A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for patiently waiting for the next chapter. I'm trying to cut back but they seem to be getting longer the more of them I write—argh! But I figured every little detail of Luke and Max's relationship will only help us see what they can't—at least not yet. =)

***

My feet got slightly itchy in the colorful ankle socks I always wore to bed so I rubbed them together before swinging them to the side, coming into contact with something hard.

“Ow.”

One eye popped open—well, both if you counted my other one which was mushed up against the pillow with the rest of the left side of my face—and stared at the scrunched up nose millimetres away from me.

Thick locks of dark brown hair filled up that scant space, covering a high forehead and the sharp edges of strong brows. I could see the fan of dark, long lashes on closed eyes, the high cheekbones and lips that were just softening themselves out of a cute, little frown.

Luke may have felt my accidental kick but it wasn’t strong enough to completely wake him up.

I had no idea what time it was—the light was a bright, pale gold inside my apartment and the noise of the traffic from the street below hummed steadily in the background. 

To be honest, the world could be exploding in apocalyptic proportions outside right now but I probably wouldn’t want to move an inch. I wanted to stay still for a moment and just watch Luke as he slept.

Some people weren’t very attractive while sleeping but Luke could almost be some kind of perfume ad in a magazine even as he slept. This life wasn’t fair but in this particular instance, I didn’t mind.

I bit my lip and without moving, studied the complicated man in my bed.

His messy hair looked sexy, his features seemed stark and soft at the same time and the sinewy length of muscles on the arm he’d slung on top of the covers and around me felt masculine and strong. You would think after a few hours out on the wharf, he’d smell, well, fishy, but he smelled clean and distinctly Luke. Yes, we’d spent so much time together last week that I could probably follow his trail to the ends of the earth with my eyes closed and just his scent guiding me.

You are mental. Absolutely mental. You are such a creeper.

Despite the sneering voice in my head, I smiled, because really, what could one do at this point?

Stare and stare some more. Admit it, Max. You’re crushing on your boss/friend/the-wrong-man-for-you.

What was wrong with that, right? 

Absolutely nothing and everything, of course.

A little sigh escaped me and my hand peeked out from under the covers to very lightly nudge the hair that rested over his brow which obscured a small yet fascinating section of his profile.

“You are such a kicker,” Luke suddenly said, lifting his head, stretching his eyes open and grinning crookedly. “God knows how many bruises I’ve got on my shin now.”

“You’ve been pretending to be asleep all this time!” I exclaimed in mortification, shoving at his shoulder lightly. “What the hell?”

He laughed and lunged for me just as I started to drag myself away and into a sitting position.

He caught me by the waist and yanked me back until I was about half-sprawled on top of him.

“Such indignation so early in the morning,” he said, still chuckling. His one arm locked me in place while he rubbed his eye with his other hand. “What time is it, anyway?”

I looked past his shoulder and at the digital alarm clock on the night stand on his side of the bed. I winced. “It’s definitely not morning. It’s about three in the afternoon on Sunday.”

His eyes widened. “Oh, shit!”

“Shit what?” I asked, tilting my head up so I could see his face because while his hold might have loosened a little at being startled, I didn’t really want to move away. He felt warm and hard and incredible against me.

He closed his eyes briefly with a groan. “I have a five p.m. flight to Tokyo and Terrence is picking me up from my place in about half an hour.”

I blinked, caught off guard that he was not only leaving my bed any second now but that he would also be on his way to a different country in a couple of hours. “Oh. Well, you can leave now, I guess.”

“No.”

“No?” I echoed. “Why not?”

“Because.”

“Because what? We’re starting to sound like a couple of ten-year-olds here.”

He looked at me while I frowned at him but he didn’t say anything for about a minute that crickets should probably be making sounds by now.

My frown didn’t last because my nose got a little itchy. Since my arms were essentially trapped between us, I leaned down and rubbed the tip of my nose against the shirt on his chest. Seconds later, he rumbled out a hearty laugh.

