The Final Chapter
“Mr. Connors, Miss Burns is here to see you.”
When the intercom buzzed, the words he heard from the doorman were almost a dream. He was tempted to not even get up from the comfort of his couch. He had been planning to hide away on the safety of his couch after another embarrassing game and drink away the night, like he’d been doing every night for what felt like forever. But when the words came though the intercom, something inside of him bubbled, something he hadn’t felt for a long time.
He got up from the couch and went to the door, almost afraid that once he got to the door, she wouldn’t really be there. He headed toward the private elevator toward his suite’s entrance anyway, and when the doors opened to Aaliyah with her walker being escorted by his doorman, he nearly cried in shock and relief. Frozen for a moment, just looking at her, she was like a mirage, and he was afraid that if he blinked, she would disappear in a puff of smoke.
But her feet shuffled forward, and he took quick steps to help her.
“I can do it,” she said firmly.
He wanted to argue, but instead watched her for a moment as she took her steps. He was amazed at how strong she was now. How hard she must have been working to get her legs to move the way they were, to fight as hard as she was fighting to make her body cooperate. He knew from watching her rehab that it was a difficult battle—trying to make your body learn its functions all over again—but there she was, walking with only a small limp, and he could see her hands were only lightly gripping the walker. She was doing all of the work on her own.
Max gave a nod to the doorman, and the elevator doors closed, leaving the two of them alone in the entrance to his home. Flashes of memories quickly filled his head of how many times she’d rub his shoulders after a long game or practice; now his attraction to her was far more. It was something that he’d never felt before, and in truth, he thought he never would again.
Lust had turned so quickly to love.
But her eyes were stone as she looked at him, and he doubted that there could be any feeling of love in them for him.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she scolded him.
He hadn’t known what to expect to hear from her, but it certainly wasn’t that. If he’d been able to speak, he certainly would have been rendered speechless. But as it was, he hadn’t even said a word to her yet. But she marched herself closer, leaning in toward him to where he could finally smell her skin and the scent of her perfume and asked him again. This time, much louder and much more irritated.
“I said, what the HELL do you think you’re doing?!”
This time he could smell the wine on her breath, and he realized her bombarding his place with anger finally made sense; he just didn’t know why she was doing it.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why am I doing what?”
“Why are you throwing away your career?” she yelled in his face again. “You got what you wanted, the team kept you on, and it’s like you don’t even care! Like you think you can tank your shots and get lazy on the court and no one will take notice because you are the Golden Boy Max Connors. Well, guess what, Max?! I noticed, and the world noticed, so you better believe the organization is noticing, and you’re going to be in the exact same position you were before! Although this time, Eli won’t be there with some magical idea to bail you out.”
“You’ve been watching my games?” He couldn’t help that her watching his games was the only part of her rant that he really cared about. But he watched as her eyes flickered with guilt, and he could see that shy side come to the surface again. But she shook her head, and just as quickly as it was there it was gone, and she was back to being angry with him again.
Although if he had to admit it under oath, pissing her off was one of his favorite things to do. She was so sexy and so adorable when she was all riled up and flustered. He tried his best to hide a smile when he realized he still could do that to her
“That’s not the point. The point is you’re throwing everything away!”
“I already did that,” he murmured to her.
“What does that mean?”
Every bit of frustration he’d been holding inside because of his massive mistake came bubbling to the surface, and the words shot out of his mouth before he even had a chance to think about them.
“Because I already lost you!”
He watched her face change from anger to confusion, and he again felt at a loss for words. He’d already gone to her, tried to make up with her, sent her things to beg for her forgiveness, but she’d continually shot him down.
“What do you mean you lost me? Don’t be silly, you never wanted me in the first place. All you wanted was to stay on the team. And I don’t blame you, all I wanted was to further my career and have enough money to keep my lights on. But my feelings changed…”
Aaliyah’s eyes widened at her own confession. Max stepped closer toward her. He wanted to touch her, to reach out to her and hold her in his arms again. But he was tentative. Her feelings had changed, but what were they now?
