Chapter 31 Max
THIRTY-ONE
MAX
Hunter
How’s school, angel?
Me
Busy, but good.
Hunter
Glad to hear it. Come over tonight?
Better yet, be in my bed when I get home from work. I haven’t seen you in 24 hours, and I’m going out of my goddamn mind.
Me
So needy. I guess I can make that happen.
Hunter
I miss you and your pussy more than I’ve ever missed anything in my life.
Me
You’re a modern day Shakespeare.
Hunter
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?
Me
Romeo and Juliet? Really? We’re doomed.
Hunter
Doomed with you? Can’t wait ;)
I turn my phone over and shuffle through the vocabulary homework my students turned in this morning.
My goal was to get everything graded by the time they got back from lunch, but Hunter is too distracting.
Putting my phone down and ignoring him feels impossible, but for the sake of my job, I have to.
Not everyone can go around slashing people’s throats for money like the guy I’m sleeping with.
I laugh to myself and uncap a red pen, ready to see how many of my stellar students spelled applause right.
The knock on my classroom door is another distraction, and I’m surprised to find Principal Sheehan standing on the welcome mat I put in front of my room.
Panic rushes through me at the thought of a missed meeting, and I give her a cautious smile.
“Hi, Dr. Sheehan.” I stand, walking her way. “Is everything okay? Oh, no. Did someone start a food fight in the cafeteria?”
“The sloppy joes are tempting to use as ammunition, aren’t they?” She smiles and gestures over her shoulder. “You have a visitor at the front desk. A gentleman.”
“Really?” I blush and dip my chin. I didn’t expect Hunter to stop by on his way to work, but it’s a nice surprise. “I’ll follow you to the office.”
“He said something about not being able to get a hold of you because of a dead cell phone. I told him it’s probably the lack of service in here. One day they’ll upgrade our 5G network so we can communicate with the outside world.”
“Dead cell phone? I was getting text messages earlier just fine.” I shrug and fall in step beside her.
“Maybe it’s a problem on his end. I hope all of his tattoos are okay to be on display.
He works in entertainment down at Adventure Oasis, and their freedom of expression is less stringent than the Orange County school board’s dress code. ”
“Tattoos? I didn’t see any tattoos. Maybe there are hidden ones.” She winks and holds the door to the office open for me. I stop in my tracks when I spot Brian sitting in one of the small leather chairs against the wall. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”
A quick glance around tells me the room is empty. Janet, our secretary, is away from her desk, and I curl my hands into fists.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I hiss, keeping my voice low. The last thing I want is for someone to overhear me and think there’s a problem, even if I want to smash his face in. “I don’t want to see you.”
“Max.” He stands and puts his hand on my shoulder. I knock his arm away and he winces, hanging his head. “You weren’t answering my texts.”
“Because I blocked you.”
“I wanted to see you. I need to talk to you. Your new boyfriend threatened me at the bar, and I think he’s bad news. He pulled a knife on me.”
“What are you talking about? Hunter didn’t do that.”
“He told me if I talked to you again, he’d kill me, which I think he’d follow through on. I’m taking a risk being here and seeing you. Are you free after work? I promise I only need to say a few things to you, and I won’t take up too much of your time. Once I do, I’ll never bother you again.”
I rub my hands down my arms and shiver. My brain is screaming at me to walk away from him, but we were together for ten months. Even if he did cheat on me, hearing what he has to say might be good. It could be the closure I need, the final end to his chapter in my life, and I can move on.
“Where should I meet you?” I ask, and Brian lights up. “The coffee shop on Park Ave?”
“I was thinking my place? Don’t give me that look,” he adds when I narrow my eyes. “I have a few of your things I can return to you. Two birds, one stone. Right?”
“Fine. But I’m not staying long. I have plans tonight, and I don’t want to spend half the evening at your house.”
“Twenty minutes. That’s all,” he says, and I sigh.
“I have a parent teacher conference so it might be closer to work, but I’ll be there.”
“Perfect.” Brian offers me a tentative smile. “Thanks, Max. I know I did some shitty things, but I hope one day we can be friends. You’re a great girl, and I’m the asshole who screwed up.”
I know his words should hold some weight, but they don’t.
They’re empty, dropped into the void and easily forgettable.
It sounds like something he’s rehearsed a hundred times, and I’m so glad no part of me wants a friendship with him.
This is my chance to wipe my hands clean and never have to deal with him again.