I lifted my head, my nose still wiggling, and Luke reached out behind him and dug around his pillow until he found his cellphone.

“Don’t you dare, Luke Hedenby!” 

I tried to writhe free but his other arm was still around me, pinning me against him while he effortlessly held the cellphone up to my face.

“Smile, Max.”

“Not on your life!” I answered dramatically.

“Don’t say that to someone who’s about to be in a metal box about thirty-thousand feet in the air for at least ten hours.”

I blanched and then scowled at him. “You’re evil playing that card.”

He didn’t show the least remorse. “I will do whatever it takes to have you smile so I can take a picture. As adorable as you are grumpy, I’d prefer to look at you smiling back at me.”

With gritted teeth, I forced my lips into a tight and straight line, barely managing the words out. “This is my smiling face.”

“That is not your smiling face,” he said. “You’re smiling face is really pretty.”

I raised a brow. “You know, calling someone pretty when they just woke up with a bad hangover isn’t very convincing at all.”

Luke, his amusement dissolving into concern, lowered his phone to peer at me. “Does your head hurt? Do you need an aspirin? Some greasy bacon? Coffee?”

I shook my head. “Nah, I’m not too bad actually. Just a bit groggy but it doesn’t feel like a rock concert is going on in my head right now.”

He smiled. “Your hair does look like you just head-banged for hours.”

My cheeks warming, I pouted. “Does it really? Let me go so I can fix it.”

“I’ll fix it,” he said as he put his phone down on his chest and tucked more than a few wavy locks behind my ears. “There you go. Much better.”

“Thanks,” I said shyly, my cheeks even burning just a little bit more. “No one said you were going to wake up and find yourself looking at a Victoria Secret model—at least not last night. Or early this morning. Although I’m sure you’ve done that before. Waking up next to a Victoria Secret model, I mean. Or at least some woman who looks like one.”

I was babbling in epic proportions but Luke just looked thoroughly entertained.

I rolled my eyes. “Hey, you were the one who claimed a spot in my bed without invitation. Deal with it.”

He laughed. “I am dealing with it quite well. Better than you, for sure.”

I sighed. “This is all very weird.”

“This is actually very nice.”

I couldn’t help a smile. “It is, isn’t it?”

We were both smiling at each other when in one deft move, he swiped up his cellphone, held it up in front of me and snapped a picture. It didn’t register until the shutter sound of the camera came on.

“You are such a slimy little schemer!” I pushed myself up enough to free a hand but Luke just shoved himself off the bed and out of my reach, still laughing.

“And you’re a stingy smiler,” he shot back with an unrepentant grin as he pocketed his phone and looked around for his shoes. 

Resigned, I groaned and plopped back on the bed. “You’re a brat, you know that?”

He slipped his shoes back on, ignoring the undone laces and leaning down to suddenly drop a kiss on the tip of my nose. “And you’re a babe. I gotta go.”

I crossed my arms behind my head, smiling teasingly as I watched him head for the door. “Babe, huh? No wonder you’re scrambling to get out of here after spending the night. It’s sheer habit.”

He paused around the corner of the wall that sectioned off the bathroom and raised a brow. “I’ll get you for that when I return on Friday.”

I just snorted, thinking he’d go after that parting shot.

But he didn’t.

“Will you miss me?”

“Hell, no.”

I thought he had another witty quip but he didn’t. He actually looked quite serious for a second.

“I’ll miss you.”

My heart skipped a beat—more like a reverse cartwheel if such things were physiologically possible—and I opened my mouth to say something appropriate like an ‘I’ll miss you too’ but no sound came out.

He just winked and disappeared around the corner and in no more than a heartbeat, the front door shut close.

I laid there in bed, still feeling like I’d been picked up by a tornado and dropped into unchartered territories, my head spinning a little, my insides twisting with something I couldn’t identify.

Then I rolled to my side, grabbed Luke’s pillow and sank my face into it until I’ve committed the faint traces of him into memory to tide me over until he returned.

***

Monday came too soon but I didn’t mind the distraction of work.

