Page 10 of Rematch
Max quickly finished the last few sections of the form and stood up to give it to me. “I’ll have some of the younger ones hang up the flyers tomorrow,” he promised.
A smile tugged at my lips at the mention. Managing the bulletin boards used to be my job. “Thank you,” I said. “Our event coordinator will be in touch with more details as it gets closer.” I turned on my heel, fully intending to make a break for the door, but his hand wrapped around my forearm before I could even take a step.
“Hey, wait,” he called. “Where are you headed off to?”
“My dad’s restaurant. My car is parked there.”
“Give me a minute to clean up and I’ll walk you over.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine on my own.”
“It’s getting dark out. You know the crazies come out at night.”
“The craziest of the crazies is standing right here, so I’m not too worried.”
He rolled his eyes. Gently, he yanked me around the desk and pushed me into the chair. “Wait here,” he commanded.
Too tired to argue, I leaned back against the soft cushions, still warm from his body, and crossed my legs.
Max disappeared behind the door leading to the tiny adjoining bathroom connected to the office. On the other side, I heard the rush of water flowing from the faucet and soft splashes of water.
While I waited, I glanced over the contents of his desk. A huge calendar lay on the left side, marked up with schedules and events. A small army of Funk O’ Pops starring the cast of the Fast and Furious Movies sat on the other corner in a neat pyramid atop a box holding the famous 1970s Charger. Alongside it were a few picture frames. One held a photo of a younger Max and Ms.Tatianna, his mom, together on the couch. Another was of him and Tony posing together with a trophy after one of Max’s first tournament wins. The frame next to it held him and Jordan, still goofy teenagers in high school, but trying to look tough for the photo. The last was Max and me at senior prom. His arm was thrown over my shoulder and our cheeks were pressed together. Joy radiated from the wide smile on our lips and hope sparkled in our eyes. We were nothing but a couple of kids then, young and in love and figuring out life was about.
I wished I could see them in real time. Hug them and encourage them to value the bliss while it lasts. Even though they both already knew how cold and cruel the world could be, they didn’t know how much darker it was going to get. I wondered what they’d do differently if they only knew.
The click of the door opened tore my attention away from the photos. I glanced up at Max as he approached me. Already knowing what he needed, I reached behind me and grabbed his hoodie off the back of the chair.
He thanked me as he yanked it over his head. “Ready?” He asked.
Nodding, I rose from the seat.
We walked through the gym, waved goodbye to the receptionist, and headed back into the cool late summer air.
On the sidewalk, Max briefly walked behind me and nudged me onto the opposite side, farthest away from the street. His dark eyes were alert, constantly bouncing between the cars on the street to the other pedestrians walking by. If someone happened to be more than a few inches closer to me, he shuffled a bit closer, brushing our arms against each other.
My fingers gravitated towards his, twitching in his direction with every touch. Inside, I was fighting the urge to wrap around his hand, squeeze it, and silently reassure him everything was fine. I’d done it all the time when we were younger. Eventhen, he was always hyper aware of our surroundings and a bit overprotective over me. After the incident, it was only natural that instinct might’ve heightened. I just hated that I couldn’t comfort him in the way he needed.
A content silence followed us the entire walk to my father’s restaurant. Neither of us seemed to be in the mood to talk. I guessed both of us were worn out from our long days.
But I didn’t mind the quiet. We didn’t need words to enjoy each other’s company.
In his presence, my body welcomed the weight of the busy shift I just worked. All I wanted was to melt into my bed, curl up in my blankets, and watch my favorite season ofAmerican Horror Story. I remember our senior year, I’d finally convinced Max to watch it with me, and we spent an entire weekend holed up in my room, cuddling and binge-watching it.
I could go for another night like that, the thought raced through my head.
I shook the image away before it could take shape. There was no point to reminisce over the feeling of being held in Max’s arms. Even if he ever holds me again, I don’t know if it’d be the same.
We paused a few feet away from my father’s restaurant, our usual departing spot.
“Thank you for walking me,” I told him.
“Of course. It’s what I’m here for.”
My brows twitched, threatening to pinch together. His words were too close to the ones Gianna shared earlier, making me question the intent behind them.
“Don’t make that face,” he said. “We’re still friends. You…you know that, right?”
I averted my gaze. “Yeah.”
