And nothing I could do or say would convince him otherwise.
I had no choice but to let him do what he was going to do. The only thing left for me is to try and protect myself from the inevitable recourse of his decision.
When I get out of the tub, the water is cold, and my skin is wrinkled. But my mind is no less conflicted than it was before.
I pull on my favourite cozy pajamas and walk out to the living room, taking my phone with me but not looking at it until I’m on the couch, under a blanket, with a freshly filled glass of wine in hand.
Still nothing from Max.
But there is a missed video call from Skye. I call her back instantly, needing the comfort only my best friend can give.
“Hey, gorgeous!” she answers the call from her own bed, and I can’t hold back my laughter at the picture on the screen.
“What the hell is on your face?”
“It’s called a sheet mask. Not all of us are blessed with a perfect complexion.”
I settle back into the couch and take a sip of wine.
“Sorry I missed your call; I was in the bath.”
I think she waggles her eyebrows at me, but it’s hard to tell under the bizarre-looking thing draped over her face. “With your man candy, I hope?”
“Um, no. I’m home alone tonight.”
Skye scrambles to sit upright and peels the mask off her face. “Wait. I need to see you clearly. Did you say you’re alone? Have youbeenalone since you started dating Dr. Hottie? It seems every time I call, you guys are together.”
It takes me a second to decide how much I should tell her. But in the end, my need to confide in someone wins. Besides, she’s the one person in my life right now that Icantalk to without fear of any repercussions — for me or for Max.
“I’m not really sure what’s going to happen with us,” I start, and instantly my eyes fill with tears. It’s the first time I’ve allowed the emotions to bubble to the surface all day, and now that the seal is broken, I can’t stop it. Somehow, I manage to get everything out, maintaining Carson’s patient confidentiality, of course. But I tell her what I caught Max doing, and how he reacted, the things he said, and the way the rest of our shift together went.
“Damn. That man is a fucking moron.”
I choke out a laugh, even as I’m grabbing another tissue to wipe away the tears. “He’s not. He’s really smart.” I sniffle.
“Not right now, my friend. Right now, he is a fucking moron. Not only is he breaking all kinds of rules, but he’s also pushing away the best thing to ever happen to him. That is thedefinitionof a moron in my book.”
I give her a watery smile. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she says, lifting one hand. “Because you’re also a moron.”
My brow furrows. “Excuse me?”
“Hear me out. You love this man. Don’t say anything, you haven’t told me that, but I’ve been your friend long enough to be able to read between the lines. You love him.”
I simply nod.
Skye tilts her head at me and continues. “You love him, and yet, you’re letting him throw away everything that’s ever mattered to him.”
“I’m not, I tried,” I start to protest, but Skye starts shaking her head, interrupting me.
“No, babe, you didn’t try hard enough. Think about Max. Think about the things only you know about him. Is it possible something else is triggering him, or motivating him to do this dumbass thing? I’m guessing the answer is yes. Which means he needs you, the woman who loves him, to help him take a step back andseehe’s been triggered and he’s letting the wrong things influence his actions.”
My mouth opens, then closes. There is no reply. No rebuttal. Because she’s right. Without knowing half of the story, Skye is so freaking right.
Teagan dying. Carson being readmitted. Thad bringing up all the trauma from his past. No wonder Max is spiralling.
Fear is driving him, yet again, to make the wrong decision.
