The whiskey burned from his throat down to his stomach. He took another sip. Max rarely drank hard liquor—scared that he’d become a drunk like Holden—but he had needed a touch of liquid courage to come here today. He had some explaining to do to his mom.
So, between sips of whiskey he filled her in. Told her aboutStarmaker, and Sadie. By the time he finished downloading what had been going on in his life for the past year, he’d finished most of the bottle. Drained from everything that had happened—and drunk as a skunk—he asked: “What should I do, Mom? What do you think I should do about Sadie?”
He had wanted it to be simple. When he’d walked out of the studio that morning, he had every intention of not going back and never seeing Sadie again. But the longer he sat there, the less simple it all became. In a flash he realized the problem: he loved Sadie Hunter. Helovedher.
He. Loved. Her.
And he had to tell her.
Taking his phone out of his jeans pocket, he scrolleddrunkenly through his contacts. “Bingo,” Max said, seeing her name. It went to voicemail.
“Sadie, hi. It’s me, Max. Max Brody.” He hiccupped, and then cleared his throat. “Things this mornin’, well, I’m sorry for storming out like that. I’m a piece of work, I know it.” Max swayed, his elbow slipping off one knee, causing him to almost drop the phone. “I’m not sure what’s going on... with Cruz... but I need you to know something. I don’t know how in the hell it happened, but I love you. Simple as that.I love you, Sadie Hunter.”
He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then said, “Okay! Now you know. And that’s all that matters. Okay, then. Bye-bye.”
Max hung up, lying back on the grass and watching the clouds up above, glad he hadfinallytold her how he felt. He was also feeling quite dizzy from the alcohol, and it occurred to him he was stranded at the cemetery, because there was no way he was going to be able to drive. At that moment his phone rang, and he fumbled and twisted on the ground, trying to get it out of his pocket. For a moment he hoped it was Sadie returning his call, but squinting at the screen, the name fuzzy, he realized it was Bobbi.
“Howdy,” he said.
“Where the hell are you? I just got out of the meeting and Sadie told me you took off. Of all the stunts, on all the days... You need to get your ass back here, Max, likenow.” Bobbi barely took a breath. “Cruz is madder than a mule chewin’ on bumblebees! I made up some story about how you had a photo shoot for a deodorant brand.”
Max chuckled. “Deodorant, huh?”
“I panicked! You know how he just sidles up and then is, like, right there in your face. Besides, I don’t think he bought it. Seriously, what’s going on with you?”
“I needed some air,” Max slurred. “Look, I know you’re pissed at me but it’s okay. I’ll pay the money back toStarmaker. It’s fine.” He sat up, but rested his head on his bent knees as the world spun around him.
“It’s the opposite of fine.” Bobbi sighed heavily. “I can’t keep bailing you out, Max. Sadie can’t keep bailing you out. Paying your portion of the money back might—and I’d like to emphasizemight, because they could sue you—get you off the hook, but it won’t help Sadie.”
He didn’t know what to say to that.
“Where are you?” Bobbi asked.
“I’m visiting my mom.”
“Oh, Max.” Bobbi had worked with the Brody family for long enough to have known Maren well, to have seen Holden spiral to the point where his drinking almost ended his career, and to have watched Max deal with it all. “Hon, have you been drinking?”
Max squinted at the bottle by his feet, and saw about an inch or so left at the bottom. He pressed his thumb and index finger close together, even though Bobbi couldn’t see the gesture. “Maybe a teensy bit?”
“For the love of God, Max, do not put your keys in the ignition. You hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
“I’m sending someone to come and get you. Hang tight.”
—
There was a knock on the driver’s-side window. Max cracked an eye—with some effort, because everything felt heavy—and saw Landon peering in at him. Landon had long since moved on from being Max’sStarmakerassistant and had been working for the studio all year, so this was clearly a favor Bobbi had called in. He made an “open up” gesture, and Max unlocked the doors.
Landon gave a low whistle. “Wow, this truck smells like the inside of a whiskey barrel.”
“Well, helloooo to you, too, Captain Obvious.” Max grunted as he twisted around to a seated position, hanging on to the dashboard as the horizon tilted. “Oh, boy.”
“Are you going to vomit?” Landon sounded alarmed.
“No, butbless your heartfor being so concerned.” Max’s tone was sarcastic, but Landon was too focused on trying to get the driver’s seat forward to notice.
Max raised an eyebrow. “You’ve driven a truck before, right?”
