Josie: Because I’ve missed you, too.

 

Max stared at the last message Josie had sent him. It was risky admitting that he had missed her in the time they had spent apart. Max had been busy helping his father with his case, and Josie was recovering from the flu. Since she was out sick for almost a week, she had a lot of uni work to catch up on as well as classwork and assignments.

But the time away from Josie had really opened Max’s eyes.

It was the realisation he needed.

He missed her.

Adored her.

Wanted to be more than just her friend.

And hopefully tonight, when he took her back to the ‘rain check’ dinner she had completely forgotten about, he would ask. There was no mention of the doctor or any guy she was seeing in their daily text messages and emails. But then again, she had a right to privacy, and if she was seeing someone, he’d respect it. But that didn’t mean Max would accept it.

Tonight, he’d just tell her.

He was sure Josie cared for him.

When she was sick and told him that she liked him, he believed her. He didn’t believe it was the flu. He truly believed Josie was being honest with him. And after Max had read the messages he sent Andrea months ago, he realised that Josie had been the only woman who had ever put him first.

Above her.

She listened and supported him.

But more importantly, she understood him.

And when he looked into her eyes, he saw her compassion.

He saw her adoration.

He saw the little flecks of love blossoming.

Max hoped she was falling in love with him.

Because he was more than sure he was falling in love with her.

As he sat at his desk and stared at the message she had sent almost two hours ago, he knew it was right.

His feelings towards her were true and could be felt without guilt.

 

Max: Do you think you’ll be free at around seven?

 

Josie: I don’t think so.

 

Josie: That was a joke. A lame one. But yeah, seven sounds good.

 

Max: Okay, seven it is. It’ll give me enough time to go home and change.

 

Josie: Can I ask where we’re going?

 

Max: Can’t I make it a surprise?

 

Josie: No, no, you can’t. I’d like to know what I’m dressing up for.

 

He laughed at her sass.

 

Max: Dinner. You and me.

 

Josie: Like at my place?

 

Max: No. Like at a restaurant.

 

Josie: So we’re talking …

 

Max: No pjs, Josephine.

 

Josie: Is the place fancy?

 

Max: Don’t worry about what to wear. I’ll see you at seven.

At five to seven, he stood outside Josie’s apartment as nerves ravished his system. If he wasn’t driving, he would have taken a shot of whiskey to calm his anxious body. But he knew the importance of tonight.

He couldn’t let Josie walk around and not know just how important she was to him. Max had made so many mistakes in his life, but he wasn’t going to let how much he adored her go unknown to her.

Max would fight harder than he had to keep her in his life.

He wouldn’t be ashamed as he was with Sarah.

And he wouldn’t be a coward as he had been with Andrea.

With Josie, he was a better man.

A man she would be proud of.

It was strange how far he had come in nine months.

But being with Josie on that bridge had changed his life.

Sucking in a deep breath of air through his nostrils, he knocked on her door and waited. He felt hot as if he were sweating through his clothes. Max glanced down to see he didn’t have sweat marks on the light grey long sleeve button shirt he wore. He glared at his tie and realised how stupid it was to be wearing one. It wasn’t a meeting between a lawyer and a client.

It was a dinner with Josephine Faulkner.

The sound of footsteps had him straightening his spine and holding his breath as he waited. After a few long seconds, the door opened and that breath he had been holding disappeared.

His entire body lost its strength at the sight of her.

“Wow,” he breathed.

A slow smile spread across her pink-lacquered lips. “You were vague on what to wear,” she explained.

Max took in the tight black dress that hit just above her knee. It was simple but seductive with the added string above the bust, adding shape to the dress and her cleavage. It fit her perfectly. She was flawless. And he loved seeing her long brunette hair resting on her back, exposing her shoulders. Josie normally never wore any makeup except for mascara. But tonight, she wore lipstick, blush, mascara, and eyeliner on her eyelids. It wasn’t too much, but that eyeliner made her eyes appear as if they were blue diamonds.

Her.

It’s her.

His palms sweated as his heart sung her name again and again. “You look beautiful, Josephine.”

Her eyelids fluttered as she glanced away, taken aback by his compliment. “Thank you.”

“You ready to go?” he asked, unable to look away from those blue eyes of hers.

“I’ll just grab my clutch,” she said. Then she disappeared, and he let out a relieved sigh.

The pressure seemed as if it doubled.

He had to tell her.

He had to.

Josie sat across from him laughing.

“What?” he asked as he lowered his menu.

She ceased her laughter and grinned at him. “Is this that rain check dinner that I promised after you came to my disaster dinner date rescue and bailed on your friends before I ended up fleeing minutes later?”

