“How did we meet, or how’d we get together?” Maybe I was being pedantic, but since Max and I were friends first, it wasn’t like he’d spotted me in a club and broken speed records to reach me.
“Both, either. I’m just being nosy. If you prefer we can have a staring contest instead.”
“Pass,” Max said. “We met first at a party a few years back, but I’d seen her around campus before then.”
Dana grinned. “Oooh, he noticed you.”
I flipped my non-existent long hair in an exaggerated fashion, pretending to fling it over one shoulder. “Well, obviously. I’m memorable. Junior year, he got an apartment with some friends but I was a second-stringer. They subbed me in when one of the girls moved home.”
“Hey, I suggested you to Angus,” Max protested. “But Lauren and Nadia were kind of a package deal, best friends and all.”
“And back then you wanted to bang Lauren, so...” I pretended to duck as he came toward me, but he bent down to kiss my nose instead of getting defensive.
Oddly, his casual response made me feel better, like the past was really...past. It was a little weird for me sometimes, sleeping on Lauren’s side of the room, being with Max, like I’d stepped into a role she’d rejected. But God, that wasn’t healthy, especially when I hadn’t been this happy since before. Before Eli died. Before the pills and the white forgetting fog that scared the shit out of my mother and made my dad not want to face me.
Max went on quietly, eyes on mine. “We lived together for six months before I realized she wasn’t just my best friend...that to me, she was also all the love in the world.”
“Holy shit,” Dana breathed. “Is it just me or did it get really fucking hot in here?”
I exhaled slowly. “You’re not wrong.”
“Want to take a walk?” He offered a hand like a knight of old, and I took it, not minding the chivalry when it came from Max.
Tonight, he was rugged, two days of scruff darkening his jaw, and his black hair fell in shiny, shaggy waves, disheveled by the helmet. A dark blue T-shirt didn’t quite hide the ink on his arms, and I thought about the ones I couldn’t currently see as longing coiled in my stomach. God, it hadn’t even been that long, but the lightning kept striking again and again. He kept his hand wrapped around mine as he led me out of the garage and around the side of the house. Where he promptly pushed me up against the wall and kissed me until I was ready to fuck him in Evan’s backyard.
“Where’s this coming from?” I finally managed to ask.
“I don’t think you realize how sexy you are when you’re playing. Like, serious fucking intense hotness, Courtney. I love the way it lights you up.”
“Wow.” For once, I had no clever comeback. “Really?”
“Yeah. I might have to go with you to your shows and keep the pervs and groupies away. I’ll get a Security shirt, just in case.” Now he was obviously teasing me, but from the look in his eyes, I could see that he meant it—that he thought any guy would want me.
Based on my life experiences—and what had just happened with Jared—that definitely wasn’t true. Leaving only one rational explanation.
Max was nuts. About me.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Friday afternoon, I sat in class, daydreaming, thinking about the band and Max, not necessarily in that order.
The professor’s voice rolled over me in waves, white noise similar to the ocean. Around me other people seemed more engaged, but I couldn’t get interested in statistics. My entrepreneurship class was more intriguing; even marketing had its moments, but this one sapped my will to live. I’d just gotten a B on my first test, though, so it seemed likely that I’d manage to graduate with a business degree like my parents wanted.
After my last class, I rushed out of the building, anticipation quickening my step. Tonight was my first date with Max, and I couldn’t wait to get home to see him. That eager mood lasted just long enough for me to enjoy the sunlight on my face, then I spotted Max across the quad with Jared. I would’ve been happy if I never saw that asshole again, and from Max’s expression, the shit was about to hit the fan. He spat something, then shoved Jared hard.
Worried, I ran toward them, closing the distance fast enough to hear Max snarl, “Say it again, motherfucker, I dare you.”
“What, that the girl you set me up with is a complete butterface? That’s true, bro. Except you only say that when her body’s banging, and damn. I wouldn’t hit that with a hammer. Cause when I say ‘dat ass’ about whatshername, it ain’t a good thing.”
Max hauled his arm back and cracked Jared right in the mouth, hard enough that the guy staggered back a few steps and had to grab a tree to avoid going down. Two more punches came in hard, stomach and jaw, so Jared doubled over wheezing, but when he came up, he had rage to burn. I envisioned this escalating quickly if I didn’t do something, but part of me wanted to watch him get his ass kicked, so I wrestled with conscience and schadenfreude.
“I catch you talking about her again, and I will fucking end you.” Max ducked away from a wild swing.
A crowd was gathering, but nobody tried to break it up. Instead six people got out their phones and started filming. If I knew human nature, this would be on YouTube later tonight, uploaded with a title like DUMBASSES FIGHTING. There would be awesome comments about their technique and dissatisfaction that nobody ended up spewing blood from an orifice, then the internet trolls would start arguing and someone would get called a Nazi before the whole thing got shut down.
“What the fuck! You sucker punched me, asshole. Over some homely bitch.” With an angry growl, Jared rushed Max, tackling him hard enough to drop him.
On the ground, the battle got ugly with elbows to the face, palms in the throat, while they rolled around, snarling curses. Jared was insane, and he seemed to know some wrestling holds because he was doing better close-up. Fighting an arm lock, Max slammed his head into the side of Jared’s face and fought to get a knee onto his chest. In retaliation, Jared smashed four knuckles into Max’s cheekbone, splitting the skin. At the sight of blood, my good angel won, mostly because I was afraid Max might get really hurt.
So I yelled, “Campus security’s heading this way. You might want to take off before the awkward questions start.”
As he sprang to his feet, his mouth smeared with blood, Jared shot me a look of pure loathing. “I should’ve known you’d show up to make my day worse.”