“That seems cheap,” Eli tells him.
As the guys and I banter back and forth, I relax. If it weren’t for them and Iris, I wouldn’t talk to anyone, not really. Despite my flaws though, they love me anyway, and for that I couldn’t be more thankful. Especially when they go out of their way to try and plot my way into a relationship.
Because honestly, who else would do that but them? If I didn’t know any better, I would think they want this as badly as I do.
Chapter
Sixteen
IRIS
Work was brutal today.
Max was all distant and taking meetings that he didn’t want me in on. If that wasn’t weird enough, I saw him call in all of the department heads one by one. I asked Chad about it, but he said that he wasn’t at liberty to discuss it.
Whatever Max is doing, he is being shady about it.
To add to my poor mood, my period hit. My insides feel like they are waging a civil war inside of me. It has my skin feeling all tingly as if it isn’t even mine.
“Are you sure you are okay? You sound off,” Clint says through the phone as I walk up to my building.
I offer a pitiful smile to Bernard before I walk inside.
“Shitty day is all. I’ll be fine. So you are going out with Tris again?” I prompt him.
“Yeah. She was a sweet girl, like you said. I don’t see forever with her, but she admitted she will be moving to California after she graduates NYU, so it gives us an end date.”
I use my fob to press the button to my floor. “How long is that exactly?” I ask.
“Six months. Give or take,” he admits.
“Wow. A long time to date her. You sure you won’t catch feelings?”
He laughs. “She is six years younger than me. We don’t have a whole lot in common other than wanting companionship. I think we will be just fine.”
“I hope you are right,” I tell him as I get off the elevator and key in the code to my door.
As soon as I step inside, the smell of pizza hits me. I follow my nose to my kitchen and find Max standing there making a salad.
“I have to go. I’ll talk to you later,” I tell Clint.
“Of course. Go relax. Bye.”
I hang up the phone and stare at the man before me. “What are you doing here?” I ask.
He smiles. “It’s day one, isn’t it? I mean, you fluctuate sometimes, but I could see the raging bitch on your face today. No offense, of course. I figured you needed comfort.”
I look around and take in the rest of the kitchen. Not only did he make me homemade pizza with pesto sauce like I love, but he also bought me the biggest chocolate cake I have ever seen. Like seriously, it looks like a cake meant for a party or something.
“Wow. I had no idea you even paid attention.”
He walks over to me, cupping my cheek. “I always pay attention to you. Now go lie on the couch. I will bring you everything. You get to choose what we watch.”
I smile as he turns me and gently pushes me toward the living room. I make a minor detour into the bathroom to clean myself up a bit and change into my oversized hoodie and sweats before I make my way back to the living room. There, I find himplumping the pillows as he readjusts the heating pad so I can lie on it.
“Why are you doing all of this?” I blurt out.
He has always done little things for me when I’m on my period, but this is grand gesture level. It has me wondering what has gotten into him.
