Emily pulled away and Max pushed his hands to her cheeks before twisting one of her dark brown curls around his finger and delicately tucking it behind her ear. God it hurt so bad to see him touch her that way. Suddenly I couldn’t keep myself from hyperventilating. I watched as Emily smiled at him; her eyes twinkled with every word he whispered to her. Her hands clutched either side of his white dress shirt. My knees buckled, causing me to lean forward. I caught myself before I fell apart in the hall. Ugh! This is my fault. I should have never left, I should have never kissed Nick, and I should have been there with him as he buried his father. But mostly, I should have never left.
Chapter Fourteen
~ Max ~
Emily didn’t handle death well; she never could. But who am I to talk? When Mallory killed herself I dropped into the deepest, most fucked-up depression ever! It was a lonely, desolate place deep within me that I never knew existed. Emily would come by every day and check up on me. I guess, years later, nothing’s changed for her. She knew the routine and seemed to be slipping so comfortably back into it. Only thing was, I didn’t need her to do that this time.
“Thank you for coming over and checking up on me,” I mumbled. I felt her arms press against my sides, her hands hot against my back as she rubbed them up and down my lats.
“Well, Max, you’re welcome. You know I’m here whenever you need me,” Emily sang as she leaned her body into mine. I can’t say it wasn’t comfortable, and considering our past, it would be normal to feel her do this. But it wasn’t romantic for me; I mean she’d been my friend since we were little. I just didn’t need the same attention she wanted to give me now that I was with Wilson. As she looked up at me her blue eyes danced back and forth and her bangs tangled with her eye lashes. I wrapped a curl of her hair around my finger before I pushed it behind her ear.
“Thanks for that, Em. I’d better get back to my family,” I whispered.
“You mean back to that girl, Wilson, right?” she answered back.
“Yeah, she is my girlfriend Em.” I pulled her hands off from around me.
“Really? Where was she today when you really needed her?” Emily said in a short tone. “Girlfriends don’t just leave their boyfriends alone at one of the worst times of their lives,” she spat. I could see her chest beginning to heave and the edges of her curls vibrate with every breath she took.
“Emily, please don’t disrespect Wilson. You have no idea—”
“Max, she left you…literally, right after your father died.”
“Em, I’m asking you to stop.” I could feel my teeth grind as she bashed Wilson.
“She isn’t right for you.”
“I think you should go now. I’ll tell my family you came by,” I growled in a stern voice. I could feel the muscles in my arms and shoulders tighten.
“I’m sorry, Max, but I had to say something, as someone who’s known you all your life and cares a lot about what happens to you.” Emily weaved her arm around mine as she pushed her other hand against my chest. “Calvin told me she’s one of your students, and that you lost your job back in California because of her.”
I couldn’t fucking believe the words spewing from her mouth. Who in the hell does she think she is? She has no idea about my life with Wilson. The temperature in my face rose and I felt like my entire body was on fire, burning every fucked-up memory I had of my life into the forefront of my mind. Every ounce of restraint I had was dissolving in her remarks.
“If you’ve ever cared about me, you’d be happy for me. Finally I’ve found someone who makes me happy. Someone that makes me feel alive again. I love her, more than anything or anyone I’ve ever loved in my life. If you knew what was best you’d leave, before you say anything else to ruin our friendship. I’ll tell my mom you came by.” I didn’t give her an opportunity to answer. I grabbed her arm and pushed her out the front door.
“I’m sorry, Max,” she cried as she stumbled over the threshold.
“Yeah, me too,” I snapped as I slammed the door.
The weight of what I did landed on my shoulders and I couldn’t get my eyes to leave the floor. I leaned down just enough to push my hands against the tops of my knees. What the hell just happened? I can’t believe she did that to me. I closed my eyes and stood up. I needed to collect all the crap Emily laid on me and let it go. I took a huge breath, giving my lungs the oxygen they craved, giving my body the strength I needed to go back and deal with Calvin and Dan. Emily’s words blasted through my mind.