CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Saturday, May 27
Emmy
Emmy’s eyes adjusted to the sunlight, and the crest of Max’s shoulders were all she could see from where he was hunched on the curb. Emmy lowered herself beside him and snaked an arm across his back. “Max—”
Max’s head jerked up, his eyes red and teary. “I can’t believe her.” One side of his face was a delicate pink where Kathryn had slapped him.
Emmy blew a long breath. Their plan was a disaster. She’d told Max she’d stay in her room while he confronted his mother and Andrew, but when she’d heard him storm up the steps to his bedroom, her heart had shattered, and she’d blown their cover by rushing to his rescue.
“Babe,” Max said. “Let’s leave right now. I have the money. Pack your things, and we’ll go to a hotel or something. We’ll figure it out. We can get married,” he blurted, a light tremble to his lower lip. “Whatever you want, we can have.”
Married? Emmy’s thoughts spiraled. She grasped to find the control in herself that seemed to be slipping from Max. This wasn’t the confident Max she knew. She dropped to the wet asphalt between his knees and reached for his hand. “Max, I have three weeks until my birthday. Let’s take a step back, let everything settle; then we can decide what we’re going to do.”
“A step back?” Max jerked his head side to side. “No—it shouldn’t be like this. My mom can’t control our lives.”
“She can control my life right now because I’m still seventeen, so if I can’t stay here, I have to move back in with Harper and Nora.”
“I won’t leave you alone here with her .” Max pointed at the house.
“It’s a matter of weeks , Max. Go to a hotel. Or stay with Javier. We’ll talk when this blows over.”
“No,” he growled.
“You talk about marriage, which is ridiculous at this age—”
“We don’t need to get married now ; I just want you to know I’m in this for life—”
“You can’t know that—you’re nineteen.”
Max’s eyes were stormy. “ I know that.”
So this was the ugly side of love. The consequence the romance novels never charted, when passion rages white-hot and burns, leaving everything in its wake charred. Like a mother unable to love her child. No, that wasn’t going to happen to her. Emmy pushed herself up and stood over Max. “Fine. If you’re going to be stubborn, if you can’t give me a breather, time to think this through, if you force me to go back to Nora’s, we’re finished.”
From the curb, Max stared up at her. “You’re breaking up with me?”
“I didn’t say that,” Emmy yelled, her frustration ripping at the seams.
Max climbed to his feet. “Yes, you did. So that’s it? It’s that easy to walk away from what we have?”
“It’s not that , Max. I love you. You know I do. But you know the situation I came from, and you’re forcing me to go back there when you said I’d never have to. So if it’s easy for you to break the promises you make—we can’t be together.” Tears blurred her view of him. “Or you can let me stay here, give me three weeks. Let’s be honest with Kathryn—”
“Because Kathryn has been so honest with me?” Max snapped, his eyes welling.
“As soon as I turn eighteen, we’ll go to Seattle,” she pleaded. “But I need a break from you. From all of this right now.”
The front door opened, and they both looked up. Andrew’s tall frame loomed in the doorway, and he closed the door behind him. Max gave Andrew the finger with both hands, and Andrew frowned but strode toward them, undeterred. “Max—” Andrew started.
“Really?” Max snapped. “Can’t you see we’re in the middle of something?”
Andrew hesitated. “I just thought we might have a talk.”
“Dude,” Max cried. “Seriously. Fuck off.”
Andrew acquiesced, turned, and ambled to his car. He backed from the driveway and drove away.
“Emmy, please.” Max’s chest heaved. “Don’t make me go anywhere without you. I don’t want to go back to being without you.” Emmy saw it in his eyes, the pain he’d endured, the raw hurt and unanswered questions, and his fear he’d return to what he’d been for so many years: alone. And she saw his love for her. Kathryn was right: she was an addiction to him, and this frightened her. She wasn’t going to end up like Harper. She wasn’t going to let Max end up like Kathryn. She’d take this burden for him, shatter her own heart, before Max sank in deeper, before it was too late. “I can’t do this, Max. I just can’t. I’m going to Washington by myself.”
Max looked as if he were about to speak, then raked his hands through his hair. In a few swift motions, while Emmy watched, helpless, he marched away, climbed into his car, and backed into the street. He sped off, the engine roaring until he was out of sight.
Emmy dropped back onto the curb, the emotions of their fight cascading down on top of her. She dropped her face to her hands, hurt, regret, heartbreak rushing in relentless waves. And once again she, too, found herself alone.