“We can all forgive and forget,” I say. “Move onto better things, you know? I’m sure the right person is out there for you. You need to learn to keep your dick in your pants and your hands to yourself first, but I bet you’ll find her. Hey. Maybe she’s down for an open relationship.”
“Trust me, I’ve learned my lesson.” Brian laughs. “I’ll let you get back to your day. Sorry for barging in unannounced.”
“I’ll see you later this afternoon.”
“Can’t wait.”
I walk back to my classroom, wondering if I should tell Hunter what I’m doing.
He won’t like it, but he doesn’t like anything about the guy.
I’m not sure he’d understand my reason for agreeing either, and I don’t feel like fighting.
Not after we had such a good day together visiting his mom’s grave yesterday.
Something changed when he let me talk to her. The air shifted between us. I feel more connected to him, emotionally tied to him in a way I’ve never been with anyone else. I don’t think he tells just anyone about his mom, and to be part of the lucky ones is an honor I don’t take lightly.
He means so much to me, but I’m still my own person. I’m allowed to make my own decisions, even if he won’t like them.
How is Hunter going to know if I go somewhere on the way to his house? He’ll never find out, and all will be well.
I shut my car door and walk up the path to Brian’s porch. There’s a wreath on the front door, some fall decoration, and I touch the fake leaves on it. I knock and the door flies open, revealing a nervous looking Brian.
“Hey,” he says, scanning the street behind me.
I spin and look over my shoulder, frowning at the empty road. “Is something wrong?”
“No, no. Everything is fine. Just glad to see you.” He offers me a one-armed hug I awkwardly return, then closes the door and locks it behind me. “How was the rest of your day?”
“I had a kid barf all over the centers table after lunch, so that was fun to clean up. Other than that, no drama.”
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Sure. Water is great.” Brian leads me down the hall to the kitchen, and I listen to the quiet house. “Where’s your roommate this weekend?”
“Hm? Oh. Away. Visiting his parents or something.” He grabs a glass from the cabinet and smiles at me. “Tap or filtered water?”
“Born and raised on tap. I can handle another glass.”
He laughs and turns for the sink, busying himself with the faucet. “It’s what makes us invincible, right?”
“I’d say so.” I accept the glass from him and take a sip. “So. What did you want to talk about?”
Brian points at the table, and I sit. He takes the seat across from me and sighs.
“First, I want to apologize. I’m sorry for how our relationship ended and how immature I was.
I’ve been going to therapy the last couple of weeks, and I’m learning I was an absolute asshole to ou.
You didn’t deserve that kind of behavior from me, and I’m sorry. ”
“Sleep with someone else while we were seeing each other was pretty shitty,” I agree. I drink another gulp of the water and set down the glass. “But, in a way, I’m glad you did. It’s clear the two of us weren’t compatible long term, and because we broke up, I met Hunter. And he’s wonderful.”
A dark look flickers across Brian’s face, but he schools his features quickly. He leans back in his chair and nods. “Are you two serious?”
“It’s only been a few weeks, but we’re headed that way, yeah. He’s so different from anyone else I’ve dated.” I bite back a smile. “And I’m excited to see where things go.”
“That’s good. Minus the knife thing, he seems like an okay guy.”
“Sorry about that. He’s protective. I told him I had seen you in the school parking lot and on my street a few times, and he assumed the worst.”
“Which is what?”
“I don’t know.” I rub my eyes and blink. The lights above the table look like they’re glowing, the bulbs turning hazy and blurry. “That you still had feelings for me?”
“Are you okay?” Brian asks.
“I think so?” I reach for my glass, but I knock it over. “Sorry. I feel tired all of a sudden.”
“Maybe you should lay down.”
“No. I should go.” I try to stand, but I fall back in the chair. I gulp down a breath, starting to panic. “What’s happening to me?”
“Rohypnol.” Brian checks his watch and smiles. “Took less time than the guy said it would. I thought we’d have to sit here and have a heart to heart for half an hour.”
“What?” The word comes out slurred. My tongue is heavy in my mouth. “You roofied me?”
“I had to. It’s the only way I’ll get that asshole off my tail. He knows about my past and who I really am. I’m going to have to kill him before he kills me, and the only way to do that is to use you as a pawn.”
I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what he’s talking about when he mentions his past, and it’s impossible to sit upright. My head hurts. So do my limbs, and the room feels like it’s spinning.
“Why?” I whisper. “I haven’t done anything.”
“You’re the piece I need.” Brian stands and grabs the glass I’ve been drinking from the table, moving it to the sink. He rinses it out with soap and water before setting it in the dishwasher. “Close your eyes, Max, and go to sleep.”