Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

IVY

"How is he?" I asked, biting my lower lip as I glanced at the hospital door.

Max looked up from his hands where he rested his face before I walked into the waiting room.

"Just got rolled into surgery," he muttered, and flashed me an appreciative smile as I handed him coffee. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me onto his lap. "ACL surgery is tough... recovery time is long. He will be lucky if he can play next year when the season starts again in August."

I shuddered, the image of Ander kicking his knee out still flashing in front of my eyes. I still couldn't believe he's done it and gotten away with it.

All the players were dressed in their sweats not even bothering with a shower. I only pulled Max's hoodie over my head and stopped to get him and the others some coffee, with Rosalie.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." His fingers dug into my hip and he held me to himself like I was his anchor.

"Talk to me," I asked into his hair as I kissed him gently.

"It was... intense." Max took a long, shuddering breath. "Trying to ignore everything leaving Ander's mouth and not reacting, while all I wanted to do was beat the shit out of him. And I can't shake the feeling that... we've won, but at what cost. This is more than just a game... it was personal on so many levels."

"Why did he attack Derek like that? I thought he would go for you."

He nodded, his eyes swimming with uncertainty as he looked at me. "Remember when you said Kaia is dating Edwins?"

It was my turn to nod.

"We were having this conversation and Dex was quite surprised since he hooked up with her around the same time. So, when Ander was coming at me, Dex protected you and me by spilling what he and Kaia did. Edwins got pissed off and Ander had his reason to take our striker out."

I could barely breath. It was one thing for Kaia to date a douche, but to cheat on him after pining for him was reckless and stupid.

"Wow. I didn't know."

"I didn't want to tell you... you were preoccupied with what it meant for your friendship that she blindly ignored everything that has happened with you. But I can't help but wonder..." Max took another deep breath. "Especially after you mentioned it during our practice. Did by any chance... Kaia gave you the idea to date me?"

I was utterly silent as the wheels of my mind worked double time.

She did suggest I date Max, and she did push me to date him even when he said no. But she was being a good friend and she knew Ander was going to die if it happened. She was looking out for me.

Wasn't she?

I glanced Max with uncertainly.

"Yes, it was her idea..."

Max let out a breath and chuckled to himself. "I think we both got played, Blossom."

"But I..." I swallowed. "I don't think I was faking it. Not the last moments, not for a long time."

Pain and sorrow radiated from his eyes as he let everything I told him sunk in. How his best qualities were used against him to weaponize them and make him crumble. Everyone who didn't just hear the rumors knew he was the good guy who cared. Kaia brought him to the party.

We might have been played, but our acting was over. And maybe that's what everyone wanted. For us to fall in love, so they could create the best weapon against him.

Someone he loved.

And the pain in his eyes told me he did.

"I think I need to be here for my friends and team now," he said, his voice raspy and full of pain. "This is not the time and place for us to have this discussion. I have way too many things in my mind and I need some... space."

I nodded. He needed to think everything through before he decided to lay his heart out for me.

"I know you think you've been played, but I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"I know, Blossom."

I dropped my forehead against his. "I really... like you."

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips before he kissed me. It was the gentlest, softest and slowest kiss we'd ever shared. He took his time kissing me, not urging me to open up, not pushing his tongue, just tasting my lips and savoring the minutes of our intimacy.

It was a kiss that felt more like a goodbye than a first kiss.

"I'll go. But please... call me."

Max nodded, his eyes closed. We always knew this was going to come to an end, but no matter how prepared I was for that moment, a tiny sliver of hope was always there in the back of my head telling me that maybe, just maybe this didn't need to end.

That our story couldn't come to an end before it even had a chance to begin.

I resisted the urge to cry, keeping my tears at bay as I walked out of the hospital and left the Titans alone to wallow in their sorrow.

I couldn't cry, not when I had to face Kaia and get some answers for myself.

I took the stairs two at a time to our apartment. The place that I called home since moving out of our freshman dorm.

