26. Max
26
MAX
S uccess.
I was exhausted, dirty, and sweaty, but I was done . At least for the day. After the hiccup with Rafe, my appointments around Miami had gone very nearly flawlessly, and I’d managed to get all of the images I wanted and more. The rushed and grumpy people I’d set appointments with turned out to be super helpful, letting me see spaces that weren’t on my list of shots. My work was going to blow the magazine away.
I pulled my phone from my back pocket reflexively, only remembering the damage it had taken when I saw it again. It stayed on for an hour after the horrifying drop from the balcony at the Fontainebleau then shut itself down for the rest of the day. It was a little annoying that it was now D.O.A., but I didn’t miss the interruptions. Without my phone buzzing every few minutes, I could focus on my work. I knew Rafe was in good hands with Theo, so what was there to worry about?
I’d wanted to wait to have dinner with the two of them, but the sandwich I’d eaten for lunch hadn’t been enough after the rigorous day, so I stopped at the first fast food restaurant I’d passed on the drive home to get a burger and fries to hold me over. I peered up at the time and temp sign outside a bank as I drove by. How was it close to eight?
My eyes were heavy by the time I reached Theo’s place. I rang the bell and wasn’t expecting the sound of heavy footsteps running to the door.
“What the hell, Max?” Rafe yelled at me as he wrenched it open.
I couldn’t tell if he was worried or angry, or both.
“Hey Rafe, nice to see you too,” I laughed, pushing past him.
“No, seriously, what the hell? Why didn’t you call us?”
He was standing with his arms crossed, glaring at me like I was a teenager coming in after curfew. Theo walked in the room looking equally unhappy with me.
“We were worried, Max. Where were you?”
I glanced between them and felt my heart swell a little at their twin grumpy faces. “Guys, I’m so sorry! I dropped my phone, and it died.” I pulled it out to show them.
“And you couldn’t borrow someone’s phone to let us know when you’d be back?” Rafe asked. “Mom’s freaked out too, she’s been calling wondering where you are. She wants to talk to you about what happened with school.”
“I’m sorry, guys. I was so overbooked and busy I barely had time to think. You know how I get when I’m working.”
By this point they were both familiar with my tendency to go into the “drone zone” when I was shooting.
“ Don’t do it again,” Rafe said, still glaring at me. He turned and padded down the hallway, clearly very at home in Theo’s space.
“Yikes,” I grimaced after him. “Everything go okay with him today?”
Theo walked over to me and folded me into his arms. “I think so, yeah. We managed to get along just fine.”
“Did he talk about Nick?” I asked, nuzzling closer to his warmth.
“Not really. And I didn’t want to push. But Nick was drunk when I picked Rafe up. It was a good plan to get him out of the house.”
“Sorry I put you on duty. I really appreciate your help today. And I apologize again for not finding a way to call. I didn’t mean to worry you guys.”
He kissed the top of my head. “Don’t do it again, got it?”
“Yessir,” I said, stifling a yawn and giving him a squeeze.
“How about I get Rafe set up in a guest bedroom for the night? You’re exhausted, and I know he’s tired too. You can get up early and drive him home before school.”
I considered it. Theo was right, it would be simple to stay the night, but doing so with Rafe as well would shift our relationship too far toward “real.” And I didn’t want Rafe looking to Theo as some sort of big brother or father figure. I knew how easy it would be for Rafe to latch on to Theo. I mean, what kid wouldn’t? With his house, cars, boats, and ridiculous wealth, Theo was essentially living every teen boy’s fantasy. And on top of that, he was a good guy who always came through for the people who mattered to him. It would be easy to get used to relying on that—but relying on anyone was a dangerous trap.
I shook my head. “No, we should go. It’s better that way.”
Theo frowned. “What do you mean?”
I glanced over my shoulder toward where Rafe had disappeared. “Just to keep everything … normal. Uncomplicated. You know what I mean?”
A brief shadow of hurt passed over his face. “Yeah, sure. Of course.”
“What did you guys do today?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
Theo managed a smile. “We visited a gallery exhibiting street artists, got some ice cream and donuts, came back here and watched the Dolphins and ate a crap-ton of snacks. We were waiting for you for dinner, which might be part of the reason why Rafe is so pissed. The boy is hangry.”
“Oh no. Are you?”
“I could eat,” he said with a shrug and smile.
“Okay, let’s order something. Pizza?”
“He had it for lunch before I picked him up,” Rafe answered.
“Look at you, on top of his meals,” I laughed. “Okay, let’s go ask him what he’s in the mood to eat. Since I stressed him out, we’ll let him pick.”