“Aaliyah,” his voice rumbled against her skin, “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
Tears were falling down her soft cheeks, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss them all away.
“But what you did…” her voice choked on the rest of the words.
Max cut her off anyway; he needed her to know, to understand. “It was a mistake. I felt horrible when I realized what I’d done, and I wished more than anything that I could take it back. I couldn’t even face you after what I’d done. I love you, Aaliyah.”
He’d said it. He’d finally told her the truth. The weight fell off of him but seemed to settle in the thin space between them. Looking her in the eyes, he wasn’t sure what to think. She hadn’t said she loved him back, but she also hadn’t told him to get lost, so it was time to take a chance. Max brushed his fingertips against her chin and then traced her lips and her cheeks before resting his palm against her cheek.
She closed her eyes and leaned into him, nuzzling her face against the feel of his hand. Leaning down, he placed a light kiss on her lips, and she didn’t back away. He kissed her again, pressing harder, feeling the familiar yet always surprising spark ignite between them as she opened her mouth to him and let his tongue entwine with hers. He could have stood like that forever, her lips moving against his, his hands roaming her body, holding her against him again, but he wanted more. He wanted to really taste her, to give to her.
Max swept Aaliyah up into his arms, cradling her over to the couch where he laid her down. He finally tore his lips away from hers but licked his way down her neck, tasting the sweetness of her skin. She sighed at his actions, but he still didn’t want to stop there. He moved his fingers lower while his tongue continued to trace the lines of her neck, and he slid her dress up and her panties down. Softly, his fingers found the sensitive spot between her legs which was already wet with anticipation.
A moan escaped from her as he moved in the ways she loved, in slow circles building up the heat within her. When he thought he couldn’t take it any longer, he lowered his head between her legs and began to taste her completely. It was all he could do to keep himself under control, enjoying the feel of her thighs squeezing gently against him and the way her body was slowly writhing with pleasure. He could almost feel himself coming to his own edge.
But this wasn’t about him, this was about her. Everything was about her, and that was exactly how he wanted it to be. When she poured over the edge of her pleasure, she let out a long, loud scream, one that he knew had been pent up inside of her for so long. Her body moved against his mouth, and he felt as if he could stay there all night. But her body slowed its sexy quivering, and he could feel her entire being relax. He wanted to please her again, to give her body another shattering of pleasure, but instead, he picked her up from the bed and carried her to his bed where he tucked her in.
Aaliyah’s eyes drifted closed as her body melted into the mattress. Pulling the covers up over her, Max promised himself that he would do anything it took to have her in his life again.
The next morning, when he heard her stirring awake, he was already brewing coffee for her, just the way she liked it. If he knew how to cook, he would have made her breakfast, but not only did he not know how to cook, but he had no food in the house to cook. So instead of making her breakfast, he figured he’d get her some hot coffee and take her out to a diner for some of the runny eggs that she liked so much. He set the steaming mug on the nightstand and let her eyes flutter open. It was lame, he knew, but in the time she’d been asleep, he’d missed her eyes.
“Good morning,” he greeted her.
She smiled at him, and for a moment, he thought everything might go back to the way it had been. But he saw the moment when she realized exactly where she was and probably what she’d done, or rather let him do, and she bolted upright.
“Oh no, I shouldn’t be here,” she declared. Absently, she grabbed at her head, and he figured she probably had a slight headache from all the wine she’d had the night before.
“There’s some headache medicine next to your coffee. It’s got some of that hazelnut creamer you like so much.”
Skeptically, she took the mug, scooped up the medicine, and swallowed them down.
“Thanks.” She paused a moment before continuing. “You still kept some creamer in the fridge?” she finally asked.
