Текст книги "Becoming His"
Автор книги: Mariah Dietz
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Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 24 страниц)
The next morning I make my way downstairs, shocked that it’s past nine. I never sleep in.
“There she is.” Kendall sits at the kitchen table with a grin spread across her face. My mom and Jenny are with her, each wearing matching guilty expressions confirming they’ve been discussing me.
“Max wear you out last night?” she asks, arching an eyebrow.
I shoot her a death glare as my face flushes.
“Kendall!” Mom chastises her, but she still has the shadow of a smile playing on her perfectly made-up face.
“I can’t believe you guys are talking about me,” I say incredulously.
“Oh, come on. You and Max have practically been dating all summer!” Jenny cries with a grin.
“It was just a matter of time,” Mom adds, bringing her coffee cup to her lips to hide her smile.
I reach for the granola as I take a seat.
“I like Max. The Miller boys are hot!” Jenny says with an approving smile, “Gosh, do you remember how obsessed Savannah was with Hank when they first moved in? She’s going to want details! Hell, I want details! How was it?”
My sisters have little shame when it comes to discussing sex, even in the presence of our mom, something that even when the day comes I don’t think I will ever be ready for.
“We didn’t sleep together!” I cry out. “When did you even get home? Where’s Lilly?” I ask, turning to glance around the room.
“You didn’t?” Kendall looks at me with genuine shock before her eyes narrow, speculating whether or not I’m telling the truth. “But you guys are together now, right? Like officially, exclusively together?”
“Officially, exclusively together,” I fight the climb of my lips as I repeat her words and pour milk into my cereal. “What about you and Jameson, did you guys finally figure things out?”
“You’ll be happy to know we did,” Kendall says, grinning proudly.
“Are you texting, Mom?” Jenny asks, leaning across the table toward her.
“I just started. Your daddy was showing me how so I can get in touch with you girls, since apparently you don’t talk on the phone or write notes anymore. You simply send these weird coded messages to each other.”
“Text Ace, Mom. She spells things out. She’s the only person I’ve ever seen send a message with a semi colon.” Kendall smirks. “Didn’t you get her text last night?” she asks, looking to Jenny who’s looking over our mom’s shoulder.
“You’re such a liar!” Jenny accuses, laughing out loud.
I’m barely able to ask what’s going on when my phone, as well as Kendall’s and Jenny’s all buzz and chime simultaneously. I look down to see I have a new text message from Mom and open it.
Mom: Good ness ace and maxx are finally dating. Took them long eggnog! I’m planning on a roast tonight. Love you.
“Mom, are you serious?” I cry, reading the text a couple of times. “Who all did you send that to?”
“What do you mean?” she asks innocently as her phone begins to chime with incoming messages. Jenny and Kendall are doubled over laughing as I pull her phone out of her hand to assess the damage.
“At least her spelling has improved,” Kendall offers.
“Oh my gosh, Mom,” I groan. “You sent that message to everyone you sent that message to last night.” I scroll through the list of recipients as my mom avoids eye contact with me. “Did you send that to everyone in your contacts list?” I ask, still scrolling through this list of names as more messages continue to stream in.
“Well, they were all going to find out eventually,” she says, trying to smile at me.
“Did you send it to Sharon?” I ask, already knowing the answer as my phone vibrates on the table.
Max: glad UR mom is so happy about us ;)
I want to die.
“I’m never going to live this down.” I groan, dropping my head to the kitchen table as our phones continue receiving incoming texts.
Abby: U may need 2 teach UR mom 2 text … but Im glad 2 hear about Max … cnt wait 2 hear all about it l8r! luv u!
Mindi: Max is hot!!! But U may want 2 take Mom’s phone away ;) Kyle is freaking out a little. Bawhahahahaha
Then there is the multitude of messages from people that send their reply to the entire group over and over again.
Aunt Susan: Who’s Max? He better treat her well! Excited for the roast, what time ;)
Shelly: Is that the neighbor boy U told me about? I hope so!! Eggnog? You mean enough??
Jameson: Woo Hoo!!!!!
Eventually I turn my phone off.
When the doorbell rings that evening I’m standing in the kitchen with my dad as he makes margaritas for himself and my mom. He briefly looks up from the pulsing blender and smiles what I’m fairly certain is meant to be an encouraging smile, making me wonder when I got so lame that he feels I need the boost of confidence.
I push off the counter, feeling like I need to prove something to them, to myself, even though I still have the urge to hide under a large rock after the text my mother sent this morning that I’m still receiving messages about. I run a hand through my hair which is down around my shoulders and take a deep breath.
