22. Paige
“What do you think?” Maxon asks, leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen that’s the size of a matchbox.
I sigh, glancing around the living room/bedroom. I don’t mind the idea of a studio apartment, and the location wasn’t that bad. But it definitely pales in comparison to Max’s place. I mentally slap myself. I cannot stay at Maxon’s house. As it is I’ve already stayed for a week and a half and who knows how much longer it’ll be with the way apartments are getting scooped up as fast as I can look at them. I’ve already received four notifications that I’ve been waitlisted for the foreseeable future.
“I think I like the one we saw last night more.” I say, at least that place had an open floor plan.
Yesterday, Max had me come into the office to fill out some paperwork that ties up everything with my now ex-landlord. Sadly, there wasn’t much he could do with getting my months of rent back, that there’s nothing in our agreement that my rent money would be used to pay the mortgage. However, he was able to get my deposit back for me, which was two months worth of rent and the perfect amount to allow me to start looking for a place of my own.
Maxon nods, straightening from his position. “You know which one I like more?”
I sigh, knowing exactly where this is going. “No.”
“I’m just saying, the place you’re staying in right now is a pretty great deal. You could save a little bit more money, put some more into the business…”
He just knew all the right things to say to me…
“I’m not staying at your place.”
“You could. It’s been nice having you there.”
I roll my eyes. “Max, you’ve hardly gotten a second to yourself since I moved in.”
“I’d rather spend time with you.” He shrugs.
Instinctually I want to go “aww” and let my hard exterior crack just slightly. “You’re just trying to make me all soft.” I say.
He quirks an eyebrow at me. “Is it working?” He asks and I roll my eyes at the words that have basically become his catchphrase over the last few days.
“No.” I lie. I refuse to soften at his sweet comments, at least, I refuse to admit I’m softening to his sweet comments. As it is I’ve already let myself get way too comfortable around him again. I need to refocus myself and reprioritize and not imagine what it would feel like if he kissed me again.
Not think about his lips against mine…
Or his arms wrapped around me…
“Earth to Paige.” Max is waving a hand in front of my face trying to get my attention, and I gulp back an embarrassed laugh.
“Sorry.” I say sheepishly, heat climbing up my neck and threatening to blush across my face. I glance to the window that looks out straight into the side of another building. “What time is it?”
He checks his watch. “Five thirty.”
I swear. “It’s family dinner tonight.” I say, nearly sprinting towards the door. “I’m dead if I’m late.” I find the stairway and quickly start down and I hear Maxon close the apartment door behind us. His long legs letting him gain on me quickly.
“Mrs. Bennett still makes you guys do that?”
I let out a grunt. “She’s almost worse now that we’re all adults. Unless we have an acceptable excuse.”
“And looking at apartments wouldn’t be acceptable?”
A guilty look crosses my face as I steal a glance at him.
His shoulders drop. “You haven’t told them yet.”
“Not exactly.”
“You know you’re going to have to at some point.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t have to be today.” We make it to the bottom where my car and his bike are parked. “Thank you for meeting me here.” I say as I dig for my keys in my purse.
“Anytime,” he says. “You know I’ll always come if you ask.”
I laugh, he comes even if I don’t ask and I’m not sure if I mind it all that much, but I don’t have the mental space to formulate words because I can’t find my keys. I pull out my wallet, then my phone, then my clipboard.
Nothing.
“My keys aren’t in here.”
Max steps closer, taking some of the things from me that I’m now juggling as I search through my oversized bag and I let him. I empty more of the things that litter the bottom of my purse desperately but to no avail.
“Uh, Paige?” There’s a hesitant tone in Maxon’s voice and I have a strong feeling I’m not going to like what he has to say.
“Yeah?”
“Are those your keys?” He nods towards my car and there, sitting on the driver’s side floor, are a set of keys with a little pink pompom attached to them.
“Yeah…” I say and try to open the door.
Locked.
“Let me try the other side.” Max says, going around to the passenger side quickly but I already know it’s locked. The dang thing doesn’t even work. I lean my head against the top of my car as Max unsuccessfully pulls at the passenger’s handle. “It’s locked.”
“Yeah.” I manage for the third time. Mrs. Bennett is going to kill me.