Max couldn’t help that he blushed. They both knew it was a hard fact that Max took his coffee straight black, two cups in the morning, and that was it for the day, while Aaliyah could drink endless cups of the stuff but always with her favorite creamer. He couldn’t really hide the fact that he’d still kept it on hand. He didn’t know if it was because it reminded him of her or if he had just gotten so used to seeing it in the fridge that when it wasn’t there it just didn’t seem right, but that was sort of like Aaliyah. Without her, life just didn’t seem right. So maybe it was both.
“Listen, I obviously drank a lot last night, and I really have no idea what I said and only a vague idea of what I did, but I shouldn’t have come here.”
He could see that she wanted to get up, to get out of his apartment as fast as she could, but he wasn’t letting her go that easily. If he had to fight to convince her, to make her understand how much he needed and wanted her in his life, then that’s exactly what he would do. Max sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand.
“No, I’m glad you came here. You needed to yell at me so that I finally had the courage to tell you the truth about everything.”
She arched a brow, and he had to stifle a laugh. This was serious, and he wanted to tell her the truth about himself, but she looked so damned cute when she looked at him like that that he had to stop himself from kissing her. But he did stop himself. If she wanted to be with him after everything she knew about his past, after what he’d put her through in the public, and after the way he’d hurt her, then he’d kiss her harder than he’d ever kissed anyone. But for now, he had to get everything out in the open.
They sat at the little diner down the road, and just as he’d pictured, she’d ordered her runny eggs and toast. She’d been quiet after she showered and got dressed in some clothes that she’d left at his apartment while they’d been together. He didn’t blame her for not having much to say; he didn’t really need her to say anything at all. He needed to do the talking.
“I want to be honest with you. It may not change anything about how you feel, just like it can’t change who I was and what I did in the past, but I want you to at least understand.”
The words tumbled out of him faster than he’d expected, but it was as if the floodgates had opened as everything he’d held back for years poured out. He told her about his brother, the guilt he felt, and the compulsive need to live for both of them. The distractions that he needed to give himself when thoughts about his dying brother would infiltrate every second of his day. The pressure that was on him to make sure that he could provide for all of them, and the realization that he wasn’t living a life that truly made him happy.
She didn’t say anything to him right away, but he noticed that she never lost eye contact with him either. For a moment, once all the words were out, he didn’t know what to expect. What would she say? What was she thinking? Did she think any differently of him?
And the worst question of all, what if she couldn’t love him back?
Her silence was killing him as his questions swirled through his head. But just when he thought he couldn’t take it any longer, she finally cleared her throat and spoke to him.
“Thank you for telling me all of this. For trusting me with it all.”
“You’re the first person I’ve ever told any of this to. No one on the team knows. Not even Eli knows.”
She thought for a moment before she spoke again. “Do you think your brother likes the life he’s living?”
Of all the things he thought she would say, that was not one of them. Again.
“No, of course not. You of all people know how awful it is to be confined to a bed. But in his case, each day he lives is another day closer to him dying.” His voice caught when he mentioned him dying. That was a thought he tried to drink away and not ever mention out loud. To actually admit that it was happening was harder than he’d thought it would be.
“I know that,” she said. Aaliyah reached across the table and put her hand over his. “But what I mean is, do you think he likes you treating him this way? Having to live the life you’re giving him?”
Max snapped his hand away from her, and he felt his body coil like a snake who’d just been attacked. “I’m giving him an excellent life. He doesn’t have to spend his days in a hospital or in a special care facility; he gets to spend it in his own home.”
“But that’s all he does. Don’t you think he wants more than that?”
“What do you mean?”
“You say that you live life for both of you, that it becomes hard and overwhelming and often times you think that the life of a basketball star isn’t even one you want because money is driving your game. Money for your brother.”
“Yeah, so?” he asked. Max had no idea where this was coming from, but this definitely wasn’t the conversation he’d thought he was going to be having.
