Chapter 22
AVERY
I’m not sure what got into me or why I decided tonight was the time to invite Max over, especially since not everything is put together in our apartment. The dishes are still in the sink, and I hadn’t even vacuumed earlier today.
Maybe this is my answer to not sending him my phone number just yet.
That feels too final, and while I want to spend more time with him, I’m worried that he’ll just disappear back to New York, taking a part of my heart.
Not that I’ve gotten that far, but I’m teetering over the edge of falling for this guy.
I’ve been juggling so much that it’s hard to get everything done, and I was so conditioned as a kid to believe people would look down on me if the house wasn’t perfectly clean that it feels strange to let someone see it like this now.
“I think we’re going to have a visitor,” I tell Lila and Cora as I walk in.
They’re sitting at the table painting, and both look up at me in confusion.
“Who’s going to visit us?” Lila asks.
“I invited Max over.”
Her confusion only deepens. “Why did you do that?”
“Have you seen that apartment? It’s so drab and lonely. I felt bad for him.”
“He’s not sleeping over here, is he?” Cora asks.
“No,” I say quickly. “He’ll still sleep over there, but I just wanted him to have somewhere to sit besides a hard floor or an air mattress that will probably deflate in the middle of the night.”
“That’s the worst. I had that happen before,” Lila says, like it’s an everyday experience for her.
Then her eyes light up dramatically.
“What are we going to do? How are we going to entertain our guest?” she asks in a fake accent.
Sometimes I think this girl belongs in the theater club.
“Any good ideas?” I ask.
She dips her paintbrush into the water before swirling it through green paint and brushing it across the white paper.
“I’m not sure what our serial killer friend likes to do,” she says with complete seriousness.
Cora looks between the two of us with a horrified expression. “Serial killer friend? What?”
I can’t help laughing when Lila replies, “Avery and I picked him up when his car ran out of gas. I thought he might be a serial killer who was posing as someone in need to make us his next victims, but he’s actually a really nice guy.”
Cora blinks a few times. “And he’s staying in the unfinished apartment next door?”
“Yeah. The B&B had a pipe burst, so they’re trying to fix everything before their reservations start coming.”
I start on the dishes, and thankfully, the other two start cleaning the front room.
“What should we do if he comes?” Lila asks.
“I’m dead. I think I’ll just head to bed for now,” Cora says.
I shrug while scrubbing a plate. “We could watch a movie or play some games, I guess.”
“I vote games,” Lila says. Then she points the paintbrush at me as she lifts the painting materials to put them away. “Then again, maybe I should go to bed too.”
I take a step back and stare at her in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve seen plenty of movies in my life, Avery. I know what happens. Two people sit on a couch together all innocently, and then they hold hands and kiss and all that. This is your chance, but I don’t think I can watch that.”
The door opens—I must’ve left it ajar—and Max knocks twice before walking in right as Lila says, “kiss and all that.”
I immediately want to curl into a hole and die.
Lila’s eyes go wide.
“It sounds like I’ve stumbled onto an interesting conversation,” Max says with a smile.
“No!” she blurts. “I was just telling my aunt why I want to play games instead of sitting on the couch!”
He looks confused. “I don’t follow.”
“People who sit on the couch and make googly eyes at each other make things uncomfortable. Plus, games are a lot of fun and will tell us more about your character and whether we should consider you a potential criminal.”
My mouth drops open, and I turn to Lila. “Really?”
Across from us, Max tucks his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He’s usually so put-together, but I like this more casual side.
“I mean, that would probably be a good way to find out,” he says with a grin.
“Lila, why don’t you help Max pick out a game or two? I’m just going to hurry and finish these dishes.”
I rinse off the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.
When I turn around to see what they’ve chosen, I’m surprised to find five games stacked on the table instead of two.
We’ve always loved games in our family, and Lila must have caught that fever early. So much for Lila “going to bed early.”
“Looks like you guys are thinking about several options,” I say, hanging the dish towel on the dishwasher handle.
“Lila did most of the picking,” Max says with a smile.
“Way to throw me under the bus,” Lila mutters.
I take a seat to the right of Max and across from Lila. I move my feet out too far and end up bumping into him.
