Chapter Twelve
Max
I can’t help but smile as Lila opens her door, looking far too pure for someone like me.
“You look beautiful,”
I say, the urge to pull her into my arms nearly overwhelming.
“Thanks,”
she murmurs, her cheeks flushing red.
“I didn’t even think about the fact that you didn’t have my number until after everyone left last night. I was surprised to get your call earlier.”
“Foster found it for me,” I admit.
“Oh, the man we’re supposed to just accept knows everything and move on?”
she asks with a smirk.
“I see Skip’s been talking,”
I chuckle.
“Yes, that’s the one. You ready?”
“Just need to tell my brother I’m leaving,” she says.
“Mind if I come say hi?” I ask.
She leads me through her small apartment into what I assume is the main bedroom. It’s big in comparison to the size of the apartment and filled with the evidence of the lived-in life of a teenage boy: medical equipment, wrestling posters, and a smattering of horror-movie art. In the center sits a hospital bed with multiple attachments. One is a larger version of the communication tablet Micah uses on his chair.
“He’s in the living room, ma’am,”
a woman in scrubs says from the doorway, smiling.
“He wants a word with Mr. Max.”
“Oh, for the love of…come on. Let’s get this over with.”
Lila rolls her eyes, irritation and affection tangled together.
“Just so you know, Micah’s a character. He’s probably been planning this since last night when he found out we were having lunch.”
“He has an entire speech prepped and ready to go,”
the nurse chuckles from behind us.
“Lovely,”
Lila sighs.
I grin at the frustration in her voice and follow her out. She stops dead in the living room, and I have to fight a smirk at what we see. Micah sits in his chair, his tablet angled toward us. On the screen: a shotgun, carefully propped across a set of denim knees.
“What in the world are you doing?”
Lila asks, her face red.
The seconds tick by before the synthetic voice comes through the tablet.
“I don’t much care what your intentions are with my sister,”
he says.
“But know this: I have watched multiple videos on how to take apart and clean a gun. If I could move, I’d get it done in seconds flat. Just remember that when you take my sister to lunch. I might not be able to shoot you, but by golly, I can think about it.”
“By golly?”
Lila snorts, the sound part amusement, part disbelief.
“What are you, ninety?”
The synthetic voice hums again, it feels softer this time, but every word lands like a weight.
“But in all honesty,”
Micah says.
“I can’t play the actual part of protector. I don’t have the body that would allow that. What I do have is my voice. So let me be clear: don’t hurt her. Don’t make her pay for someone else’s cowardice.”
There’s a pause, the kind that makes you lean in. The tone of the machine almost pleading.
“Her jackass of an ex isn’t here because of me. He walked away. He couldn’t carry the responsibility. I know she tries to hide that from me, but I see it…and I feel it. I remember you from the park, the day you helped us. You didn’t look away. You carried something in your face that made me think you’d stand when others ran.”
The tablet’s voice shuffles, like Micah is rearranging the words in his head.
“I have days when I don’t want to fight anymore. The world keeps hitting back, and it gets easier to let go. But Bree and my sister make me keep going. They are my reason. My ride or die. I want to see my sister marry a man who deserves her. I want to watch my niece graduate and fall in love with life, not men who leave. That’s why I’m telling you now: protect her. If you mean what you say…if you want to be with her…then be the kind of man who makes a promise and keeps it.”
“Oh, Micah,”
Lila whispers.
I step around her, kneel by his chair, and meet him eye to eye.
“Are you sure you’re only sixteen?”
I ask softly.
“Those are words from someone who’s seen a hell of a lot of life.”
The nurse tilts his tablet back toward him, and after a long pause, the voice speaks again.
“I’ve only lived sixteen years, but I’ve experienced more life than most my age ever should. So has my sister. She deserves to be happy.”
“I am happy,”
Lila says quickly, moving to the other side of his chair.
“I can’t believe you’ve never told me any of this. I’m so sorry if I ever made you think I wasn’t happy with our life.”
The nurse chuckles.
“Oh, he knew you’d say that. He already has his response queued up.”
Sure enough, the tablet speaks again, only seconds later.
“I know you love me. You show me and Bree every single day how much. But you need love, too. Not the kind we can give you. Not the kind Bree’s dad pretended to give. I mean true, unrelenting, fairy-tale-ending kind of love.”
“This is just lunch,”
Lila laughs nervously.