“Well, what if this isn’t the life he wants? What if he wants to get out of the house, to see other people? What if you’re the only one who cares about his privacy? Have you ever thought that maybe instead of keeping him a secret, you bring him to a game? That maybe he’d give anything to be proud of his little brother and be an actually part of your life instead of a lump in a bed?”
Max felt as if he’d been slapped. He’d tried so hard to take care of his brother, to do everything he thought was right, only to have the sudden realization that maybe he’d had a lot of it wrong. Max’s head dropped into his free hand, but he felt Aaliyah squeeze the other.
“Everything you’ve done for him is wonderful; you’ve been a great brother. But you don’t need to shoulder everything yourself, especially to the point of destroying yourself. And you need to let your brother live, let him determine what he wants the rest of his life to look like, not you.”
She was right; he knew she was right. It was so obvious. He’d put so much pressure on himself to run Sammy’s life that he was ruining his own. He had to let Sammy live his own life, with his help of course, but not choose his life for him.
“So if that’s what I’m supposed to do with Sammy, then what do I do about us? How do I fix that?”
He looked up at her, his eyes pleading with hope and longing for her. His heart was racing, and he was trying as hard as he could to steady his shaking leg. She had every right to tell him to get lost. She’d heard him out, and that was all he’d really asked for. But just because she had, didn’t mean that she’d forgive him, that she’d ever want to be with him again.
*
Aaliyah was definitely considering the fact that she might be crazy for even considering taking Max back after the humiliation and—most importantly—heartbreak that she’d suffered. But after everything he’d said to her, the confessions he’d made, the part of her that wanted to give him another chance was screaming to take his word at everything. That she should give him a pass, he’d been through so much. Well, mostly it seemed as if he’d been putting himself through so much, secretly, without anyone knowing, and he’d finally gone too far.
But did she really believe that he’d changed overnight? He’d become overwhelmed once and made a major mistake that had cost their entire relationship, why wouldn’t he do that again? He’d said he loved her, and she’d wanted to shout the words back at him, but how could she be sure he loved her enough to never hurt her again? To never stray again?
She couldn’t. It was that simple. All she had to go on was his word and his pleading eyes, and damn did those eyes melt her, just as she remembered the rest of his body could as well. He’d told her that he could make that promise, that living without her in his life was something he never wanted to go through again. She wanted to believe that. Her heart was screaming to her to believe what he said was true. That just being without her for the short time he had was enough to make him sure that he’d never hurt her again. But that didn’t mean the wall she’d put up was coming down so quickly.
“What do you think I should do?” Aaliyah asked her friend over Chinese food and wine the night after Max’s confessions.
Caroline chewed thoughtfully. It almost made Aaliyah laugh that all of Caroline’s conversations always involved her eating. It was almost as if that was the way Caroline thought best—with food. A little jealousy leaked out that the girl could stay so skinny. Aaliyah looked at her own body through her clothes and thought of the tightness that she used to have and how it had loosened with her inability to work out the way she used to. How her legs had lost their sexy definition that they’d had before her accident. But she could feel her face heat up at the memory of the scorching way Max had still looked at her, as if her body was a feast and he’d wanted nothing more than to eat for days.
She loved how he could make her feel so special, so wanted. No other man had ever given her that feeling, and it still hung heavy between them, even after not seeing each other for such a long time. He did things to her that no man ever had, and she doubted any man would again. It was a feeling that she didn’t want to give up, that she didn’t want to lose again, but how could she go back?
After breakfast, Aaliyah had told him she needed time to think about it all, and he had been very understanding. He almost looked a little relieved that she’d said she needed time instead of saying she didn’t want to be with him. But what she really needed to do was to talk to Caroline, to sort out her thoughts and try to figure out if following her heart was a ridiculous thing to do. She knew Caroline would give her the truth.
“Well, I guess it depends.”
“On?”
“On whether you think you actually can believe him.”
She’d said it so simply that it almost made Aaliyah make a face. “Well, obviously... Isn’t that kind of the point?”
