Twenty-One

Allison

“I’ll be outside in five,” Max gruffs out in the phone.

We got back last night and he was none too pleased when I told him that I was sleeping at my house. He pouted like a two-year-old. I grab a scarf around my neck as I run down the stairs to the front door, putting my black Tory Birch shoes on to complete the outfit, which is black tight jeans and a team T-shirt, with my leather jacket. I grab my purse and phone and walk out the same time that Max arrives. I open the door and see him in jeans and his leather jacket with his Ray-Bans on.

“Morning,” I say, getting in, and putting my seat belt on. “What?”

“I haven’t seen you all night and you don’t even kiss me when you see me?” he says with his back to the door and one hand on the steering wheel while the other rests on the middle console.

“Well,” I say, leaning over, and pecking his lips. “Morning.”

“Seriously?” He whips his glasses off. “Allison.”

“Max,” I counter him as he whips his belt off and leans over, his hands cupping my face as he kisses me, his tongue twirling with mine. He turns his face to the right, bringing my face even closer to his, and he consumes me. He takes what he wants from me, leaving me breathless and achy. “Well then,” I whisper when he leaves my lips, trailing kisses to my chin and cheek, and then biting my earlobe as I groan out.

“Kiss, Allison,” he says, buckling back up, and making his way to the hospital.

We get out of the car and I reach for his hand as he turns his palm toward mine. We walk toward the door and jump when someone honks and I drop his hand as he yanks it away from me. We look toward the beep at my father and mother getting out of their car with Zoe, Zara, and Justin followed by Matthew, Karrie, and their kids, Cooper, Franny, and Vivi. Pulling up is Doug also. We wait for them to walk to us as Max puts his hands in his pockets.

Zoe and Zara run to me and tackle me with hugs and kisses. I miss these nutcases.

“You look like a fucking rock star,” Zara says as Zoe looks at me. “You also look like you’re in love.” And then she puts her finger down her throat. “Groddy.” Then I see the second they get a look at Max because their eyes bulge out. “Who is this?”

“This is Max,” I say, turning to Max as if it’s nothing. “He plays with Matthew. These are my sisters, Zoe and Zara.”

Max is about to nod hello when Zoe walks up to him, putting out her hand, so Max shakes hers then she turns and whispers, ““Ohhh, Max.Big hands, big feet. Big—”

I put my hand over her mouth before she finishes that sentence.

Zara meanwhile walks up to him, getting on her tippy toes, and leans in to hug him. The look on his face is priceless and he doesn’t move his hands from his sides. Because growling behind is Cooper carrying Vivi.

“Would you two for once in your life not make my teeth clench during the day?”

They both shrug and walk away holding Franny’s hand.

Cooper comes to me and kisses my cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving, princess,” he says as I lean up, hugging him.

“Happy Thanksgiving, Dad.” And then I see my mom, so I hug her tight. “Hey, Mom.”

She turns to Max and smiles at him, walking to him, and hugging him. He bends down and hugs her also with one hand as Matthew arrives with his arm slung around Karrie.

“Are we not going in?” he asks and Max nods and turns away, walking ahead of us as I walk next to my family.

“So, Matthew,” Zoe starts, “just so we are clear.” I look at them as they walk backward, facing Matthew and Karrie.

“If Allison can get lifts from your arch enemy, does this mean I can have a crush on him?” She laughs as Zara nods her head and turns to high-five her.

“Girls.” My mother stops walking, making everyone stop, my father putting both hands to his face.

“First of all, he isn’t my arch enemy,” Matthew starts as I look down at my feet and he continues, “and second of all, all he is doing is giving her a lift.”

“So, it’s a go.” Zoe and Zara both clap and then run into the hospital where I see Max get to the elevator and the twins pounce on him, asking him question after question.

When we finally reach Denise’s floor she whelps out, running to us. “You guys, you have to see this,” she says as she pulls Max with her and walks down an empty room at the end of the hall. It’s set up like buffet style, but there are five tables of food and desserts. While four chefs, and I mean chefs, all donning white aprons and high hats walk around checking stuff. I look at Denise, who has tears running down her face as she hugs Max’s waist. She looks over at us and then at Karrie. “I have no words and I don’t think I can thank you enough.”

“It’s nothing,” Karrie says as she smiles. “Now what else can we do?”

“We can go meet the families that have come out today,” Denise says as she leads everyone away from the room and in fifteen minutes, my family has taken over the third floor. Zoe and Zara are busy playing princess with three of the patients, as Justin, Cooper, Franny, and Vivi play Uno with two other patients. Well, at least they try. Justin just lets them do what they want. I take my jacket off, tossing it in the corner with everyone else’s, as I walk down the hall looking for someone, but mostly looking for Max.