“No one’s talking about love.”
“You have my word,”
I cut in. My tone is firm, steady.
“Man to man, I’ll treat Lila with every ounce of respect she deserves. If this thing between us doesn’t work, we’ll part ways, no harm done. But Micah…just know this. I don’t plan on it not working. I’ll make damn sure of that.”
Micah doesn’t look at his tablet again. Doesn’t need to. He looks me square in the eye, and in that moment, I know we want the same thing: for his sister to be happy. To be safe. To be loved.
He blinks slowly. I nod back. Agreement sealed.
“Ready, baby?”
I ask Lila as I rise.
“I’m starving.”
“See ya, baby brother,”
she says, bending down to hug him tight.
“I’ll be back in a bit.”
I follow Lila through the apartment and back outside to where my bike waits.
“We’re taking that?”
she asks, eyes widening.
“Are you sure? Am I even dressed right? I should probably put my hair up. Maybe find some glasses so bugs don’t fly into my eyes. What if we wreck? Leather. That’s why you bikers wear it, right? Protects your skin if you slide across the asphalt. I don’t own leather. Wait, I do. I have a leather bra. But you didn’t need to know that. It’s old. Probably doesn’t fit anymore. I don’t even know where it’s at. I’ll shut up now.”
I chuckle, low and rough.
“You done, babe?”
Her cheeks blaze red. “Maybe.”
Shaking my head, I unfasten the spare helmet from the bike and press it gently into her hands. Then, without a word, I shrug out of my cut. Holding it for a beat, I drape it over her shoulders, settling the weight across her like it belongs there.
She blinks up at me, stunned.
“Not supposed to let anyone wear this,”
I murmur, my voice rougher than I intend.
“But I’ve got a feeling you’re not just anyone to me.”
Her lips part, breath catching, and I can’t resist leaning in closer, letting my mouth ghost against her ear.
“And for the record, baby, if you ever want to try on your old leather bra, I want a front-row seat to find out if it still fits.”
Her gasp is half outrage, half laughter, and the sound goes straight to my chest.
After helping her with the helmet, I steady her as she climbs onto the bike, her movements hesitant but trusting. Once I’m settled in front of her, I reach back, my hand finding the small of her back, and tug her forward until her chest presses flush against me.
“Closer,”
I murmur, guiding her arms around my waist until she’s holding on tight.
Fucking perfect.
***Lila***
I smooth the blanket over Bree and press a kiss to her forehead.
“Goodnight, baby girl.”
“Goodnight, Mommy,”
she whispers, eyes already heavy. She shifts to smile sleepily at the corner.
“Goodnight, Uncle Cody.”
“Night, princess,”
Cody says softly, wiggling his fingers in a wave.
Her eyes flutter closed, and within moments her breathing evens out. I linger just long enough to be sure she’s settled before flicking off the lamp. Cody and I tiptoe out of the room and pull the door mostly shut behind us.
In the hallway, I finally exhale.
“It was perfect,”
I murmur, glancing at Cody as we walk toward the living room.
“Not a single awkward moment. He told me about his past. Even the bit about how he lost his place as a Shadow because of the stuff he did for that cartel guy. Told me about his mom, and how after she was killed, everything she owed landed on his shoulders.”
“Damn,”
Cody whistles, dropping onto the arm of my couch.
“He laid it all out bare, huh?”
“He said he wanted everything clear before we started anything.”
“So are you?”
he asks, one eyebrow cocked.
“Going to start something?”
“Well…”
I admit, easing into a chair.
“He asked me out again tomorrow, and I may have said yes.”
“You go, girl.”
I laugh, shaking my head.
“Listen to me. I sound like a teenager. What I really need to do is get out there and find another job, not crush on some biker.”
“A very hot biker,”
Cody sighs dramatically, throwing himself back onto the couch like he’s fainting.
“You sure he’s not gay?”
“I sure hope not,”
I giggle.
“Gosh, Cody, what am I thinking? This is a horrible idea. I don’t have time to date someone. I need to focus on getting my own life in order before I drag someone else into it.”
“Sissy.”
The sound makes me frown at Micah’s call button for me. Not the emergency one, thank God, but still.
“Shouldn’t he be asleep?”
Cody laughs, pushing off the couch.
“Come on, let’s go see what he wants. I hope it’s a chess rematch. One of these days, I’m going to beat him.”
“Not happening,”
I sigh, getting to my feet.