Theodora had a boat-load of tasks for me, most of them mind-numbing, but they helped fill in the time I might have just spent noticing how absent Luke was from my life. It wasn’t healthy to suddenly pine for a man I had comfortably lived without in the last twenty-three years of my life. But then, Luke crashed into my life with nearly catastrophic force. Could I really expect my life to be the same?

Jillian and Ryan were both around to keep me company during lunches and breaks. Ryan wasn’t too thrilled at the reminder that we abandoned him at Jillian’s apartment. Meanwhile, she cheerfully told me, with great amusement, how she discovered him in her hot pink robe. Even with a pounding head, she managed to draw some interesting bold make up strokes on his face and take a picture of him before he woke up. She promised to keep the picture safe until blackmail became absolutely necessary one day. Ryan didn’t share her gleeful resolve but just like most things with Jillian, he took it in stride like no one could.

When they asked me how Luke and I made it home, I didn’t elaborate on my meager answer of ‘We took a cab’ and they didn’t seem too suspicious. It made me a bit uncomfortable because I felt like I was lying by omission but I didn’t think they would understand if I told them that Luke and I slept together in my bed. I mean, technically, they spent the night together too but I had a feeling they weren’t going to see it the same way. So I left it at that. If Luke and I agreed we didn’t owe each other answers right now, then there was no reason we would other people.

As for Luke, he was busy in Tokyo. Ryan said he was there for one of the many annual trade summits. There were lots of important people there and with the time difference of Tokyo being more than a day ahead, getting a hold of him was tricky. Not that I was ringing his phone off the hook.

That Sunday evening long after he’d gone, I sent him an email saying, ‘I’ll miss you, too, silly.’

A few hours later, I got back an email with a picture of him in a dress shirt and a sports jacket leaning back against his seat in what appeared to be the interior of some kind of private plane. He looked a little tired but he had a soft smile on his lips. 

All he tagged that photo with was a short message that said: ‘For when you can’t handle the longing, lean close and kiss me. I promise to imagine it.’

He was a terrible, unapologetic flirt but I couldn’t find it in myself to get mad at him. 

I didn’t reply to that but I certainly didn’t delete the picture. I saved it on my phone instead which was silly because when I looked it up that night, there were actually quite a few photos of Luke online from society pages and public event features. But this one I had was all mine—maybe something that no one else but me would ever see.

In the first couple of days, he attempted to call me but I couldn’t answer both times. Once was when I was in a meeting at work and another was when I was in the shower getting ready for bed. I tried to call him back but it just went to voicemail so I left short, rambling messages that pretty much all summed up to an awkward ‘Hi back’. The emails he’d sent me were pretty short and random, like something he’d stolen a minute into typing up when he was supposed to be paying attention to something more important. 

After that, he became a bit incommunicado and I had to remind myself that outside of the goofy Luke I knew, he was actually a powerful businessman with money to make and important people to rub elbows with. So I stayed busy and did my best to remember the lines I shouldn’t be hovering too close to. I reminded myself that I had a life before Luke and that it was one I’d been perfectly happy with. 

Then on Thursday night, while I was in the middle of doing (or attempting) crunches in front of my TV as an old episode of Dawson’s Creek played, my cellphone blared. 

“Hello?”

“Why are you panting?” Luke asked without preamble. “Are you having sex right now?”

‘No, I’m not’ was at the tip of my tongue, ready to lash out in indignant fury when instead, I asked, “Does it matter if I am? He’s pretty quiet so I can hear you just fine.”

“You’re a horrible person, Maxine Moss,” he muttered.

“And you’re jumping to very vivid but very unsubstantiated assumptions,” I said, collapsing on my mat. “I’m exercising, Luke. But just for your information, if I were having sex, I surely wouldn’t pick up the phone and chat.”

“Sorry, my brain is practically mush at this point,” he said with a sigh. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve had some decent sleep.”

I propped myself back up on my elbow, my tone teasing this time. “Why? Have you been staying up late and having lots of sex?”

He paused for a fraction of a second before he shot back, “Does it matter if I am?”