I swing the door open and find Max beaming down at me with the full force of his beautiful smile. He doesn’t hesitate. Reaching forward, he pulls me against himself and kisses me while wrapping a hand around my back, snaking the other into my hair. His lips softly move with mine while my hands reach out to grip his shirt. I press myself further into him and our kiss continues another moment before he pulls back and rests his forehead against mine.
“I figured since most of the town now knows we’re dating, I’m allowed to do that,” Max says quietly. My cheeks instantly heat with embarrassment that has his grin stretching.
“I’m sorry, I swear, I had no idea—”
“No, it saves me from having to rent a billboard to inform everyone you’re taken.” He winks at me.
“I thought we were finally resuming Jason Bourne tonight?” I ask, latching my seat belt as I climb into Max’s Jeep.
He shakes his head slightly, “I need to be in well lit, heavily populated areas with you for now,” he replies, bringing the Jeep to life.
“So, I was thinking about slow …” I run my finger along the stitching of the seat. I feel horrified at the idea of discussing the specifics of this, and have been rehearsing this since Sunday, and already feel like I’m failing as my voice sounds unsteady and my palms sweat.
“God, you’re distracting!” Max murmurs, taking my hand in his. “What exactly have you been thinking?” He looks over and makes eye contact with me before returning his attention to the road.
“I’m willing to wait six weeks, not a day more. I also don’t want us to have it scheduled down to the detail so that it’s circled on the calendar. I want it to be spontaneous and in the moment.”
“Six weeks?” he repeats, “Why six weeks?”
“Because my birthday’s in seven, and from what I’ve heard, Fifty Shades lied about wanting to have sex twelve hundred times within the same week of losing your virginity.”
He squeezes my hand and glances back to me. “It sounds like you’ve been thinking about this a lot.”
“More than I care to admit.”
“Do you want to know anything about my …” Max swallows audibly as he glances at me, a look of unease across his face.
I shake my head slightly. “I prefer ignorance.”
“I’ve slept with other women though, Ace. Not as many as you apparently think I have, but I don’t want you to feel angry or caught off guard if you learn something you don’t like.”
I turn to look out the passenger window, slowly processing Max’s words. Do I want to know a number? Do I want names or details? Is his past going to haunt me? Would Max be imagining other women? Was he already? What about STDs?
“Ace, talk to me.” He runs his thumb over the back of my hand.
“Have you been tested?” I blurt out, instantly feeling embarrassed by my lack of tact.
“Yes.” Max nods and glances over at me again. “Yes, I got tested a month ago and I’m completely clean. I have strict rules about protection. Your parents went all out educating you on drinking, my mom did the same with me about sex.”
My thoughts briefly wander to my own discussions about sex with my mom, and I consider having had them with my dad and nearly shudder.
“You know I didn’t sleep with all those girls in high school, right?”
I pretend not to appear as shocked as I feel and watch as his eyebrows rise as he nods. “You thought I did.”
“I saw a lot of girls coming and going from your house while your mom was at work.”
“I didn’t even make out with half of them.”
We’re both quiet for a few moments. My mind races from questions and concerns to imagining Max with other girls while this new information leaks into my thoughts with a whole new barrage of thoughts and questions.
“Why did they come over, then?” I don’t want to doubt Max, and yet there’s no viable conclusions that I can draw. Granted, high school is a breeding ground for rumors, but I was his neighbor and saw it happen.
“I think some of them wanted to do more than just hang out. I think more just wanted to have something to say. Piss off a guy they were flirting with or a friend that they were fighting with.” He shrugs, and glances over at me, his lips pressing firmly together and his blue eyes looking ashamed. I feel a rush of relief by his discomfort to know they hadn’t all been there for what we’d thought.
“What did you guys do?”
Max’s lips quirk up slightly. “Most of the time I’d watch baseball, and they’d do whatever they wanted, like talking on the phone. Sometimes someone would really think I was going to do something with them, but most of the girls that came over knew before they got there that nothing would happen.”
A small part of me wants to focus on this unveiling and ask a dozen more questions about why they would do this, and why he’d allow it, but a larger piece of my mind has begun contemplating my own situation.
“What are you thinking?” Max asks.
“I don’t know.” I carefully try to articulate my feelings and concerns. “I knew you were experienced, Max. I knew that before anything started. It’s just these insecurities I suddenly have are intimidating the hell out of me.” He doesn’t understand what I’m trying to hint at as his brows knit together.