“He cheats. I’m sure of it.”
“Sure would explain how I’ve never won a match in years,”
Cody mutters. “Jerk.”
Walking into the room, I can’t help but smile. Micah’s in bed, not lying flat like I left him, but propped up in that half-sitting position he likes. Another thing he can manage himself with just a flick of his eyes and the software tracking his movements. It still amazes me. He can even control his chair that way, though right now his reflexes aren’t sharp enough to do more than inch forward a few seconds before bumping into something.
“Wide awake, I see,”
I say, easing down onto the side of his bed.
“Everything okay?”
“Date?”
his tablet asks after a pause.
I smile and shake my head.
“I already told you all about my date when I got home earlier.”
Micah flicks his eyes back to the screen. These aren’t pre-programmed phrases, so it takes longer. When the word finally appears, it’s clipped.
“Funday.”
“Funday?”
I repeat, then grin.
“Oh! You mean Funday Friday? I don’t have it planned out yet. Any ideas? Movies? Swimming? Skydiving? Shark diving?”
“Oh, shark diving? Like in those tanks? Count me in,”
Cody says from the other side of the bed.
“Think a shark would let me pet it? I’ll probably try regardless.”
“Thrill,”
Micah says, looking right at him.
“He is a thrill seeker,”
I tease.
“Not always a good thing. Anyway, what idea did you have?”
“Max.”
The word appears almost instantly. He must’ve programmed Max’s name into his common phrases. That thought alone makes me smile.
“You want Max to come?” I ask.
Micah blinks once.
“Okay… so not that. Then what are you trying to say?”
“Take your time, bud,”
Cody says gently.
“We’re not going anywhere.”
I swear I hear Micah sigh as he focuses back on the tablet. While he works, I move to the counter and start setting up supplies for tomorrow’s feeding pump.
“Buddy, can you tell the difference when your aunt gives you the vanilla shake versus the chocolate one?”
Cody asks.
“Bet you can feel it in your stomach. Chocolate just hits right, doesn’t it?”
I don’t see Micah’s answer, but I hear Cody grunt like he’s won.
“Figured. Give him chocolate tomorrow, Lila. Do they make strawberry?”
“He used to hate strawberry milk,”
I laugh, remembering Micah spitting it across the table when he was little.
“But I can always grab one and see if he likes it now.”
“He’s blinking like crazy,”
Cody chuckles.
“Yeah, that’s big fat no.”
Several minutes later, Micah finally has his message ready.
The tablet speaks.
“Sometimes, I hate using this thing. Takes forever just to say what I mean. Anyway… no, I don’t want Max at Funday Friday. I want you and him to go do something alone. Get to know each other. Then maybe come back and end the day with a movie. Cody can watch us. He knows how to take care of me. And I promise, we won’t go skydiving… or cage diving… without you.”
“Micah, you can’t just volunteer Cody without asking him first,”
I sigh.
“And I have no idea if Max would even want to spend Friday with me when we’re already going out tomorrow. And…like it or not…I don’t have a job right now. I need to be out begging someone to hire me, not planning movie nights.”
“I’ll stay with them,”
Cody says, grinning.
“Bree and I will paint Micah’s toenails, then we’ll all watch that Barbie movie she loves so much.”
Micah’s middle finger twitches, and Cody bursts out laughing.
“Flipping me off, huh?”
Laughter sparks in Micah’s eyes. As much as it annoys him, he always lets Bree practice her terrible nail-painting skills on his toes. Only his toes. And Cody and Bree both know better than to cross that line without his permission.
“I’ll talk to Max,”
I sigh, already knowing I’m outnumbered.
My phone dings, and I frown. It’s nearly eleven. The only person who ever texts me this late is Cody.
I swipe the screen.
“Not sure if your brother has talked to you yet, but don’t make any plans for Friday, baby. We’re going to a party…sort of. Brace yourself.”
“Who was it?”
Cody asks, grinning like he already knows.
“Max,”
I mutter, shooting a glare at Micah.
“Apparently, he and my dear little brother here have been planning my Friday behind my back.”
“Oh, how sweet. How did you-”
“Which was not a cool thing to do,”
I cut in, giving Micah my fiercest sister look.
Cody throws his hands up.
“I mean, yeah. Not cool, bro.”
“Micah, honey, you have to let me be the adult here,”
I say gently.
