Chapter Forty-Three
Forty-Three
Max had made it only a few steps down Stella’s street before he heard someone calling his name.
He turned, hoping it was Stella coming to tell him she had made a mistake. Instead he saw her roommate, Chelsea, running toward him in heels so high Max was nervous she would twist her ankle, but she caught up to him with ease.
“Where are you going?” Chelsea asked. “Stella’s upstairs.”
“I know. I just came from there,” he said.
Max knew he sounded annoyed, but he’d just told Stella he loved her and not only did she not say it back, she said they both should take some time to think. Except Max didn’t need time. He knew what he wanted.
“Oh,” Chelsea said, slightly deflated. “I thought maybe you were coming over for a date night or something. We were all hanging out earlier and she said she was tired, but pretty much as soon as she left we thought it best if someone was here with her so I came back to check on her.”
She cocked her head, inspecting him, and Max had to force himself to stay still under her scrutiny.
“What happened?” Chelsea asked. “You look like a wounded puppy. A very large, muscular puppy. But still. It’s giving sad face.”
“I’m fine,” Max said.
The words came out harsher than he’d intended, so he tried to soften them by adding, “I just need to get going. It was nice running into you again, Chelsea.”
“Sure,” Chelsea said, clearly confused by his abrupt departure.
Max turned on his heel to leave, but Chelsea called out to him again. A part of him wanted to pretend he didn’t hear her, but he didn’t have it in him to be that blatantly rude, so he turned back.
“I don’t know what’s going on with you and Stella,” she said.
“I mean, I know about the whole work thing, but I figured that would maybe be fine now that she quit? I don’t know.
She didn’t want to talk about it today so we didn’t.
Regardless, I know Stella well enough to know that she’s got it bad for you.
“Like, I’ve never seen her this down bad before.
I think maybe that’s why it’s been throwing me for such a loop.
Stella doesn’t really date. Or hook up. Or really anything like that.
Ever. It’s like the chastity belt is on, you know?
So the fact that she’s gotten this far with you is kind of wild to me, honestly. ”
Max’s mouth opened, ready to say he already knew that, but Chelsea kept going before he could say a word.
“She always says she’s ‘forever alone’ or whatever, but for as long as I’ve known Stella, she’s had these grand ideas of finding her person and falling in love like her parents did,” she went on.
“Anyway, I may be a little drunk, and she’ll probably kill me for saying all of this, but my point is, whatever just happened that’s making your face do whatever it is it’s doing, don’t give up on her.
She wants you, even if she doesn’t know how to say so. ”
There was a beat of silence before Max realized he could finally speak, but Chelsea seemed to believe her momentary pause was enough time for him to have said something.
Because he hadn’t spoken, she simply patted him on his shoulder, did an about-face, and walked back to her apartment building.
Max thought about calling after her like she’d just done to him, but he didn’t really have much to say to that except maybe thank you.
Because although that was possibly the strangest one-sided conversation he’d ever had, it had also given him hope.