“No, what I mean is, your heart wants to be with him. Your brain doesn’t know if you should. But what you need to know is if you actually believe everything he said. About distractions and his brother, putting all the world on his shoulders. If you can’t believe that all of that is true, then no matter what your heart wants, you won’t be happy and you’ll always wonder. If you can believe him, then maybe you’re exactly what he needed to change his life for the better.”
Aaliyah hadn’t thought of it that way at all. All she’d been thinking about was if she should get back together with him, not what she actually believed. She took another bite of her fried rice and thought about everything all over again. Running everything in her mind, she just couldn’t decide. She needed something more than words, something more than just a breakfast and coffee.
“How will I know if he’s really changed?
“I think you’ll know.”
Throughout the next few days, she and Max texted a little back and forth. He didn’t push her for an answer, but she could feel the weight of the question on her shoulders with every text she sent. She really did want to believe he’d changed, and maybe the fact that he’d stopped partying at night and there had been no pictures of other women coming and going was a good sign, but it just wasn’t enough. She needed something more, something that truly showed her he was going to get a handle on his life and take being with her seriously.
Her phone buzzed one night while she was relaxing on the couch. The nursing staff had needed to come less and less, and she had to admit she was enjoying the peaceful quietness again. She lit up her screen and saw that it was Max.
I don’t know if you watch my games much anymore, but you should turn it on tonight at 7.
That was an odd request from Max, and she did have to admit that she was intrigued. Maybe he wanted her to see how his game had changed after her yelling at him to straighten up; maybe that was the way he wanted to show her he was changing. So at seven, she clicked on the sports channel and waited for the game to start. But what she saw wasn’t anything she’d expected.
Being wheeled into the section for courtside seats, in the seats that she usually sat in when she went to the games, was a guy that she knew instinctively was his brother. Aaliyah turned up the volume and listened to the announcers.
“No one even knew Connors had a brother, and here he is tonight, sitting courtside with a very big smile on his face.”
“Connors spoke to someone tonight saying that he only wanted to protect his brother’s privacy. But someone had shown him recently that he had to stop trying to live his brother’s life for him. He told his brother that he was going to stop keeping him on house arrest to keep him safe and asked where was the first place he wanted to go. His brother, who we were told is named Sammy, said the first thing he wanted to do was see his little brother play live.”
Tears were welling up in Aaliyah’s eyes as she listened to the announcers talk about Max’s interview about his brother. The camera stayed trained on Sammy’s face, which was split with the broadest smile. His face looked so much like his little brother’s that it made her heart skip. She picked up her phone and shot a text to Caroline telling her that he’d changed. When her best friend responded by asking how she knew, Aaliyah told her to turn on the game.
That was exactly what she’d been looking for—the sign, the proof that everything Max said about the ways he needed to change and live for himself instead of for both boys, was true. It was right there in front of her. And if he was willing to finally break down the most private wall he’d held for so many years, she could break down her wall that she’d put up around her heart and give him the second chance that her heart had been hoping she would give him.
Her eyes stayed glued to the rest of the game as she saw a complete transformation between the Max Connors from the game she’d watched in the bar and the Max Connors who was more on his game than he’d ever been.
“Not exactly sure where all of this change is coming from with Connors. Between bringing his brother to the game and the way he’s playing, it’s almost as if we don’t even know who he is! He’s making his shots and exceeding the hopes of all of his fans. If this isn’t a fluke and Connors can actually keep going like this, this organization is going to be very happy they kept on this young star.”
Aaliyah had to smile. Watching the screen was like watching the Max that she’d always thought he was. Strong game, charming face, and big heart. She didn’t need to think about it anymore; she knew exactly what she needed to do.
*
After the game, Max felt like he was flying high in the air. His game had been the best it had been, possibly ever, and that was saying something considering he’d been such a notable player all through the sport. But he had to admit that it wasn’t the game that had him feeling so excited, it was seeing his brother and mother on the sidelines through the whole game. The look on his brother’s face, the pure joy of getting to be a part of the action instead of just watching on TV, was the best thing he’d ever seen.
