Chapter Twenty
Tera
“Why this first?”
It has been two long days with Shade refusing to let me drive my car on the trip back. It’s been a whirlwind of conversations I never thought I would have, bad drive-through food that I couldn’t eat, and the knowledge that he lied to me about a lot of things besides being broke.
We stayed in hotels for two nights because he wanted me to be well-rested when we got to town. Not that it helped because he refused to get separate rooms just in case I tried to run. Enforced roommates was not something I ever imagined happening to me again. Thankfully, my time in juvie made it at least passable in comfort.
He snores. And leaves the TV on at ear-piercing volumes. I’m not rested at all, and I’m halfway convinced he’s just psychologically torturing me to break my will to live. My sidekick is a demon.
“You’ll be fine,” he says with a shrug.
“Remind me about how you behaved when I step in as your sidekick,” I grumble as I stare at the house with trepidation.
From the outside, it’s a quaint home with several rooms. The paint looks fresh, and the lawn is freshly mowed. Everything is tidy. A new truck is in the driveway. I can’t picture Max and you know who living here at all. Shade better not be pulling a prank on me.
“I don’t expect you to have any mercy on me when it’s my turn,” his gray eyes meet mine, and he grins.
“Oh, it’s coming, buddy. Just you wait,” I glare back. Then, my lips give a tentative lift as he laughs.
My eyes return to the front door, and the smile drops as nerves take over.
“The busboy is there now. Satan is at the bar.” He tells me as he eyes the place with a frown. He knows I don’t like hearing you know who’s name. I’ve taken to calling him Satan, and Shade has followed my lead. It makes me giggle on the inside.
My heart gives a painful squeeze as I chew my lower lip. I’ve missed Max so much, whether we talked or not. I never needed him to speak to feel connected to him. That feeling hasn’t faded with time at all.
“I don’t know if he’ll just shrug and say whatever,” I whisper with a wobbly voice. I never even said goodbye to him.
Shade shakes his head. “I think you’ll be surprised.”
“What do you mean?” I can’t focus on him when somewhere up that driveway is a man who probably wants to strangle me for being overly dramatic and supposedly scaring the heck out of him. And I have to walk up there and tell him to kiss my butt, according to Shade.
“You never got his side of the story, did you?”
My eyes fill with tears. “I freaked. I never said goodbye to him. Or thanks for being amazing.”
“Yeah, I’d be pretty pissed off if I had a life-altering hand job from someone and then came back to nothing.” He informs me.
“I regret sharing anything with you,” I glare, trying to keep the waterworks at bay. Being snippy with Shade helps that a lot.
“You have blackmail on me, too. Get over it.”
“You’re right,” I agree and smirk. “Like, why you’re really on vacation? Or the fact that you’re not really a bodyguard? Hmm, what else…”
He glares back at me, “Not another word until it’s my turn. A deal is a deal.”
I wish I could do a good villain cackle right now. My voice chokes out before I can needle him further.
Max has just come out of the house with a trash bag, looking like his usual grumpy self. He’s in a pair of low-slung pants and nothing else, barefoot, as he stomps to the waiting can on the sidewalk. I have a chance to look at the changes in his achingly familiar form. He’s lost a little weight, but his muscles are bigger. Did he take up weight training?
“Get your ass out there and put him out of his misery.”
“Misery? I thought I was supposed to tell him to kiss my butt?” I’m confused about what this mission is supposed to be now.
“Do you want to?” He asks me seriously.
“No. I want to hug the crap out of him.”
“Bye, Tera.”
“You’re not going to drive away and leave me here, are you?” I narrow my eyes at him.
“Of course not. Now, you don’t have to be mean but don’t take any shit. If it looks like he’s going to get violent, I’m saved in your phone.”
“I don’t think he’ll-”
“Don’t interrupt me. Don’t go all submissive and give in to anything he wants. You need to set firm ground rules before you jump his bones.”
“I hate you right now. I’m not going to-”
“Don’t interrupt me. You’ve done all your reading or studying or whatever on being submissive. You’re in control here, not him or anyone else. No jumping in feet first, got it?”
I stare at him.
“Do you got it?” He asks again with a raised brow.
“Sorry, I was just making sure you were done,” I sass him.
“Get out of the car, smartass.”
I stick my tongue out at him and get out. The door has barely shut behind me when he revs the engine and takes off with a sharp squeal of wheels on pavement. I stand there gaping as the smoke from the tires settles around me. That jerk had better buy me new tires after that stunt.
And he just left me! In my car!
“Tera?” A hoarse voice calls from across the street.
It pulls my attention from the long-gone car over to Max. He’s standing at the curb, staring at me with his fists clenched at his sides. His muscles are tense as if he’s ready to attack me. That doesn’t bode well.
“Hi,” I mutter with a tiny wave at waist height.
He starts cursing as he marches towards me with determination. He doesn’t stop to check if cars are coming, his litany of cuss words following behind him like a dark cloud on the breeze. Once he reaches me, he doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me and bury his face in my neck.
The warmth and comfort that washes over me causes my whole body to sag in his embrace. I melt into him without thought, enjoying the sensations greedily after being away for so long. It’s been too long since someone gave me something as simple as a hug. I had to learn how to self-soothe instead.
When I realize what I’m doing, I stiffen up. I’m falling right back into old habits. Jumping in feet first without checking the water. I promised myself I wouldn’t do that again, and I’m failing at my first test? No way.
I lift my hands feebly and pat his sides, refusing to return the sudden strangling hug.