She didn’t want to hear him lie, so Chloe frantically changed the subject. “Genevieve Bianca? How long were you with her?”
“We were dating on and off for a few months. I wouldn’t say I was ‘with’ her.”
“Max.”
His big shoulders curved down in defeat. “I don’t really know what happened. We finished a site early. The captain had some connection to her uncle. They wanted to see a real treasure wreck. He invited them out for a postseason dive, and I was the one in charge of instructing and outfitting them.” He raised a heavy hand, as if he was too tired to complete a gesture. “The dives were done for the season, and…we hung out.”
“And?”
“And she seemed like she needed someone around her who wasn’t looking for a handout. I don’t know.”
“She needed help.”
“Yes.”
“So you stuck around?”
“I suppose I did. When I wasn’t working.”
Chloe felt suddenly drained, as if she were a puppet whose strings had just been cut. She wished she hadn’t bothered sitting up. Now flinging herself back down would just look melodramatic, and she wanted to hold herself still. Genevieve had needed help and Max hadn’t been working. That sounded awfully familiar.
“So,” he said, “that’s why the press is so crazed today. They finally figured out who I was. I wasn’t really part of her red carpet entourage. I only occasionally shared a picture with Genevieve, but that was enough, I suppose.”
She nodded as if she understood, but it was just starting to hit her. All her imaginings of Max were constructed around the isolation of his job. A romantic fantasy world, where Max sailed over turquoise seas by day and lounged in his solitary cabin at night. She’d forgotten that he sometimes got off the boat and wandered free and handsome through the world. With someone willowy and vulnerable.
This was awful.
“I’m sorry,” Max murmured. “I should have told you. I should have warned you. But it never occurred to me that they’d make the connection.”
“Unfortunately, they’re pretty damn good at what they do.”
He took her hand and cradled it carefully in his own. “I’m really, really sorry, Chloe.”
She didn’t want to be another one of those girls. Actually, she did. She wanted to be coddled and stroked and taken care of, but…in a different way. She didn’t want to be coddled and stroked and taken care of because she needed him. She wanted all that because he needed her.
But that wouldn’t be good for Max. Not with his history.
Chloe took a deep breath. “Ma
ybe you should go.”
The edges of his eyes tightened. He squeezed her hand. “Maybe I should.”
Oh, no. She hadn’t meant for him to agree. Not so quickly. Not so easily.
“You should go stay with your parents. It’s only going to be a few more days, and you need to be with someone.”
Her head felt strangely light when she shook it. “I don’t.”
“You do. Maybe Jenn could come stay with you.”
Now she felt panicked again. Why had she suggested he leave? “No. Jenn and I… I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She’s been acting strange. We haven’t talked since Thursday night. I called her, but she hasn’t called back.”
He ran his free hand through his hair with a sigh. “I’ll only draw more attention to you if I stay.”
“Just for a little while then. Just until tomorrow?”
He met her gaze, his eyes fathomless brown. A burst of laughter leaked from the window that faced the alley, and he looked toward it. She saw defeat flash over his face like a wince. “If you need me to stay, then I’ll—”