It was probably the price of my sassiness but the image of a naked Luke all over some equally naked woman in bed flashed through my head and nearly made me drop my phone. I physically shuddered.

My answer came out a bit more angry than I would’ve liked. “Not really, no, but if you are, I would appreciate not knowing the intimate details.”

“I don’t know that I would feel like sharing them with you,” was his similarly surly answer. Someone sprinkled their cereal with grumpy flakes this morning. 

“If not to piss each other off about our sex life—separate ones, I mean, not our sex life as in we’re having sex together—what are you calling about then?” I demanded.

He sighed long and loud. He sounded stressed so I bit back my tongue and waited.

“Maria, Peggy’s best friend, is throwing her a surprise party tomorrow evening when she gets home from the office,” he said. “Terrence and I should be back by then. I’ll probably have to pick you up straight from the airport if we’re running a bit late. Just be ready.”

I blinked a few times before sitting up straight. “What? I’m going to Peggy’s party, too?”

“Well, yeah. I have the gift we got her so don’t get her anything else,” he said. “It’s not going to be too formal or fancy. Just a some family and friends. Peggy isn’t crazy about people making a big fuss for her birthday but there’s always a surprise party for her every year that it’d be more of a surprise if there wasn’t one this year.”

“Oh, okay.” I sounded lame but I was having some trouble digesting what Luke was telling me. “But um, if this is some kind of intimate close friends and family affair, I really shouldn’t be intruding. It wouldn’t be right.”

I almost wanted to add that Peggy was like a second-mother to him and while she and I had gotten along well since we met, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that she would count me among her close friends. This was her party, not Luke’s, so he didn’t get to decide on the guest list.

“Peggy would love to have you, don’t worry,” he assured me with a finality that was hard to argue with. I was about to but I could hear someone else talking to him in the background that it probably wasn’t a good idea to start a debate right at this moment. “I’ll pick you up around five, okay?” 

“Five it is,” I answered, dropping back on my mat. 

“And Max?”

“Yes?”

“You’re right. I have been staying up late.”

My eyes narrowed. “I don’t want to hear this.”

“No, I wasn’t having lots of sex,” he said with a laugh. “I wish I were.”

“I don’t really want to hear this, Luke,” I said, my nose wrinkling. 

“I can’t sleep,” he continued. 

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not the same as Sunday.”

I didn’t say anything. 

I just had a possibly stupid-looking grin on my face. 

Suddenly, tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

***

I dressed with a little more care the next day because I wouldn’t have time to get back home and change after work.

I wish Luke had elaborated on some party details but since that call last night, he’d been offline. 

I wasn’t one of those lucky girls who started fresh-faced and stayed that way for the rest of my eight-hour work day. It required careful planning to get there. I kept my hair in a bun during the day so that when I loosened it after work, the waves were large and soft, easily polished with a light serum. I packed a small bag of cosmetics along with a travel toothbrush and floss, my perfume rollerball and a small tube of lotion which I stashed in my desk drawer at work until my shift ended. I tidied up in the bathroom, fixing my hair and my face which I’d kept pretty bare all day except for some tinted moisturizer. A dab of some rosy stain on my cheeks and lips gave it a pop of color and life without seeming overdone.

As for my outfit, I’d picked out a simple A-line shaped sheath dress I’d only worn to my first interview at Hedenby Holdings. It was a little nicer than my usual office wear but it remained conservative with the navy blue color and the modest cut and above-the-knee length. The shape was also very forgiving that I didn’t have to hold my breath while wearing it. I’d learned plenty since that Saturday gig at Sonic. 

I wore a beige blazer over the dress at work but I’d shoved that too in my desk drawer. The dress would look pretty dull on its own so I paired it up with a perky necklace made of twinned slim strands of cherry red beads. They nearly matched the low kitten-heeled slingbacks I wore.

I was by no means glamorous in my day-to-night outfit but it was polished enough to hopefully pass for an informal dinner party. 