Max smiled, closed his menu, and set it on the table. “It is,” he confirmed.

Josie set her menu down. “I actually like this surprise.”

“You do?”

She nodded. “It made me laugh, and then I realised we’re replacing disappointment from a month ago with something …”

“Better?” he offered.

“Much better,” she agreed.

Max sat up and gazed at that stunning smile of hers. During their twenty-minute drive to Pa La Blue, they updated each other on their day and all the things they had forgotten to tell each other in the fifteen days since they last saw each other. He hated that he had almost missed her in his infatuation with other women.

It took Noel and Clara’s wedding for him to realise he had been pursuing the wrong women all this time.

It was Josie.

Her eyes widened as her lips parted. “I forgot to ask you something.”

“What’s up?” he asked as he picked up his glass of water and then took a long sip, quenching his thirst. The dryness in his throat was a constant pain. But Josie and that smile of hers caused it. That and her perfume that seemed to stain the breathable air in his Porsche.

God, she drove him crazy.

She affected him and his heart completely.

Max set the glass down and nodded for her to continue.

She picked up her phone, unlocked it, and then cleared her throat. “Stella wants to know if you’ve watched any other episodes of Gilmore Girls? And that I should ask you about spoilers or something? I don’t know. She just texted me this stuff in the car.”

“You don’t mind if I tell her?”

She shook her head. “Go for it.”

Chuckling, he reached over for her phone and took it from her. He knew what her best friend meant by ‘spoilers.’ He was tempted to find out through one of those articles about the “23 things we loved and hated about the last episode of Gilmore Girls” that included gifs and quotes. Max pressed his lips together as he began to reply to Stella.

 

Josie: Stella, it’s Max. Josie said I could reply to you personally. Don’t worry; she asked the questions out loud. To answer your first question, I’ve been busy with a case, so I haven’t watched any more episodes. But I did buy the series on my way home last week to experience it all. No spoilers. I want to experience Lorelai being happy. I want her to be happy, Stella.

 

Satisfied with his reply, he pressed send. Just as he was about to hand the phone back to Josie, Stella sent an immediate reply.

 

Stella: She will be, so long as you experience the entire series. No spoilers, Max. Work for that ending. Also, if you wanna score some roommate brownie points, could you please bring home dessert?

 

Stella: I presume you’re going to be bringing Josie home since you picked her up. Please bring her home.

 

He laughed at her reply and playfully shook his head.

 

Josie: I’ll take her home. To ease your worries, I won’t be drinking. And I will bring you back some dessert. Also, Stella, for added comfort, I just wanted to let you know that I’m in it for the ending and more.

 

He locked Josie’s phone and handed it back to her. She had her brow raised as she took it from him and then set it back on the table next to her blue clutch.

“Let me guess; she wanted dessert?”

“How’d you know?”

Josie chuckled as she swept a loose curl behind her ear. “She’s my best friend. I know her too well. Did you know she freaked out when she met Clara? Like she almost fainted. Clara’s like her hero.”

“Are you serious?” he asked, amused by the glimmer in her eye.

She nodded. “I started working at the bakery before Clara did. It was doing well. Danny and I came up with a few cupcakes. Danny isn’t a dessert chef by trade, but he saw an opportunity and took it. Clara applied to be a waitress. And one day, she tasted this batch of vanilla cupcakes that our boss had just made and said it was missing something. So he told her that the vanilla batch was her canvas and she should create her masterpiece. That’s how the butterscotch surprise was made, which is Stella’s favourite cupcake. Each time I finished work, I’d bring Clara’s newest cupcake home and have her taste test them.”

“Get out of here,” he said, bewildered. He knew Clara’s cupcakes were good, but he had no idea how she started baking.

“I’m serious. When Stella met Clara, she almost cried. Her cupcakes actually comforted Stella when she and West were fighting. So Clara’s pretty special to a lot of people. It actually upsets me to know she’s not baking anymore and is at uni. Seems like such a waste of her talents since she already went to culinary school,” Josie said, the sadness clear in her voice.

“You miss her,” he stated.

“Yeah, I do. It’s not the same without her. But she has her happily ever after in Boston where I’m told things are better …” She paused, picked up her glass of water, and took a sip. “Oh, I know that this dinner is about us catching up and stuff, but I was wondering if I could get your advice?”

Max saw the nervousness consume her face. To reassure her that she could ask him anything, he reached over and covered her hand with his. “Josephine, you could ask me a million questions, and it still wouldn’t be enough for me to feel like I’ve satisfied your curiosity. How can I help you?”

