Alexander

I watched as Chloe disappeared around the corner. Katherine turned around and winked at me, whilst my Chloe did her best to avoid the fact that I was standing right outside her door. Was it a bit ridiculous to turn up on her doorstep? Not at all, she has been treating me like any other player. I don't like it.

At least I know she will be thinking about me now, I could see the need for me behind her mask. She isn't the best at hiding her feelings, at least around me she isn't.

I allowed them a few minutes to leave so I don't give another heart attack to Chloe. She is trying her best to deny the fact that she likes me. Thankfully I do not believe her.

As soon as I was out of the building, I got into my car and put in Liam's address. The fucker had to of told Kate about my nickname. No one calls me Sasha besides Liam and my family but I sure do hope Chloe will call me it as well.

It's not exactly a nickname either, it's just my name shortened in Russia, In the US they always called me Alex so it just stuck.

Parking my car in front of his driveway, I can't give the fucker a chance to escape. His front door opens before I even have the chance to knock, the grin on Liam's face tells me everything I need to know.

"It's lovely to see you here Sasha. What brought you here?" I push past him, intentionally bumping my shoulder against his. He hisses before swearing, for once I am happy the fucker got a puck to his shoulder. It's a nasty bruise he got.

"Your girlfriend." He gave me a death glare that no one wishes for but I so do. He fucked with me, I will fuck with him.

We might be best friends but we both knew which buttons to press in order to piss each other off. Katherine and Liam had a confusing past with a lot of needs and wants and stupid arguments. One day they will figure it out. Not today though, judging by his expression.

"Did certain someone reject you once again?" I'm not one to judge relationships but theirs have been going absolutely nowhere for a while now. Both of them obviously want each other and they definitely have fucked before but something is just not right.

"Knock it off, Starkov."

"Ohh you mean business now." I grab the vodka from his counter taking a nice sip out of it, the ice-cold vodka flows nicely, with no horrible aftertaste when it's this cold.

"You are staying, I'm guessing," Laim grabbed the bottle out of my hand to make us vodka martinis. The guy loved his cocktails. I'm not one to complain.

I just nodded, not exactly needing to reply to clearly a rhetorical question. I won't be driving after drinking and I ain't about to take a taxi just to come back tomorrow morning before the practice. The regular season is about to begin and we have to be in top form. The first game is only a week away. We play at home which is a plus but puts even more pressure on us.

Winning is the only option.

"Katherine stole Chloe so by association you cock blocked me. Now you got to deal with me." I grabbed my martini and tried it. Fucking amazing, if he wasn't playing in the NHL he could have made a good career in bartending.

I groaned as the cool liquid calmed me down, and my muscles which are in a constant state of being in pain relaxed a little. Alcohol might be a poison but one that has been created by the devil himself. Mixed with pleasure so you can't stay away from it.

"You look like you are about to fuck the martini glass."He chuckled as he dropped onto the couch. A hockey channel playing on mute. Hockey is always on the back of our minds even if we are not playing.

"Well, I didn't get to undress Chloe so this isn't a close second but I will settle for it." I sat on the other side of the couch. Knowing us we will hit each other if we sit any closer. We might be like brothers but we fight like it's the Stanley Cup finals.

"Dude, you better tell me thank you. Katie must have called you Sasha and you've been dying for Chloe to call you that. I'm sure she will after that." Laim wiggled his eyebrows and it was everything to not throw the glass into his smug face, I still got some martini and Chloe would kill me if I ruined his face right before the charity gala.

We will be auctioned off like goddamn cows at a sale, wagyu cows but still feels a little weird. Then again anything for charity and for Chloe. It's her first event and even though we barely talked about her job, I know how seriously she takes it.

"Until she moans it, you ain't getting shit. Anyways, when is the next team night? We need to set some of the guys straight. Especially Kyle, Thomas and Bryce. The three of them are trouble." Back to work, we go. Hockey is not just a game, not to us.

Liam groaned, he is the captain so he is the one to deal with those shits the most "They are so much worse than we were. Okay like Kyle and Thomas are rookies but fucks sake, Bryce is almost thirty but I think someone had to of given him brain damage. They are ridiculous."

