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“I see where he went astray,” Max continued.

My eyebrows shot up. “They’re in the parking lot, walking toward the bleachers. There’s literally no way he went astray then, or now. You can’t go astray by walking.”

“Listen close, young grasshopper.” Max pointed to both of their retreating bodies as they made their way toward the field. “There’s at least a foot of space between their bodies, her hands are limp at her sides, and she keeps clutching her fists. Our man is popping his knuckles, and they keep stealing glances at each other. If this is how he made his first move, no wonder things went south.” He shrugged. “Jason lacks the pivotal movement that allows the woman to feel comfortable, confident, and sexy, all at once.” Another pause. “He’s not touching her back, he’s not leading her, and he’s letting her flail all on her own like a damn fish out of water. And fish out of water… they eventually die.”

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

I stared at him in disbelief. Reid mimicked a similar look, as Max exchanged glances between both of us. “What? I know things.”

“I’ll be damned,” I let out a breath. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this—”

“Please don’t,” Reid interjected. “He’s already impossible to live with.”

“You’re right.” It was out before I could stop it.

Max grinned. “I have all the sex all the time, ‘cause I’m right.”

“And there it is.” Reid rolled his eyes.

“A woman needs to feel secure, not vulnerable, not after what she’s been through. Think of it this way…” Max licked his lips and narrowed his eyes, “if it started wrong, it can’t end right.”

“STOP MAKING SENSE!” I roared.

All three of us ducked when Jason and Maddy glanced behind them.

Max smacked me on the back of the head. We waited a few seconds, and then all looked again. They were back to walking, and I was back to wondering if the Jason I remembered ever had any game at all if he was twenty-seven and still struggling with the girl he’d always loved.

I tried to think back to my obsession with my wife, Milo.

And how I’d exhausted every resource in my arsenal just to find a reason to touch her, including dunking her in the pool; so yeah, near-drowning my crush was an actual move I had used during high school, but at least I’d touched her.

And Jason?

He’d been so close. He’d done the squeeze, and now?

He was touching air.

I frowned for the next few minutes and then sniffed the air. “Is that popcorn?”

Crunch, Crunch, Crunch.Max shoved a fistful into his mouth and offered me some.

And for the first time, I wasn’t annoyed with Max — not at all — because underneath all of…whatever it was he had… he was right.

Maybe this was exactly what Jason needed.