Page 229 of Sorrow & Strangers

Max catches me staring and winks at me, making my cheeks heat a little. I take a deep drink of my margarita, knowing it probably isn’t a good idea. Alcohol plus new celibacy leads to nothing but bad decisions.

Alice catches my eye and mouths, “Berserker bounce?”

I shake my head and stand up, deciding to make another pitcher of margaritas. Perhaps if I drink enough, I’ll fall unconscious before I make a stupid decision.

I am pouring a little extra tequila into the glass pitcher when the door swings open behind me. I already know it’s Max before he leans against the counter next to me.

“You know, Rafe looks different,” he says.

I glance at him. “I know.”

He watches me with such intensity that I have to look away. “You sure this Mira isn’t blowing him off?”

I nod, stirring the margarita mixture. “She was as obsessed as he is.” Max watches me skeptically, and I throw him an unimpressed look. “I know what an obsessed female looks like.” Though I wish I didn’t. Granted, Mira didn’t look Aqua-obsessed, but she looked like me when I caught myself in the mirror thinking of the stranger.

“Good. Because it would suck if the first time this happened for him, he got . . . you know, blown off.”

“I know,” I say, squeezing another lime into the cocktail.

“Being blown off sucks,” he says, and there is a major shift in his tone.

I glance at him, and those brown eyes are watching me. “You think I blew you off?”

Max tilts his head. “I think I blew you off,” he says, and isn’t that the truth?

I shrug and cut another lime.

“I knew you’d be feeling a certain kind of way,” he says, but I keep my eyes on what I am doing. “And I got into my head a little. I acted like an idiot.”

“A certain kind of way?” I ask, quirking a brow.

Max rubs his hand along the nape of his neck. “About it being me, and you know, not him.”

“Wait, what?” I ask, blinking up at him.

“You know,” he says, not looking at me, “that it’s me and not Connor.”

I stare at him, confused. “Max, what are you talking about?”

“I know we’re not committed or anything, but I didn’t want you to feel like I was trying to step into his place.”

“You think I was trying to replace my fiancé with you?” I ask with a frown.

Max shakes his head quickly. “No. I didn’t want you to think I was trying to do that.”

“By freaking out because I bought you a succulent?” I ask, stirring the cocktail again. “Don’t worry, you’re marked safe from whatever the fuck you think you’re in danger of.”

“Sorry,” Max groans.

I sigh and turn to face him. “Max, I already told you. We’re cool.”

“You’re important to me,” he says. I frown and tip my head, watching him. “Is that okay?”

I nod. “You’re important to me too,” I admit.

Max pulls me into his arms, and I’m a little startled at first, but then I hug him back.

“Missed you,” Max says, squeezing me.