“I’m not?”
“No.” He kicked a stone, sending it flying across the sidewalk.
It was half on my mind to ask him who the enemy was if it wasn’t me, but I couldn’t find the words.
This whole conversation had been weird, and I didn’t have the headspace to take on someone else’s troubles.
“Are you seeing Nix tonight?” he asked me, and I shook my head.
“He’s busy.”
“Doing what?”
“He said he had some stuff to take care of.”
“Cryptic.”
Cryptic indeed. But I was trying not to think about what he could be doing or who he was with.
Nix was popular at Darling Hill High. Everyone wanted to hang out with the Hawks star quarterback. Maybe something came up. A team thing… a guys’ thing.
I shut down those thoughts. Overthinking it wouldn’t end well, not with how irritated I’d been all day.
Nix had a life outside of me. He had school, the team, responsibilities. I didn’t expect him to just give those up for me, and I didn’t want him to. But anxiety was a bitch, twisting and turning things into something they weren’t.
“I like him,” Max said. “I didn’t think I would, but there’s something real about him.” I murmured some unintelligible reply and Max went on, “Wouldn’t have put the two of you together, but I guess—”
“What do you mean?” I asked, already knowing his answer.
“Wilder is so confident and sure of himself and you’re… not. No offense.”
“None taken.” My lips thinned, my stomach churning.
Did he honestly think I didn’t know how different Nix and I were? Of course I knew. It’s what made all of this so hard.
Nix could go off to college and make something of himself. With a little determination and drive, he could chase his dreams and achieve them. I, on the other hand, could barely get through the day.
When it came down to it, I was just another burden for him to shoulder.
Silence swirled around us, filling the space between us as we headed for the estate.
“Can I ask you something?” I said. “Two things actually.”
Max nodded. “Sure.”
“Firstly, how did you know… about me and Nix?”
“Ah, that.” He ran a hand down his face. “That night you went to Nate’s, I was there.”
“You were—what?”
“Toby, he lets me stay over sometimes. When I need to get out of the house. I have a key to their pool house. I saw you all.”
“That’s… I don’t know what to say. Does Nate know? Their parents?”
“Not officially, no. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention it to him.”
“Another favor?” I asked, a little incredulous.