Page 43 of Cruel Love

“Yeah.” He blushed. “Something like that.”

I reached over, grabbed his hands, and gave them a quick squeeze. “I’m happy for you. He’s a great guy.”

Max fell into the seat beside me, a dreamy look on his face. “He’s the one.”

I scrunched my nose. “It’s weird, right? We’re only in our first year and have found the people we want to spend our lives with.”

He rapped his knuckles on the wood table. “I hope I’m not making a mistake.”

“Stop. Just because you’re moving in together next year doesn’t mean you can’t return to the dorms if things don’t work out. Or move in with me. That’s always an option.”

He took a deep breath.

“What about food? If you’re in an apartment, there will be a kitchen. You’re not getting a meal plan, too, are you?”

He grinned. “No to the meal plan. Besides, I like to cook. That’s the least of my problems. I’m a little concerned with the rent, even though Jax said his parents are covering it.” He frowned. “I don’t feel right about that, and it’s an ongoing discussion between us. I want to pay his parents what I pay for my dorm room. That seems fair.”

“What if it’s less split three ways, though?”

He shook his head. “Oh, baby girl, it won’t be. It’s in that new high rise on Monroe.”

My mouth formed an o. Those places were fancy. “That’s not super close to campus.”

“Two spaces come with the apartment, and I don’t think Jax’s sister has a car, but I could be wrong.” He pursed his lips for a moment. “It’s something else I’ll have to find out.”

“Have you met his parents? Living together is a big deal.”

“Not yet, but it’s coming. Jax keeps asking me to go to their house for dinner. So far, I’ve been able to avoid it, but not for much longer.”

“You need to get that over with.” I patted his leg. “Especially if he means as much to you as I think.”

“I know you’re right. I’ll do it soon. I think getting through the art exhibit and finishing all the pieces was too much to do in addition to the stress of meeting them.”

“That makes a lot of sense.”

With his elbow on the table, Max rested his chin on his hand. “I think what’s scaring me the most is living in the same space as his sister. I don’t know anything about her other than she was his foster sister and then his parents adopted her.” He narrowed his eyes. “I think. They don’t have the same last name.”

I checked my phone. We still had to be there for another hour, and the show ended in two. “You should probably get to know her before fully committing to living with her. What if she’s a raging bitch? Or likes to throw parties every weekend?”

“Ugh, can you imagine?”

I smiled because Max wasn’t a partier. He was more of a coffeehouse, listen-to-acoustic-guitar-music kind of person. I could do either, but I liked the chill vibe better and gravitated toward that with him.

“How’s Phoenix doing?”

A sliver of worry wormed into my mostly chill frame of mind. “He’s doing well. I just can’t believe everything he’s gone through lately.”

“Yeah, that aneurysm was unreal. But he’s okay? No worries from the docs?”

“He’s good. It’s just shaken me. He’s so strong and larger than life. I’ve seen him in so many stages lately, and I feel like I have whiplash from it all.”

“But he’s a fighter.” Max bopped my nose. “And before you know it, he’ll be back on that football field.”

“He will. The strides he’s made for recovery are so far ahead of schedule already. It won’t be long before he works out with the team during the off-season and watches film all the time. I’ll see less of him, and I’ve gotten used to having him around.”

“Don’t forget everything you’ve got on your plate too. The baby, the business you’re building, school…”

“I know. And we’ll find time to come together through both of our schedules. We have to.” I shrugged. “Plus, there’s childcare. He’s determined to do his share.”

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