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Sloane’s eyes are so wide, I’m afraid they may pop out of her pretty little skull at any given second.
“Maybe I should just go—”
The door to my dad’s office swings open, and Max emerges, his face red, his jaw twitching, and his eyes spitting pure fire. My father appears behind him, looking perfectly calm. He even manages a smile for us, his captive audience.
“Girls, how was school? I picked up a pizza on my way home. Are you hungry?”
Sloane is still speechless. The look on her face tells me she wants to flee, but her feet are not ready to go just yet.
Maybe it’s because my brother is busy drinking her in like a dog at his water bowl on a hot summer’s day.
“Um, thanks, Dad.” I glance at Max, who can’t seem to peel his eyes off of Sloane. “Max, want to join us?”
He blinks fast, his head twisting in my direction like he was caught doing something he shouldn’t be. “No. I have to get home. There are some things I need to take care of.”
“Like your resume,” my father mutters under his breath, brushing past us. God, he can be a real tool sometimes. I know he’s my dad, but really? Did he have to cut Max down in front of Sloane like that?
“Everything okay?” I murmur to Max, placing a hand on his arm.
“Yeah.” He shrugs and forces a smile. “You know, same shit, different day.” His gaze flickers back to Sloane and his lips curl into a wistful smile. “Still okay with the blood and guts? You must see plenty with your internship.”
Sloane’s mouth falls open, and mine follows suit. He’s actually…engaging. Wow, what kind of a wake-up call did he get today?
“It’s, um, been more blood than guts so far, but there’s always next semester.” Her cheeks turn pink and she giggles. It’s a nervous one. One that shows she has no idea how to navigate this path. One that confirms she is still very much into Max.
And judging by his return smile, I finally feel like there may be a story there after all.
Why shouldn’t everyone get a happily ever after?
Events of the past few months have proven that life is just too damn short to waste lusting after something you want.
Take it, enjoy it, and then pray for a whole lot of tomorrows.
Ones without mobsters, baseball bats, and guns.