Her eyelids fluttered as if she were taken aback by his answer. Josie let out a sigh. “I feel like I’m taking advantage of you. I promised I would never use you for my own selfish gains.”

He flinched. “Josephine, no. Don’t think like that. I’m here for you. Whatever you need. Use me. Be selfish and use me.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. Now that I think about it, I’ve used you way too much. I’ve abused our friendship. You have a career as a lawyer, so you shouldn’t be assisting me with my degree.”

“I’m tutoring you.”

“I feel like I’m wasting your time,” she whispered.

Max stilled. She had no idea how wrong she was.

Her time was the most beautiful gift she could ever give him.

He was tempted to tell her that, but he held back.

One confession at a time, Max.

“What advice do you need, Josephine?”

She let out a sigh; her hand remained encased by his. “Okay, you don’t have to answer, okay? It’s stupid now that I think about it.”

He squeezed her hand. “I won’t think it’s stupid.”

“All right. Do you know what I could do to impress some law firms into agreeing to interview me for placements? I mean, were you as scared as I am to go for interviews?”

“I was scared,” he enlightened. “But not for the reasons you think.”

“Oh, then what—”

“Would you like to order?” their waitress asked, interrupting Josie.

Josie pulled her hand away from Max’s and picked up her menu. Though she could shy away from his touch, she couldn’t hide the blush on her cheeks. “Ah, sure. Can I have the steak, please?”

Max stared at the way Josie bit her lip, disinterested in the woman next to him.

Just Josie.

His focus on her.

His time for her.

Him at her beck and call.

“And how would you like your steak?”

Josie’s lips pursed. “Medium rare but more well done, if you know what I mean.”

The waitress laughed. “I understand. And you, sir?”

Max didn’t have to look at the menu to know what to order. He had been to Pa La Blue plenty of times and knew which dishes were best. But unlike all the other times he had dined at the restaurant, this wasn’t for work purposes.

He’d pay for his and Josie’s dinner.

This was for him and them.

Not for his father to pick up his tab.

Max realised just how special Josie was to him.

She was his.

Free of anyone else.

She had never had any romantic feelings for any of his friends.

Never kissed them.

Touched them.

Made love to them.

Josephine Faulkner was his clean slate.

She was the better thing in his life.

The only better thing in his life.

The only love he wanted that made him feel free and honest.

And that knowledge caused his heart to swell in his chest.

“Max?” Josie said, her voice sweet and full of concern.

He blinked at her. “Yeah?”

“You blanked out.”

“I did?”

She nodded. “You did. The waitress wants to know what you’d like to eat.”

Max craned his neck and smiled apologetically at the waitress for wasting her time. He was sure she had other people to wait on, not just them. “The steak, too, please. Medium rare.”

The waitress nodded. “Any other drinks?”

“The water’s fine for now,” Max answered. “Josie?”

She smiled. “I’m good with water, too. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll be back with your steaks,” the young waitress said as she picked up their menus and left their table.

“Are you okay?” Josie asked, getting his attention.

He gazed over at her then reached out and clutched her fingers, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “More than okay.”

“What did you mean when you said that you were scared but for other reasons?”

His lips had made a fine line before he answered. “When I was doing my law degree, I already had a placement lined up with my father’s law firm. I didn’t have an interview. My father told me that a Sheridan couldn’t work at another firm. I was scared because I wanted to work at another firm and prove I was as good as my father was. I had to explain that to lawyers who would interview me, and they all said the same thing, that I was what they needed. I walked out of every interview I had actually believing I could work for another firm. But no one called me back. I had to do a year of placement, and I had no other choice than Gordon Sheridan Lawyers.”

“You put yourself out there, so you should be proud of yourself,” she encouraged.

“I also had to prove myself to all the lawyers at the firm. That I didn’t become a lawyer because it was the family business. I wanted to help people. I ended up helping terrible companies. But in the past nine or ten months, it’s been about helping good and honest people.”

“That’s great, Max.”

His chest filled with warmth knowing and seeing how proud she was of him in her blue eyes. He wanted that. To see it every day.

“So what kind of advice do you need?”

“The how-to-get-an-interview advice. I have recommendations from a few of my tutors. I kind of lied and told them I had interviews, but I think I’m late in the applying game,” she admitted with a layer of shame in her voice. “I just kept putting it off, and I keep hearing everyone securing their placements. I think the top four firms have their graduate positions already filled.”

She’s afraid to really ask for my help.

“Josephine, I can help you get an interview. Tell me your dream firm and I can call a few of my connections—”

“No, Max. I have to do this on my own. I mean, I appreciate that you’d go above and beyond, but I just need tips on how to approach firms and what to say.”

“I can get you a placement,” he assured.

