***RaeShopping with Quinn I look at a pair of plaid sweat pants at Victoria's Secret when my phone buzzes.Hey, my brother is having a party. Want to come? –MI furrow my brows. Want to come? Does he need me for appearances or does he want me to come because he wants to spend time with me?"Why is your face like that?" Quinn asks, her hands full of bright colored clothes."Max invited me to his brother's party," I tell her."For like, to show you off to his brother?" She tilts her head to the side confused."I don't know, he didn't say," I shake my head."Maybe he wants you to throw up on him again. Maybe it's a new thing men are into," she replies casually, sniffing some perfume.I ignore her. I never should have told her about that.For fake? –RQuinn looks at me as we wait for the three little dots to stop bouncing as Max replies.Yeah, sure. –MRelief, and regret sink heavy into the pit of my stomach. I'm not sure what I'm wanting out of this but that'
"Girlfriend?" Beau chokes out in shock. "When did this happen?" Beau looks at me like I cast a spell over his brother and I better come clean with my witchery right now."I knew you were seeing someone, but I didn't know it was that serious!" He scoffs like he doesn't approve, must be some brotherly code or something."I don't tell you everything, bub. Now, are we here to talk about me or are you hosting a party?" Max tilts his head to the side, his face hard."Nah, let's go get a drink or something," Beau holds his hand out, gesturing toward the fire.Max grabs my hand, leading the way. The feel of his hand making my heart flutter inside my chest.Thunder sounds from above, and the wind suddenly blows my hair around my face. The smell of rain strong."Looks like your party will be cut short," Max states, but Beau doesn't respond.Walking through the small crowd of people everyone's eyes are on me and Max. Young girls eyeing him and whispering to one another.As if Max
Thunder pounds in the sky, and the loud reverberation shakes me to my senses. Pushing myself off him, I side-eye him, wiping my hands on my shorts. He looks away first, pulling himself up out of the mud. I head to my side of the truck and climb in. That was close, way too close. Seconds later he slips in behind the wheel. The radio plays Jake Owen's latest hit "Alone With You."His eyes slide to mine under his wet hair and my entire body is on high alert. I'm wound tight like a coiled snake. I want to touch him, feel him beneath my hands and feel his breath against my lips. I can't deny it, and by the look on his face he wants me too.Like he read my mind, he grabs me on each side of my face and leans in. Before I can turn my head he kisses me. I hesitate, my body tightening beneath him. My eyes open wide as I don't want to be sucked into the emotions that come with such an intimate act."Kiss me," he mumbles against my mouth, his voice shaky with desire. His grip firm as not to
I wake up from being hot. My face sticks to the leather and I find the blanket wrapped around me. Max must have given it to me when I fell asleep. Pushing it off me, I sit up finding Max fast asleep in the back seat.Leaning over the seat I shove him and he groans."Wake up. I have to work today. I need to go home," I inform him.He stretches, and one by one his eyes slowly open.He climbs over the seat and I notice dried chunks of mud all over him. I laugh and try to brush it off. "You have mud in your ear."Turning his head, he grins at me and starts the truck. I don't like that look. I pull the sun visor down and look at my face. There's some mud on my cheek and my hair. I look a fright. He puts the truck in drive and it hesitates at first then jerks out of the hole."Thank God," I whisper as we drive back to the city.The drive is quiet, and filled with tension. We both know there is no coming back from last night. We might act like we don't want anything more f
***RaeSitting outside on my patio steps, my phone rings and I grab it a little too anxiously.Noticing it's Mom, I purse my lips in disappointment. I haven't heard from Max in a few days."Hey Mom," I answer."Hey! Your sister just got engaged!" she squeals into the phone nearly busting my eardrum. I smile, happy for Lani."Awesome. I hope she's happy," I state."Of course she is, why wouldn't she be? Anyway, this weekend we are having the summer get-together we have every year to kick off the summer, and they're announcing their engagement to family and friends then. You and Max will be there, right?"I suck in a tight breath, I didn't go last year. Nobody ever talks to me, seemed pointless."Yeah sure, we'll be there," I inform, hoping Max will want to meet my family a second time. The last time didn't go so well. Maybe he'll have an excellent excuse we both can use to get out of this."It's Saturday at six. Bring a dish honey!" she requests sweetly before hangi
Chlorine burns my eyes when I open them, finding a blurry Rae at the bottom of the pool struggling to make it to the top. I swim to her, and scoop my arms underneath her. Her petite arms cling around my neck like a lifeline, her eyes wide with fear as bubbles escape her nose. Holding onto her, I kick my feet and swim upward. As soon as her face breaks water she hisses in a terrible sound of air, her whole body taking in the oxygen. She coughs, before laying her head on my shoulder. Her whole body shaking with fear and coldness. Finding the pool steps, I walk us out, and her mother stands waiting with a towel."Nobody invited you here in the first place!" Garth hollers at Ace."It was a joke!" He laughs, his hands up in surrender."Oh my God, honey. You're as soaked as a sewer rat." Bailey looks at Rae with sympathy, wrapping the towel around her."You have her?" I question, and Bailey nods."Let's find you some dry clothes." Her mother ushers her toward the house.As soo
***MaxOne week laterThrowing my bag on the couch I grab a beer from the fridge. I just got back from Chicago helping with a skyscraper my dad took on. They couldn't get the clearance due to its shape and location, so I went and did what I do best. Negotiate and helped change a few things. My dad is bullheaded, stuck in ways and everyone should move around his views.Sitting in my recliner I glance out the window. Rae has been on my mind since the night I dropped her off. My phone buzzes in my hand and I nearly spill my beer in my hands. It's Mom, shit."Hey Mom," I answer."Son, did you just get back into town?" she asks, car engines sounding in the background."Yeah, just now.""Your father is out of town 'til tomorrow, and your sister is dealing with the wedding. I thought I'd come by for dinner tonight, meet your girlfriend, and play catch up?" she asks and I sit upright in my chair."Um, tonight?" "Yeah, I'll be there at seven. Love you!" she hangs up and
Clothes are flung everywhere, and there's a pyramid of beer cans on the table. "This... is not going to work," I mutter, stepping into the living room."What?" he shrugs.A bright pair of blue panties catches my eye. Using my pointer finger and thumb like tweezers, I tug them out of the gray chair and hold them up.They're so small I couldn't fit one leg in them. Is that the kind of girls Max is into? "Your mother is never going to believe a steady girlfriend stays over here." I shake my head, dropping the lingerie to the floor.Resting his elbows on the counter I can tell he's flustered and annoyed. His hat drops to the granite as he runs his hands back and forth through his hair."Why don't you cook, and I'll break out the hazmat suit?" I suggest, trying to help. I can tell his mother coming over here has him undone.Slowly he lifts his head. "You sure?"Putting my hands on my hips I swallow hard. This is going to be hard. I hate cleaning."Mhmm." I give a tight