Page 19 of Revelation (Love Isn't What It Seems 3)

“Do men that ask you to have drinks with them usually expect sex?”

His blatant, direct question was a surprise. I was glad for the night around us because it hid the heat on my face. I blushed more around this man than my entire life combined.

“I guess. Sometimes they take it as a sign that I like them.”

“And do you?”

I should lie to him. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him the lie but the truth came out instead.

“Usually not very much.” That probably meant I used men just as much as they used me. No wonder I couldn’t find happiness. The song lyrics ‘looking for love in all the wrong places’ sang in my mind, mocking me.

“Maybe it is a good sign you refused to have a drink with me then?” Maxim's voice was thoughtful, as if he was working on resolving a puzzle. “It could mean you like me at least a little bit.”

Despite myself, a strange laugh bubbled within me and escaped my lips.

“I guess you can look at it that way,” I replied. He was closer to the truth than he knew.

“So yes or no to the drink right now?”

“I can just keep you company,” I offered, lowering myself onto the marble balcony floor. “Honestly, I’m not much for drinking tonight, so maybe keeping you company is better.” He remained quiet, and I questioned myself if maybe he didn’t want my company anymore. “Unless you’d rather-”

“Yes, company would be nice.”

My eyes adjusted to the dark, but it was still hard to see him, sitting there in the shadows. I almost expected him to crack a joke or laugh, something… anything. But he sat in silence, seemingly relaxed, although it was hard to tell since I could barely see him. In the oddest way, I thought the darkness suited him.

“Hard day?” I asked, breaking the silence.

“Big day,” he replied. “I was happy to see everything went smoothly.”

“Hmmm.”

He chuckled now. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t been to many weddings, but I think most weddings go smoothly, I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Yes.”

“Have you been to a wedding that didn’t go smoothly?”

“That’s an understatement,” I muttered to myself remembering how Callen ditched Livy almost at the altar.

“Want to elaborate?”

“No, not really,” I told him. “It’s not a nice story. How about you? Been to any troublesome weddings?”

“Hmmm.”

I chuckled at his response. “That’s not really an answer.”

“Let’s say weddings are not my favorite event,” he replied.

“Why?”

The night was silent, the only noise of crickets far in the distance. I thought he wouldn’t answer when he spoke softly.

“One wedding I went to... the groom never made it. He was killed, and we found him the morning of the wedding.”

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