“You can’t go making plans for me without my knowing. I have a lot of responsibilities, and I can’t just stop everything to hang out with some man I’ve only just met. You and Bree are so important to me. Your health and happiness are my top priorities. And I can’t keep up with that if I don’t have a job to support us.”
Micah locks eyes with me. Not just looking, but seeing. Right down to my very soul. And just like that, I know I’ve lost. He’s not pushing me to go because he wants me out of the house. He’s asking me to go because he wants me to have a life that makes all three of us happy.
“I get it,”
I sigh.
“You want me to be happy just as much as I want you to be happy. And maybe you’re right. Maybe Max is part of that happiness. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m the adult here. I’m responsible for you and Bree. You can’t make plans behind my back when there are things I have to take care of. Promise me you won’t do it again.”
“Promise you go,”
he says after a short pause.
A laugh escapes me despite myself.
“Promise,” I say.
“Promise,”
he repeats.
“Good. Now, back to bed.”
“Wait,”
Cody pipes up.
“I still want to know how the hell you pulled this off.”
Now that’s a good question.
Micah smirks with his eyes as he types. A moment later, the tablet speaks.
“Foster is badass.”
“Oh, that he does,”
Cody sighs dramatically, fanning himself.
“Oh, wait…you meant is a badass, not has a great ass? Easy mistake.”
I roll my eyes.
“You talked to Foster?”
I ask Micah, unease creeping into my voice. The idea of a grown man messaging my teenage brother doesn’t sit right.
“Foster’s good people,”
Cody says quickly, catching my look.
“Relax. He probably just hacked his way in and sent Micah a message.”
“I’m sorry…what?”
“Okay, that sounded worse than it is. His intentions were probably good.”
Micah speaks up again.
“Foster update software.”
“Honey, you have the latest update,”
I remind him.
“They were just here a few months ago. It doesn’t get more updated than that.”
“Faster eye-track,” he says.
“Don’t question it,”
Cody cuts in, waving a hand, reminding me of what Skip said just last night. Don’t ask questions. Just accept it.
“Regardless,”
I say firmly.
“he needs to talk to me first before making any changes. Actually, he should have come to me before even reaching out to you.”
With that thought in mind, I grab my phone and fire off a text to Max.
“I was just informed and would love to hang out with you on Friday. Not much of a party girl, though. Might bring the mood down with my lameness. Also, please tell your buddy Foster not to mess with my brother’s equipment without clearing it with me first.”
“I’ll make plans to be here Friday,”
Cody says, standing.
“I’m heading home. Call me if you need me. See ya Friday, buddy.”
“Love you, bunches,”
I say as we reach the front door.
“Love you, bunches, too,”
he replies, pulling me into a tight hug.
“Don’t be too hard on the boy. He just wants you to fall in love and live happily ever after.”
“I know,”
I sigh.
“He’s only doing what brothers are supposed to do…annoy and protect all at once. I’ll keep you updated.”
Laughing, Cody jogs down the sidewalk toward his car, leaving me with the quiet ache of a long day. Every bone in my body begs for a hot bath before bed, but first I have one more thing to do. Tuck my nosy little brother back in.
When I step into his room, the tablet immediately speaks in its mechanical voice:
“He didn’t reach out to me. I reached out to him. I read rumors about him and wanted to know if he could make the software faster, so I can talk more easily. He said he’d look into it. I also asked him to give Max a message for me. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at him. You can read our messages. He said he wouldn’t talk to me again without your permission. He made me promise to tell you before he passed anything on to Max.”
“I’m not mad, honey,”
I say softly, tucking the blanket snug around his body.
“But reaching out to a stranger like that could have been really dangerous. Not just for you, but for your niece too. Even for me. There are people in this world who wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep over hurting us in the worst ways.”
I smooth the blanket over his chest and meet his eyes.
“You already promised me you won’t do it again, and I believe you. I just need you to understand how risky it could have been. Please, be safe. Cody trusts this Foster guy, and I trust Cody. So, for now, I’m okay with you talking to him. And I don’t want to read your messages. That’s your privacy. Unless I ever suspect foul play afoot, then all bets are off.”
…
…
“Foul play afoot?”
his tablet voices, and his eyes glimmer with mischief.
“Hey, you said by golly earlier,”
I tease back.
“I’m just staying on theme. Now, go to sleep. Love you, brat.”
“Love you, back,”
is his immediate response.