“What if I’m bad? What if you start thinking of one of your ex’s? I don’t like the idea of being compared to—”
Max pulls the car onto the shoulder of the road, unbuckles his seat belt, and leans forward grasping my face in both of his hands. He holds me with gentleness, but firmly so I can’t move as he stares directly into my eyes.
“Ace, stop. This is why you have nothing to worry about.” He presses his lips to mine. The instant pull fills me with heat and yearning that is so strong I know it’s coming from both Max and me. It hasn’t managed to dim at all in the past few days, rather it’s even more potent.
He pulls back and stares into my eyes as his breathing comes out in gasps. His eyes silently search mine in confirmation and I understand exactly what he means. I haven’t slept with other guys, but I’ve dated more than I’d like to admit, so I know that what I feel with Max is different; the tingles, the racing hearts, the haggard breathing, we’re like active live wires that when we connect—ignite.
“You have nothing to be insecure about. Nothing.” He stares into my eyes for a long moment before kissing my forehead, the tip of my nose and then my lips. “Nothing,” he repeats.
I take his hands from my face and press a kiss to the inside of each of his palms and nod as I focus on his eyes, confirming that I understand.
His lips spread wide in a smile as he sits back and puts his Jeep back into gear. He reaches over and takes my left hand in his right and holds it securely as we pull back out into traffic.
Saturday we spend our first day apart when Max goes to see his friend Wes, a guy that he has known from baseball for years. Max is thrilled to see him and invited me to tag along, but I declined knowing that he’ll have a better time without worrying about me being entertained. I invite Abby over instead.
She and Jesse both come over and the three of us hang out for a while until Jameson and Kendall arrive home from having gone to San Diego to take a load of stuff to Kendall’s apartment.
“Hey, guys, this is Jesse. Jesse this is my sister Kendall and her boyfriend, Jameson.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jameson says, offering his hand to Jesse who shakes it with an easy smile as Abby begins discussing classes with Kendall.
“Where’s Max?” Jameson asks.
“He’s hanging out with his friend Wes. I think he’ll be back soon though.”
“Alright, well you guys want to play some basketball, then? We can warm up until he gets here. I’m dying in this heat.” Jameson pulls his shirt from his body.
We bob in the water and talk, getting acquainted. I still don’t know much about Jesse; he seems nice but rather quiet, and I’m working to break down a layer of his outer shell as Jameson and Kendall flirt and grope at one another, occasionally joining in on our conversation.
“I’m seriously going to miss these moments,” Abby says from where she’s sprawled across a float with her eyes closed.
A giant splash rains down on us as Jameson plunges into the water, emerging with a satisfied grin as Abby shrieks at him.
“You were a little too dry to be in a pool. Plus you’re starting to get freckles,” he says with a laugh.
“Just because I don’t want to be ass-white like you!” she yells, running a hand carefully under each of her eyes.
“Ass-white? I’m pretty sure my ass is whiter than the rest of me,” he says, turning around and gripping the edge of his shorts, “Here, you guys tell me.”
“No one wants to see your white ass.” I turn, hearing Max’s voice and see him shaking his head at Jameson, obviously curious as to how our conversation has landed here, though not looking overly surprised.
“Some people seem to really enjoy seeing my white ass.” Jameson leers at Kendall, earning a round of laughs.
Max quickly peels off his T-shirt and slides into the water, raising his arms up to guard me as I shoot the basketball that has floated over to my side.
“What’s that?” Max asks as the ball leaves my hand. He holds my arm up, peering at my side.
“You got inked?”
“What?” Abby cries, swimming over.
“We all did.” I explain.
Max shakes his head. “Who’s we? When?”
“My sisters. We got them when you guys went fishing.” Max looks over to Jameson as if to confirm this.
“You never said anything.” Max’s wounded expression fills me with guilt.
“You? She never said anything to me either!” Abby wades over to me, her light brown eyes narrowed on me.
“We kind of forced her,” Kendall offers. “We decided we wanted to get a tattoo together and thought she might say no so we kind of just brought her.” Max carefully lifts the band of my bathing suit to reveal the entire piece and nothing more. “We all got the same thing.”
“Did that hurt?” Abby asks, touching it lightly with her finger. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Harper Jo!”
“It’s not that I was keeping it from anyone. It just wasn’t that big of a deal,” I say, feeling slightly indignant. “Now that it’s healed I kind of forget about it because I don’t really see it.”
“Where’s yours, Kendall?” Abby asks.
Kendall turns around and pulls her bathing suit down to reveal her hip.
