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Max nods, taking a long gulp of beer. “Yeah, so about that,” he starts.
“It’s true, Max,” I quickly say. “I have absolutely no agenda here, no ulterior motive and I am sure as shit not taking advantage of her, that I can promise you.”
Max holds a hand up, laughing a little now. “Yeah, Ethan. I know,” he says. “I really am sorry for being such a dick before. I’m just…I don’t know. Zoey and I have always been close and when I started hearing people talking, it pissed me off. I didn’t want to hear it and then I find out that you and her really are together, it all just…” He trails off as though he isn’t sure how to finish his thought.
“I get it,” I say to him, knowing that all of this must have been a huge surprise, and not a good one given the way it all played out. “And, just so you know, us keeping things a secret wasn’t done with any malice or to intentionally hurt anyone. I just wanted to protect her. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. These past few days, what happened to her, it’s been killing me.”
Max nods. “I know, me too,” he says quietly.
I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I love her, Max,” I murmur. “I am completely and utterly in love with her.”
Before he has a chance to respond to my admission, I feel arms slide around me from behind before Zoey says, “See, I told you he’s a good guy.” I lean back, my free hand moving to her arm as I look up at her. She’s smiling, her hair washed and her beautiful face relaxed as she leans down to kiss me. “You okay?” she whispers.
“Yeah,” I reply, kissing her again. “Come sit with me?”
Zoey nods, before she moves around to where I sit on the couch. She’s dressed in the clothes from her overnight bag, including the sweater of mine she loves to wear. I lift an arm as she snuggles in beside me, dropping it around her shoulders as she curls her legs up beneath her and rests her head on my shoulder.
When I look up, Max is watching us, an easy smile on his face now as though he not only believes what I’ve said to him, but he’s also seeing it for himself too. “Are we good?” I ask him, genuinely needing to know.
Max glances at his sister, who I feel nod against my shoulder. I smile, squeezing her gently before Max looks back to me and says, “We’re good. I know this is…that you guys.” He pauses as he waves a hand in our direction.
“Are for real,” Zoey chimes in and all three of us laugh.
“Yeah, for real, Zoey,” Max confirms.
“Thanks, Max,” I say, dropping a kiss on the top of Zoey’s head. “It means a lot that you believe that.”
Max laughs, shaking his head a little. “Yeah, well, I also like working for you, so you know—”
“Max!” Zoey yells, sitting up a little.
“Kidding, kidding!” he says, holding a hand up, a huge grin on his face. “Jesus, hook, line and sinker, Zoey.”
Chuckling, I pull her closer, kissing her temple. “I see cheekiness runs in the family,” I murmur.
Zoey pinches my side. “Well, as fun as this has been, I really think I need to sleep.”
“Yeah, me too,” Max says, finishing off his beer.
“Are you staying tonight?” Zoey asks.
Max stands from the couch, smiling at his sister. “Yeah, I’m staying. I’ll see you guys in the morning. Night.”
I stand, leaving my half-drunk beer on the coffee table, knowing I also need to sleep, having barely gotten any since the evening Zoey was taken. I’ve been running on nothing but pure adrenaline and fear and rage since then, and not for the first time am I glad that Brandon is here and Cameron is helping him run things.
But almost as soon as I think that, my mind flashes back to my conversation in the kitchen with Zoey’s parents and the possibility that Cameron might be involved in this. I know it’s not Brandon, without a shadow of a doubt, but Cameron? Fuck, is that even a possibility?
Right now, I don’t even want to go there. All I want to do is go to bed, pull Zoey into my arms and hold her all night.
I watch as Zoey hugs her brother goodnight, before she turns and takes my hand, leading me toward one of the doors off the living room.
“Do you want to take a shower?” she asks as we walk into a huge bedroom.
“Yeah,” I reply, chuckling a little. “I don’t have anything to change into though.”
Zoey smiles at me, walking over to the door that leads to an adjoining bathroom. “That’s fine by me,” she says, glancing over her shoulder. “Towels, toothbrush, whatever you need,” she adds, pointing to the cabinets.
I reach for her, pulling her into my arms. “Thank you,” I whisper, brushing my lips against hers.
