Beyond Eighteen(54)

“Well, babe, sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do,” she countered in a low, brawly tone.

“Well, I don’t really believe that. What the hell is keeping Joanie from going with you, anyway?” I responded without thinking. The words just rolled off my tongue. Wilson’s body stiffened as she stared at me. She thrust her hands against my chest, pushing me away, before slamming her hand against her hip. She didn’t have to say a word; the look on her face said everything.

Damn it, I’ve offended her.

“Well, I’m sorry you don’t believe me,” she spat.

“It’s not like that. You know what I mean.” I reached out for her, but she wasn’t giving me a chance.

“Do I, Max?” she responded in a cheeky tone. “I didn’t tell J you weren’t going. I didn’t want her to change her plans for me.”

“What plans? I thought she came here to be with you! What plans are more important than going home with her best friend?” I asked. Her words seemed to come from out of left field. Wasn’t it just yesterday that Joanie was protecting Wilson?

“Well, her plans changed,” Wilson said as she looked down at the floor, adding “What am I supposed to do? She’s fallen for him.”

“Who’s ‘him?’” I asked, knowing full well who she was talking about. I felt every muscle in my body constrict. My breathing became weak as I swallowed every word that wanted to fly from my mouth.

“Nick,” she whispered.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve gotta be kidding me! Of all people…I can’t believe she’s blowing you off for that asshole!” She knows what happened. How can she be with that snake? I never saw this coming. Joanie would never flake on Wilson like that.

“She’s not blowing me off, Max. I kinda told her to go for it.”

“Are you forgetting that he tried to keep us apart? I mean, he lied to you and took advantage of you. He’s lucky I didn’t fuck him up more than I did,” I said as I came toward her.

She pushed her hands against my chest again, keeping a barrier between us.

“Max, don’t act this way. This isn’t really just about who J is spending her time with. You’re right, Nick is an asshole, but don’t take it out on J. It isn’t her fault. This is about the fact that you can’t go with me to the Bay Area. We could have never imagined how this trip was going to turn out.”

She tried to push me away, but I wouldn’t let her. Every time she stopped me from wrapping my arms around her it only made me more determined to get her in my embrace. I needed to hold her, make her see that I was only concerned about her.

I smiled at her, trying to let her know I totally understood what she’s saying. I tilted my head and gave her my “forgive me” eyes. Damn, if it didn’t work like a charm…

She stopped fighting me and surrendered to my embrace. I tightened my arms around the small of her back as I pulled her body in close to mine. I could feel her heart slamming in her chest and her muscles letting go of the tension that filled their fibers.

“I can’t handle this. I need to find a way to go back to California…with you,” I said before pressing my lips to hers.

Wilson pulled away and dropped her forehead against my chest. She exhaled gruffly as I felt her warm breath pierce through my shirt, and as if it was synchronized, within seconds her entire body caved against mine, surrendering to the fact that there was nothing we could do to change our fate. Tomorrow she was going to board a plane back to California without me.





Chapter Twenty-one


~ Wilson ~





I wasn’t about to tell Max that I scared shitless and that I really didn’t want to fly back to the Bay Area without him. It wasn’t that I couldn’t handle doing it, or even that I had to face my grandparents’ lawyers on my own. I was scared to spend five months away from him. A lot can happen in five months, and even though I was totally aware that Max loved me, and when I rationalized my thoughts, it didn’t make sense to be scared; but there was still this needling, small voice in the back of my head telling me that he would move on. A low, rumbling voice that told me that, somewhere in the scheme of all things, he would finally wake up and see that I wasn’t worth waiting for. Irrational, I know; but nonetheless, the thought was still there in the back of my head.

“Max? You need to come back to the meeting,” I heard Camille bellow from the great room. Max looked at me, his eyes mirroring every feeling that was swirling in my gut. I didn’t want to let him go, and he didn’t want to leave; but when family called, he had to answer. I swallowed all the disappointment building in my body.