“They look so sexy!” Abby cries. “I want one now!”
“Ace hated it, said it was cliché.”
“It is cliché,” I correct her, going to retrieve the basketball.
“Max, this is Jesse. Jesse, this is my boyfriend Max,” I say, swimming back to them. Jesse looks from me to Max and a look of curiosity crosses his face that I ignore as Jameson starts the game by separating teams.
Max and I lie on his bed watching a movie. My parents are off at a fundraiser, and we both still have a hint of chlorine dancing on our skin. I snuggle in closer to him, trying to get some sort of reaction. All evening he’s seemed a bit distant.
After watching far too much of the movie without incurring any distractions or interruptions, I reach over and press pause on the remote. “Talk to me. Please.” I grip one of his hands within mine. Max looks up at me and then lets out a deep sigh. “What’s wrong? Is this because I didn’t tell you about the tattoo?” I ask. “Really, I wasn’t trying to keep it from you.”
“I don’t know. It’s not that I didn’t know, it’s that I found out at the same time some other dude did. He looked at me like I’m either the biggest asshat or doesn’t think we’re serious.”
“Max, I’m sorry. Really, I am. But who cares about Jesse? He doesn’t even know you. Hell, he barely knows me.” I tighten my grip on his fingers. “When you got home I was just distracted with trying to distinguish if you had feelings for me, and what those feelings were, that it kind of got moved to the back burner. Hell, if I’d have thought about it, I probably would have shown you in an attempt to flirt with you.”
“I know, I was too, and I understand it all. It’s just the look he gave me.” He pauses, running a hand over his head a couple of times. “It just pisses me off.”
I nod in understanding and sit up to straddle Max’s waist. His hands come up to rest on my thighs. “It’s probably a good thing I was distracted by being pissed off though. That bikini you wore today should be framed. That’s why Paul’s such a creeper. If I didn’t want to bash in his face, I might actually feel a little bad for him.” A slow grin turns the corners of his lips up before I playfully shove him against the pillows.
He rolls me onto my back in one quick move, hovering over me. I let out a laugh, holding onto his biceps, and watch as his eyes scan my body.
“Can I see it again?” His voice drops to a near whisper and I nod, reaching down to lift the side of my tank top. Max shakes his head once and pulls the cotton from my fingers. He slowly lifts it, exposing the same amount of me that I was going to, possibly less. The fact his hand is the one revealing my skin makes my lungs constrict and my heart flutter. He gently slides a hand under the strap of my bikini to push it up and softly traces the small image with his finger before dipping down to do the same with his lips.
“It is sexy as hell,” he whispers, running his hand over it again, and then down my ribs, “But that had to have hurt like a bitch.”
I can’t formulate words. Barely succeeding in making my breathing not sound as labored And I know that the pain was well worth it, just for this moment.
Saturday morning arrives. It’s moving day.
Abby and I had rented an apartment at the end of May and had gotten all of our furniture and decorations completed by the time summer arrived so she’d have a place to stay since she originally decided she wasn’t going home to Jersey this summer. She had changed her mind after receiving a few calls from her family and friends, but it didn’t affect anything, except making moving a lot easier. All I have to worry about are my clothes and toiletries. Granted, that still requires my car, my mom’s impractical Southern California SUV, and Max’s Jeep.
Abby bounds down the stairs, wrapping her arms around me as she squeals and bounces in place.
“Hey, Abs!” I say with a laugh as I hug her.
“I brought Jesse to help,” she says, looking over her shoulder. I follow her gaze and see Jesse slowly approaching us. I can’t quite get a read on him, and he seems to be looking at me with the same thought.
Abby opens my back door, grabs a pile of clothes still on hangers, and heads for the stairs as Jesse lifts a box from my passenger seat.
“Well, Ace, if there was ever a concern that you weren’t your mother’s daughter, I think it was squashed today,” Dad says, eyeing the mountains of clothes around my room. “Where are they all going to fit?”
I shrug and open a box filled with shoes.
“How many pairs of shoes do you own?” Jameson asks, dropping another box labeled shoes beside me.
“I know you helped Kendall move, so I don’t want to hear anything.”
“Alright, sweetheart, we have to get going. Your father and I are supposed to be attending a charity dinner this evenin’ for the hospital,” my mom says.
“If you think of anything you forgot or need, you just holler.” She stands, straightening her red blouse. “The house is going to feel so empty again,” she says quietly, as a couple of stray tears run down her cheeks.
