Page 138 of All the Forbidden Things

His eyes finally meet mine, and my head begins to shake. “No, nonononono,” I sob, still frantically shaking my head. “What did she do? We can beat her. You promised, Max. You said I was brave, that she’s no match for me . . .”

“Bamm …” is all he says before pulling out his phone and making a call.

“Mick, take Layla to my mum’s, I’ll make my own way there.”

He throws his phone down on the bed behind me and goes out to the living area of the suite we’re in. I stand on the threshold, unsure of whether I want to follow him or not, and watch as he goes to the bar area and opens a bottle of red.

Retrieving two glasses from the shelf above the fridge, he moves to the sofa.

“Come sit with me, Bamm?”

He’s not looking my way, but I shake my head anyway.

“Tell me what happened first.”

I watch as he sits on the edge of the sofa and pours wine into each of the glasses. Without putting the bottle down, he picks up one of the glasses and starts drinking as he reads the label on the bottle.

“Max, don’t do this. This isn’t us, look at me. Please talk to me.”

His eyes finally meet mine, and I know.

I know. I know. I know. I don’t want to, but it’s there, written all over his face.

“Come and have a drink with me.”

“Do I need one?”

“Yeah, I think you might.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Worse.”

I move towards him and sit down on the sofa, deliberately keeping a little distance between us. I hate it, that space. It kills me, but sitting closer, breathing him in, might actually be worse.

He passes me the glass that still has wine in it, before refilling his own, which is now empty.

“She wants you gone.”

He doesn’t have to say any more than that. I know who, I know what. I just don’t understand why he’s letting it happen.

“She threatened to go public with photos and footage first of all.”

“Of what?” My stomach churns as I wait on his answer and gulp down my own wine.

“Me. Us.”

I shrug. “I don’t care.”

“I know. I knew you wouldn’t. It’s from my bedroom on the day you left for Jay and Marnie’s.”

I close my eyes for a few seconds as I remember how I came just by rocking against him. Imagining what the images might look like.

“You should’ve asked for copies. I have great tits.”

“You have fantastic tits.”

“Then let the world see them, I don’t care.”