Page 77 of Christmas with Brother's Best Friends
“Try anyway,” I reply. I promised Emma that he would.
I head out of the guest bedroom and back into the living room where Emma is still curled up, her eyes resting on the television, despite it not being on. A frown tries to form on my face, but Ifight it off and grab the remote off the coffee table with my free hand.
“Why don’t you pick out something to watch?” I suggest as I hand her the remote.
Emma stays still as I prop her up more with the extra pillow and drape the soft blanket over her body. Her eyes lift to mine. “Thank you.”
I crouch down in front of her so that we’re closer to eye level. “You don’t have to thank me, Em. Get used to this.”
A warm smile steadily crosses her face. That’s what I like to see.
I lean forward and press a gentle kiss against her forehead, my fingers brushing through her hair. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
With my whole heart, I believe in my own words.
I’ll make sure that things turn out okay.
Chapter thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-Five: Emma
Idon’t leave Max’s apartment until around noon the next day, and I don’t leave alone.
“You don’t have to babysit me, Max,” I tell him as he leads me into my own apartment. “I’m sure you have better things to do.”
Max shakes his head as he sets his keys and wallet on my kitchen island. “I’m taking off work today.”
I raise an eyebrow at him as I watch him grab a glass from my kitchen cabinet and pour some water into it. “You took a day off work?You?”
Max places the glass of water down on the island in front of me. “I take days off work. I’m not that crazy of a workaholic. If things come up, I’ll take off work.”
I peer at him as our eyes lock, a tense charge filling the air between us. Max seemed to relax a little more last night once the food came and the three of us spent some time together and talked some more. He swears that he’s on board, and I hope that he isn’t lying to make me feel better.
It’s bad enough that no one has heard from Ryan since he walked out yesterday. I don’t want to lose Max too.
“Thank you for letting me stay at your place last night and for taking me home, but you don’t have to do anything else going forward. I don’t want to force you to do anything,” I tell him.
Max gives me a pointed look. “I told you that I’m all in, Emma. Drink the water.”
I purse my lips at him. “So, I told you that I’m not going to force you to do anything, and you’re forcing me to do something?”
A smirk crosses his face as he scoots the glass closer to me. “You need to hydrate and relax. You’re still tense.”
I roll my eyes, but as I take a few sips of water, I can’t help but smile to myself as flutters fill my stomach. There’s still a part of me that’s terrified of what will come next for us, but it has been really nice seeing the guys act so caring and paternal already.
It really suits them.
“On the couch,” Max says, nudging me there with a hand on my lower back.
I take a seat and sink back into the cushion, sipping on my water as he walks off. My eyes trail him as he starts tidying up the random things on my coffee table, his brow tight in concentration.
Max walks over to my entertainment stand, plucking some dust off the wood and adjusting my framed pictures that I placed on the shelves.
I have to stifle a laugh. He can be so restless. Honestly, his nitpicking is taking my mind off things, so I let him tidy things up for about fifteen minutes without saying anything.
“Where do you keep the extra hand towels?” Max asks from the kitchen.
“In the second drawer to the right of the oven,” I tell him before finishing off my water and walking to the kitchen to put up the glass.
