“So why not give him a shot? Just a shot. That’s all I’m asking.”
“No, Hannah. What you’re asking is that I slowly migrate myself away from Max because you don’t approve of him.”
“Can you blame me for that? I mean, look at the guy. It doesn't take a genius to know he’s into some shady shit. You really want yourself getting hurt because of his actions? Because that’s how you get yourself killed.”
I rolled my eyes. “I need coffee before this conversation.”
She sat up. “Or maybe you just need to listen to me for once.”
I picked up my mug. “No. For once, what I need to do is listen to my heart. Listen to my gut. Listen to what my own body is telling me. My entire life has revolved around what others want me to do. You, of all people, know that.”
“I’m not dictating your future here, Dani. I’m just trying to--”
“Save me? Do me a solid? Get me out of trouble I’m not actually in?”
She threw her hands in the air. “How can you not see the trouble that comes with this guy?”
I sipped my coffee black. “Hannah, I’ve had enough of this shit. I’ve chosen Max. That’s final. If you don’t like it, find another roommate. Or, better yet, I’ll put in for a transfer.”
She scoffed. “Now look who’s getting all worked up over nothing.”
“Over nothing?”
I placed my coffee down and glared at her.
“Over nothing, Hannah? You mean to tell me that giving me the cold shoulder for days, blowing up my phone and yelling at me once I get back, constantly chastising me for my decisions, and ultimately jumping down my throat every second you get is nothing? You’re really trying to sell that to me?”
She shook her head. “All I’m saying is--”
I held my hand up. “I know exactly what you’re saying. You don’t like Max. You think he’s dangerous. You think I have no business being with him. And I hear you, Hannah. I’ve registered it. I’ve logged it away as your opinion. And then, I’ve made my own decision to stick with him because that’s what I want.”
“You’re making a mistake, Dani.”
“Maybe I am. But it’s a mistake I’ve made. And I have no intention of turning my back on that man until he turns his first. Because that’s what he means to me.”
She snickered. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re in love.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I am.”
Her face fell. “Are you serious?”
“What?”
“Are you in love with that man?”
“If I am, you’d be the last to know at this point.”
She leapt out of bed. “Are you seriously telling me that you’re in love with a man who wears leather, rides a bike, smokes like a freight train, and looks like he could kill you with his bare hands? Seriously, Dani!?”
I grinned. “You’re cute when you’re upset. You know that?”
“Ugh!”
I giggled. “Hannah, I know you don’t approve of Max. But listen to me when I say your disapproval isn’t going to make me change my mind. I really care about the man. He makes me happy. He takes care of me. I mean, he may not be what you’ve always pictured in your head or what you want for me. But you of all people don’t get to decide who that person is in my life. I do. That’s under my control. And I choose him.”
“Of course you do.”
“So you can either get on board or get off. The choice is yours. But I can tell you what I will do.”