I ignored Luke’s instructions to not get Peggy anything because the amethyst earrings we shopped for last week was his gift, not ours. On lunch, I went out and got her an elegant stationery set from my favorite specialty paper store. It wasn’t a bold or fancy gift but it was high-quality, pleasing to the eye and something she could actually use since I’ve seen her scribbling on a bunch of note pads and post-its before.

I waited by one of the lounge chairs in the main lobby where I could see the driveway out front from the large glass walls.

I was there by four-thirty in case Luke came early.

It was about five-forty-five and exactly seven unanswered text messages later and I was still sitting there.

It would seem that Luke was either not coming or was going to be awfully late.

I was just texting him that at six I was just going to head home when I heard the clicking of high heels.

“Max, you can just ride with me since we’re both going to the same place,” Peggy said suddenly from behind me. 

Startled, I looked up and saw her standing right there, a patient look on her face even though she was frowning slightly. 

“Uh, what?” I croaked.

She shook her head in disapproval. “That boy is never on-time for anything. I’m heading out now and you can come with me and just wait for him there. That way, you can eat, drink and have a good time instead of waiting here the entire evening.”

I blinked at Peggy, groping for something to say I didn’t want to spoil anything that hadn’t been spoiled yet. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Peggy.”

She raised a brow and smiled. “Max, I’ve had a surprise party at my house every year in the last eight years so there’s no need to play innocent.”

I straightened. “Okay, but how do you know I’m coming to the party?”

Her smile just broadened. “I’ve also known Luke since he was in diapers, which makes it twenty-seven years. There was no question he was going to drag you into this. I also knew that he wasn’t going to make it in time so I thought I’d make sure you got a ride.”

I laughed, partly because this conversation with Peggy was a little ridiculous and my attempt at bluffing was pathetic, and also because I was relieved that the evening might not have been a waste after all.

I reached behind me for the gift as I got up and handed it to her. “Well, since you’ve busted me, here you go. Happy birthday, Peggy.”

She beamed as she looked over the shiny magenta paper wrapped around the box before pulling me for a quick hug. “Thank you, Max. You didn’t have to, you know? I’m just glad you could join us.”

I smiled back, feeling a bit sheepish. “I hope I’m not imposing. It’s not Luke’s birthday so he doesn’t get to just invite people.”

“And he usually doesn’t,” Peggy said as we started walking to the side exit which led to the staff parkade. “Other than Terrence, you’re the only one he’s ever invited among his friends.”

I flushed at the unexpected revelation. “Oh, I didn’t know. But this is not like a date or anything like that, just so you know. We’re not, you know, dating. We’re just friends.”

Peggy’s smile was mysterious and telling at the same time, as if I’d just made a confession with my outright denial. Great. 

“And that’s not a bad thing at all, Max,” she said gently. “Most times, Luke’s a better friend than boyfriend. I think where he’s now with you is a good place to start, should you ever want to go there with him.”

“That place scares me,” I admitted, surprising myself with my level of honesty. But Peggy was someone I never really had growing up—a woman who might just understand what it was like. “It’s just as full of dangerous, painful things as it is of happy ones.”

She glanced at me, her smile surprised but understanding. “Well, I didn’t expect that.”

“Didn’t expect what?”

“That the girl that might just take Luke to a place he doesn’t admit he fears is just as terrified as he is,” she said before reaching out to put a hand on my arm. “But don’t worry about it. When we become afraid of losing something that means everything to us, we stop being afraid of whatever it takes to keep it.”

There wasn’t really anything that I could say to that so I kept my mouth shut until Peggy and I reached her silver Volvo. I didn’t know how far away Peggy’s place was but fortunately, she didn’t bring up Luke much in our conversation. About fifteen minutes later, we pulled up in front of a narrow but charming townhouse in one of the older neighborhoods in the city. 

Massive oak trees lined the sidewalk, alternating with old-fashioned black, wrought-iron street lamps.

All the windows on the townhouse were dark and shuttered, much like they would when no one was home. I lagged behind Peggy as she walked up the front steps to the door. Despite knowing what lay waiting inside, I still jumped at the loud, lively chorus of ‘Surprise!’ the moment the front door swung open.

