Page 34 of Pucked and Pregnant

Max would go nuclear if he knew I was basing this scantily clad warrior woman on Olivia. I can’t even imagine what would go down if he ever finds out about what happened in New York.

I sigh and attempt to massage the sudden headache out of my temples.

I really am the worst friend in the universe.

My phone buzzes again. This time I actually look to see who’s calling.

Of course, it’s Max.

A bolt of anxiety spears through my stomach.

He knows.Your friendship is over, and your career is going to be ruined.

There is no possible way he could know, and if he did, he’d be trying to break down my door instead of calling.

Still, why is he calling me?

I glare down at the phone, hoping it will cough up the answer without me having to face my guilty conscience.

No such luck for me today.

“Hello?”

“Is Liv with you?” he demands.

Oh shit. He does know.

“What?”

“Is Olivia with you right now?”

“No. Why would she be? There’s no reason for her to be here,” I sputter.

“Damn it. She didn’t ask you to lie for her, did she? I don’t care if she’s there, I just need to know she’s okay.”

This is not the time for my irrational anxiety or guilt to step in. Something is seriously wrong.

“I promise, Max, she’s not here. Now take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on.”

“We had a massive fight and she cleared out most of her clothes and personal things at home. I haven’t seen her since.”

“Well, that’s nothing new. You two are always going at it. I’m sure she’ll come back soon.”

“No.” Max sighs. “Not this time. Like I said, she cleaned out most of her clothes, and her big suitcase is gone. I don’t think she’s ever going to come back.”

“I feel like you’re leaving some key details out of the story here. Start at the top.”

As he tells me what happened, I feel myself growing more and more concerned. I don’t think they’ve ever had a fight that bad.

“I hate to say it, but you were the asshole in that situation.”

“I know.”

I’m shocked that Max admitted he was in the wrong. I’m tempted to peek out the window to make sure the world isn’t ending.

“It’s just… Dad has always placed so much pressure on me for as long as I can remember. She was the smart one out of the two of us, and we wanted to ensure she made something of herself. It was our job to protect her, to keep her from fucking up her life. I even roped you guys into helping me once we got into high school. I know she’s an adult now, but I can’t seem to turn it off, and because of that, I might have just destroyed my entire relationship with her,” he says helplessly.

“You two are inseparable. I know you’re going to find a way to fix this. The fact that you were able to realize your mistake is huge. If you talk to her as openly as you just talked to me, I can almost guarantee your relationship will improve.”

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