I stand up and pull her in for a hug. She holds me tightly, running a hand over my hair several times while whispering how much she loves me, as the scent of her sweet, floral perfume, makeup, hairspray, and home linger in my senses, even after she pulls away to go hug Abby. I watch as she releases her and moves onto Jameson and lastly Max.
“You take care of my baby,” she says as Max wraps his large arms around her small frame. “Don’t let her try walking to class when it’s dark. She thinks no one is ever going to bother her. What she doesn’t realize is that everyone notices her. Everyone.”
“I’m only ten feet away, Mom.”
“I promise I’ll watch out for her and keep her safe,” Max assures her.
I roll my eyes, turning to my dad. Even though I’m less than an hour away, saying goodbye to him is the hardest part of being away at college. I’ll miss our morning catch ups and having him around. I take a deep breath, willing myself not to cry, and press my face firmly against his shoulder. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I immerse myself into the safety and warmth of his embrace.
“Time goes too fast,” he says quietly as he holds me close. “I love you, Ace. More than you’ll ever know.” He kisses the top of my head and gives me a final squeeze. “I’ll see you all in a couple of weeks, right?”
I nod and force a smile. “And I’ll call you after Newsroom.”
“You’d better call me more often than that!” He guffaws. “Now that I have texting, instant messaging, and that walkie-talkie thingy you girls put on my phone, I better get updates at least three times a week.”
“Oh, David, she’ll be busy!” Mom exclaims. “What walkie-talkie thing?” She looks up at him.
“You master texting and we’ll discuss upgrading you,” I tease.
My dad laughs, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as I follow them out to the parking lot and watch as they climb back in my mom’s car. I feel Max standing close behind and lean into him as I wave, watching my parents drive away.
“I bet we can find some ice cream,” Max offers, wrapping his arms around me in a comforting hold.
I shake my head. “I’ve got to figure out what to do with all of my clothes.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he says calmly and follows me back up to my apartment.
They don’t fit.
Max sits on my bed, offering assistance as he watches a baseball game, while I resituate things several times in an attempt to get everything inside.
Eventually I concede and fill a box to take back to my parents. Moving onto my shoes, I arrange them by how often they’re worn and color.
Once all of my toiletries are unpacked and Max has taken care of all of the empty boxes, I plop down on my bed and sigh.
“I already miss you being next door.” Max comes over to lie beside me.
“We can do sleepovers now though.” He lifts his eyebrows. My eyes go wide, hearing he’s done with going slow.
He quickly shakes his head. “We’re waiting five more weeks.”
I try to hide my disappointment. “So are you staying here tonight?”
“Do you want me to stay here tonight?”
“Do you want me to want you to stay the night?” I raise my eyebrows and my lips curve into a smile.
He chuckles, pulling me to him so I’m lying atop his chest. “Yes! Tell me you want me to stay!”
“Please stay,” I beg, slightly pouting my lips and playing along. He grabs my lower lip between his teeth, gently nipping at it, as he pulls my hips down to meet his. My breath instantly quickens as his hips lift ever so slightly off of the mattress, pressing further against me.
“That’s cheating.” I grumble and press my hand on his chest, sliding forward so I sit above his waist.
“Kendall asked me to go get some pizzas with her. They’re having a small ‘get together’ at their apartment tonight,” I say, climbing over him and off the bed. Max grabs my hand as I begin stepping away and pulls me back.
“Where are you going? And what exactly is a get together?”
“With those two, probably a party. I need to invoke the three-foot rule,” I explain, running a hand through my hair and looking at his eyes still heavy with lust.
My phone chimes from the nightstand and I sigh, reaching over to grab it.
Kendall: U ready?
Me: Coming
Kendall: Gross, TMI
I roll my eyes, not bothering to respond to her, as I offer Max the option to come with me.
I grab my purse and head to meet Kendall as Max finishes a call with Wes. I head down the metal stairs, looking down at my phone as it buzzes again, notifying me of another text message. As I open it, I see Kendall’s name and the beginning of her message scroll across my screen as I crash into someone.
I grip the banister and watch my keys crash to the cement landing and instantly feel horrified at my negligence.
“I’m so sorry!” I cry in apology, bending down to retrieve my keys.
“Baby Bosse?” My spine snaps hearing the familiar voice, and I come face to face with Nathan Hudson and inwardly groan.
“You’re my neighbor?” he asks, his eyes alight as I avoid stating the obvious. The soft, echoing thud of someone jogging down the steps has me turning to see Max approaching us, his strides slow as he gets closer and his eyes look from me to Nate. I follow his gaze.
