Max stood so abruptly he pushed my desk back enough to make it squeak in protest. “I better get back to work.”
“Okay.”
He pointed at the file still open on my laptop. “Make a note of anything you want to ask the bartender. We’ll have to come up with a creative way to get answers.”
I nodded. “See you later, then.”
“Yeah.” He walked backwards towards the door. “I’ll stop by and collect you when I’m ready to go.”
“Sounds good.”
It was so obvious he didn’t want to leave yet, it would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so fucking sad.
I wanted him to stay just as badly.
Evidence of exactly how much clung to the air for any shifter to scent if they walked by.
Goddess, we were so fucking shit at this, I’d be surprised if we fooled anyone at all, let alone two alphas. A startled laugh burst out of me. “We’re so fucked,” I whispered, helpless to do anything other than grin at him even though it was far from funny.
“We are.” He smiled back, eyes lighting up in a way that I’d been craving for days.
Absolutely nothing had changed, but I was so tired of feeling down and depressed. Exhausted to the point I almost didn’t give a fuck anymore. It might still all go to shit, but at least we could face it with a fucking smile.
“Bollocks to it. I’m done with today.” It wasn’t like I was getting much work done anyway. “Do what you need to, then let’s go get a drink. I think we both need one.”
“Yes, okay.” He tapped the door frame, brow furrowed as he thought hard about something. “Give me half an hour to wrap things up.”
“Done.”
He flashed me one more megawatt smile and left.
I watched the empty doorway for way too long, every part of me counting down the seconds until he appeared there again. I’d tried so hard to train myself into seeing Max as my best friend again, but what was the point? We’d cracked that box wide open, and now that we had, it was impossible to shove the lid back on. Not while we were in each other’s space all the time. If I was forced to go through with this marriage, then that would have to change, it was the only way. But until that day happened, I wasn’t going to waste our time together pining and being miserable.
Nope, I was going to push Xen’s fucking order to the absolute limit.
