“Me too,” I admitted. “I was waiting for him to blow up at Pierce. Maybe he’s just biding his time.”
“I hope Caleb doesn’t buckle under the pressure,” Maxwell said. “He’s the one closest to Adriel, being his mate and all.”
“He won’t,” I promised. “Caleb is tough as nails. And he especially doesn’t take crap from Adriel. If someone’s a weak link, it won’t be him.”
Maxwell frowned sadly. “I just hope it won’t be me. I’m terrible at lying.”
“You did well in front of Pierce,” I praised. “You even made it seem real.”
“It was hard.” He chuckled. “But I guess the stakes were pretty high. Being around you is nice, and I didn’t want to lose you.”
I paused, taken aback. Maxwell had just admitted that he liked spending time with me. Not only that, but the reality that he’d done all this just for my sake truly hit me. Only a truly close friend would do something like this. Maybe not even a close friend. Maybe something deeper…
My eyes flickered to his face again. With his glasses resting on the bedside table, I saw him in all his glory. The most attractive human in the world. I was drawn to him like I was stuck in a magnet’s pull, unable to look away.
Was this normal? Was this just a vampire thing, about wanting Maxwell’s blood or something? Or was it an attribute of being an alpha around an omega? Something purely biological?
Or was itmorethan that?
When Maxwell caught me staring at him, the color in his cheeks deepened. He blinked rapidly, his dark lashes fluttering.
“What?” he asked, flustered.
“Nothing,” I said. “Just thinking about how handsome you are.”
I didn’t bother censoring myself anymore. I’d found the truth within myself--the truth that what I felt towards Maxwell wasn’t just a crush. When I thought he was going to leave, my soul was crushed in a way I’d never experienced before. I needed him here with me, and now that he was here, I didn’t want to let him go.
Maxwell said he didn’t want to lose me, and that was why he had agreed to this insane plan.
Did he feel the same way about me that I did towards him?
I realized neither of us had spoken or moved in the past few moments. We hung close, our bodies almost, but not quite, touching. My fingers twitched, wanting to reach out and feel Maxwell’s body.
But Maxwell didn’t move. He remained still--or at least, as still as a living, breathing being could be, with his heart jackhammering beneath the surface--and watched me like a prey animal. It would be so easy to press my mouth against his, to kiss him. To domorewith him.
I curled my fingers into fists. Not yet. If Maxwell wasn’t ready, I wouldn’t force him to do anything. He needed to make the first move, to prove that he really did want this. Just because I got another chance to spend time with him didn’t mean Maxwell wanted the same thing.
He only did this to help you,I reminded myself.
Pushing my feelings aside, I succumbed to logic. It was true that I begged Maxwell for help, and he delivered. He saved me from being deprived of human contact.
He saved me from not being able to see him.
But that didn’t mean he was romantically interested in me.
I knew I was getting ahead of myself. Though it was almost painful, I pulled away. In that brief moment, though, I could’ve sworn I saw a flicker of disappointment on his face.
“Sorry,” I said, trying to force a grin. “I’m just happy to have you around. The place felt empty without you.”
That’s right. The house felt empty. Not me.
“Yeah,” Maxwell replied. “I’m happy to be here.”
Is that true?I wondered with a flash of guilt.Or did I force him into this?
“Anyway, I should go. I’m taking up a lot of your time when you’re supposed to be taking care of the kids, huh?”
“No, it’s--”
But I was already halfway out the door. “See you!”
I strode quickly away from Maxwell’s room. My chest felt strange and tight. Claws of guilt raked through me. Had I been selfish to tear Maxwell away from his new life just so I could see him? Doubt clouded my mind, making it difficult to think objectively.
I needed to think this through--fast.
