Page 180 of Invisible String
“Okay. I’ll go get you something to eat. Isabella and I are going to get food.”
“Thank you.” Max’s husky voice aches. Max’s feather-light kisses on my knuckles give the only reaction I can give him.
“You felt that, didn’t you, sunshine? Can you lift a finger?”
I try, but I can’t. It’s the worst feeling to be trapped inside. “It’s okay, baby. Those goosebumps let me know you felt me.” A kiss on my cheek. “You know, back when we were at the cabin, when I first saw you there, I thought I was hallucinating. I tried to pretend I didn’t remember you because I was terrified of getting close to you again. It hurt to feel, and felt better to numb it. In Rainey fashion, you broke down my walls.” He laughs.
A wet splash of water cools my skin. Is he crying? No, Max doesn’t cry.
“You saved me. So many times. You probably don’t know how many.” His voice cracks. “You loved me. When I didn’t lovemyself. You taught me to love repeatedly. I always asked myself, ‘how do I love her when I don’t love anything about myself?’ But not you. You loved me as Rainey. The guy who was afraid of being touched, the guy who was closed off. You loved every version of me.” He clears his throat. “I guess I’d better stop with the sappy stuff.”
Max Cano has always been my entire world, even when he didn’t know it.
The shadows envelop me,pulling me into a deep, unyielding oblivion. My chest feels as though a thousand anvils are pressing relentlessly against it, each breath a struggle against the crushing weight. Vivid flashes from my childhood dance through my mind—a kaleidoscope of vibrant images. I see the sunlit afternoons spent chasing butterflies in the garden, the sound of my mother’s laughter ringing like a melody, and the smell of freshly baked cookies and bread wafting through the kitchen. My dad’s perfect smile, building me a playhouse. These memories swirl around me, a comforting tapestry of the past amidst the looming darkness. Tears fill my eyes with the most heartwarming memories. I’m struggling to absorb it all. It’s overwhelming.
Am I dying? Is this why my memories are coming back? Is this the afterlife? Or did the trauma bring up the past trauma? Hell, if I should know, but I don’t want to let go. I want to treasure it all.
Pain, bone deep, has me thrashing.
“Rainey!” A voice. Max. That’s who it is. “Doctor, something’s happening. She’s shaking.”
It happens again. I slip into darkness.
“I can’t take care of you, Sol. My memory is not good,” my grandma says. Mom had said she had Alzheimer’s. My heart hurts so badly. My mom is gone, and my dad.
“Where will I go?” My voice cracks. My aunts and uncles are not close to my mom and dad, and they didn’t want to take me.
“I’m sorry, Sol. They won’t let me because it’s dangerous with my head not straight. A woman will pick you up. They will take you to a home.”
I nod as she wipes my tears.
My hands shake as I walk into a home. It’s nice, but my heart hurts. I’ve never been away from Mom. She said never to talk to strangers. Now I have to live with a stranger.
I’m scared.
Two boys walk up to introduce themselves. I wonder if they lost their parents, too?
Max is his name—the boy with sad green eyes.
“Doyou know how to play checkers and chess?” I ask Max while taking a bite of my apple.
He’s wearing a blue shirt that makes his eyes sparkle.His jet-black hair falls to his eyes. He throws a puff of air to set it back. He makes the stupidest face at my question.
“Yes, but checkers and chess are boring.” His fingers dig into the peel of the orange.
“Not if you know how to play right,” I retort.
The wood in the treehouse creaks when Max moves. “I know how to play. It’s just not fun. I’m too good.”
“Let’s see if it’s true.” I twist to get the board out and arrange it. Then I take out my strawberry lip gloss from my pocket. I smear it on. Ever since I asked Max to kiss me, he stares at my lips. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
I like Max.
He keeps my mind busy playing and listens to me when I talk about Mom and Dad. Max talks to me about his parents, too. He makes me feel better and lets me sleep in his bed when I’m scared. I’m always scared in this house. Jason is strange. Max and Drake protect me.
“What?” I ask, and he gives me an odd look, his brow climbing to his hairline.
His lips press into a thin line. “Your lips are shiny. It looks like you ate a greasy cheeseburger.”
