Holy shit. I’d fallen in love with Max.
The revelation caught me off-guard. I wondered what that meant for us. For me. Did he feel the same way? Was he thinking it right now?
“Dani, can you hear me?”
I slowly looked up at him. “Huh?”
He furrowed his brow. “Did you hear me?”
I blinked. “What?”
“I’ll take that as a no. I asked you how things were going with you and Hannah. I take it they’re not much better?”
I love you. “Uh, they could be worse, I guess.”
“Do you want to talk about it? I know she’s your good friend.”
I nodded slowly. “She is. I don’t want to lose her.”
“I’m sure you won’t.”
“She’s just--not really talking to me right now.”
“That what got you so distracted?”
No. “Yes.”
He eyed me carefully. “You sure?”
“Yeah. I’m sure. It’s just… sticky. I know she’s very worried about my safety with you. I just don’t get why she can’t trust me on this. She doesn't even know you.”
“In her defense, you don’t really know me.”
“And you don’t really know me.”
He grinned. “Of course I know you. You’re Dani. College girl, close with her family, people pleaser. You do everything to the best of your ability and you have your life planned out. You never want to disappoint people, even if it means burning the candle from all ends until there isn’t anything left of you.”
I blinked. “Well, I know who you are, then. You're Max. President of a club, close with his chosen family, and definitely not a people pleaser.”
He winked. “Just a people pleaser.”
My gut jumped. “You only do the things you want to do to the best of your ability, and you make no plans. You go with the flow, you throw caution to the wind, and you don’t give a shit about repercussions.”
“Oh? What el
se do you think you know?”
“I know you don’t care about disappointing people unless you care about them, too. You don’t overtax yourself because so many depend on you. But that in and of itself makes you worry more than you should. You’re strong. You’re resilient. You’re tough.”
“Anything else?”
I smiled. “And you’re more loveable than you make yourself out to be.”
He snickered. “Hardly.”
I shrugged. “I have spoken.”
“Oh, you have, have you?”