten anything," I explained right before throwing up again. He was still holding my hair as I heard the sink turn on. Goosebumps formed on my arms and neck as I felt a cold wash cloth placed on the back of my neck. "Thank you," I mumbled as I stood up and he moved the wash cloth from my neck to my forehead. "Let's get you something to eat," he smiled and picked up my crutches handing them to me. "Okay, I want to brush my teeth though," I said holding my hand in front of my mouth and he nodded his head and walked out.

"So the game will be on TV tonight if you wanted to watch, just so you know," he smiled as he twirled his pasta around his fork. "Yeah I really should watch and try to understand what's going on," I laughed looking at him, he smiled. We ate the rest of dinner in silence and he changed into his suit after doing the dishes. "So the game will be on FSN, if you wanted to watch. Please keep your foot elevated tonight, I laid everything out for you on the coffee table, and-" "Max," I started laughing at his rambling. "I'll be fine, really. Now what do girlfriends tell their hockey player boyfriends before they leave for games?" I asked as I stood up on the crutches. A huge grin came over his face. "Well, I believe they usually say 'score a goal for me'." I hopped toward him and stood up straight to look him straight in the eye. "Kick someone's ass for me," I smiled as I leaned in and gave him a small kiss. "That I can do," he whispered into my lips and kissed me once more before leaving. I could get use to this.

I laid down on the couch and turned the game on, but my eyes were getting heavy before the game even started. When I woke up the game wasn't on the TV anymore, I grabbed my cellphone to see what time it was, but saw I had a text message from Max. You awake? I decided I wasn't and crept my way into his bedroom where I curled up into his bed.

Max's POV

My face was starting to look like a war zone. I know she said to kick someone's ass, I tried, but ended up having my ass kicked instead. I needed a drink to help with the stinging pain in my jaw and cheek bone. The guys and I headed to the brewery and I suddenly got worried that Lillianah might be awake waiting for me to get home. I sent her a quick text message asking if she was awake, and after ten minutes I didn't get an answer so I figured she was asleep. "Everytime I see you Max, you have a pretty shiner on your face," Brad laughed as he poured me a beer. "I have to keep up an image you know," I laughed and looked up at my jersey above the bar, which now had two paper hearts pinned to it. "Honestly?" I laughed pointing it out to Brad. "Don't look at me, look at your captain over there." I looked over at Crosby who had his hands all over his girl. "Hey asshole, get a room."

Nothing in my mind looked right, something felt wrong in my apartment and I couldn't put my finger on it. I was at the point where I was so drunk, tired and in so much pain that I actually started hallucinating a bit. I stumbled into my bedroom and my eyes weren't fooling me when I saw her sleeping in my bed. Then I realized what felt wrong, what wasn't right, I wasn't in bed with her. I stripped down my clothes, trying to keep my balance while I did so and climbed into the bed next to her. I pulled myself tight to her and started kissing the back of her neck. I could hear her moan but I didn't let up, I kissed down to her shoulder. I found her hand in front of her and linked my fingers together with hers, when she didn't grip back I knew she was fast asleep. I started cursing to myself in French and knew had I of come straight home after the game, she might still have been awake. She would be kissing me back. I felt her thumb rub over my hand and I smiled, "I love you."