Max laughed as he ducked into the apartment past Connor. As itturned out, he only lived across the street and a little way down from thebookstore, in one of the new apartments that had been built there. Thatexplained why he came in so often.
The inside of Connor’s apartment was as beautifully and tastefullydecorated as Max had been expecting. Warm, dark floorboards, neutral furniturein cream, glass, and chrome, pops of color here and there… it was likesomething out of a fashion magazine.
“This is… nice,” he said, not sure whether or not he shouldmention it. “You have great taste.”
That seemed like a safe enough thing to say, and Connor probablyknew that.
“Thank you,” Connor responded brightly, smiling a tiny, impishsmile that Max hadn’t seen before. “Can I get you a cup of coffee? Tea? Beer?”
Max shook his head. He didn’t want Connor going to any moretrouble for him than he already had.
“Straight to business, then?” Connor asked.
Max’s stomach knotted up again. He’d never had anyone else dye hishair for him.
He couldn’t remember now why he’d agreed to this.
Well… that wasn’t true. He’d wanted to hang out with Connor,because Connor was soothing, and he’d been offering to do something that Maxhad known he needed to do for a long time.
It was just… new.
But Connor clearly knew what he was doing, so it’d be fine.
“Sure, yeah. Where do we, uh…?”
“I was thinking we should probably apply the dye in the bathroom,for easier cleanup. I moved a chair in for you,” Connor said, turning andheading for a small door off to the side of the living room.
Max followed, his eyes widening as he saw the bathroom beyond. Itwas just as stylish as the rest of the apartment, in black, cream, and rosegold, a huge tub sitting in the center, against the back wall.
And it wasmood lit, with candles scattered around thewhole room.
Max swallowed. He was starting to feel like he didn’t belong here,or in Connor’s world, at all.
“Wow,” he said, unable to stop himself from reacting.
Connor smiled a tiny, shy smile. “I can blow the candles out ifyou hate them, I just thought… you work really hard, you could use a break, soI wanted to make this as nice for you as I could. I have fresh towels out foryou, but it looks like you already washed your hair?”
Max wet his lips. Connor really had thought ofeverything.
“I did, yeah. I figured it’d be quicker.”
“Then take a seat and we’ll get started,” Connor said, nodding tothe dining chair in the middle of the surprisingly spacious bathroom.
Thiswasa nice place. The kind of place Max had fantasizedabout living in when that seemed like an option. When he’d been startingcollege and was sure the world was at his feet.
That had all come crashing down a year later. He wasn’t even madabout it anymore, but he hadn’t entirely forgotten that his life wasn’t alwayslike this.
Zoe would get better. She had to. And then… maybe Max could have alife of his own.
But not until he’d made sure his sister was okay. And his mom,too.
“Is it okay if I take my shirt off?” Max asked. He’d intentionallyworn a dark one, but it was easier to get dye stains off his skin than out of ashirt, and he didn’t want to have to throw it away, even if it was old.
“Be my guest,” Connor said, grabbing a bag with the pharmacy logoon it. “You’re not likely to have anything I haven’t seen before.”
Max’s stomach swooped as he reached behind his neck to pull hist-shirt off, suddenly aware that he was doing this in front of someone whomight actually care what he looked like.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want Connor seeing him half-naked, orthat he was… afraid, or worried Connor might hit on him, or anything, it wasmore…