Max, Matthew, and Cooper are in the room with a little boy, talking hockey as they sign his autograph book. I walk into the room as he turns to look at Cooper and then at me. “She’s so pretty,” he says, pointing at me. He must be nine years old.

“She is,” Cooper says as Matthew rolls his eyes. “That’s my little girl.”

“My dad says if I want to marry a girl I have to ask her father. Can I marry her?” he asks Cooper, who laughs and says, “Anytime.”

I turn to walk away and Matthew yells, “Why are you wearing a Horton shirt?” He puts his hands on his hips.

“Well, considering we are here for his family, I found it fitting,” I say as Max looks down and then up, smirking.

“Whatever. I’ll let it slide for this one time, but you’re a Grant,” he says as I walk away and when it’s time to eat I make my way to the room and see that my sisters have sat down on each side of Max as he looks up and almost glares at me as I take a seat in front of him. My mother comes to the table and sits as does Cooper. We all wait at the table as the families walk in and take in their Thanksgiving feast. We get up and applaud them all as they stand there with hands over their mouths and shocked expressions. I beam with pride, smiling over at Karrie as she wipes away a tear as Matthew pulls her to him and kisses her head.

We sit down to eat as one of the fathers stands up, “We wanted to.” He dabs his eyes as tears start to form, “I think I speak for all the parents here when I say every day we walk into the hospital and our child is okay it is a thankful day. But what you guys did today,” he shakes his head, “shows us that we have so more to be thankful for.” He raises his glass and says, “Thank you.” We all raise our glasses as we sit down and eat.

As soon as everyone gets up and leaves to go to their rooms, the day no doubt exhausting everyone. We get up and start helping put things away. When everything is back to normal we all get ready to leave, stopping in to say goodbye to Denise.

Stepping out of the elevator, Cooper says to me, “You coming over to our house, baby girl?”

I shake my head. “Nope, gotta date with the BF.” I smile as I walk outside. My mother looks down and smiles.

“Well, why the fuck didn’t he come and meet us today?” Cooper hisses out then looks at Mom. “I don’t like him.”

“Honey,” she says, tapping his arm. “Let it go.”

“You know, don’t you?” He points at her as she shakes her head.

“Well, at least let us drop you off,” Cooper says as the twins run to Max and give him a hug and he awkwardly leans down, tapping their shoulders.

“Not a chance in hell, Pops,” I say, walking toward Max’s truck. “Besides, Max is driving me home and I have to get my bag.” I then turn around to walk backward. “But I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

“Max, if you see this tool, get his license plate number!” Cooper yells while Mom pulls him to their car.

I get in as soon as Max opens the door lock. I don’t even get buckled in before he is taking off, going down the street, and turning randomly into a side street. “What is—” I don’t finish because he’s over the console and his lips are on mine. My hands reach out to touch him.

“Angel,” he says quietly, dusting my lips with kisses, soft kisses, light kisses, perfect kisses. “Your sisters are fucking nuts.” He smiles as he kisses me. “I think one tried to touch my cock with their foot.”

I throw my head back, laughing.

“It’s not funny.”

“They think you’re hot.” I push him away. “Don’t let it go to your head. They are both fighting over Ryder,” I say as he starts the car, making his way to his loft. “I’m so tired I might sleep till four tomorrow.”

“The night is just beginning.”

I look at him as he winks at me.

“Besides I need to show you what I’m most thankful for.” He laughs as he takes me home, shows me exactly what he’s thankful for, and I thank him all night by yelling out his name again and again and fucking again.

When we arrive the next day, he takes off as soon as we walk into the rink. I get a text from my mother telling us they are already there in the shop, so I make my way upstairs. Zara and Zoe are wearing a Horton jersey. I put my head in my hands and laugh.

“Those two are in love.” I hear my mother from the side of me. She stands there as she watches them try on baseball hats. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she says, still looking ahead at the twins, her voice low. “I know we don’t get to choose who we love, but I just want you to be careful.”

“Mom,” I say, “no one said anything about love.”

She cups my cheek. “My beautiful girl, you wouldn’t risk everything you know if you didn’t love him.” Her smile comes out. “His history with the family is a big hurdle that you will have to overcome. You have to just prepare yourself, whose side you will be on. Because”—she shakes her head, looking down—“if you can’t stand by his side, wholeheartedly, let him go.”