There were swarms of people in there. It was a cozy, elegantly-appointed space but it looked like it was packed to the rafters with the population of a small country who attacked Peggy, and me by extension since I wasn’t too far behind her, with an explosion of balloons and confetti.

Graciously, Peggy feigned the surprise better than I would’ve expected and thanked everyone when she was able to pull away briefly from what seemed like a hundred people or so trying to hug her. 

While I wasn’t entirely a recluse back in my hometown, I didn’t know this many people, much less have them organize a surprise party for me. But it didn’t surprise me about Peggy. By all accounts, from Luke and Terrence alone, she was much admired and adored for her big heart.

She didn’t forget me, once everyone had gotten their turn at a hug from her, and briefly introduced me to the general group. There was no link to Luke or anything like that, which I was vastly relieved about even though I recognized several people from work. I hadn’t interacted with any of them in the past but they looked like they knew who I was. I wasn’t sure yet whether that was a good thing or not.

Peggy had to make rounds and I hastily assured her that I was perfectly capable of looking after myself. I got myself a drink and a small plate of food, finding a quiet corner in the living room on one of the ottomans where I could sit and watch the party.

An hour passed and I was on my second cooler and plate of hors d’oeuvres. I also already had a lengthy conversation about summer movies with a couple people who’d been on the couch earlier. 

Still no luck. 

Still no Luke.

Great, I’m rhyming without really rhyming.

“Oh, honey, are you still okay here?” a woman who’d introduced herself earlier as Tina from Sales Strategies at work, asked as she came by my way again. This time, she was arm-to-arm with someone else from the same department at work—Abby or Ally, I couldn’t remember. Tina seemed like a nice woman but she was a bit too nosy. She gushed about meeting me and asked me how well I knew Peggy and if it was somehow through Luke. Her hints were about as obvious as a bonk in the head.

“I’m doing great, ladies. No need to worry about me here,” I told her politely, taking a sip of my drink as an excuse not to say anything more.

“You should’ve brought a date with you, girl!” Abby said with a titter. They were both tipsy and I inwardly sighed, knowing it would take more than a polite dismissal to get them off my case at this point. 

“Abby! How could you say that?” Tina said in mock horror at her friend. “She’s with Luke, you know? Where have you been the last couple of weeks?”

It would seem that the two women had forgotten I was there because they just kept arguing as if I couldn’t hear them. I sat there, sipped my drink, and kept watching.

“I don’t think Luke’s serious,” Abby said with a shake of her head. “I mean, when is he ever serious, ya know? But anyway, he couldn’t be. He’s got that chick with him… that starlet. God! Can’t remember her name. Quick! Platinum blonde, fake boobs, those stupid pink tank tops…”

I shot up straight in my seat, alert all of a sudden.

“Oh, that Lola Lincoln from Life’s A Beach!” Tina supplied excitedly, snapping her fingers. “She has the most gorgeous hair but I gotta say, I hated her in that show. The six months she was on it was the worst. I wanted to rip out her extensions by the time they killed her off in that car crash.”

Abby giggled. “Well, you can see if you can come close enough to her tonight and try it. I bet they’re not extensions though. They look like her real hair.”

Tina rolled her eyes. “No one has perfect hair like that. Especially not on TV. I bet—“

“Um, ladies, sorry to butt in but what are you two talking about?” I interjected, looking at them in confusion.

They both turned to me, their eyes widening as if they just remembered I was there. 

“Oh, you didn’t hear?” Abby said. “Mr. Hedenby got in maybe half an hour ago with Lola Lincoln. I thought they broke up ages ago but she’s here with him. They’re still out front. I don’t think they’ve come in yet at all.”

Out of nowhere, there was a painful lump in my throat and I swallowed hard. 

“People have been peeking outside to take a look at her,” Tina added. “She’s some kind of celebrity. Probably why she’s not sure about coming inside.”