Aaliyah had been right. She’d been completely right, and Max had no problem admitting it. After he’d had his breakfast breakthrough with her, he’d taken a little time to himself to digest everything he’d said and everything she’d said. It hit him hard that he did need to stop living for Sammy. He needed to stop trying to protect him by keeping him shut in and keep Sammy’s privacy by not letting the world know about him. Those should be Sammy’s choices. If his big brother wanted to stay in his home, if he wanted to be kept out of the limelight, then that’s what he’d do for him, but he had to give him the choice.
As soon as that moment of clarity hit him, he was calling his driver to pick him up and take him to see his brother. In a rush, he spilled his whole conversation to his Sammy while Sammy sat in his bed and listened.
“She’s right. You should be making decisions for you, not me. So I need to know, what do you want? How do you want to live your life?”
Sammy’s eyes lit up immediately, and a smile formed on his lips. “I don’t know if anyone has ever asked me that before.”
Max sat down in his usual recliner chair. “Well, I’m asking now. What is it you want?”
To Max’s amazement, the first thing Sammy told him he wanted, more than to go for a walk in his wheelchair or even get some dinner out, was to go see his little brother play for real. Immediately, Max wasted no time and jumped into action. He called a nurse from the agency his family worked with who helped Sammy with his therapies and offered to pay her generously for the night, along with a free courtside seat, to accompany Sammy and their mother to the game. He arranged for a car to pick them up and made sure that the seats were readily available.
Max even thought ahead to contact Eli and finally tell him the truth as well. He knew he was going to need some PR help as to why he’d kept Sammy a secret, and he knew Eli could help smooth it all out. Plus, deep down, he hoped Eli would tell Aaliyah what he was doing. Most likely he was going to keep it a secret, the man was a professional after all, but there was still a hope. And even more, he hoped if Eli knew the reason Max was the way he was, he’d be able to forgive him for what he’d done to Aaliyah and the way he’d almost blown up his career.
Truthfully, he had no idea why the team had kept him on. Maybe it was the fact that he’d stopped partying, really stopped doing anything other than drinking alone in his apartment after Aaliyah, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. But after the way he played that last game, with his big brother and mother there to cheer him on, he knew the team would definitely be feeling good about their decision to keep him. He couldn’t ever think of a time when he’d felt this great, and he didn’t think anything could make him feel any higher.
In the locker room, after the game, Max grabbed his phone and saw that he had a text message from Aaliyah. With his heart racing, he clicked to view it.
Loved seeing the real you tonight. Why don’t you stop by after the game?
He was wrong; his high just got way higher. As fast as he could, he showered and got dressed, did his obligatory interviews, which seemed to be never ending with the reveal of his brother and the game he’d just played, and then set off to make sure his mother and brother were being taken care of. He found them in a private room talking to some of the other players. When Sammy saw his brother walk into the room, his grin grew wider.
“The all-star himself!” he cheered.
Various people in the room patted him on the back and congratulated him on the game he’d just played. His mother glowed as she talked about both of her boys, and for the first time, he saw his brother really getting to live his life. It was as if a weight had suddenly been lifted off of Max’s shoulders. He knew that Sammy wasn’t glass, that he wasn’t going to break, and that he needed to let him live his life. And that gave Max the room to live just for himself and no longer need to live in a world of stress about money and fear about his brother.
He felt giddy with the new feeling of relief that was settled into him instead of the pressure he’d been feeling for so long. But all he could really think about was seeing Aaliyah. He wanted so badly to get to her house. He didn’t want to get overly excited, but with the text she had sent, he had a feeling that the talk they were about to have was going to be a good one. At least he hoped so. He stayed with everyone until his brother started to get worn out. Once his brother signaled that he was getting tired and ready to leave, Max pushed the wheelchair out to the waiting car.
