Page 53 of Risky Little Affair
Sure, to the naked eye you’d never know anything was wrong. In fact, if I put on a smile, people who don’t know me well might even think I’m happy. It’s the look in my eyes that gives me away. The turmoil swirling around. The anger and devastation, and yeah, the pity. Because as much as I said I don’t, and as much as I don’t want to, I do pity Lex.
Maybe not her specifically, but her situation. Or maybe I do pity her, but not the version of her she’s become. I feel bad for the person who had to deal with everything she went through. The girl who was forced to become a fighter. Who was forced to grow up and take her life into her own hands at an age where she should have been having fun.
Those events may have made her into the amazing woman she is now, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t take it all away if I could. I’d go back, save her from that moment. From the heartbreak of it all.
Even if it meant we’d never meet.
“Only a few more weeks. Then, all those naught things I promised—” Max cuts himself off when he spots me standing in front of the stove. I can see his reflection, but I don’t bother to turn as I down the contents of my glass in one swig. “I gotta go.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting this. And from the expression on his face, he wasn’t expecting me.
Max entertaining a woman wouldn’t come as a surprise if he’d shown any interest in them lately. Nope. In fact, he’s given me the opposite impression. Sulking. Stomping around. Every little thing irritating him to no end.
Maybe he worked it out of his system tonight. Perhaps this mystery woman is the answer to his foul mood.
Considering the fact she’s not here in person, I can only imagine he’ll remain sullen as ever.
As soon as I hear his phone hit the counter, I steel my features, erasing the knowing grin that was beginning to spread across my lips, and turn to face him.
“Nothing like a little phone sex to pass the time, right?” I joke as he assesses me. Head to toe and back again, his eyes locking on mine.
“How much of my conversation did you hear?”
Now, I’ve known Max my entire life basically. The man is an iron trap when it comes to personal matters. He’s been known to brag a time or two about things, but mostly, he keeps the important shit to himself. The one and only time I’ve seen him break and show emotion was when his dad passed earlier this summer. Not that I can blame him for that. James was a good man.
Which is why I continue to stare at him instead of answering his question. Because I know it’s going to drive him insane to constantly wonder how much I know.
“More than I needed to,” I finally say as Max clenches his fists at his sides.
“Any way you think you can keep this just between us?” he asks. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Max was on the verge of begging. Which means I have the upper hand for once.
“As long as you can keep this a secret,” I state, holding up Finn’s secret bottle of Blanton’s.
“I didn’t see anything as long as you didn’t hear anything.” Max holds his hand out, and when I place mine in his to shake on our agreement, he squeezes tight, stepping right into my face. “But if I hear even a peep about what happened here tonight, I’ll do more than just rat you out to your brother. I’ll destroy everything you care about.”
“Because I heard you having phone sex? That seems a little extreme. Even for you.” It makes me wonder what he’s really hiding. Or better yet, who?
“What are you even doing here?” he asks, a clear attempt to change the subject.
“Just wanted to pop in and say hi to Finn.” I want to cringe at my lame excuse, knowing he’s not going to buy it. He knows me too well. The last few times I’ve been over have been to play poker. Or to party. Never just to stop by and randomly say hello. That’s not really the type of relationship Finn and I have, and Max knows this, so when I don’t elaborate further, he lifts his eyebrow in suspicion of my real motives. “And I needed a drink.”
“I know for a fact you have beer at your place. I was with Declan when he bought it for you. So, unless you can drink an entire case of beer in less than a week, come up with a better lie.”
“Fine.” Letting out an irritated growl, I pull my hand from his and turn to pour myself another glass of bourbon. This one I’ll drink slower, as I untangle the intricate web of confusion and anger that’s wrapped itself around my heart. To Max. Because Finn is obviously not home, and as far as I’m concerned, we didn’t see each other tonight.
I didn’t walk in on him having phone sex, and he has no idea where Finn’s coveted bottle of Barton’s disappeared to.
“This doesn’t leave the room, understood?” I say, eying him over the rim of my glass.
“Tonight never happened,” he states as he takes the bottle from my hand, pouring himself two fingers before taking a seat at the poker table. “Talk.”
In order for Max to understand everything, I need to start at the beginning, so even though I promised Lex we wouldn’t tell our friends, even though I signed our agreed upon rules, it’s the first thing I tell him.
About seeing her for the first time. Really seeing her. Taking her all in. My body’s reaction. The way it felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest. He didn’t say anything just listened. Until I told him about how she shot me down that first morning. He was doubled over in his chair, laughing so hard I stopped talking until he regained control.
“She shot you down. Has that ever happened to you before?”
“No,” I growled.