Chapter 38 - Naomi
By the time our sandwiches arrive at the table, I’ve explained the entire business plan for the physical therapy partnership. Maybe I’m talking faster than usual because of the nerves, or maybe this coffee is just extra strong. My hands are shaking, though, so I keep them folded on the table.
“That all sounds good. Do these hours count as work experience for the physical therapy students that will be on board?”
“They do,” I reply. “We already have over thirty applicants.”
The waitress drops our sandwiches down in front of us and I smile at her. She walks away, and Max grins at me over the food.
“Can we stop talking about work now?”
“I thought this was a business lunch.”
He chuckles. “It is.” He takes a bite of his sandwich, nodding in appreciation. “So how’s your mom?”
“She’s really good. She just finished her chemo last month, and she’s been recovering ever since. Still has checkups to go to, but the doctors are saying she’s in remission.”
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“It means she needs to keep making sure the cancer isn’t growing, so she needs to be checked pretty often, but for now, she’s good.”
“Wow. And she’s stronger?”
“Way stronger. I think having Jerry around has helped her, too,” I grin. “Sounds like they had quite a passionate relationship.”
“What happened?”
“He had a big-shot career and my mom was a struggling artist, so there was friction. Then, my mom got pregnant and she didn’t want to hold him back. That’s what she says, anyway. I think she was just scared that he would leave her, so she made the decision for him.”
“Must run in the family.”
I stop my sandwich midway to my mouth, glancing at Max.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Didn’t you make that decision for us?”
“I didn’t… That’s different,” I stutter.
His eyes are incredibly blue in this light. The intensity with which he’s staring at me is making my head spin, but I can’t look away. He reaches across the table and puts his strong hand over my wrist, stroking my skin tenderly.
“I meant what I said that morning, before it all went to shit,” he says gently, squeezing my arm.
“What’s that?”
“That I loved you.”
I freeze. My heart races. Loved, as in, past tense.
I swallow. “You also meant what you said when you thought I was part of some conspiracy to sabotage your parents’ company.”
He cringes, pulling his hand away. He stares out the window and lets out a big sigh.
Why do I do that? I lash out anytime someone gets too close. It’s like I can sense that he wants to open up to me, so I just shut it down. I can see the pain in his face—I did that to him.
My whole body is itching to be near him. This lunch has been the sweetest torture, and I don’t want it to end. Not like this.
“I’m sorry—” We both say it at the same time. My eyes widen just as he turns to look at me, and we both start laughing.
“I’m sorry, Max. I know that I pushed you away. It was just so crazy, and—”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry too. I was an idiot to do that to you.”
“Do what to me?”
“Make you go along with that whole engagement plan. It was destined to end in disaster. How could it not? I’ve gone over it so many times in my head and I just feel like an idiot.”
I chuckle. I lift a finger and point it at him. “That’s why I said we shouldn’t have slept together. That was the kiss of death.”
Max grins, and his eyes flash. “You didn’t seem too upset about it when it was happening.”
“I wasn’t.” A coil of heat curls in my stomach. I squeeze my thighs together under the table, picking up my sandwich and staring at it without taking a bite.
“Max,” I start. I flick my eyes up to see him staring at me intently. He licks his lips, and the heat in my stomach blooms. I take a deep breath. “I meant it too. That morning.”
If I wasn’t staring at his face, I would miss the tiny twitch of his lip, and the microscopic widening of his eyes. Those tiny movements send my heart racing.
“Let’s start over,” he blurts.
“What?” I laugh. “Start what over?”
“This. Us. I miss having you around.”
“You miss having me around?” I arch an eyebrow. “How romantic.”
“I miss you,” he says with a grin. “That any better?”
“Marginally.”
Silence hangs between us. He slides his hand across the table, palm up. I stare at it for a second, and then slip my palm over his. He curls his fingers into mine and I close my eyes. His hand so deliciously warm, his touch so beautifully tender.
“Let me make you dinner.” He squeezes my hand. His voice is soft and sexy. “We can have fancy wine that requires a corkscrew and everything.”
That makes me laugh, and all the emotions that I’ve been trying to bottle up erupt inside me. My eyes start to mist, so I close them.
Suddenly, Max is beside me. His arms are around me and all I can smell is him. All I can feel is the heat of his body next to me, and all I can hear is the soft murmur of his voice.
Tears slide down my cheeks and I melt into him. His palm slides over my cheek, wiping my tears away. He stares at me for a moment, and the pieces of my broken heart start to fuse back together.
Then, he brings his face closer and I know it will heal. He presses his lips to mine and I wrap my arms around him, clinging onto him for dear life. His hand slides from my jaw to the nape of my neck, pulling me in for a deeper kiss.
The cafe melts away. The whole world disappears. I forget who I am and where I’m sitting. All that matters is him, and me, and our kiss.
Our love.
He rests his forehead against mine, touching the tip of his nose against the tip of mine.
“I gotta go,” he says. “Coach will kill me if I’m late, and then I’ll never be able to expense this meal.”
I laugh, pushing him away and shaking my head.
“Ever the romantic.”
He’s laughing as he picks up his jacket and our stack of notes. “That’s me. Don’t you miss being engaged to me?”
“Every day,” I say. He turns to look at me as a smile spreads across his lips. He leans down and kisses me softly.
“Come on,” he growls. “I’ll walk you to your car. Dinner at my place tonight?”
A lump has mysteriously appeared in my throat, so all I can do is nod. He slips his hand into mine and I’m grateful for it, because tears have completely misted up my eyes. I’d probably walk into a pole if he wasn’t there to guide me.
We kiss again when we get to my car. I watch him walk back towards the college athletics building, and then I smile.
I missed having him around, too.