“Does this count as an acceptable excuse?”
I shake my head against the car, my forehead rocking back and forth against the cool metal. “She won’t buy it. She’ll think that I’m avoiding them and have Mr. Bennett pick me up… which means he’d have to take me back…”
“Which means them finding out that you’re staying with me.”
I nod against my Beatle.
There’s a second of silence between us for a moment, before finally he heaves a sigh and grabs my hand, pulling me away from my car.
“Wait, what are we doing?” He stops next to his bike, pulling the helmet off the handles where he’d left it and holding it out to me like he had that night he saved me from my date.
“I’m taking you to the Bennett’s.” He swings his leg over his bike and starts it up, the machine purring to life instantly.
“But what about me getting home?” I say and then mentally wince, his cabin was not my home.
It doesn’t appear that he caught my slip-up though and he shrugs. “We’ll say you invited me to dinner, and I said I’d drive you back to your car.” He pulls his phone from his pocket, typing on it quickly, his fingers flying across the screen. “I’ll get a guy out here to take care of your car and drop it off back at my place.”
“‘Get a guy’?”
He laughs. “A mechanic.”
I heave my bag over my shoulder, doing up the buckle on the helmet. “You know, sometimes you make yourself sound like a gangster.”
His eyes dart to meet mine and I’m suddenly glad that my face is obscured by the helmet because of the way he’s staring so deeply at me that I’m half certain I’d melt if we were actually face to face. “Would that scare you?” He says with all the seriousness in his tone.
I hesitate, staring at him, my mind working a mile a minute to make sense of his words… he was a lawyer… not a gangster.
The corner of his lips turns upwards in a mocking smile and I let out an exasperated sigh, punching him in the arm. “That’s not funny.” I say and swing my leg over the back of his bike, settling against him.
“You actually thought I might be a gangster?” His back shakes with laughter underneath me and I fight the urge to smack him again.
“It could happen!”
He barks out another laugh that sends a jolt of electricity through me, sparking a fire within me that I’m desperately trying to douse.
Maxon revs the bikes engine just to be a showoff, before he starts away from the curb and down the road out of the city. I hug myself against his back, settling into familiar comfort as we ride. It has been about eight years since the last time I rode on his bike and now I’ve done it twice in two weeks. I forgot how much I missed it, how I missed the wind that whipped against my arms and legs, the fear and the freedom of riding so fast on something so vulnerable. Most of all, I missed the connection. The feeling of my body pressed so close against Max’s that I’m not sure where I end and he begins as I cling tighter and tighter with every mile.
When he finally turns into the Bennett’s driveway the sun has just started to set, casting a hazy, golden glow over the courtyard. I swing myself off the back of Max’s bike, grateful that today I’d opted for a pair of jeans and blouse instead of my normal skirt that I wear to work. It was a slow day today though, and I kept busy by making phone calls and emails and not much else.
“Are you sure about this?” I say, turning to Max and taking the helmet off, offering it to him once he’s dismounted from his bike.
“You mean am I sure I can keep a secret from your family?” He arches a brow at me.
I nod. “Hope will throw a fit if she finds out that I’ve been staying with you instead of them.”
He chuckles. “Paige, I think I’ve had plenty of experience keeping things between you and I a secret from the Bennetts.”
Okay, fair enough.
“The only people that have ever caught me in a lie are you and Aspen, and he’s in Philly with Katie.” He shrugs, then motions for me to go ahead towards the front doors of the Bennett Estate.
I gulp back an uncomfortable lump, nodding in agreement and I silently psych myself up as I lead us into the mansion. When we step inside I can hear voices coming from the kitchen but can’t make out what they’re saying. “Hey!” I call as Max slips off his riding jacket and drapes it across the banister of the grand staircase.
Suddenly I hear barking, and a second later a yellow dog appears, running out of the kitchen. Instantly I recognize him, although it’s been a couple months since I’ve seen Blue, the puppy Aspen got Katie last Christmas.
Which meant…
“Paige!” Katie appears around the corner that Blue had just come from, followed by Aspen with the rest of the family and my heart drops when a confused look crosses Aspen’s face.
“Maxon?”