“I know, and I appreciate that. I do. Just tell me the things I should avoid saying, and we’ll work from there.” Then she pulled her hand away and gave him the most hesitant smile he had ever seen.

Max pulled his hand back to rest on the table next to his plate. He realised what he had done.

She needed advice.

Not a handout.

He knew he’d have to speak to his father to see if he could find her a placement at Gordon Sheridan or one of his old associates’ firms.

Tomorrow, Max would get her numbers and names so she could set up the interviews herself.

“You shouldn’t have paid, Max,” Josie said, her big blue eyes staring up at him with that mild hint of annoyance mixed with her appreciation.

He set his hand on the small of her back and led her away from the register. “It wasn’t a work dinner, Josephine. I wasn’t letting my father pay for me to take you to a dinner you deserved to have.”

Just short of the exit, Josie stepped away from his touch and then spun around. “It was my rain check dinner. I should have paid.”

“Then where was your credit card when we made it to the register?” he teased.

“You practically pushed me out of the way, and I had to save Stella’s chocolate cake, or I’d be kicked out of the apartment tonight,” she explained.

Max chuckled as he walked past her and opened the door. “We can argue in the car if you want.”

She turned to face him, but the grin on her face only had him shaking his head at her. “I’m never going to let this go, Max,” she declared.

“I hope you don’t.”

“You’re real funny,” she muttered as she made small steps until she reached him. Then she turned, and their bodies now blocked the entryway for anyone entering the restaurant. Josie set her free palm on his chest, and Max inhaled sharply.

Did she feel his wild heartbeats against her hand?

Did she notice how he held his breath the moment she touched him?

Did she know he was beginning to love her?

“Promise me something.”

Max nodded, afraid of sounding breathless.

Josie licked her lips and took a deep breath. “Promise me you’ll let me pay for the next rain check dinner we have. And because I know what you’re thinking, I really mean I’ll pay for it and not my father. This may have started because of him not showing up, but everything else about us, he or anyone else can’t touch.”

Speechless.

She made him choke on his words.

A loud, aggressive clearing of the throat had Josie quickly pulling her hand away. “If you two are done with your sweet PDA, we’d like to have dinner.”

“Max?” that familiar throaty voice said.

No.

No.

No!

Not now.

Not when Josie just put herself out there.

He turned his head to find Sarah standing next to him with another man by her side. She looked horrified. Maybe even heartbroken. And for the very first time, he honestly didn’t care.

He was clean of her.

Then he glanced back at Josie to see her wide eyes.

Because of you.

I’m clean of her because of you.

“Max, who is this?” Sarah asked, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Josie.

He waited for her reaction.

To see if she put it together that this was Sarah Collins.

Josie turned slightly, and her eyes found his. She knew. It was so clear in her eyes. So was her sadness. Not for her. No, she appeared sad for him. Then her lips tugged into a small smile, and she walked around Sarah and her latest whatever he was. Max followed Josie out but was forced to stop when a hand wrapped around his wrist.

“Max!” Sarah desperately pleaded.

He watched Josie halt, pause for a moment, and then spin around. He silently pleaded with her to understand him. To not judge him right now.

Clenching his eyes shut, he took a deep breath, ready for a confrontation he hadn’t been prepared for. When he opened his eyes, Josie gave him a small nod, and he knew they would be okay. That one nod was his reassurance that nothing—not even Sarah—could get between them.

Max pulled his hand free from Sarah’s hold and then spun around.

The hurt in her blue eyes no longer affected him. Her blues still held that vindictive gleam because she still wanted to blame everyone else but herself. She hadn’t changed at all. It wasn’t enough anymore. She wasn’t enough anymore.

He knew better.

He knew there was better with Josie.

“Sarah,” he acknowledged.

She shook her head in disbelief at him. “What are you doing?”

“Leaving.”

“No. What are you doing with a different woman?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It is!”

The man next to her let out a growl and hissed, “I’ll meet you inside.” Then he left Sarah alone with Max.

“What are you doing having dinner with another woman?” she seethed. Her cheeks turned red as her nostrils flared.

“Josephine,” Max said. “Her name is Josephine.”

“I don’t care if—”

“But I do,” he interrupted her rant and stepped forward. “I care, Sarah. Her name is Josephine. And it is none of your business who I spend my time with. We’re done. We’ve been done for a long time.”

The horror reached her eyes. “No,” she whispered. “No!”

Sarah knew.

She knew he was no longer in love with her.

“Not with her. Please, Max, not with her,” she begged.

“Her name is Josephine,” he reminded. “And I care about her more than I could ever care about you. I don’t miss you, Sarah. When I’m with her, I still miss her.”