"You're the worst friend ever!" Kaia shouted, catching me off guard. I didn't even notice her sitting on the sofa and sniffling. Her eyes were puffy.

"Excuse me?" I asked, shocked by her accusation. "Want to try that again?"

"Dex told Tristan I hooked up with him!"

"What do I have to do with that? Derek told Tristan... the person you fucked when you had a guy you pined after for years. Who does that?"

"I didn't think he would tell him!" she shouted, jumping up from the sofa. "Who does that?"

"They were trash talking me, like they've been all season. Derek was trying to protect me and Max," I explained as I got mad at myself for even taking the time to break it down for her instead of confronting her.

"Who cares?" She rolled her eyes. "You chose to date Max to get back at Ander."

"Does he know? Or Tristan?" I asked as calmly as I could. "Did you tell them?"

Kaia opened her mouth, ready for the word vomit to take over, but I saw guilt flood her eyes, and I cut her off before she could start.

"Be honest, just once. Did you or did you not tell them?"

"I didn't tell them."

I sighed, but then she said, "I didn't have to tell them as it was Ander's idea from the beginning."

My ears rang as her words sank.

"What do you mean?" I whispered. "You and I came up with the idea together..."

I remembered the night we got drunk on cheap wine after my breakup and plotted ways to get revenge on Ander and teach him a lesson. Kaia said I should date someone he hates. Max was the easiest choice because he was more talented and successful and it killed him.

Kaia shrugged. "I really wanted to be with Tristan. During the summer, we flirted and hooked up once. He said if I wanted to be with him, I would have to convince you to date Maximilian Aarons. I thought it was innocent, you wanted revenge and they wanted you with Max. I don't know if they expected you to fall for him and be heartbroken, or they wanted him to fall for you and lose focus. Honestly, I didn't care. I didn't think you would fall in love with each other and he would..."

"Did you see what they did to Derek? Did you realize Max was up for National Team and got a yellow card for protecting his friend? You might as well cost him his career. And then we didn't even tackle the emotional damage that this all cost me. I fell in love with him."

"But that's a good thing. He loves you too, he deserves you and I see how he treats you. You finally have that."

"I don't think you understand what you did," I snapped. "You played me. Me! Your best friend."

"Don't be mad at me... I did something else."

"Honestly, I doubt you could have caused any more damage." I laughed dryly before I realized I spoke way too soon.

My phone vibrated with an incoming message, and I glanced at the photo sent by Max. I assumed it was a picture of Derek or the team or some kind of update.

Instead, when I opened the photo on WhatsApp, it was a screenshot of my conversation with Kaia—the messages where I told her Max agreed to fake date me to get rid of the National Team's manipulative bitch of a daughter and to help him get on the team if she couldn't spread lies about him.

Reading my own words, which I had typed in the heat of the moment, mortified me months later. I should have never said such things in writing; I should have known better. It was easy to hack and read conversations, and it was even easier if your best friend screenshotted them and sent them.

"Tell me they hacked you and you didn't just..." I looked up at her, but the way she bit her lower lip to stop herself from allowing the tears to spill from her eyes was enough confirmation. "I can't believe you. How could you... after everything."

"Tristan said I had to earn his forgiveness."

"Huh, you deserve each other." I was at a loss for words. How could my best friend, the only friend I ever had, pull this shit on me?

"Ivy, come on... you would have done it if Ander asked you."

I was halfway out the door when her words stopped me in my tracks. I had to hand it to her—yes, I would have done whatever Ander asked of me. Blindly, without questions. But I was no longer that girl. I was no longer lost, self-conscious, and scared. Max showed me what real love was, how a guy should treat a girl, and what my expectations should be. I rediscovered myself and learned so much in these past few months, all because of Max. And while I walked away a better person from this arrangement, Max's life was left in pieces. All because of me.

"Yes, I would have. But I'm not her anymore."

"Ivy..." Kaia's pleading voice echoed as I exited into the hallway. I left her, our friendship and the old Ivy behind.