“I see,” I said flatly, glancing down at my plate as my hand that held it shook slightly. “I’m sure Peggy would be pleased to have a celebrity guest at her birthday.”

Tina snorted. “I wouldn’t count on it. She doesn’t like Lola.”

Abby snickered. “I think she just doesn’t like Lola for Luke. But when it comes to beautiful women, all respect for Mr. Hedenby aside, he thinks with the brain between his legs.”

“Any more vicious gossip about our boss and I’m kicking you both out,” Peggy said as she appeared beside us, her voice stern and very serious despite the wry expression on her face. “Luke’s personal life is his own business.”

Both women looked sufficiently chided even though Tina raised her hands in a sign of surrender. “Hey, it’s hard not to talk about it when the tabloids are all over it sometimes.” 

“If you really have to talk about it, keep it to yourselves,” Peggy added, her annoyance now clearly showing. “Those who know him well enough don’t need to hear it.”

“Are you sure about that?” Abby asked meaningfully. I didn’t miss the dubious look she sent my way. 

Peggy’s eyes narrowed, her hands resting on her hips. For a moment, she actually looked quite menacing. Tina sighed and grabbed Abby by the arm.

“Peggy’s right. Let’s go before we’re served up in pieces, Abs,” she told the other woman before dragging her away.

I chugged down the rest of my drink in one swig, aware on my periphery that Peggy was watching me. I swiped the back of my hand on my lips and got up, forcing out a cheerful smile. “I think I’m going to get my last drink for the night before I call a cab home. It’s a wonderful party, Peggy, but I think I’m going to call it a night here pretty soon.”

I was surprised at the number of sentences I managed because I was having some challenges breathing. Something felt too tight and too heavy in my chest—the kind of weight that held you down, deep in the cold, murky waters until you drowned. 

Peggy didn’t blink, which was really disconcerting, because those gray eyes of hers were boring into me as if she were reading me in codes only she understood. If mothers were mostly like this, I may not have missed out on much.

Tears felt like hot needles prickling me behind my eyes—a contrast to the cold that seeped into my shaky hands. 

I blinked back hard, curled my fists and kept my shoulders squared. 

If I had to be put under a microscope, I’d rather not have anyone else see what I didn’t understand myself.

Somewhere inside of me hurt—a lot.

All I wanted was just to go home and curl up in my bed.

Perhaps, tomorrow, the blood stains would map the wounds. Either them or the scars, raw as they may still be.

“Terrence can give you a ride home,” she finally said. “He just snuck into the kitchen for a quick bite.”

I shook my head. “Probably not the best idea. Really, a cab’s fine. I’m sure Terrence is exhausted after their long flight back from Tokyo. He should eat and relax and enjoy the rest of his evening.”

Peggy sighed. “If you want to avoid him, turn right when you head out the door. There’s a small cafe at the end of the block. It’s on a more major road and more cabs come down that way.”

I didn’t have to ask who was him.

I chuckled, albeit without a convincing amount of humor, and shrugged. “I don’t need to avoid him but it’s nice out so I might just take your advice and take a stroll down to the cafe. Thanks, Peggy, and happy birthday once again.”

The moment she stepped aside to let me pass, I wanted to take off in a run but her next statement stopped me in my tracks.

“It takes a brave girl to love someone like Luke, Max,” she said. “Until he’s figured it out, he’s going to give you more reasons to run than to stay.”

I smiled, even with my chin trembling as I reined in a fresh surge of emotion I much preferred over this confusing, intolerable hurt—anger. Yes, anger, because Luke could only hurt me if I let him and no one’s hurt me in a long time. I wasn’t going to start again with him.

“Good thing then that I have no plans to love him,” I said. 

Peggy’s smile was sad but understanding. “Isn’t that what we always say when it’s already too late?”

It’s never too late to back away when you’re burned. The difference is in what you end up with—a scorched hand or your own ashes.

With my head up and my heart shoved back in the space where all that pain swelled in, I turned and walked away. 