“Does she know what kind of person you really are?” She was trying to discredit him. But she couldn’t.

“Josephine does. She knows who you are, what you were, and what we did. Goodbye, Sarah,” he farewelled and then spun around to see the bewilderment on Josie’s face.

Then that bewilderment softened into understanding, and for a second, he swore he saw adoration in her eyes.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

Instead of saying yes, she said, “I’m incredibly proud of you.”

And that there …

Was the moment he fell in love with Josephine Faulkner.

He no longer liked her honestly.

No, he loved her honestly.

 

 

“And I care about her more than I could ever care about you …”

He cares about me.

“I don’t miss you, Sarah.”

He doesn’t miss her.

“When I’m with her, I still miss her.”

He misses me when we’re apart and when we’re together.

Josie peeked over to find Max staring at her as they walked down the hall to her apartment. The car ride was quiet. She had no idea what more to say than that she was incredibly proud of him for standing up against the woman who had caused him so much pain in his life. The same woman who was beautiful with her long black hair and icy blue eyes. But no matter how stunning she was, Josie knew and saw the bitter woman Max had once loved.

Josie tore her eyes from Max and concentrated on her fast approaching apartment door. Max confessing that he cared about her more than Sarah really added to Josie’s confusion.

He had said he missed seeing her.

Missed her when they were apart.

They had admitted they liked each other.

But it all just felt so undefined between them.

It was supposed to be simple with him.

He was her friend and tutor.

They shared mutual friends.

But she knew she connected with Max in ways she could never connect with Stevie or Ally.

She had never connected with any man the way she had with Max.

No man made her heart almost weep and beat out of control.

No man understood her and her relationship with her father.

No man looked at her the way Max did.

Am I falling in love with him?

“I’m sorry about Sarah,” Max said once they reached her door.

Josie’s grasp on the plastic container tightened. He had nothing to be sorry about. Sarah had hijacked their night and let confessions spill out of him. It made her really question her personal feelings for him.

Am I falling in love with Max?

She spun around to see the concern on his face. He’d put so much effort into tonight. He had even worn a black tie with his grey dress shirt. She lifted her eyes to meet his light browns, and she realised they were almost a honey colour. They had a gleam of different emotions to them that she couldn’t decipher, but she wanted to. She wanted to look into his eyes and take away every regret he had.

She wanted to wake up to them.

She wanted to look into them when she told him she loved him.

I love him.

The thought had her flinching.

I.

The air was forced out of her.

Love.

The realisation caused her heart to throb.

Him.

It was the only way to explain how she felt. How much her heart yearned for him. How much she missed him. How much the thought of him caused her head to spin. She loved him enough to stand there and watch him confront someone he had loved. Her love was patience. Her love for him made her a more hopeful person.

I.

Love.

Him.

It was true.

So true.

But right now, she couldn’t act on her love. Max cared for her. He even missed her. Friends could care and miss each other.

Friends couldn’t love each other.

“I’m so sorry about her,” he said with so much sorrow in his voice that it pained her.

She felt it.

Her confession on the tip of her tongue.

Stella was right.

She was self-destructive.

She ruined her own happiness.

Because what she wanted to do was tell him and plead for him to love her.

Josie felt her eyes sting as she forced herself to hold back the foolish tears that were forming. She took a deep breath and begged her heart to hold in those three words.

For just a little bit longer.

Not now.

And the anxious set of beats in her chest was all she needed to know that she had to hold it together. To keep it in. To address what was actually said and not what she felt.

“Don’t be sorry.”

He shook his head. “I am. We were having a good night …”

“She didn’t spoil it.”

“She didn’t?”

It was Josie’s turn to shake her head. “No.”

Max sighed in relief, and it caused her to let out a small laugh.

“I’m glad she didn’t,” he admitted.

Now.

Tell him now.

Josie swallowed hard.

It wasn’t time.

She knew it.

Her brain knew it, but her damn foolish heart was intoxicated by the way his eyes softened as he gazed down at her.

“Max,” she breathed.

He closed the small distance between them, and her chest heaved at the proximity. Her line of sight fell to his lips and then back to his eyes.

“Yes, Josephine.” He sounded as breathless as she felt.

“Do you really care about me?”

His slow smile caused her heart to skip a beat.

“Isn’t it already obvious that I do?”

“More than her?”

He nodded. “More than anyone.”

Her throat tightened as her breathing became almost impossible. “And you miss me?”

“Even when I’m with you,” he confirmed.

Her right hand reached up and wrapped around the back of his neck. “I like you, Max,” she confessed; this time, it was a decoy admission of her love. “And I desperately want you to like me the way you miss me when I’m with you.”