As Liam went to make us another drink, which we will definitely need I took off my shoes. Fuck wearing shoes inside. It's kinda gross. Even though I did carry the mud through the whole kitchen and living room already.

"In all fairness, Bryce was a lot worse as a rookie. I remember he got put on probation and the only reason he didn't get kicked out is cause he is so good on the ice. We need him, we just need to find a way to redirect his energy in the right way." Weirdly, I'm the voice of reason in the team. We, goalies that is, are usually the unhinged ones. Tyler, our backup goalie, is fucking weird. Great goalie, but he must have been dropped on his head at least a few times. He fucking talks to himself like there are few of them in there.

"You not the one trying to talk him out from crashing someone's skull on a daily basis. If someone looks wrong at us, he is ready to go." Drink in hand we both relaxed on to couch. The tension is leaving Liam's body. He worries about too much, always fucking does. Can't wait for us to retire. Maybe then our muscles get a break.

Seeing the NHL news start up I reached for the remote. "Let's listen to the news," I said as I turned up the volume so we can actually hear shit.

The reporter talked about most of the teams and the conferences. We are playing in the eastern conference which got some fucking amazing teams. We don't need to beat them all. Just do good enough to go through to the playoffs. Then we will play at the maximum strength. We are determined to take the team to the finals.

"Los Angeles Falcons will be playing quite early in the season with the new and up-and-coming Miami Viapers. New team to the NHL but the pre-season games have shown that they can indeed play and win! But we both know the Falcons are a team that has everything and they are ready to add another Stanley Cup to their collection. Will Viapers pose a real threat or will they just be a warm-up? We will have to wait and see."

I muted the TV once again. Fuck the Falcons, they are such cunts. They have approached me before but when I declined the offer they sent their dogs, aka paid paparazzi, to find dirt on me and make life hell. They don't respect anyone even their own teammates can be easily replaced if they have one bad game.

"Can't fucking wait to kick their asses. They will so pick a fight with us after we beat them." I nodded in agreement. Of course, they will. Those guys don't know how to lose. After they played for the Falcons no other team really wants them as they are all hostile. Not just against other teams but their own. They don't play for the team, they play for themselves.

"I doubt they will be our biggest rival. Those guys always underestimate others. They play shit first two periods and then try to catch up in the third. With me as a goalie, they won't be able to catch up. You guys just have to score at least one." My stats at 0.935 saved, which does make me the best goalie of the past season. Just got to play even better this season. It will be my last one after all.

"Cocky bastard, but we both know I score at least twice during the game." We both cheers for being the cocky assholes that we are. But our cockiness is proven at the least. We got countless wins, Stanley cups and Olympic gold for me. At the end of the day, we are the highest-paid hockey players because of how well we do, not because we are pretty.

We spent the rest of the evening talking, drinking martinis and trying to avoid women and hockey. Worked for about an hour before I started talking about Chloe and then teasing Liam about his stubbornness and stupidity when it came to Kate.

I couldn't understand for a life of mine why he wouldn't just go after her since she does like him and from what I've seen she likes him too. Both of them are keeping secrets but this is the only secret Liam ever kept from me.

As I was heading to my room, which was formerly his guest room but I crash here too often so I stole one of the rooms just so I could keep my spare equipment and clothes here for days like this. Most guys prefer to keep theirs at the stadium but I never have, it is one of my weird superstitions. I let pucks in if I don't sleep next to my skates, pads and gloves. So I now take everything home even for practice.

My phone beeped, the familiar tune I specifically put for Chloe. Котенок must be drunk if she's texting me. Otherwise, she is always so put together, but alcohol makes her show what she truly thinks about.

Котенок: Fudege you, no one looiks as good as you do. Yio annoying!

The spelling mistakes just prove my point but I can't stop myself from smiling at my phone. It is so gadman cute. Her drunk messaging gives me hope that one day she can accept her feelings for me and we can be together.

Me: Good, now go to sleep whilst you think of me fucking your throat and then your pussy until your throat is so hoarse from sucking and screaming you can't do anything but whimper.

I knew she won't reply to me until tomorrow, scratch that. She won't reply to that message ever but I know she will be thinking of me. Which is enough for me.