AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Who’s winning tonight?” Lexi asked.
“Your mother,” Larry said. “She’s putting the rest of us to shame.”
“She usually does,” Lexi said. “We’re going to watch a movie upstairs, so we came to say good night.”
“Let us know if you need anything, Max,” Angie said.
“Thank you. I’ll be sleeping in the guest room.”
“That’s not necessary,” Angie said.
“Told you,” Lexi said with a saucy grin. “Funny how a near-fatal illness changes things, huh?”
“Don’t be sassy, young lady,” Larry said with a grin. “And, Max, please make yourself at home here. We haven’t seen Lexi happy like she’s been tonight in a long, long time.” His voice broke on the wordtime.
Angie reached for her husband’s hand. “It’s lovely to see,” she said, smiling at them.
Lexi went to kiss them all good night. “Love you guys.”
“Love you, too, sweetheart,” Jim said gruffly. “Night, Max.”
“Good night, and thanks again for having me.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Carol said.
Lexi took him by the hand and led him upstairs. “We have the second floor to ourselves. Their rooms are on the main floor. They won’t come up here to check on where you’re sleeping, so you may as well sleep with me.”
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” Max asked, amused by her.
“I’m very clever, and don’t you forget it.” She turned to him and ran her hands over his chest. “They know there’s a very good chance we might’ve been married by now if things had gone differently.”
“You think we would’ve been?”
“I’m almost sure of it. I wasn’t going to last four years at Berkeley. I had already been approved to transfer to UVM when I got sick.”
“You had? Really? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted it to be certain before I said anything, but before I could tell you, I got sick.”
Max sighed. “It’s weird to consider that if you hadn’t gotten sick, I might never have had Caden.”
“Everything that’s happened since we went our separate ways was meant to be, including him.”
“I can’t think of him any other way but meant to be, even though I wish more than anything that you hadn’t been through such a horrible ordeal.”
“I’ve realized that it was my destiny as much as Caden was yours.”
“And now maybe we can be each other’s destiny?”
She went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “I would love that.”
ChapterSeventeen
“Be of love a little more careful than of anything.”
— e.e. cummings
Max had fully intended to sleep in the guest room until her parents told him not to be silly. That was how he ended up cuddling with Lexi in her bed while they pretended to watch a movie that neither of them was interested in. They were much more interested in kissing until they were breathless from wanting more.
