“I didn’t think you would wake up for a while.” He set the bowl down after taking his bite, then jumped down and made his way over to me. His fingers grazed the bottom of the shirt I had on, and I shivered at his familiar touch. “You were pretty worn out,darling.”
I reveled in his words, thinking about how he had used the term many times, but I was just now realizing how it affected me. I grabbed his hands, bringing them to my lips, kissing themlightly.
“I wanted tea.” The words had barely come out of my mouth before I was hoisted up onto the countertop. Max left a small kiss on my forehead and then started rummaging around the room. He pulled out a large mug and filled it with water, then let it heat in the microwave. He brought over a large box from thecupboard.
“What kind would you like?” He was almost too excited to open the box that was filled with tons of different teas. I wouldn’t have pegged Max for a tea drinker, but the only thing that I didn’t see in the box was plain old black tea. Simple. Nothingfancy.
“Black tea.” The smile that crept across his face easedme.
“Do you like anything in thisbox?”
“Not really.” I let my legs swing in front of me. I didn’t want to offend him, but I also didn’t want to drink something I didn’tlike.
“Thank god.” I was surprised when he snapped the box closed and tossed the box into the garbage. He went back to a different cupboard, this time pulling out a green box. Once I saw what it was, my heart swelled. Twining’s Irish Breakfast Tea, my favorite. I didn’t know if Max had asked Lilly or if he just knew, but whatever the reason for him having that tea was, it was one that made me like him that much more. “That was a gift from my stepmother and I just couldn’t help but keepit.”
“Why throw it out now?” Had he been saving it for a specific reason? Why not just throw it away? Max took the mug out of the microwave and popped in the tea bag. “Leave it in there for awhile.”
“I hate anything but black tea, but I couldn’t fathom throwing it away and breaking her heart. I think she’ll forgive me, though, if my girlfriend doesn’t like it. So why keep it?”Girlfriend.That was what he had just said. My heart stopped and time moved in fast forward as Max continued to make my tea. This was what I had wanted, wasn’t it? We had literally just talked about it hours ago and I was already freaking out. I guess I hadn’t thought about it as a boyfriend/girlfriendsituation.
“Max—”
He brought the sugar over. “I mean, Mom will be sad that I didn’t actually use it, but she will love you, so it won’tmatter.”
“Max—”
He grabbed a spoon from the drawer. “How much sugar?” He was ignoring me now. It was like he could read mythoughts.
“Max, stop.” I grabbed his arm and made him turn towards me. He stood there with sugar in one hand and the spoon in the other. It all felt so domesticated, and I loved it. “Girlfriend?”
“You heard that. I was hoping you didn’t.” He looked nervous now. He put everything down and came back to me. His hands rubbed my thighs as he situated himself between my legs. “It just kind of slipped out. I know you said you would give us a chance, but maybe that was oversteppingit.”
“Max.” I held his face in my hands. He looked so young right now, so vulnerable. “Say itagain.”
“What?” I could hear the confusion in his voice as well as read it on hisface.
“Call me your girlfriend again.” The spark that lit in his eyes made my heart melt. He bared his teeth to me in a shining smile. I bit my bottom lip, trying to fight the smile that was trying to mold mylips.
“Alexa Frelan, would you do the honor of being mygirlfriend?”
“Yes.” I closed my eyes as my smile engulfed my whole face. My cheeks hurt as a laugh escaped me. Max was so happy, he picked me up in his arms and swung me around theroom.
“Yes?”
I knew he had heard me, but I said it again, just for him. “Yes.” We stood in the middle of the kitchen, my feet dangling in the air and our foreheads pressed together. The laughter that he released was something that I had never heard before but wanted to every single day for the rest of ourlives.
The rest of our lives. I had no idea where my mind was headed, but I knew this was the right thing. It all felt so perfect, and the reaction from Max just proved to me more that his feelings were real. I leaned in to kiss him as he swung me around one more time. I was excited to learn so much about this man who loved me, that I knew it wouldn’t take long for me to fall just as hard as he had forme.