Thirty minutes later we were spread out in the theater room downing samosas, naan, and butter chicken.
“ How is this the first time you’re trying Indian food?” Theo asked Rafe.
He shoved half a piece of naan in his mouth. “We never get takeout, and when we do my dad only wants burgers or pizza. But this is really good.”
Rafe had been leaning toward his old standard of tacos, but Theo finessed a last-minute change-up with the Indian food instead. Truthfully, he hadn’t needed to push that hard. I could tell Rafe was trying to hide a little bro-crush on Theo—the kind that made him want to impress Theo by being willing to try something new. It was adorable.
But it also stressed me out.
When I’d asked Theo to pick Rafe up, I hadn’t thought through what them spending the day together would do. I wanted them to be on friendly terms, of course, but I wasn’t comfortable with Rafe developing an actual friendship with Theo. That friendship stood no chance of lasting past the end of my agreement with Theo, and the inevitable end would hurt Rafe, which was the last thing he needed.
I scooped up some rice and watched the two of them sparring about the quarterback. It was an easy, familiar kind of teasing, the kind I wasn’t used to seeing my brother display with anyone but me. Rafe didn’t let many people get close to him. The fact that he was getting along with Theo and having real conversations with him both filled my heart and pierced it.
This wasn’t forever. We couldn’t rely on Theo to be here down the line. I needed to tap the brakes.
“All finished, Rafe?” I asked. “We need to get you home.”
“ No , Theo said we could sleep here,” Rafe whined. “He said he’s got like four guest rooms I could choose from.”
“Rafe, that’s not going to work,” I said. “Traffic will be bad in the morning. We’d have to get up super early to get you home in time to change and get the bus. Plus I’m sure Mom wants to see you.”
He sputtered, trying to come up with a good counterargument, then fell back against the recliner glaring at me.
“You know I’m right,” I said with a shrug. “Sorry.”
“Yeah, sorry, bud,” Theo said. “We’ll play pool another time.”
“It’s late,” I said in an incredulous voice. “You two were seriously going to start playing pool now ?”
“We had to wait until the Dolphins game ended,” Rafe said as if it was obvious.
“Yeah, we mapped out the rest of the night, actually. But we’ll do it another time,” Theo said as he threw his napkin at Rafe’s head.
Rafe ducked then flipped a pillow at Theo, nearly knocking his drink off the side table.
“Okay, okay, boys. Looks like it’s time to split you two up. Rafe, grab your stuff, we need to go.”
He threw his head back and sighed, then trudged toward his discarded sneakers like he was walking to the gallows.
Rafe and Theo did some sort of secret bro-club handshake at the door, and Rafe walked out ahead of me.
“Now you two can get all kissy face,” he jeered at us as the door shut.
Even if he’d never admit it, I could tell he liked the idea of us kissing goodbye. It wasn’t like he saw his parents showing any sort of physical affection.
Theo wrapped his arms around me. “He’s right, I’ve been dying to get kissy face with you since you got here. I wish you didn’t have to leave.” He pressed his lips to my ear. “I want to fuck you so bad.”
A shudder passed through me. That was all it took, just Theo whispering a dirty comment and my knees were jelly.
He tilted my face up and kissed me gently. I let my tongue drag across his bottom lip and he groaned, cinching his arms tighter.
“Don’t,” he scolded. “That’s not fair.”
“Sorry,” I pushed my chest against his to tease him even more. “We’ll make up for this the next time I see you.”
“Oh you know we will,” he rasped, kissing me again.
We made out by the door for a few more seconds, unable to pull apart.
“Come on ,” Rafe shouted from the hallway. “Enough with the kissing, let’s go.”
We both pulled away, laughing.
“Thanks again,” I said, squeezing his arm. “And I’m sorry I worried you.”
“Yeah, do you need help getting a new phone? Because I have a guy who can have a new one set up and delivered to you before nine tomorrow. Want me to call him?”
Theo was already reaching for his phone. The more time I spent with him the clearer it became that this was his role, professionally and even in his personal life, to the people he cared about; he was the fixer. It made sense that someone with his bank account could snap his fingers and get whatever he wanted.
But that wasn’t my world, and it made me uncomfortable. I preferred to take care of myself. I didn’t need him running my life.
“Don’t worry about me, I’ve got it.” I went up on my tiptoes and kissed him one last time. “And thanks again. For everything.”
I wanted him to know that I appreciated him for taking such good care of Rafe for the day, but more than that, I just felt like thanking him for being … him.