“Aaliyah texted me tonight. Told me she loved seeing the real me,” he told Sammy.
“If I’d known you’d been holding so much in this whole time, that the reason you were a partying disaster was because of me, I would have had you get me courtside seats a long time ago,” Sammy teased.
The ramp loaded Sammy up into the van while his mother gave Max one of her famous hugs. “I’m so proud of you for everything that you do. I can’t thank you enough for tonight,” she said to him. He could hear the tears of happiness and of pride in her family in her voice, and he could feel inside how happy he was to have given her that feeling.
The car ride to Aaliyah’s house was filled with as much excitement as it was nerves. It was entirely possible that she didn’t have an interest in having a relationship with him like he wanted with her, that maybe she just wanted to be friends. And Max knew that he’d accept that if that was all he could have. As long as she was in his life in some form, he’d be happy. But he also knew that his heart would completely break if that was all she wanted. He wanted to be with her, with no contract and no fears, nothing but him and her. Desperately, he hoped that she wanted the same thing as he did. His hands were actually shaking as he rang the doorbell to her apartment.
“It’s unlocked,” he heard her call out.
He knew that she’d been eliminating the need for nurses and was incredibly proud of her strength, but he didn’t like that she was leaving her door unlocked in the city. His first thought was that he needed to take care of that, to make sure she was safe and maybe get some extra security for the door. He could call and have it ordered and installed tomorrow. But he stopped his thoughts right there; he shouldn’t live to protect her any more than he should have with his brother. Aaliyah was far from fragile, and if she wanted the help, she’d ask. Of course, if she let him stick around in her life, he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to at least suggest helping her out.
Walking through her apartment, he found her lying on the couch under a warm-looking blanket. When he walked into the living room, she turned and her smile lit up her face.
“You had a great game tonight,” she told him.
Bashfully, he thanked her and sat down on the couch as she scooted over to make room for him.
“It was pretty amazing to see your brother there, too. He looked so happy through the whole game.”
Max nodded and smiled at the memory of seeing him on the side of the court. “Turns out you were right. As soon as I asked my brother what he wanted from his life, he wanted me to stop living for both of us. His first request was to come to a game. Can you believe that?” Max smiled, thinking of his brother. “His first request for getting out and living life was to come see one of my games.” Awe filled his voice as he realized what an honor that was.
“I’m not surprised at all. The smile that he had, the excitement on his face through the whole game, it was amazing to watch. He’s really proud of you.”
“I’m proud of him too. I think things are going to be really different now that we’ve decided to change our lives. He’s so strong, so determined.” Max looked up in her eyes. “He’s so much like you.”
He could see that took Aaliyah by surprise. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“The real reason I had a hard time coming around after your accident had nothing to do with you. It was because I couldn’t stand to see another person in my life confined to a bed, with the monitors and the pain; I was afraid it would be too much to watch. But after I talked to him and realized how much I cared about you, I knew that I’d stand by you anyway. It didn’t matter how difficult it was going to be to watch, I wanted to be there for you.”
“Sounds like your big brother is a pretty wise guy, making you see how much you liked me.” It was the first time that Aaliyah’s coy, flirtatious side had come out in a long time, and Max could hardly stand it when he realized how much he’d missed it.
“Yeah,” he laughed and looked down at the floor. “Looks like everyone had things pretty well figured out but me.”
He felt the warmth of her hand close around his, and his heart nearly skipped a beat.
“Well, you’re worth the wait it took for you to figure it all out.”
She slid her body closer to him, and he felt her hand against his cheek, making him turn his gaze to her. Leaning in, he saw her lips part just a little before she placed them tenderly on his lips. He felt her body gently sag against his, and he caught the weight of her. A sigh slipped out of her, and he felt his own body relax into her kiss.
She pulled back and her eyes looked clouded with desire and something that he was afraid he’d never see again but was right there in front of him. Love.
“You were definitely worth the wait,” she breathed and kissed him again.
*