I swallow as the words rip through me. Let him go. Just the thought hurts me. Not seeing him smile, hurts my heart; it’s an ache that goes deep, an ache that no matter how many times I rub my chest I don’t think it can go away. She sees me rubbing my chest.

“That’s love.” She grabs my shoulders as she pulls me to her and I bask in the security of my mother’s hug. I’ve felt this security with three people in my life—my mother, my brother, and Cooper. And now the same security comes from Max.

I struggle with my thoughts throughout the whole game, the lingering feelings staying there in the back of my head during the whole week leading up to the gala. I’ve been going nuts this whole week, so I haven’t seen Max that much. Till the night of the gala when I’m rushing around my bedroom in my strapless bra and matching panties as I get ready. Max is picking me up in ten minutes and I haven’t put on my dress yet. My hair is tied at the side in a messy side bun with loose, wavy strands falling out. I take the one of a kind dress off the hanger. It’s a beautiful soft pink, fully embroidered. It dips low in the front and comes in at the waist tight and then flairs off with ten layers of crinoline. I step into my dark pink satin high heels as the doorbell rings. I grab my shawl and hold the back of my dress as I walk downstairs to the door, opening it to the back of Max, since he is looking out onto the road. His black tux falls perfectly as he turns around and sees me. He’s beautiful. I know we shouldn’t call a man beautiful, but he is. He looks at me and grins as I turn around and ask him, “Can you zip me?”

He comes in, closing the door as he zips the zipper to the middle of my back, then he leans down and kisses my shoulder. I turn around to face him and I see the circles under his eyes.

“Did you not sleep good last night?” I ask him. With everything going on with getting things ready, we haven’t really been together this last week.

“I know we have to go.” He looks at the limo parked outside. “And I know I’m going to sound like a needy bitch right now, but”—he struggles with his words—“is this it? You’re distant and I know you said it’s because of the gala and the stress but”—he shakes his head—“if you need to end this or just need to walk away…” He swallows and I see his Adam’s apple move. “I get it.”

My hands get clammy as I open and close them. My heart beats so hard, I feel like it’s going to beat out of my chest. “What?”

“You’ve been distant since Thanksgiving.” He places his hands in his pockets. “I know your family means a lot to you,” he starts and his voice goes low. “I get it. Trust me, if anyone is going to understand anything about family loyalty it’s me. So I get it if it’s too much.” He shakes his head. “So if this is the end or whatever, just know that I get it.”

“The end,” I whisper as tears come to my eyes. “Are you breaking up with me?” My shawl that I was holding with my purse falls to the floor and my hand flies to my stomach because I really think I’m going to be sick. I look down at my hand that is shaking as all the memories fly through my mind. The nights on the couch making out, laughing, watching television. The nights of us cooking together. The nights of us forgetting about cooking because our hands were too busy on each other. The nights of falling asleep in his arms. The mornings—the lazy ones, the rushed ones. It’s like a running movie clip in my mind. “I’m going to be sick,” I say as he reaches out to me and I yank my hand away from him. “You need to go.”

“Angel.”

“No!” I yell at him, the tears falling over my lids. “You don’t get to fucking break up with me and then call me fucking angel.” I use my thumb to catch the next tear that is threatening to fall.

“You’re the one breaking up with me!” he roars out. “You’re the one who is distant and not even there. Making excuses and shit.” He points at me.

“Me, what are you talking about? I’ve had a lot on my plate, Max, and a lot rides on tonight.”

“Well, what the fuck do I know?” He throws his hands up. “I’ve never done this, Allison, so when you started pulling away—”

“I was.” I throw my hands up. “I don’t know getting in the zone,” I say and this time he lunges forward and grabs me around the waist with both hands, bringing me close to him. “I was not ending this,” I say finally in a whisper.

As his head leans down he whispers, “Last chance to walk.”

I lean in closer to him and right before our lips touch I say, “Irresistible.”

And in that moment, I know my mother was right. I am in love with him. Hook, line, and sinker, as they say, but I also know I choose him. I will stand next to him in a fucking tsunami as I hold on to his hand. His kiss isn’t hungry, it isn’t rushed, it is soft, delicate, like he is savoring every single second, as one hand leaves my waist to go up and hold my face close to his.

We stand here the both of us holding on to each other almost in fear that the other person will disappear when we hear a knock at the door and then it swings open.

“Are we going?” Denise stands there as she wears a black, full-length dress that has a split down the middle. “You look like a fucking princess in that dress.” She laughs as I bend to pick up my shawl and purse.

I close the lights as my hand holds on to Max’s as we make it into the limo and we make our way over to the gala.