“Sorry about that,” I say, feeling the heat rush to my face.
He smiles. “No problem.”
“Okay, lovebirds,” Lila says with a smile—now I’m wishing she went to bed—“We’ve got card games and a board game, but that one will probably take three hours. Which one do we want to start with?”
“Three hours?” I say. “I don’t know if Max wants to stay here that long.”
He lets out a small breath with a smile. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve played games, so I’m kind of up for whatever.”
I turn to him, trying to give him a look that says you’re supposed to be on my side, and he only chuckles, something warm settling into my chest.
The guy is handsome and way out of my league. And I could see a relationship being part of the future I want. But would it be with him? That’s still up in the air because of his work and where he lives full-time.
Footsteps come down the hallway, and Cora appears in the kitchen with her phone to her ear. I haven’t seen her put it down since she got back. She waves before heading to the fridge for something and then disappearing back down the hallway.
“Pardon my sister’s manners,” I say. “That’s Cora.”
“We should start calling her Apple, since her phone is connected to her hand,” Lila says.
I let out a small chuckle, her words catching me off guard. But a sadness creeps in after. Cora is missing so much time with her daughter. And Lila can see it.
We end up choosing the board game, and while it’s not typically my favorite, the banter between Max and Lila is totally worth it.
Even after a couple of hours, I’m still not sure we’re playing correctly.
Sometimes Lila pretends certain things are official rules, but they’re mostly to benefit her.
I will give Max credit, though. He checks the rule book several times to correct her.
We get to the last part of the maze, and I’m losing horribly.
The hard part about this game of Talisman is that you can die several times, then come back to life.
I’m used to games where, once you die, you’re free to go do whatever you want.
Like sit like a vegetable on the couch and process the full day.
At some point, we pulled out snacks, popcorn, and just about anything else to keep us awake.
“I don’t think you can do that,” Max says with a smile when Lila attempts another suspicious move.
She crinkles her nose. “Why not?”
“Because that’s a rule.”
He keeps her in check, but she still eventually wins the game.
I blow out a breath of relief, grateful to be done.
Lila yawns dramatically, and I know that’s a sign she needs to get to bed.
“I’m good,” she says. “I’m fifteen, Avery. I can stay up as late as I need to.”
I raise an eyebrow and wait for her to correct herself.
“Okay, fine,” she mutters. “I’ll go to bed. Thank you for playing, Max.”
She leaves the room.
“What about helping us clean up the game?” I call down the hall.
Lila ignores me and shuts her bedroom door with a quick click.
Max and I work together to gather the pieces.
“What do you think? Did you like the game?” I ask, stacking cards back into the box.
“That was quite the experience,” Max says, shaking his head.
I laugh. “It always is when you’re playing with Lila. She’s competitive to a fault and hates to lose.”
“Don’t we all though?” Max says, his gaze drifting somewhere far away.
I place the cover back on the box. “How are things going with the project?” I ask, more curious than ever.
“So far, so good. Talia seems competent, which is a relief.”
I look at him. “Why did you hire her then, if you didn’t know whether she could get it done?”
He opens his mouth to speak and then pauses for a moment, as if trying to gather his thoughts. I put the game back on the shelf and walk over to sit on the couch.
Max follows, sitting only a few inches away and turning toward me, giving me his full attention.
“There have been many people in my life who gave me second chances, or opportunities I didn’t necessarily deserve.
I remember feeling grateful for those. Sometimes people just need someone to trust them to get started. ”
“Yeah, but usually those are people who know them personally,” I say. “They get special treatment because of that.”
Max rocks his head back and forth. “Many do. Which is why I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.”
I narrow my gaze at him. “Your employers must have a lot of faith in you to let you run with this as much as you are.”
He freezes for a moment. “I’ve been friends with the owner for a long time. He knows that whatever choice I’m making, I’m not trying to screw things up.”
“It’s nice when you have people you can trust.”
He turns his head to study me. “I take it you haven’t always had that option?”
I blow out a breath, trying to decide how much I want to share with him.
“I was a lawyer in my past life.” I pause and blush when I see surprise flicker across Max’s face.