“Has Max cooked for you?”
“Last weekend, but yesterday, we went out for dinner.He picked a nice restaurant.”
Was I supposed to pretend that I didn’t see him last night?That I just so happened to have arrived at his apartment this morning?
Lynne doesn’t seem scandalized, so that’s good, but is she silently judging me?I don’t want to care, but I do.I find this extremely nerve-racking, and my hand is shaking on my mug.I can barely deal with my own mother; how the hell am I supposed to also deal with Max’s?
I drain the rest of my coffee, pass the remainder of the pineapple bun to Max, and stand up.“Sorry, I really should be going.I have plans.With my friends.For brunch.”
“You do?”he asks.
Does he not understand that I’m telling a white lie to get out of this situation?
“Yes, remember I told you last night?”I say, my voice upbeat.“I’m meeting Iris and Tessa, and the restaurant isn’t very close, so I really ought to be going.It was nice to see you again, Lynne.Thank you for the pineapple bun.”
With that, I hurry to the door, slide my feet into my heels, and go to wait for the elevator.I press the “down” button four times, even though it always bothers me when other people do it; it’s not like pressing the button over and over will make it come any faster.
“Come on, you asshole,” I mutter, which is obviously a very normal way to speak to an elevator.
I hear a door open, and Max walks down the hallway.
Crap.
“Are you okay?”he asks.
I press the button twice more for good measure.“Just fine.”
“You know that won’t help it go quicker.”
“I know!”I snap.“Sorry, I’m just…”
“It’s my fault for springing that on you.I’m sorry.”
He’s apologized multiple times.I believe him, and that makes my reaction worse.
I scrub my hands over my face.“I’m incapable of acting normally where family is concerned.I’m not sure I can do this.”
“What do you mean by ‘this’?”
I gesture between us.“A relationship.I just don’t know if…”
I trail off as he pulls me close.Some of my doubts dissolve simply from his embrace.I was going to say that I didn’t know whether a relationship was worth it, but right now, I feel like it could be, even if I need to occasionally eat breakfast with his mother.It would be worth it to have him.
Of course, if his family is shitty to me and he brushes their unreasonable behavior aside, that would be different, but they’ve been okay so far, haven’t they?I think of earlier this morning—Max has been pretty good at talking about things.We’d be able to figure it out, right?
“What can I do?”he murmurs as he continues to hold me.
I was the one who acted a bit irrationally, yet he’s here, asking after me rather than being annoyed at me for hurrying out.
“No need to do anything,” I say.“I was rude, leaving so quickly, and I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to lie about last night.Did you want her to think I just came over early to see you?”
The quiet rumble of his laughter vibrates through me.“She wouldn’t believe it.No, it was perfectly fine.”
The elevator arrives, and Max releases me.
“Give my apologies to your mother,” I say.“I’ll text you later, okay?”
He nods.“Have fun at brunch.”