His hand settled on her hip. “I already like you more than that,” he enlightened.

That was it.

The break.

The line had been obliterated.

Confession and feelings were free from their chains.

It was all she needed as she pulled his lips to hers and kissed him.

They didn’t move.

Not for a second as they allowed their mouths this connection.

Then he really kissed her.

Lips fluttered over hers perfectly as her hand moved to cup the back of his head.

Heat.

So much heat between them.

He kissed her so passionately that she became delirious.

The moment his tongue traced her bottom lip, she moaned, and he backed her into her apartment door. The sudden impact of her back hitting the door was all he needed to flick the switch, and their kiss went from passionate to desperate.

His tongue passed her lips and found hers.

Strokes were made.

A dance of their own continued.

Then Max’s hand left her hip, and his arm snaked around her back and held her to him.

She kissed him back, hoping he didn’t taste her love for him on her lips.

“Jesus, Josie, knock like a proper per—” she had heard before the door opened, and she fell slightly into her apartment. Their kiss ended immediately, and Max held her against his body, ensuring they didn’t topple over.

Josie clenched her eyes closed. Embarrassed to face her best friend and to see Max’s reaction.

“Oh, I see …” Stella trailed off, the smile evident in her flirty voice. “Carry on,” she urged as Max shifted them and the door shut loudly behind them.

There was silence as Josie slowly opened her eyes to find Max’s soft gaze on her. His cheeks were red, and he was panting.

Then Josie heard Stella say, “West, you owe me twenty dollars! It happened. Yeah, right outside our apartment. I knew it! I can’t believe they waited this long.”

Josie was mildly annoyed her best friend had made a bet on her friendship with Max. She would have to discover exactly what kind of bet Josie had lost.

Right now, though, the way Max was looking at her with a million questions in his brown eyes had her focusing. To her relief, she saw no regret on his face. Instead, he seemed as if he were in awe like their kiss moved him.

She hoped it had.

Longed for it.

But his silence began to chip away her confidence, and she dropped her hand from its grasp of the back of his head. Then the arm around her fell away from her and space was created. Though it was only marginal, it felt as if oceans separated them.

Max pressed his lips together and made a nod.

She had no idea what that nod meant.

But she watched him turn and make his way towards the elevator.

Every single step wounded her.

Every single step took her breath away and replaced it with thick smoke in her lungs. Watching him walk away was a pain she couldn’t comprehend. She hated it. She wanted him to take back the kiss and all his words so she wouldn’t have to feel it.

She had discovered marvellous bliss with him, and she hated it.

Hated what it felt like.

What it did to her.

Josie clutched the plastic container tightly, hoping she could redirect her pain. Instead, it made it worse. And she was never one to let herself be hurt by any other man than her father.

She wasn’t about to let Maxwell Sheridan disappoint her.

He was allowed to be confused.

Hell, she was that and more.

But he wasn’t allowed to be disappointed.

“Max!” she called out, turning her head to the right to find him halfway to the elevator.

He said nothing.

He gave her silence.

“Is that it?” she asked in a small voice.

“No. It can’t be,” he answered. Then he spun around and faced her, shaking his head. “Not with you.”

And before Josie could even register what he meant, he stormed towards her, cupped her face, and gently pushed her against her apartment door.

“Max,” she breathed.

He tilted his head to the right and sealed their lips together, kissing her even deeper than before.

His name on her lips was the last word between them before they kissed.

It was perfect.

The way he held her face gently in his hands.

The way his lips touched hers.

The way he couldn’t stop kissing her.

He was perfect.

And even if he never loved her, she appreciated knowing just how incredible it was having him kiss her.

“Josephine,” he breathed against her mouth and pressed his body against hers, trapping her against the door.

The way her name escaped him was beautiful.

A symphony couldn’t do it justice.

He made her world feel like a song.

A beautiful melody.

He was La Vie En Rose before her.

A life of pink.

A life of beauty.

A life of wonder.

A life of her love for him.

He graced her in ways no one had before.

A knock was made against the door. “Josie …”

Max broke their kiss; his heavy breathing only made her want him to continue. She wanted more. She wanted to kiss him and have him believe her love was better than anything anyone else could give him.

He pressed his forehead to hers and gently used his thumb to swipe her bottom lip. Then his thumb rested on the corner of her mouth, and he pulled back to look at her.

Their kiss exposed the brittleness of their friendship.

They had found more.

“Can you and Max bring it inside?” Stella asked. “You have a perfectly good bed in your room. Also, can I have my cake?”

He let out a low laugh.

“Answer her,” Max urged.

