36. Theo
36
THEO
“ T his is a bad idea,” I said to my mom, stopping just inside the apartment building. “I’m going to wait for you in the car.”
She spun around to face me wearing her take-no-shit expression. “Are you crazy? You drove all the way out here. You’re coming.”
Then she had the nerve to snap her fingers at me.
Renee had reached out to my mom with the news that she’d just left Nick, and the next thing I knew I’d been roped into driving my mom to hand deliver flowers and sympathy. Mom had claimed that she wanted me to go because she needed a new eyeglasses prescription and she didn’t trust herself to drive in heavy traffic, but once I pulled the details from her I realized that it was also a trap.
Because Renee and Rafe were bunking with Max.
At first, I got excited at the thought of seeing her. I missed her like crazy. And I’d worked out exactly what I needed to say to her. But then I realized that trying to squeeze in such an important conversation on the heels of her mom leaving her stepfather, and surrounded by her family in her apartment, was a terrible idea.
“Nope, sorry Mom, it’s too weird. We’re broken up.”
She stopped, muttering to herself like she was mentally auditioning which motherly beat-down to give me in order to get me to change my mind.
“I’m serious,” I said, nodding toward the elevator. “You go, I’ll wait. Take your time.”
She stood for a few seconds longer, the bouquet of sunflowers clutched in her arms like a pageant winner. “Fine, but I’m not happy about it.”
I turned to head outside when the ding of the elevator and my mom’s cheerful greeting froze me in my tracks.
“Max! Hi there, sweetheart! Look, Theo, it’s Max .”
I had no choice but to turn around. I steeled my heart for whatever expression Max would be wearing at seeing me.
She looked confused … and happy. And breathtaking. Damn it I missed her.
“Elena, thank you so much for coming,” Max said, pulling my mom into a hug. She glanced at me over my mom’s shoulder as they embraced and smiled at me.
Okay, score one for mom. Maybe coming along was a good idea after all.
“Have you guys seen a pizza delivery guy?” she asked when they pulled apart. “Rafe is dying of hunger upstairs.”
“I haven’t,” my mom answered. “Why don’t you two wait down here for it and I’ll go up to see Renee?”
She practically ran to the elevator and smashed the call button, then gave me a know-it-all smile as the doors closed on her.
Leaving us alone in the lobby.
“Hi Theo,” Max said softly.
“Hi Max,” I shuffled my feet like I was a teenager picking up a girl for a first date. “I hope you don’t mind me being here. My mom didn’t want to drive so?—”
“I don’t mind,” she interrupted.
We were six feet away from each other, and it was all I could do to keep from grabbing her and pulling her close. How I wanted to breathe in her delicious Max scent.
“You look amazing,” I said. “You’re glowing.”
She blushed adorably. “I think I’m finally through the worst of the sour stomach. I’m feeling so much better lately.”
I glanced at her midsection, but it looked as flat as ever.
“Listen, I was hoping we could talk,” I said. “Would that be okay?”
She nodded, frowning. “Yeah, I have some things I want to say too.”
Her expression turned troubled, and my heart dropped. Maybe I’d misread everything?
A car with the world’s noisiest muffler pulled up in front of the building.
“Finally, there he is,” Max said, pointing out the windows.
She ran outside to grab the pizza leaving me to consider all of the different ways everything could go wrong. Or right. At least by the end of it I’d know where I stood.
“Hungry?” she asked, walking in with two pizza boxes. “Rafe might let you have a single slice.”
I chuckled. “I’ll only eat if he allows it. I’ve seen firsthand how much food that kid can put away.”
The elevator doors opened, and Max breezed past me. “Let’s go. Come join the insanity.”
I swallowed my concerns and followed her, doing everything I could to avoid staring. Pregnancy definitely agreed with her. She looked pretty in a way I’d never seen before, like everything about her was more lush.
“How’s your mom holding up?” I asked. It felt so strange to make small talk when all I wanted to do was get to the real conversation.
“Shockingly good,” Max answered. “I think it’s too new for her to fully comprehend what it all means, but overall she’s doing great. Nick has called her like a dozen times, and she hasn’t answered.”
“I can’t believe he hit her,” I said, my anger starting to roil again at the thought.
“I can.”
I clenched my fists, wishing I’d given into my animal instincts the last time I’d seen the man. Violence didn’t solve anything, but in this instance it would’ve felt damn good.
The elevator dinged and we walked down the hall to Max’s apartment.
“Someone is going to be happy to see you,” she said as she pushed against the door and walked inside. “Hey Rafe, look who I found in the lobby.”
I spotted him across the room on his phone, doing his best to ignore his mom and Renee having a very intense conversation in the kitchenette.
He glanced up. “Theo, no way! What’s up?”
“Hey. Your sister said you’d share your pizza with me. Is that true?”
“Maybe,” he teased. “Give me first dibs and you can finish what I don’t.”
He skulked over and snagged three slices then went back to the couch.
“Plate,” Max yelled at him, causing him to roll his eyes and walk back for one of the paper plates she’d put out.
“Hi Theo, thank you for driving your mom over,” Renee said, walking over to hug me. “This is exactly what I need right now.”
