Page 102 of Worlds Collide

“I didn’t like myself back then, though.” His voice is quiet, and there’s a slight vulnerability there that I love. Mostly because I know instinctively that he doesn’t let that show with almost anyone else.

“That’s all fine and good, Wolf. You want to change things about yourself? Go ahead and change them. You want to become someone you’re proud to be? Go ahead and transform all you want. What I’m trying to say is that you being frank, honest, and a bit of a pain in the ass are not qualities thatIwould ever want you to get rid of. I don’t need you to change, I just want you to be happy.”

He finally turns to look at me again, and I let out a chuckle athis annoyed look. “You’re being pretty wonderful and romantic and all that shit and I think that’s a dick move.”

“There he is,” I whisper.

“What if I want to be wonderful to you too?” he demands, crossing his arms like always, and again, my smile just grows bigger.

“I’m sure I’ll always be better at it than you, Max, but you go ahead and try. I’ll enjoy it. Just know that I never want you to do anything you don’t want.”

“Fine,” he says through gritted teeth and reaches for the only taco still left on the plate between us. “I was going to be a gentleman and let you have the last one,” he says with his mouth full—being a terrible date but making me love him more. “But since you want me to be myself then I’ll just eat it.”

“That’s fine I want to have room for the next course,” I say mildly just to annoy him. He snarls a bit then licks his fingers and settles back.

“You’re going to be such a pain in the ass,” he says almost to himself.

“Always, Max, always.”

“What did your parents do after I told the world what assholes they are?” He pivots so quickly to another subject that I get a bit of whiplash, but I manage to answer quickly enough.

“I ignored their calls until they stopped calling, but they did send a few texts. You know, I’m a disappointment, and how could I? And I’m a waste, blah, blah, blah. Pretty much the same things they said to me when you had the pleasure of meeting them.”

The waiter comes out with three more plates and it delays Wolf’s answer—which I think is a good thing since he looks a lot calmer once the server leaves.

“They never deserved you,” he says quietly and looks me in the eyes earnestly.

“Thanks. I am alive thanks to them, and that’s all the thanks they’ll ever get from me, but they did do that. For all the wrong reasons, I know, but they fed me, made sure I had a good education, and all in all, I do think they wanted me to succeed. Only on their terms, yes, that’s also true,” I go on when Wolf opens his mouth with a protest. “But I’m just over it all by now. They had control over my life for a long time and now it’s over, so I’m just moving on, and if I have to change my number so they’ll stop bothering me, then that’s easy enough to do.”

“Okay.” He nods once then goes back to eating, and I go back to smiling at him like a fool.

In my very limited experience, this is the best date to ever happen in the history of the world.

After dinner,we’re in the car, dangerously close to cuddling, but I know Wolf would never want to describe it like that so I keep my mouth shut. I realize though, after a while, that we’re not going to my apartment. We turn down Sunset Boulevard instead, and I sit up in attention.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“My house.”

“To the ranch?” I ask, confused. This isn’t the way to Malibu either?—

“No, I’m renting a place in the city.”

“Why?” I thought he’d stay with me . . .

“I’ll explain in a minute,” he tells me quietly, and I get the message. When we’re alone, he’ll tell me.

Rich turns the car onto Rexford Drive and stops right on the corner, in front of a gate that’s completely covered with vines. You can’t see a thing about the house aside from the roof from the outside, but when we drive in, I see it’s a spanish style that’s pretty typical in Beverly Hills. I like it, honestly, it seems like a peaceful place, but I’m really confused as to why Wolf would rent another place when he already has his house.

He leads me inside by a hand in silence. I take a moment to check out the pretty sparse furnishing—only what’s strictly necessary is here, nothing more. Rich says something about making sure the place is clear, and Wolf and I stand still in the living room.

I get the urge and don’t quench it, so I turn and fit my arms around his waist and hold him close to me. Feeling him pressed to me is the only way to stop myself from panicking. My mind is starting to get away from me, but I really don’t want to think that Wolf is only here for a few months. He told me earlier that he’s not.

Explicitly.

Of course I have nothing to be worried about, but the last year left a mark on me that I don’t think will fade any time soon.

“All good, guys,” comes Rich’s voice from behind me. I can’t bear to let go of Wolf, who’s finally hugging me back, so I only turn my head.

---