Josie nodded and then swallowed hard. “Just a second.”

“Okay.” Stella sighed as her footsteps retreated further into the apartment.

Her heartbeat counted the silence between them.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat, beat, beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat, beat.

“Josephine …” His thumb now traced the line of her bottom lip. “I like you too much to let this just be it for us.”

Oh, poor foolish heart.

You had no chance with Maxwell Sheridan at all.

“I like you, too, Max,” she said with a smile on her lips.

“Then we’re on the same page?”

“What does your page say?”

He laughed and pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. It was all her heart needed to affirm that Max was its weakness and strength.

When he pulled away, he answered, “Mine says I want to be with you and that I can’t spend another fifteen days without seeing that smile on your face in person. Or to hear your laugh or to kiss the purest lips I’ve ever had the pleasure of ever knowing.”

She inhaled sharply.

Stunned at how a kiss could end up with heartfelt confessions and truths.

“I like you, Josephine Faulkner, and I want to walk away right now so I can let you think of all the positives and negatives of there being more with us. I truly hope you see that this between us could be so right,” he said and then pulled away.

Just when she thought he’d leave, his hands settled on the side of her head, and he pulled her forehead to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her skin, just like he had when she was sick over two weeks ago.

Her heart wanted him completely.

Wanted those three words out of her so he could hear them.

Josie peeked up at him through her lashes.

“You’re right for me in ways I can’t even comprehend. I hope I’m right for you the way I strongly believe you’re right for me.” Max took a step back. “That case I’ve been working on goes to court on Monday. I’ll be helping my dad prepare for it all weekend. I hope that’s enough time.”

She bit her lip and nodded, not trusting the words.

Max, with all his courage and strong posture, couldn’t hide the fear that consumed his eyes.

Josie had the words to rid him of it.

But for selfish reasons, and to protect her own heart, she kept them and watched him walk away. When Max entered the elevator and spun around, he waved goodbye, and the elevator doors ensured that her love stayed a secret.

Just for now.

Ally: Hey, Josie! Rob and I are having an engagement party in like a month. I have an invite for you. I know you’ve cut back on some shifts, so can I drop by soon to give it to you?

 

Josie stared at the message her boss and friend, Ally Moors, had sent. For over two weeks, she hadn’t been able to properly hang out with her and Stevie. She felt guilty, but with Josie and Stevie at university and Ally running one business and learning another, their schedules never seemed to align.

 

Josie: I’m so glad you and Rob are finally having an engagement party. I have a shift tomorrow. Stop by before I close?

 

Ally: I know, right? My father has really added pressure for us to set things right. Eloping really hurt his feelings, but it was the best decision for us. I will definitely see you tomorrow!

 

“Oh, is that Max messaging you?” Stella teased from across where Josie sat.

“Who is Max?” her mother asked.

Josie shot Stella an “I’m going to kill you!” glare as she set her phone on the table. “No one, Mamma.”

Stella let out an unbelievable laugh. “No one? Em, your daughter, yes, Josie, got kissed by a very attractive man the other night.”

Her mother almost jumped out of her hospital bed and winced from her fast movements. “What?”

“Stella,” Josie scolded.

“You have a man in your life?” her mother inquired.

Josie sighed and slumped in the chair she sat on. “I don’t have a man in my life.”

Stella settled her hand on Emily’s shoulder. “In the world of Gilmore, he’s a Luke.”

Her mother’s eyes glazed over. “You found love?”

“Mamma,” Josie said, hoping the stern tone she used downplayed the subject of love.

Yes, she was in love with Max.

But she had no idea what to do or how to be in love with him.

He gave her time to think, and his lack of communication proved he was sticking to his word. After he had kissed her and told her how right she was for him, Josie entered her apartment to find Stella waiting desperately for more information. Josie had said nothing as she handed her roommate the cake and walked into her bedroom. That night she had laid in bed and pressed her fingertips to her mouth, remembering the feel of his lips on hers and the way his kiss changed the rhythm of her heart’s beats.

Her heart used to sing his name.

Now her heart pleaded for his name to leave her lips and sear the surface of her heart.

“Are we forgetting that even though we love Luke for Lorelai, he wasn’t right for her for a little while?” Josie reminded.

Stella groaned. “That’s because the writers wanted to delay the inevitable. I know we never got to see it, but Luke was right for Lorelai. Just like Max is right for you.”

“I didn’t say he wasn’t.”

“You didn’t say he was at all,” Stella countered.

“I want to meet him,” her mother announced.

Josie leapt out of the chair. “What?”

“Stella, what does Max do for a living?” her mother asked, completely ignoring Josie as she shook her head.