I headed to the kitchen to put away my plate and empty bottle, catching Terrence just as he was shoving a bacon-wrapped steak bite into his mouth.

His eyes widened at the sight of me and he struggled to chew through his food fast so he could get it down his throat and speak.

“Hi, Terr,” I greeted airily as I tossed my paper plate into the garbage and my bottle into the recycling bin under the sink. “Good to have you back. See you around the office!”

He waved his hand at me as if to stop me from leaving but I was out the door before he could get a word out.

For the first time that night, I stood a little taller, smiling and nodding at people as I strode a straight path through the crowd toward the door.

The evening air was a bit crisp with the breeze but it was refreshing after the crush of people inside Peggy’s townhouse. I stood by the porch, closing my eyes briefly and taking in some air, and maybe some renewed courage. 

There were a few people scattered by the front yard, some chatting and saying goodnights and goodbyes to each other. I navigated my way through the front steps and down the short, narrow path that led to the sidewalk, careful not to avert my eyes to the left. The moment I hit the sidewalk, I turned right and kept walking.

“Max! Hey!” 

His voice carried in the air that even in the distance I recognized it but I kept walking. He just kept yelling and I could hear his footsteps stamping down the pavement. 

I whipped around and saw him running toward me. He was still in a business suit, his hair messy, his jaw covered with a rough stubble, his eyes tinged with shadows underneath them.

He wasn’t smiling. In fact, he looked like he could use a hug.

I steeled myself against my instinctive concern.

I shouldn’t keep giving away too much of myself because I might never stop.

“Hi, Luke,” I chirped, giving him a little wave. “Bye, Luke.”

I turned around and kept walking.

“Where the hell are you going?” he bellowed but I didn’t stop.

Looking over my shoulder, I glared at him and yelled back, “Back to my real life! I suggest you do the same!”

The cafe was close by and I quickened my steps. 

There was enough pedestrian traffic around that corner that I quickly lost the sound of him running after me. Or maybe he stopped. Either way, I forced myself not to look back.

Look where you want to go, Max, and that destination isn’t behind you in Luke’s arms. 

I waited as someone slipped out of a cab in front of the cafe before climbing into the back seat.

I gave the driver my address before sagging into a corner, my head leaning against the window. 

I thought I could do this friendship with Luke without breaking anything—my heart, especially.

Tonight was a stark reminder that no, I couldn’t.

You never could when it was more than friendship you wanted and it was the only thing he could offer.

It was a bargain for the heartbroken.

***

So, what do you guys think? It built up there in the beginning and then went downhill a little bit in the end. But hey, it needed to happen. This path to love isn't going to be a straight, smooth one. They're both going to make mistakes as they muddle their way through this. It's all the ups and downs that make their journey worth reading about.

P.S. To add, I wasn't going to write the 'morning after' scene really to speed the story ahead but you were all so excited to find out how they would be the next day that I gave in. That's coz I love you. =) haha!

If you enjoyed it, vote and comment!

Hope you like this song, too!

XOXO!

-Ninya

 ♪♪♪ Chapter Soundtrack: Not A Bad Thing by Justin Timberlake ♪♪♪

Said all I want from you is to see you tomorrow
And every tomorrow, maybe you'll let me borrow your heart
And is it too much to ask for every Sunday
And while we're at it, throw in every other day to start

I know people make promises all the time
Then they turn right around and break them
When someone cuts your heart open with a knife, now you're bleeding
But I could be that guy to heal it over time
And I won't stop until you believe it
'Cause baby you're worth it

So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me
'Cause you might look around and find your dreams come true, with me
Spent all your time and your money just to find out that my love was free
So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me, me
It's not a bad thing to fall in love with me, me

Now how about I'd be the last voice you hear tonight?
And every other night for the rest of the nights that there are
Every morning I just wanna see you staring back at me
'Cause I know that's a good place to start

I know people make promises all the time
Then they turn right around and break them
When someone cuts your heart open with a knife, now you're bleeding
Don't you know that I could be that guy to heal it over time
And I won't stop until you believe it
'Cause baby you're worth it