“Of course I’ve driven a truck,” Landon mumbled. “I grew up in the South, too, you know.”
Landon started the truck, and Max leaned his head back again. He felt like he was underwater, his body moving in rhythmic waves.
“I find taking some deep breaths helps.” Landon looked in the rearview, then pulled out onto the road.
Max didn’t reply, but gave it a go. Breathing in and out. And again. He did feel a touch more clearheaded, actually.
“So, what brings you out here, Mr. Brody?” Landon asked. Then, remembering where he had picked Max up, stuttered, “Oh, I’m sorry. That is none of my business. Are you okay, though?”
It was at that moment that Max—still three sheets to the wind and obviously not thinking clearly—had a sudden urge to confess everything.
“Having some girl problems, if you must know,” Max said, the image of Sadie staring at him just before he walked out on her this morning burned into his memory.
Max let out a deep sigh, pressed a hand to his chest. Landon glanced over, but didn’t say anything. “I have a secret about Sadie. Do you want to know what it is? Okay, here goes... She’s not really my girlfriend.”
“Did you two have a fight?”
“We arealwaysfighting, Landon. That woman is... Well, she has her nose so high in the air she could drown in a rainstorm.” Max closed his eyes, picturing Sadie with her arms crossed over her chest, a look of irritation on her beautiful face, her blue eyes flashing.
“But damn, if she isn’t whip smart. And gorgeous. And that voice. She sure can sing. Thing is,” Max continued. “Thing is, Landon, Sadie and I are not together.”
Max let his own words sink in. He shifted in his seat so he could see his former assistant’s reaction. “For a hot second it seemed it was gonnabecomereal, but not anymore.” Max thought about Cruz, and the photo of him and Sadie, and he almost had to ask Landon to pull over.
“What was never real, Mr. Brody?” Landon asked.
“Me and Sadie. Why are you so formal all the time? Just call me Max, okay? And Ms. Hunter is Sadie.”
“Of course. Won’t happen again.” Landon changed lanes, checking his blind spot twice. “But here’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Brody... Max.” Landon’s sudden change in tone was surprising. “I worked with both of you. I’ve seen things. And what you have with Sadie? Well, if that ain’t real, I don’t know what is.”
“We fooled you, Landon. We fooled everyone. The judges. The fans. The paparazzi. Even our families,” Max said quietly. “We fooled everyone.”
“Max, I’m sorry, but I’m just not following you.”
“There is no such thing as Saxie, man! It was all fake. The relationship. The stories about us being in love. We faked it all because that’s what the show wanted, what the fans wanted. And we wanted to win, so we did what we had to do.”
Landon was silent, likely trying to sort out the truth from his drunken babbling.
“But you two seem so together. In love.”
Max let out a strangled sigh. “She’s a good actress, man. A damn fine actress.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?” Max asked.
“Are you a good actor, too?” Landon kept his eyes on the road.
“Nope, never have been,” Max replied after a moment. “You wanna know the truth, Landon? I love her. Like,reallylove her. And I once told her I don’t wanna fake it anymore, and that’s still true.”
—
Max stumbled out of the truck, catching himself before falling to the ground. Landon had come around and was trying to steady him.
“Thanks, man. But I got this,” he said. “Just grab my bag from the back, would ya?”
Max went to open the Brodys’ front door, but it was locked. He sighed, patted down his jeans looking for the key. He’d sold his condo after leaving for Banff, so he was stuck staying with Holden until he found a new place—whether that was in Nashville or somewhere else, Max wasn’t yet sure.
“Is this it?” Landon asked, holding up the truck fob’s key ring.