Her traitorous best friend grinned. “He’s a lawyer.”

Her mother’s mouth dropped. “A lawyer?”

“Yep! And get this, a complete gentleman. Nothing like the previous callers Josie had at her disposal.” Stella stuck her tongue out at Josie. “And he’s a great guy. You’ll love him, Em.”

“I will?”

Stella nodded. “You will. Especially when he all but declared his love for your daughter after he kissed her like he would lose her.”

Her mother reached out and took hold of Josie’s hand. “Is that true, Josephine?”

Her shoulders fell. “He just said he thought I was right for him.”

“I’d like to meet the man who makes my daughter’s eyes hold that loving gleam,” her mother urged.

Josie sighed. Whatever her mother wanted, she’d give her. The only problem was that she hadn’t told Max that her mother was battling cancer. Besides Stella and West, no one knew. And she wanted to keep it that way.

“He doesn’t know, Mamma.”

“I’ll be out of hospital soon. You don’t have to tell him. We can meet for lunch,” her mother said with a lot of hope and determination in her voice.

“All right,” Josie said, giving in to her mother. She knew that a goal of meeting Max would push her mother to fight harder against her cancer. It was a good thing. A blessing nonetheless. “I’ll ask him.”

“After you tell him you love him,” Stella added.

Josie glanced over at her eyebrow-raising best friend. “Love him, Stella?”

“You can deny it all you like, Josie. He’s right for you. And you have to tell him. Not to put him out of his misery, but to let you feel what it’s really like to have someone think of you as their world. Someone to honestly and truly look at you as if you’re the only star worth staring at,” her best friend said.

“That’s very poetic of you, Stella.”

Her best friend shrugged. “I got it off a cereal box.”

“Really?”

Her best friend and mother laughed.

“Nah. It’s how I feel about West, so … don’t make fun of it.”

Josie smiled. “I won’t.”

It had been almost three days since Max kissed her and left her to think about her feelings, the kiss, and what it would do to their friendship.

Friendship.

That was what was at stake. A beautiful friendship she was terrified to be without. With Max, she could be herself. With Max, she felt comfortable and free. He understood her in ways no one else could. If their feelings were only temporary, it would destroy her.

Her love was so sure.

But she had no idea how sure he was of her.

Being right for someone didn’t mean love.

Being right for someone didn’t mean a future.

Her being right for him could be a fleeting affair.

The risk seemed to outweigh the gain.

But that was just it.

The gain was Max.

And realising it could be his heart she got the chance to love, she would obliterate any risks and doubt.

Risk everything for him.

Risk her entire heart for him.

Josie glanced down at the mixing bowl to see the chunks of banana she had just added to the mixture. This one batch would decide. It sounded childish, but she needed to decide. Max had given her tomorrow. She wasn’t sure when, but she knew he would expect an answer.

The continuation of their friendship or the exploration of something new.

Something more.

Max wanted more.

With her.

To be with her.

He missed her.

Cared for her.

Liked her, even.

Josie used the wooden spoon to move around some of the banana pieces as she closed her eyes and replayed the way he had kissed her.

Touched her.

Whispered her name.

The way he took away her heart’s ability to want anyone else.

He had put himself out there to women who had abused and neglected his affections. But this time, he had chosen Josie.

Opening her eyes, she smiled at the almost ready batch of cupcakes. The thought of him caused her chest to feel lighter. The thought of him caused her stomach to fill with butterflies. The thought of them caused a pang of rightness to erupt in her chest and spread blissful warmth throughout her.

As she reached for the walnuts, she realised that a choice was on the brink of being made.

“Maybe it’s time someone risked everything for him,” she said to herself as she tipped the small glass bowl of walnuts and watched them fall into the batter.

But the risk for love worked both ways.

She needed to know he would risk everything for her, too.

Josie knew that was a while away from knowing, but she knew what her feelings were, and they were strong. Mixing the nuts into the cupcake mixture, she told herself to let herself experience this.

She had shut herself off for so long that she was struggling to allow herself to trust that Max wouldn’t disappoint her. But he wasn’t her father. In fact, Max was the only man who had ever gone out of his way for her.

Nobody claimed her in a kiss as he did.

Nobody touched her with such devotion and gentleness.

Nobody looked at her with that soft gaze like him.

Nobody but Max.

And nobody made her love with a sense of fear and freedom like he did.

And that had Josie setting the spoon down to rest on the inside of the mixing bowl. She reached over and picked up one of her bakery business cards she had brought into the kitchen with her.

Though the cupcakes hadn’t made it into the trays, she knew her answer.

She’d just have to wait until tomorrow.