Page 77 of Maximus

I was in the kitchen looking through the pantry when I heard the front door open and close. I wasn’t sure what would be worse, Max going directly to his room, ignoring me and the boys completely, or him joining us in the kitchen.

What I was sure about was I’d messed everything up. And not only did I not know how to make it right, but I wasn’t sure if I should try.

If the distance between us hurt this bad now, it was a damn good indication I was in over my head.

The problem was, I missed Max.

Chapter 22

I was sitting on the couch, beer in one hand, tablet in the other, reading a report Garrett had sent when I heard a door creak, then footsteps. I glanced at the right corner of my screen, noting it was after midnight, and waited.

My day, technically yesterday, had been shit.

It started with Eva accusing me of being a liar, then it had descended further into the murky pits of shit when we called Bubba, and had not gotten any better from then on. Eva had been withdrawn, guarded, and so fucking detached my jaw hurt from clenching it all day.

I swear, there were a few times I tasted blood because I bit my tongue so hard instead of saying what I wanted to say.

Eva silently walked past me on her way into the kitchen. I feigned disinterest and kept my head down. Only when I heard the fridge door close harder than it needed to be did I look up and find her pouring a glass of apple juice.

Fucking apple juice.

The sight had me setting my tablet aside and standing. My mind filled with memories of Eva tasting like goddamn apples and I stalked into the kitchen.

Then I snapped.

“You done?” I growled.

“Done?” Eva’s body jolted, her back went straight, and her eyes narrowed.

Yeah, sweetheart, I’m pissed, too.

“Done with whatever crawled up your ass.”

“You didn’t… you didn’t just say that.”

“I sure as fuck did. All day I’ve been treated to your shit. You done yet?”

“My shit?”

“I’m speaking English, Eva. You don’t need to repeat everything.”

“I’m not the one who’s been in a mood all day.”

“Right.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I wake up thinking we’re finally settled in a house, the boys can have semblance of normalcy, we can relax, but instead I catch a bunch of shit about how I’m a liar. Then when I get out of the shower, you give me the silent treatment. And when you’re not doing that, I get one-word answers. And if that’s not wacked enough, you’ve made damn sure there’s at least ten feet between us at all times. So, yeah, babe, I’ve been in a mood. A bad fucking mood because you’re acting like a child instead of a grown-ass woman.”

Eva’s torso jerked so violently, her juice sloshed and spilled over the rim, and it looked like I’d landed a physical blow when in reality I was still feet from her.

“I apologized.” She set down the glass on the counter and pointed at me. “I told you I was confused and afraid.”

“Yeah, sweetheart, you think you’re the only one confused? Welcome to the club.”

“Why are you confused?” she asked, bending slightly at the waist leaning toward me. “You’re the one that’s throwing—”

“Because you scare the shit out of me,” I admitted before I thought better of it. “You freak me the fuck out, woman. You make me question everything I thought I knew. You make me think about my life and how I’ve lived it. You make me feel shit I don’t want to feel. You drive me fucking crazy.”