Page 16 of It's Not Home Without You

“Is this your way of asking me to homecoming?” I said when I dared to come out of the bathroom wearing the dress. At first, Max said nothing. He just stared at me.

“Max! Hello?” I snapped my fingers at him.

“Sorry, you take my breath away. I needed a moment.”

My heart exploded at his words. I didn’t think, I just ran into his arms. Max didn’t miss a beat; he got up and caught me. Something I came to realizewas that Max was always ready to catch me.

“Freya Pratt, my beautiful girlfriend, will you come to the dance with me?” he asked as he twirled me.

“I guess it’s the least I could do since you already bought me the dress.”

Once again, he looked sheepish as he set me down. “I was a little afraid if I asked you, that you would say no. I figured this way it would be harder to refuse. If you don’t like the dress, we can change it.”

“Max.” I kissed him to stop his rambling. Every time we kissed, I felt butterflies, and I hoped that feeling never went away. “I love it. It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever worn. To be honest, I thoughtyou didn’t want to go with me.”

The last part was hard to admit.

“Fuck, the only reason I didn’t ask you in school was that Russell said you guys didn’t do homecoming.”

I rolled my eyes when he mentioned Rusty’s name. My best friend was clueless.

“Freya I…” I waited for him to say those three words. As much as it scared me,I wanted to hear them coming from him. It almost felt like an eternity before he finished his sentence. “Freya, I love spending time with you.” My heart still skipped a beat, even though it wasn’t the sentence I was hoping for.

“I love spending time with you too, Max.” I could havesaid those three words, but I was scared—scared he might not feel the same way.

Instead, of confessing our feelings. Max and I danced without music in his room, me twirling around in the dress he bought for me. Somewhere between the dancing and kissing, our kisses became more frenzied, hungrier—heated.

Max laid me on the bed slowly, not breaking eye contact for a second. He looked gorgeous. I could see how hard it was for him to keep it together with us like this, but he did it and made no demands.

God, he was perfect.

I didn’t have the same willpower as him, not when I could feel him. Running my hands through his hair, I said, “Max… touch me.”

Max’s pupils dilated and his eyes narrowed as he let out a throaty growl that had me tingling between my legs. I wasn’t prepared to go all the way, but I was more than ready to get a few bases covered. I knew this was one of those moments that would be with me always, because every moment I spent with Maximilian was beautiful.

“I… No,” he croaked. “I don’t want to pressure you.”

Max’s arms were shaking. I could see how much he wanted it, but he held back for me. He was perfect, and he was mine. Capturing his lips with my own, I let him know how much I wanted him. When I brought him down on top of me, he didn’t protest. When I guided his trembling hand to the apex of my thighs, I gasped, and he held his breath.

“I didn’t bring you here for this, Freya.” Even as he saidthe words, his thumb added pressure to my aching center, and all I wanted was more.

Of him.

Of us.

Together.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I usedto love Sunday mornings back when I lived in San Francisco. Sundays were sacred. Sundays were the day I got to sleep in and woke up wrapped in Ashton. Then we would make love, and that was the start of my morning. Now, thinking back on it, I feel like Sundays where the day of the week where Ashton had reserved for me. While Sundays where my diet cheat day, for Ashton it was his I-won’t-cheat-on-Freya day.

How lovely.

The workers Jake recommendedcame through, and they finished my closet. It was a shed, but Grandpa thought otherwise. There was no way I would have asked Rusty for help, especially when I found out he was married and didn’t invite me to the wedding. That hurt the most. I guess some of us didn’t know the meaning ofbesties.

I should get married and not invite him either.

“Where are you going so early?” Grandpa asked, interrupting my bitter thoughts and giving me back my sanity.

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