Page 15 of The Young & the Sinner

I cleared my throat and looked away from him, walking to the empty coffee mugs. “I’ll clean up while you get ready,” I said.

My crush on Mason was going to be problematic. Mostly because I was never good at hiding anything from Max. He was way too perceptive to ever let me get away with anything. I was told on countless occasions by my mom that I showed my thoughts too easily. She thought it was a weakness that I needed to change, and sometimes, I wished I could.

I thought it made my mom uncomfortable to know she had hurt me with her actions, and she wished she didn’t know.

I shrugged away the thought, gathered up the coffee mugs and walked to the kitchen, where I washed them by hand.

Mason followed Max upstairs, obviously wanting to talk to him in private, so I gave them their space. I sat down on the barstool by the kitchen island and pulled out my phone. I had a text from Lizzie.

Lizzie: Is Max home yet? How’s the birthday celebration going?

Me: He just got home. Max’s brother showed up at the house before I got home from school Me: I didn’t even know who he was. Scared the shit out if me

Lizzie: Ur kidding?! Is he still there? Is he hot?!

My cheeks burnedreading her text. How did I tell her that Mason was possibly one of the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on? That my heart was beating so badly in my chest, I thought something might be wrong with me.

Me: That’s not the point

Lizzie: Silly Olive. That is always the point. But I don’t think he’s hotter than Max

Me: Okay, can we not talk about this? U know it makes me uncomfortable whenever you say that about Max

Lizzie: LOL

I rolledmy eyes and put the phone away. It was true that Max was handsome. I had seen the way women looked at him wherever we went. I wasn’t naïve enough to think Max was faithfully waiting for my mom. I knew he dated his fair share of women, and I also knew he took them to his bed.

I caught one of his one-night stands trying to sneak out of his house last year when my mom dropped me off at Max’s one morning. The awkwardness that encounter left behind stayed between us for days.

It was the last time I ever showed up to his house unannounced.

And now, I wondered how I was affecting his dating life. Would Max remain a bachelor forever because he was too busy taking care of me?

I hoped that wasn’t the case, even if the thought of sharing Max’s attention with some other women left a sour taste in my mouth.

Voices carried down the stairs, and then both men emerged, laughing about something. I smiled before I realized I was doing it. It was good to see Max so happy. Standing side by side, I could see that my earlier assessment had been correct. Mason was taller and bulkier than Max, but not by much. If you didn’t pay close attention, they looked to be built the same.

“Alright, kiddo. Why don’t you go get ready and we can leave in fifteen minutes, okay?” Max said.

“Okay.”

He ruffled my hair when I passed him, and I shot him a look that made him laugh. I was going to have to put my hair in a ponytail if Max kept this up.

I changed quickly, opting for a business-casual look: a light red dress that went down to my knees, brown ankle boots, and a leather jacket. Lo Scoglio was a nice place, but it wasn’t that nice. When I put on some lipstick, I thought I looked presentable enough for the place.

I always thought my brown hair and brown eyes made me look mousy, but there wasn’t anything that could be done about that. And if I put in the effort with makeup, Max might think I was prettying myself up for Mason. Even if I was half-tempted to do it for that very reason, I didn’t want Max to know I had developed a small crush.

So I pinched my cheeks a little to help with my pale complexion, called it as good as it was going to get, and walked out the door.

---