An Ounce of Hope(125)

Taking a deep breath that hurt like hell, he risked taking a step closer.

She looked up at him, beautiful and scared.

"I'm sorry," he repeated quietly, memorizing Grace's face. "Truly I am." He ran a hand through his hair. "I just needed to tell you that." He looked around the gallery toward her photographs. "These are really something, Grace."

He reached for her hand, ecstatic that she didn't pull away, and kissed her knuckles gently. "You're amazing. Congratulations."

And with that, Max smiled sadly at her one last time, released her hand, turned, and walked away.





Riley dropped Max off at the body shop.

Feeling utterly mauled, Max knew that the smell of gas and oil would keep his mind off the regret gripping him. The ride in the Jeep was silent, yet Max felt Riley's troubled glances on him every couple of seconds.

"You sure you don't want me to take you home, or even to Carter's?" Riley asked, concerned. "Shit, man, you can come back to mine if you want."

Max smiled small and shook his head. "I'm okay," he said, softly unclipping his seat belt. "I just need to be here for a while."

"If you're sure. You call if you need anything," Riley uttered. "I can call Tate-"

"No, I'm fine." He sighed. "I'm not gonna do anything stupid. I know she deserves better than me." He clasped a hand to his friend's shoulder. "I appreciate what you did, though, man."

Riley nodded sharply.

Max climbed out of the Jeep, pulled his keys from his pocket, and unlocked the body shop, then slipped quietly inside. The familiar smells and the cool air immediately calmed a part of Max that yearned for a time when shit was easier; when he was younger, cleaner, and his father was the only thing he had to worry about. He flicked on lights as he went, moving around the three cars the guys had been working on, and made his way to the office. He pushed the leather seat back from the desk and dropped into it, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. He closed his eyes against the hurt he'd seen on Grace's face, and breathed. 

He meant what he'd said to Riley: Grace deserved better than him. He'd acted like a complete asshole; he'd wounded her, himself, and now he'd lost her. Max wasn't entirely prepared for the sensation of loss that folded through him, but he embraced it all the same. Feeling something was better than feeling nothing at all and, like Tate always said, it reminded Max that he was alive. And, despite all that had happened, including tonight, Max did want to be alive.

It was with that last thought that, emotionally exhausted, Max slowly drifted off to sleep.

Max awoke with a start. He groaned when his neck protested at the quick movement, stiff and sore. He rubbed at it and yawned, slightly disoriented, chancing a glance at the clock on the office wall. It was after 1 a.m.

"Shit."

He pulled at his tie, loosening it and pulling it from around his neck, before he undid the top two buttons of his shirt and rolled up the sleeves to his elbows. It was then that he heard a knock. Was that what had woken him?

Cocking his head to listen, the knock came again, this time harder and for longer. Standing on sleepy legs, Max trailed a hand through his hair and approached the door cautiously. Who the hell would be knocking on a body shop door at this time of night? He paused by the side of a large wrench, seriously considering whether or not to pick it up on the off chance that trouble stood on the other side of the door. He grabbed it and leaned it against the side of the wall within easy reach should shit go down. He unlocked the dead bolt, pulled back the second lock, and opened the door a crack.

"Grace."

She stood on the sidewalk, still in her yellow dress. Max opened the door wider. "What are you doing here?"

Grace shook her head. "I don't know."

"Come in." Max stood back as she glanced over her shoulder toward a taxicab that Max belatedly realized was waiting for her. She held up her hand, fingers wide apart, indicating five minutes, and moved past Max into the body shop.

He closed the door behind her. If five minutes was all he had with her, Max knew he couldn't waste a second. "Can I get you anything?"

"No," she answered quickly. "My cab won't wait."

Max dipped his chin in understanding, his head still sleep addled. "Wait. How are you here?" he asked in confusion. "How did you know where I was?"

"Your friend came back to the gallery. He told me where you would be if I changed my mind about speaking to you."

Riley. Well that shit was unexpected. "That's why you're here, you want to talk?" Max hedged.

Grace licked her lips and took a deep breath. "I wanted to know why you came tonight."