Max could see it in her eyes. She was a deep thinker, and she hada lot more insight than he could ever hope to.
What if she was right? What if itwasas simple as just…telling Connor how he felt?
Max took out his phone, unlocking it automatically and thenstaring at the home screen.
What if he just told Connor how he felt? He was so far away now,and maybe never coming back.
Distance made his feelings seem safer. Connor couldn’t laugh inhis face now, or give him a soft, pitying look.
Max opened a new text, skimming over the last conversation they’dhad, when Connor had arrived safe and Max had told him Zoe was already bookedin for surgery.
I miss you, he typed into the box.
He didn’t know what to say other than that. It would have feltlike he was cheating both of them to say he loved him for the first time overtext.
This was the first time Max hadeverwanted to tell someonehe loved them, other than his family.
Max hit send before he could talk himself out of it, his stomachtying itself into knots. He wasn’t even sure what time it was in LA--he knewthere was a time difference, but he’d never been good with time zones.
Maybe Connor would ignore him.
But maybe, just maybe, he’d text back. And he’d miss Max too. Andthen they could talk.
It had to be worth a shot.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Connor took a deep breath once he found the door he was lookingfor, his hand trembling as he raised it to knock.
He should have brought flowers, or chocolates, or something. Maxliked chocolate, and here he was turning up out of nowhere, with nothing toshow.
Hoping against hope that he hadn’t horribly misinterpreted athree-word text message.
His stomach was tied up in knots.
He knocked on the door anyway. It was now or never.
“Come in,” Max called from the other side. He sounded tired, butnot the exhausted tired he had done when Connor first met him.
He sounded alothappier.
Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe Max wouldn’t want to see him afterall.
Maybe he should have just responded to the text instead of gettingstraight in the car and driving back.
Well, he was here now. He’d have to find out one way or another.
Connor pushed the door open, slipping inside the hospital room.
Max looked up at him, his face softening as soon as he recognizedConnor.
Connor’s stomach twisted. That seemed like a good sign. Maybe thiswasn’t a mistake, after all.
“I missed you, too,” he said, his throat catching at the end. “I…I’m sorry for showing up unannounced, I just… got straight in the car when youtexted.”
“It’s okay,” Max said, beckoning him over. Connor shuffled ahalf-step toward him before noticing the glint of silver on Max’s hand.
The wedding and engagement rings.
