Page 47 of Property of Max
The tablet speaks:“Sometimes, I hate using this thing. Takes forever just to say what I mean. Anyway… no, I don’t want Max at Funday Friday. I want you and him to go do something alone. Get to know each other. Then maybe come back and end the day with a movie. Cody can watch us. He knows how to take care of me. And I promise, we won’t go skydiving… or cage diving… without you.”
“Micah, you can’t just volunteer Cody without asking him first,” I sigh. “And I have no idea if Max would even want to spend Friday with me when we’re already going out tomorrow. And…like it or not…I don’t have a job right now. I need to be out begging someone to hire me, not planning movie nights.”
“I’ll stay with them,” Cody says, grinning. “Bree and I will paint Micah’s toenails, then we’ll all watch that Barbie movie she loves so much.”
Micah’s middle finger twitches, and Cody bursts out laughing. “Flipping me off, huh?”
Laughter sparks in Micah’s eyes. As much as it annoys him, he always lets Bree practice her terrible nail-painting skills on his toes. Only his toes. And Cody and Bree both know better than to cross that line without his permission.
“I’ll talk to Max,” I sigh, already knowing I’m outnumbered.
My phone dings, and I frown. It’s nearly eleven. The only person who ever texts me this late is Cody.
I swipe the screen.
“Not sure if your brother has talked to you yet, but don’t make any plans for Friday, baby. We’re going to a party…sort of. Brace yourself.”
“Who was it?” Cody asks, grinning like he already knows.
“Max,” I mutter, shooting a glare at Micah. “Apparently, he and my dear little brother here have been planning my Friday behind my back.”
“Oh, how sweet. How did you-”
“Which was not a cool thing to do,” I cut in, giving Micah my fiercest sister look.
Cody throws his hands up. “I mean, yeah. Not cool, bro.”
“Micah, honey, you have to let me be the adult here,” I say gently. “You can’t go making plans for me without my knowing. I have a lot of responsibilities, and I can’t just stop everything to hang out with some man I’ve only just met. You and Bree are so important to me. Your health and happiness are my top priorities. And I can’t keep up with that if I don’t have a job to support us.”
Micah locks eyes with me. Not just looking, butseeing. Right down to my very soul. And just like that, I know I’ve lost. He’s not pushing me to go because he wants me out of the house. He’s asking me to go because he wants me to have a life that makes allthreeof us happy.
“I get it,” I sigh. “You want me to be happy just as much as I want you to be happy. And maybe you’re right. Maybe Max is part of that happiness. But that doesn’t change the fact thatI’mthe adult here. I’m responsible for you and Bree. You can’t make plans behind my back when there are things I have to take care of. Promise me you won’t do it again.”
“Promise you go,”he says after a short pause.
A laugh escapes me despite myself. “Promise,” I say.
“Promise,”he repeats.
“Good. Now, back to bed.”
“Wait,” Cody pipes up. “I still want to know how the hell you pulled this off.”
Nowthat’sa good question.
Micah smirks with his eyes as he types. A moment later, the tablet speaks.
“Foster is badass.”
“Oh, that he does,” Cody sighs dramatically, fanning himself. “Oh, wait…you meantisa badass, nothasa great ass? Easy mistake.”
I roll my eyes. “You talked to Foster?” I ask Micah, unease creeping into my voice. The idea of a grown man messaging my teenage brother doesn’t sit right.
“Foster’s good people,” Cody says quickly, catching my look. “Relax. He probably just hacked his way in and sent Micah a message.”
“I’m sorry…what?”
“Okay, that sounded worse than it is. His intentions were probably good.”