Nate smiles as he looks to Max. “What’s up, Miller? What are you doing here?”
“Nate’s my neighbor.” Max’s eyebrows lift at my explanation.
“I think it’s fate for us,” Nate says with a wink.
Max’s body stills, his fists clenching. “Fate?” Max repeats the word like it just slapped him, and Nate turns to look back at him, his smile sliding.
“Don’t tell me,” Nate says, looking between Max and me. “No shit, you and baby Bosse, huh?” he asks, looking at me another moment, “That really surprises me. Aren’t you guys like neighbors or something? I think I heard Clay mention how he liked to come over to catch Ace in her bikini.” He laughs without any trace of humor.
Ignoring Nate, I shift my body so I’m closer to Max, but also angling myself so I’m between the two of them, hopefully making it more difficult for Max to kill him.
“Miller,” Nate repeats, shaking his head as if he can’t quite understand the word.
“Don’t be an asshole, Nate,” I feel my phone buzz again inside my purse and tug on Max’s hand. His body slowly relaxes and follows me as I edge my way around Nate.
“I’m just surprised after being cheated on with Eric, you choose him.” Max pulls his hand from mine and turns so fast I don’t think I’ve even blinked in the time it takes him to launch his body forward.
“Max!” I cry as he corners Nate, hovering over him in a threatening stance.
“I swear, Hudson, you stay the hell away from her. She isn’t interested in you. If you touch her, you talk to her, you even fucking look at her, I will rip your throat out. Got it?”
A menacing smile spreads across Nate’s face as he looks at Max. “What are you worried about, Miller? That she’s going to come borrow a cup of sugar from me?”
I turn, hearing shoes hitting the stairs and see Jameson and Kendall approaching, wearing matching expressions of confusion.
“Hey, dude, everything okay?” Jameson asks calmly.
“Everything is great,” Nate replies, straightening himself. “Just getting acquainted with my new favorite neighbor.” He looks over Max’s shoulder and winks at me.
Max shuffles forward and thankfully Jameson leaps in front of him, placing a hand on his chest to keep him back. Nate smirks and turns, heading up the stairs and out of sight without another word.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Max mutters, running a hand over his short hair and turning to look at me. “You can’t live here.”
I ignore his comment and start back down the stairs, hearing the others footsteps on the metal stairs as they trail me.
“I’m serious,” Max says once we’re all seated in the car. I glance at him in the passenger seat of my car, staring at me intently.
“Max, I’m not going to move because of Nate.”
“You said yourself that you don’t like him. He freaks you out.” Max’s voice rises as his intensity grows.
“I don’t like Nate. Nothing is going to happen with him. But I’m not moving.” I stare at Max to ensure he understands just how serious I am. “This is where I live, Max. He’s just trying to piss you off and be an ass.”
Max shakes his head and leans back into the seat, looking up at the roof of the car as I head to Antonio’s Pizza House.
“Does this remind you of the hot springs with Pedro?” Kendall asks from the backseat. My muscles clench as I watch Max’s head snap and feel him glaring at me. I glance in my rearview mirror to shoot Kendall a look of warning, knowing that this is not going to help.
“Pedro Rodriguez?” Max’s voice cuts with accusation. “You dated Pedro Rodriguez?”
I swallow the urge to get defensive and keep my eyes focused on the road. “Briefly. Like four years ago.”
“That’s why you guys were dancing together at Dante’s.” His words come out like a revelation, making anger course through me as I recall that night and how I had been trying so hard to understand where we were at that point.
“Pedro and I are just friends,” I say adamantly.
“Kendall, does Pedro like her?”
“I hardly see how that’s relevant. I was just thinking out loud. Forget what I said. It was a long time ago.”
“Since you’re evading the question, I take that as a yes.”
“She isn’t playing some game with you, Max. If she doesn’t like you she isn’t going to just keep you around to spare your feelings, so stop creating a reason!”
“Yeah, because she was so in love with Eric all summer, right?” he says, making my jaw drop as I pull into the parking lot.
“Ace is in the car with us in case you both somehow forgot. And this sorta sounds like a conversation you may want her input on,” Jameson adds from the backseat.
I watch him in my rearview mirror as he slowly turns his head to each of them. Even though he can’t see Max, he stares at the back of his seat in silence, as if he’s trying to share a thought through telekinesis.
Max obviously doesn’t receive his message. Instead, he turns his head to look out the passenger window and defiantly mutters, “I’ve never known Pedro to date a girl and not sleep with them.”
