Page 91 of Barging In

“Off to see Jasper?” she teased.

“I’m going to see Victoria, actually,” Max replied with a tight grin. “But I might pop in on him.”

“What are you seeing her for?” Clem asked, jealousy biting at her as she did.

“I’m going to ask her about that barn. I talked it over with Jasper, and he thinks it’s a great idea. So did my parents.”

“Tell her I sent you,” Clem said, hoping to win herself a few brownie points, “and suggest a couple of months rent-free. I’m sure she’ll be open to it.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be ontheirside?” Max asked with a smirk.

“Currently, I’m on no side,” Clem replied with a loud sigh — loud enough, apparently, for Max to climb aboard, concern etched across his face.

“What’s up?”

Clem couldn’t help it. She launched right in. “I went round for dinner last week… and we kissed.”

“Wowsers!” Max staggered back, leaning dramatically against the gunwale. “I did not see that one coming — and certainly not that glum face because of it.”

“Mmm.” Clem gave a noncommittal hum. “We haven’tspoken since that night. She’s clearly avoiding me, so I’m doing what I can to avoid her.”

“Well, that always works out well,” he teased. “What happened?”

“She’s married, remember? I think it hit her hard after we kissed — that she broke a vow, I mean. She said I complicated things.”

“Well… haven’t you?” Max said gently. “Her marriage might be far from perfect — Jasper filled me in on a few things — but she was probably happily ignoring that until you came along and kissed her.”

Clem’s jaw loosened. “She kissed me!”

“I bet she couldn’t resist you.”

Clem sniffed out a laugh, too tired to argue. “She’s got these rules she lives by. Rules she sets herself for this sort of open marriage she has.”

“Open marriage?” Max questioned. “Jasper thought Drew was having an affair.”

Clem shook her head, realising she might have said too much.

“Some people need rules,” Max said. “And if that’s how she’s coped through a shitty marriage, I don’t think you can blame her. But hang on — if it’s an open marriage, doesn’t that mean she could see you?”

“It’s a very one-sided open marriage, from what I can gather.”

“Oh. Right.” He frowned. “She can’t love him, surely? He’s awful.”

Clem shook her head again. “No, love doesn’t come into it anymore. But they’re financially tied, and Victoria doesn’t want to be financially untied.”

Max looked up at the wharf. “Oh. Darn.”

“Yep.”

“I get it. You want her. But if she’s not free, you have toaccept it and move on, even if you know she feels the same. Some people’s lives are messy. You can’t force these things; she has to come to it willingly. All you can do is be a friend, if that’s possible. Either that will be enough to entice her away from the dark side, or it won’t, but at least you keep her in your life.”

“Isn’t that worse?” Clem winced. “Being friends when all you want is to be lovers? Iknowshe wants me. She even admitted she wanted to sleep with me.”

Max tightened his lips and shook his head. “You have to find a way to make friendship enough.”

Clem nodded, more in thought than agreement. “You know, she dropped everything last week to take me to the hospital." Noticing his concern, she added quickly, “My mum broke a finger. Victoria hung around at the hospital, then gave us all a lift home. And this was after my parents had been rude to her. My ex wouldn’t have even turned the television down so I could take the call.”

“Sounds like someone cares about you,” Max allowed, “but divorce is a big step. Give her time. I doubt anyone could resist you for too long, especially when the alternative is her creepy husband. He gave me the right ick.”