Kissing.
He swallowed, looking up at his mom, who was stirring something onthe stove.
Max’s stomach knotted up, tight and painful. He hadn’t expectedanyone in his family to know he was doinganyof this until it was over,and he really hadn’t expected to be on the front cover of a magazine, kissingConnor.
“You got something you wanna tell me?” his mom asked, turningaround to face him.
Every word Max knew suddenly flew out of his head, leaving himstanding there with his mouth hanging open.
He had no idea how to begin to explain himself.
“Oh, honey,” his mom said, flicking off the burner on the stoveand rushing over to him, pulling him into a hug. “It’s okay. Sweetie, it’sokay. I always kinda knew.”
“Knew what?” Max asked, confused. How could she have known aboutthe wedding?
“That you… preferred boys,” she said. “To girls. And that’s okay!I love you just the way you are.”
Max pulled back, unsure how to process that.
His mom thought he was gay? That… was new.
The fact that he’d never had a serious girlfriend didn’t mean hedidn’tlikegirls. He liked girls a lot.
He just hadn’t had a whole lot of time to himself once he’d beenold enough to seriously date.
“Mom, I… I’m not… gay.”
His mother raised an eyebrow, glancing at the magazine.
“Did you read the article?” Max asked.
“Not yet,” she said. “I wanted to ask your permission, in case itwas… personal stuff.”
“Personal stuff that I was comfortable telling a nationalmagazine?” Max asked.
His mom shrugged. “I just… wanted to hear whatever you have to sayfromyou. Because I’m your mother, and I love you so much. I want you toknow you can tell me anything.”
“It’s fake, mom,” Max admitted. “It’s all… fake. There’s a weddingcompetition, the prize money is a hundred thousand dollars, and Connor’s awedding planner. He just needed someone to marry, and we’re splitting the prizemoney. And that’ll pay for Zoe’s surgery. I didn’t say anything ‘cause I didn’twanna get your hopes up.”
“Oh,honey.” His mom rushed forward again, wrapping herarms even more tightly around him this time. “You didn’t need to do any ofthat.”
“Yeah, I did,” Max said. “I can’t watch Zoe in pain anymore, mom.I hate it. She deserves better.”
“I know,” his mom responded, rocking him back and forth. He’dgotten taller and broader than her a long time ago, but Max still turned into alittle kid the moment his mom hugged him.
She hadn’t done that in a while. They’d all been too stressed.
Tears sprung up in his eyes at the thought of how theyalldeserved better. Of how winning this competition would change their lives.
“You think you’ve got a shot at winning?” his mom asked, pullingback again.
“I do,” Max said, and it wasn’t even a lie. He thought so evenmorenow that he and Connor had made it to the cover of the magazine.
He believed in Connor. He’d seen his work now, seen what he wascapable of, and he knew that Connor would do his best for this.
For himself, but also for Max.
Max wasn’t so blind that he couldn’t see Connor liked him, atleast a little.
