Max knew he was being a nosy fucker, but he couldn't stop himself from asking, "What was he like? Your ex, I mean. How come you guys aren't a good fit anymore?"

His questions seemed to catch Nina off guard. She looked uncomfortable. "Oh, um..."

The moment Max sensed her unease, he backpedaled. He hadn't intended to put her in an awkward position. "You don't have to answer anything if you don't want to. I shouldn't have put you on the spot. Sorry, I was being an ass."

She lowered her gaze. "No, it's not your fault, Max. I'm just a mess when it comes to my ex. I'm sorry, but... I don't think I'm ready to talk about him yet. Things didn't end well between Ethan and me. Like I told you before, I'm still working through some heavy shit."

"Hey," Max said gently. He reached across the table and tapped her hand lightly with his fingertips. "Don't apologize. You don't owe me any explanations. But... if you ever feel like you're ready to open up about it, then I'm here. I'll listen."

Nina glanced up at him. Her eyes were warm. "Thanks, Max. It's so weird. I don't usually get emotional in front of people like this, but around you..."

"Yeah?"

She grinned. "I turn into a little bitch."

Max's face crumpled. "Oh, no."

"No, don't worry, I don't see it as a bad thing, necessarily," Nina assured him. "I want to think about sad shit."

He balked. "Uh..."

She saw his look of alarm and explained, "I came out to California because I needed a new start. I'm here to break away from old habits. To shake things up and, maybe, learn to face my problems head-on."

Understanding began to dawn on Max. He knew a thing or two about running away from his past. From problems that felt too big to face head-on. He studied her intently. "That's really cool, Nina."

She suddenly looked shy and glanced away. "Oh, I dunno, this shit is always easier said than done. I doubt I'll actually be able to change."

"Don't say that!"

"No?"

"You're fucking badass!"

"Am I?"

"One hundred percent."

She laughed. "Thanks for being my number one hype man, Max! I guess, now that you're rooting for me, I better figure out how to get my shit together!"

For some reason, Nina's lighthearted joke provoked Max to run a mental checklist through his own fucked up life. He recalled his unhappy childhood, all of the horrible bullying he endured in high school, his distant relationship with his mom...

His current situation wasn't anything to be proud of, either. Sure, he enjoyed the money and the fame and the girls that came with being an online celebrity, but he didn't feel happy about his achievements. He was basically acting like a fucking jackass on camera day after day to entertain millions of strangers who didn't know shit about his past. All they saw was a good-looking guy with a nice set of abs who seemed willing to do anything for more views.

Max thought about Lexi's betrayal and his tanking YouTube career. Maybe the scandal she caused hadn't been an entirely bad thing. After all, it triggered him to break away from Axel and Avon and the rest of the crew. Their hectic filming and editing schedules and crazed, frenetic lifestyle at the Wilder Ones mansion had been eating away at him for years.

Yet, now that Max was completely on his own, he felt like he was nothing. He felt like a failure. In a small voice, he said, "I wish I could be more like you, Nina."

She gave him a look of puzzlement. "Why?"

"Because you're taking steps to deal with your shit. I don't even know what the hell I'm doing with my life."

"It's true, I'm trying, but... I doubt I have any more answers than you do."

"I think you know more than you give yourself credit for."

"I could say the same about you, Max."

He blinked. "Me? Nah."

She nodded thoughtfully before asking, "If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?"

Max laughed harshly. "Fucking everything, probably!"

"You can only pick one thing."

His eyes widened. "Oh, wow. I dunno..."

Max thought of his mom again.

Maybe... he could start calling her more?

But he didn't say it out loud. He didn't want to sound like a loser or a mama's boy.

Luckily, Nina didn't press him to answer. "Well, whenever you figure it out—you should start from there. My grandma once told me, 'The beginning is the important part of the work.'"

"Shit, that's good. Your grandma's good."

"I thought so, too," Nina said dryly, "until I realized she stole that quote from Plato."

Max frowned. "Playdough?"

"No, dude, the Greek philosopher!"

"Oh. Oh!" Max sighed. "Jesus, I'm a dumbass."

Nina stared at him with a cheeky smile. "You said it, buddy, not me."

He chuckled in embarrassment. "I swear, I'm only this way around you. Ask anyone, I'm usually, like, a god among men!"

Nina snickered. "A god, eh?"

"A motherfucking god," he reiterated.

"Like Zeus? Or... zoos?"

He grumbled like a petulant child, "Are you making fun of me?"

"Apollo? A polo?"

"Oh, my God! Stop."

She pouted. "What? You don't think I'm... punny?"

Max wadded up a napkin into a ball and launched it at her.

She laughed and dodged his attack. "You know, for a god, you have terrible aim."

"Be nice! I won't teach you how to surf if you keep acting like a brat!"

Her honey-brown eyes gleamed wickedly. "But, Max, I am being nice right now."

Max couldn't help himself. He grinned. Their food arrived, and the two of them continued to banter back and forth like children until they demolished every bite. Nina said the tacos were fucking amazing but declared that the ceviche was her favorite. This made Max happy.

The ceviche was his favorite, too.