Chapter 9 #4
Max stopped instantly, her lips stilling against her skin, pulling back, forehead coming to rest on Annie’s collarbone.
The space between them filled with ragged, excited breaths, and for a moment, neither moved as they listened to each other breathe before Max lifted her head, looking at Annie with wide eyes and blown pupils.
“Too much?” She grinned, biting her lower lip in a way that captivated Annie.
She toyed with the dark strands of Max’s wavy ponytail, enjoying that even though she had put a stop to things, Max hadn’t fully stepped away. She still stood firmly between Annie’s spread legs, body leaning into hers, hands resting on her upper thighs.
“Not too much,” she whispered, thumb brushing over Max’s cheek, dropping to rest on top of hers. “I—I think I still need a little bit of time.” Her fingers grazed across the backs of Max’s hands as Max flexed, squeezing her legs reassuringly.
“One month to go, right?” Max said with a cocky smile, her dark eyelashes fluttering. “Not that I’ve been counting or anything.”
Annie laughed, playfully pushing Max away as she unwrapped her legs from around her waist, gracefully sliding off the counter.
“Thanks for understanding,” she said softly.
“I just—” She searched for words, feeling the overwhelming need to explain to make sure Max knew this wasn’t a rejection.
The familiar flare of courage welled in her as she decided to give her the truth.
“You feel really special, Max. I don’t want to mess that up by not being fully ready yet. ”
Max’s lips pursed together, holding back her smile at the statement she had dropped between them—the confirmation of the feelings she had been holding for weeks now.
“Kind of sounds like you like me,” Max teased, a smile breaking out across her face, eyes sparkling with her delight.
The comment earned her an eyeroll from Annie.
“Good things take time, right?” She glanced at the clock on the oven.
“Speaking of time…” Max tilted her head, and Annie followed her gaze to the green glowing numbers. Four twenty-five. Her nail appointment.
“Crap.” Annie moved quickly towards the door, sliding her boots back on as Max leaned against the fridge, still in her tank top and ripped jeans, looking so incredibly perfect.
“I’m definitely going to get an earful for being late.
” Her eyes trailed up Max’s body, lingering on the shadows created by the peaks of her nipples still visible through the thin fabric. “Very, very worth it,” she muttered.
Max grinned, holding the door open for her but before Annie dipped out into the cold, she slipped her hand around the back of Max’s neck one more time, placing a chaste kiss to her soft lips.
“Thank you for the time,” she whispered, slipping out of the apartment and down the wooden stairs.
Eleven minutes later, Annie pushed through the door of the McCallum-Windsor salon and spa, serving up a swift apology to the receptionist behind the desk.
She picked her nail polish color, a deep purple for her toes and a neutral beige for her nails, and followed the receptionist back to the pedicure room where her mom and Avery were already seated in the plush massage chairs, pants rolled up to their knees, feet soaking in fragrant water.
Annie climbed into the seat next to her mother.
“Nice of you to finally join us,” her mom said smugly, holding a copy of Wellington Point Living, the local community magazine.
The glossy image of Kent McHenry, Caroline’s father and town commissioner, stared back at her.
“So much for breakfast not taking all day,” she hummed with a tone that said I told you so.
Annie rolled up her pant legs, dipping her feet one by one into the hot, soothing water.
“Mom said you’ve been hanging out a lot with that girl who works for Jack’s parents? Is she the one who always looks angry?” Avery asked, not looking up from her phone where she was scrolling through an endless loop of videos.
A protective heat flared in Annie’s chest at her sister’s cutting way of placing multiple digs against Max in a single sentence, a skill perfected and passed down by Colleen Dillinger herself.
First, the blatant unwillingness to use Max’s name, even though they had met at the Christmas party.
Second, the subtle pointing out that Max was considered “staff” in their family’s broader social circle.
And third, pointing out that yes, Max did tend to have the tiniest case of resting bitch face, but Annie kind of found it cute.
“Her name is Max, and we are—” She hesitated, trying to think of a word to sum up exactly what they were to each other. “Friends,” she settled on.
The woman giving Annie her pedicure tapped her legs, motioning her to lift one out of the water as she began to work.
“I wish you’d stop wasting your time, sweetheart. You’re only delaying the inevitable.” Her mother’s voice was honeyed in a way Annie recognized. The tone that reeked of quiet judgment.
“And the inevitable is?” she asked dryly, already positive she knew where her mother was going. But it was Avery jumping in that irritated her more.
“That you and Caroline are going to end up back together. And it’ll be perfect. Just in time for Caroline’s campaign.” Avery grinned as she set her phone down, her silky auburn hair falling over her shoulder as she turned to look at Annie.
Annie took a deep breath, counting to five in her head, mentally boxing in the sudden onset of anger flaring in her chest.
“For the last fucking time.” She turned slightly to face her mother and sister, whispering as she ignored the heated glare her mother was giving her for using a swear word in such a public place, dare anyone overhear them.
“There is no chance in hell Caroline and I are getting back together. None. Nil. Zilch. Zero. It’s never fucking happening.
” She huffed, turning back to sit squarely in her chair, eyes fixed ahead as she attempted to bring her boil back down to a simmer while simultaneously trying to contain a laugh as the pedicurist moved a pumice stone across the heel of her right foot.
“But why? What happened that made you throw away seven years? Caroline was basically family and then one day you guys are just done? We saw you on the Fourth of July last year for Mom and Dad’s party and you two were so in love,” her sister pushed.
To Annie’s surprise it was her mother’s interjection that came next. “Avery,” she warned.
“Can you for once respect what I say as a final fact and not an open door for negotiation?” Annie spat back, fingertips digging into her thigh as she tried to keep her fire in check.
“Annie,” her mother shot sternly.
“Well when you’ve been known to do dumb sh—”
“Avery Marie, I swear to God.”
“Caroline fucking cheated on me!” Annie blurted out, finally reaching her breaking point.
“I dumped her because the day before we were supposed to move in together, I went to the house and she was fucking some other girl in our bed. Happy you have a reason now, Avery?” she choked out, struggling to hold back her tears as shame flooded her body at finally sharing the truth she had kept secret from her family for months.
But it was Caroline’s words from Christmas in her head that mocked her—you haven’t told anyone what I did—well, that was changing today.
That was the last knot in the tangle of her history with Caroline that Annie had been quietly picking away at, unraveling it inch by inch until the only thing left was the secret she was keeping because of her own shame.
The shame of admitting she hadn’t even seen it coming.
The thought that Caroline was capable of cheating on her had never once crossed her mind, making the blindside even worse.
“I’m sorry,” she said to the nail tech. “I need to go. I’ll make sure to leave your tip at the front desk and obviously pay for the appointment.
” She rolled her pant legs down and slipped her shoes back on then, inhaling sharply, turned to face her mom and sister.
“Thank you so much for the lovely afternoon.” She tried to keep an even tone, the bite of her rage still seeping through.
“I hope you thoroughly enjoyed my humiliation. But now you know.” Her voice was firm and final as she tried to hold back the tears she wanted to release.
“I never want to talk about this again,” she said, spinning on her heel and heading straight for the exit.