BAM! Ben punches Chuck’s cheek with enough force that he crumples to the ground. I flinch and turn back to Max’s chest, not wanting to see any blood.
“Charlie, you’re shaking,” Max mumbles in my ear as he rubs small circles on my back.
“Ben and I will take care of this puke,” I hear Andy tell Max, and he gives me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “You get her home.”
I feel a third hand touch my shoulder briefly, and Max holds me for a minute longer. I can hear Chuck struggle, grunt, and curse as he’s lifted up. The sounds fade away as they head towards the exit.
Max slowly lifts my chin with his finger and studies me for a moment with concerned eyes. “Let me get you home gorgeous. We’ll dance another night.”
I nod and let him take be back out to his truck. He keeps his arm around me the whole time and I can’t help but marvel that I still feel so safe and protected despite being so scared. Max starts driving towards my place, but I can’t seem to stop shaking. I’m sure it’s just the adrenaline, but I really don’t want to be alone right now.
“Can I come to your place instead?” I blurt out, my cheeks reddening.
Max looks over at me quickly, concern and something I can’t quite recognize glazing his eyes. “Of course you can gorgeous.”
We’re stopped at an intersection when Max reaches across the truck bench and unclicks my seatbelt.
“What are you do – “I don’t get to finish my question before he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me to the middle seat, closer to him. He even takes the time to fasten the seatbelt and places his hand on my thigh before he continues driving.
Thank goodness this is rural Canada, and the roads are dead at this time of night. You could never get away with something like that down in Van. I think that was one of the hottest things that has ever happened to me. Butterflies flood my stomach, and I gulp.
“Smooth,” I try teasing, but Max shoots me another concerned glance.
“Are you okay, Charlie? Do you want to talk about it?”
“I will be. Remember I was telling you about the boyfriend who used to sneak me into the bar? That was him. I heard hehad moved to Alberta and was hoping to never have to see him again.”
“He must have done something pretty fucking bad to make you feel that way.” Max sounds calm, but I can see a storm brewing in his eyes.
I decide to give him a filtered version of the actual truth. “He had some sort of mental illness that I didn’t know about until way later. He was medicated when we first started dating, and while things weren’t perfect, we were good for the most part. He decided one day that he didn’t need the meds anymore. He told me I kept him sane. That’s when his whole personality shifted, and he got really scary. It was like getting into a relationship with Dr. Jekyll, only to have him transform into Mr. Hyde. He would change his mind literally every day about whether or not he even liked me. He could be really sweet one day, and the meanest son-of-a-bitch the next,” I sigh. “My only high school boyfriend, and he was a complete lunatic.”
Max doesn’t say anything for a moment, then exhales loudly. “Well, rest assured gorgeous, there’s not a chance he’s ever allowed in my bar again and if I catch him even just standing near you, he is getting the shit kicked out of him. Me, Andy, and Ben will all keep you safe from him.”
It’s kind of scary to think about and I hope it doesn’t come down to that. But I do feel safer knowing these guys are looking out for me. I still don’t know them that well, but my gut tells me I can trust them. I can’t decide how I feel about the guys inflicting violence on Chuck though. A part of me doesn’t like the idea of fighting in general but I don’t know how else to get Chuck to leave me alone. The only reason I was safe down in Van is because he didn’t know I was there. If he had found out, I think he would have come looking for me.
We don’t talk for the rest of the drive, but Max rubs reassuring littles circles on my thigh with his thumb the whole way to his place. It was a longer drive than I was expecting, but you either lived in town or 20 minutes out and there was no in-between. Twin Rivers has the weirdest layout ever.
Chapter 13
Charlie
Max pulls into a long driveway and I can’t believe the size of the house. It’s practically a mansion, at least three stories with huge backyard that ends in a greenbelt. The forest seems to go on for miles.
“Your house is freaking huge,” I utter as Max helps me down from the truck.
“Yeah, big enough for three dudes with a ton of outdoor hobbies that require lots of storage space,” he teases. “But lots of room for you to come hang out whenever you want,” he adds after a beat.
“I guess being a fancy business owner has its perks,” I tease, following him up to the front door.
“It does. It also helps that Andy does what he does. He was on the construction crew for this place. He fell in love with the idea of all of us living in some fancy house on a large property and then spent a year convincing me to buy it.” Max laughs, “We used to live together in a shitty little apartment, but then Ben moved in with his girlfriend and when I told Andy I was thinking of moving out too, he hatched this insane idea. But it’s worked out for us. Cost of living is way down, and we can look out for each other in a way we couldn’t if we were all living separately.”
I nod, understanding. Having my own place down in Van got lonely sometimes too. “So does Ben’s girlfriend live here as well?” I ask.
“No,” Max doesn’t offer any further information, and I get the impression now is not the time to ask.
Max lets me through into the entryway first and I am once again floored at the sheer size and beauty of the guy’s home. Tall ceilings, and floor to ceiling windows showing off the backyard are the first things I notice. But then I notice the beer bottles littering the coffee table in the living room off to the side, and the grainy texture of the un-swept floor when I remove my boots. Yep, boys definitely live here.
“What do you think?” Max asks, taking my coat from me and then leading me into the living room. “I know it’s a little messy, but that’s the triple bachelor life for you.”