I tried not to stare at the palm-sized mark on her cheek. “Happy to help, and I’m glad to be here for you as well.” I glanced around Max’s apartment. “So you guys are going to camp out here?”
She nodded. “Yes, Max is being so wonderful. But it’s cramped. We can’t stay underfoot here for too long, it’s not fair to her.”
“Or me,” Rafe shouted. “I’m the one sleeping on the couch.”
They were both right. I remembered how I was at thirteen. The last thing I wanted was to lose the privacy of my own room.
“I have an idea …” I began, barely thinking it all the way through before I started speaking. “Renee, how do you feel about the Design District?”
“Very fancy,” she answered. “It’s a beautiful area.”
“It is,” I nodded. “Which is why I bought Mom a fully furnished condo there. That she’s never lived in.”
“It’s too much for one person,” Mom protested. “I don’t need three bedrooms and four bathrooms! I told him not to, but he bought it anyway.”
I pretended to scowl at her. “Yes, why would anyone want more space? Anyway, my current renter is on assignment in France for six months. I was going to sublet it while he’s away, but I never got around to it. He won’t be back for four more months. Renee, would you both want to stay there until you figure out what’s next?”
“Oh, Theo,” she sputtered, looking around with a shocked expression. “That’s so kind of you. I wish I could, but I’m sure that any fair price for the sublet would be out of my reach.”
“No, Renee, that’s not what I meant. I want you and Rafe to stay there as my guests. No charge.”
Her mouth dropped open. “We couldn’t!”
“Yes we could,” Rafe yelled from the couch with his mouth full.
We all laughed. I could feel Max’s eyes resting on me but my focus had to be on Renee as I navigated the negotiation.
“You’d actually be doing me a favor,” I continued. “I’m paying a property manager to check on it a few times per month. If you and Rafe move in, I won’t have to.”
“Say yes, Renee,” my mom prodded. “Max’s place is lovely, but it’s just not suited for three busy people.”
Renee looked around the room then at me with her eyes shining with tears. “That would mean the world to me. To us . Thank you. It’ll give me a chance to really focus on my work.”
“Yeah, and speaking of that,” I said. “Max told me you just got your real estate license. Are you practicing yet?”
She shook her head, frowning. I knew who was to blame for it.
“Well, I happen to know of a wonderful boutique agency that just had an agent retire. I met the owner a long time ago down at my favorite restaurant on the docks, and we share a meal whenever we’re there at the same time. I could set up a meeting with him at the Salty Pelican if you like.”
Renee’s hands flew up to her mouth. “Are you serious?”
“I never joke about business.”
“But Theo … why?” she asked, her gaze jumping between me and Max. “Why are you helping us? You two aren’t—” She stopped abruptly.
I finally allowed myself to look at Max and saw that she was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, a small smile on her lips that was at odds with the tears in her eyes.
I had to force myself to look away from her. “You’re right, Max and I aren’t together. But what you’re going through transcends any relationship your daughter and I have, or don’t have. You’re facing a tough time, and I have the means to help make it a little less challenging. Why wouldn’t I step up to help you and Rafe? I like you both, very much.”
She didn’t respond, instead opting to run into my arms, crying.
“Oh my God, Mom, stop , you’re embarrassing me,” Rafe said with his mouth—still? again?—completely full.
“Hey, let your mom enjoy this moment,” I chastised lightly as I hugged a sobbing Renee.
He harumphed and went back to tapping on his phone.
“So when can we get you two moved in?” my mom asked. “Because Samuel and I are free to help any time, but if you have a lot of furniture we can hire professional movers.”
“We don’t have much at all. At least not right now. There’ll be stuff to sort through once the divorce goes through.”
I knew it was what Max had been waiting for, to hear that her mom was actually going to divorce Nick. I glanced at her to see how she was taking everything.
Silent tears were flowing down her cheeks despite her wide smile. “You,” she mouthed, shaking her head at me.
I raised my eyebrows at her to signify that I was as surprised as she was.
“Hey Theo?” Rafe called out, not looking up from his phone. “Since you’re granting wishes, any chance you’ll let me drive your Lotus?”
“You’re thirteen ,” Renee, Max, and I yelled, almost in unison.
He threw up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, just asking.”
Renee and my mom got to talking about logistics and timeframes, freeing me up to finally walk over to where Max was standing. I leaned against the wall next to her.
“You’re unbelievable,” she said swiping a tear from her cheek. “Thank you.”
“It all makes sense, if you think about it. It’s easy. Like it was meant to be.”
Max’s bottom lip quivered as she smiled at me.
“I know there’s a lot going on right now,” I said. “We don’t have to talk now if this is a bad time.”
“Honestly, I don’t think I can wait much longer,” she sniffled.
“Good,” I said, feeling a mix of relief and dread at what was to come.
My mom and Renee had poured themselves glasses of wine and walked out to the world’s tiniest balcony, leaving us alone in the kitchen.
“Do you want to go first or should I?” Max asked.
“I’d like to.”
I gave myself a few seconds to collect myself, because what I was about to say to her could change everything between us.
Or it could mean absolutely nothing. But damn it, for the first time in my life I was going offer up my heart and hope that this incredible woman would be willing to accept it.