35. Max
CHAPTER 35
MAX
I do my best to ignore the comment, only allowing myself a few seconds to bring up a mental image of what she’s describing. If I think about it any longer than that, I’ll have a much harder time sticking to my firm rule of not putting the moves on a woman who’s had too much to drink, even if she was clearly interested in me before she got drunk.
And though Callie was obviously turned on earlier, she put a stop to us kissing. I’d never push past that limit, especially while her defenses are down.
Plenty of people have left the party already. Aunt Iris has long been gone, along with most of the other older relatives.
I rub Callie’s back in long, soothing strokes through the rest of the song. “Want to head to the room and get some sleep?” I murmur as it comes to an end.
“I’m not tired,” she protests, though her body language says something different.
“It looks like the party’s wrapping up.”
“Okayyyyy.” Her eyelids are heavy, but there’s a pleasant grin on her face as I lead her past the bar and pool house toward the path that will take us back to the main building.
Her smile fades instantly and she freezes in place as we come across two entwined figures silhouetted along the wall.
“Callie.”
Shit, I should’ve been watching out for Rick.
“Callie, do you know my girlfriend, Alexis Hargrove? I’ll bet you’ve met her. The two of you are practically going to be related after this weekend.”
Alexis, for her part, has the decency to look uncomfortable. Not only have we caught the two of them making out here in the shadows, she clearly knows exactly who Callie is and what her relationship to Rick is.
“We know each other,” Callie says stiffly, nodding at Alexis.
“Let’s go, Callie.” I give her hand a squeeze before releasing it and sliding my arm around her waist to better support her.
“We’ll have to get together tomorrow and talk,” Rick calls after us as we hurry off. “We should catch up.”
All the fun Callie had dancing is gone, along with any happy effects from the alcohol. She’s trembling, though I’m not sure if it’s fear or rage until she speaks through clenched teeth.
“Why is he here? Hasn’t he ruined my life enough already? Why did he have to get involved with her?”
She’s not talking to me, and she’s not expecting any answers, not unless the universe finds its voice. The best approach seems to be to let her get it all out.
“All the years lost, all the money lost. I should have known better than to trust a man, and now I can’t get rid of him.”
The money comment catches my attention, and I’m curious enough to want to ask about it, but Callie continues.
“What if he marries Alexis? He’ll be in Sadie’s life forever. He’ll be an uncle to Sadie’s future children.” She wails in pain and starts to sob, and I steer us over to a bench where I can hold her and let her cry.
I don’t have tissues on me, so I pull my shirt over my head and offer it to her. She’s lost in her misery, and the feeling of helplessness that washes over me is cold and bitter.
In my head, I’m stalking back to the pool house and punching that asshole over and over until he can’t speak to her ever again. The thought of it is extremely satisfying, but the fact that I won’t let myself do it has me in almost as much pain as Callie.
Instead, I hold her tight and rub her back, and encourage her to let it all out. I imagine she’s already cried countless nights over that punk, and I hope I can somehow help her to never need to cry about him again.
Eventually, she stills, her breathing returning somewhat back to normal, no more need for my shirt that’s bunched in her hands.
“Ready to go to the room?”
She nods, and just as we’re standing, Callie’s mom appears on the path. “Oh, Callie, Max. You two are still out.” Looking more closely, she asks, “Callie, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Mom.” Callie’s voice is surprisingly clear, and she stands tall beside me. “We were just headed inside.”
“Okay. See you in the morning.”
I’m filled with curiosity about what Ms. Baker knows about Rick, and whether she has any idea how much his presence upsets her daughter. Callie seems to be trying to do her best not to look bothered.
“You’ll feel better tomorrow,” I tell Callie as I unlock the door to our room.
She’s quiet, only giving me a not-very-hopeful look. Inside the room, she mumbles hello to Miles then heads straight for the bathroom.
While she’s in there, I give my brother a rundown on the evening, most of my updates revolving around Rick Jansen and Callie’s reaction to him. His jaw tightens as he listens.
“It also seems that she got overserved at the bar.” I tell him about the dancing with her sister and friends, but I leave out the part about Callie’s suggestive comment.
“Why did you let that happen?”
“I don’t know how it happened. Maybe she didn’t have enough to eat. It was a good thing, though, for a while. She needed to relax.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure the alcohol didn’t help her response to seeing her ex with his new girlfriend.”
“I know, and I can’t see her like that again. I’m not talking about the drinking, but how upset she was. It was painful.”
Miles gives me a long look, picking up much more than I’m saying, and I can’t be bothered to try to hide how I’m feeling.
When Callie comes out of the bathroom only a few minutes later, our conversation grinds to a halt. Not because we don’t want to be heard, but because the girl is wearing skimpy little pajamas that instantly have me drooling.
It’s shorts and a shirt, but it’s silky and pink and clings to her body in all the right places. I’m made completely speechless by the way her breasts jiggle as she crosses to the bed.
When I manage to drag my eyes up to her face, I’m pained to see that her eyes are still red. “Are you okay, Callie?”
“I’ve been better.”
“What can I do to help?”
She bites her bottom lip and avoids looking at either of us as she says, “Could you hold me while I fall asleep?”
“Of course. I’ll be right there after I brush my teeth.”
I feel sorry for Miles, and I wouldn’t blame him if he took my spot next to Callie while I’m getting ready for bed, but when I come out, he’s still in the chair.
Callie’s already lying on her side, so I slide under the covers behind her and wrap my arm around her, resting it on the mattress in front of her. “Is this okay?”
“Mm-hmm.” She shifts, snuggling closer and pulling my arm in against her chest, and though my only concern is making her feel better, my body can’t help but respond to how good she feels, the way she smells, and how right it is having her in my arms.
I summon thoughts about neutral things, and then even things that disgust me, but that doesn’t stop my cock from reacting to the silky softness of her. I shift my hips backward to put space between us, but she curls into me, keeping me close.
Then she starts giggling. At first, I think she’s crying, and I panic, but no, she’s definitely laughing. “What’s funny?”
It takes her a moment to compose herself in order to speak. The pi?a coladas are apparently still having an effect on her.
“I should have said yes,” she whispers loudly.
“Yes to what?”
“When you offered to send me dick pics.”
It takes me a second, but then I’m laughing, too.