Page 146 of Headstrong Like Us

Maximoff slowly rotates to face me, eyes reddened. He leans his stiff shoulders on the windowpane. Arms still crossed. Ready to fight the world. “I didn’t want it to be like this.” His voice is choked. “And I know he’ll be okay because you were okay, but it doesn’t make it any less hard.” He searches my eyes. “What are you thinking?”

I tap my phone against my palm, weighing how I should say this. “If I tear emotion out of this, I know there’s less of a chance Ripley will leave us. We only have to deal with Scottie. It actually makes this situation easier on a permanent guardianship level, but man, I’m still processing.” My nose flares. “Shedied.”

Fuck,my chest is tight.

I rub the corner of my eye, a tear rolling. I didn’t have to know her to care.

Maximoff abandons the window and comes closer.

“I understand what it’s like to lose a mom,” I tell him. “I didn’t want that for him either.” I was hoping we’d find Tina, and she’d have some kind of relationship with her son. More than I had, and now he has no chance.

Maximoff wraps his arms around my waist. “At least he has you.”

“And you,” I add.

Silence bleeds in the air before Maximoff fills the quiet. “For a second,” he whispers, “I imagined that was my mom—and everything went black.”That’s why he walked away.

I clutch his sharp cheek. “Your mom is definitely one of a kind.” I smile softly. “Which means Ripley has a really cool grandma.”

Maximoff stares faraway. Almost haunted.

“Where’d you go?” I wonder.

He blinks a few times, shakes his head. “I don’t want to talk about it tonight.”

I feel like it might have something to do with the guardianship. He’s moral and good, and unlike me, he won’t bring up our positions in Ripley’s life right after we just learned about Tina’s death.

I don’t push it. Instead, I just take his hand and we return to bed.

31

FARROW KEENE

The next morning,Maximoff wastes no time visiting his favorite place in the new penthouse. Early light bathes the private rooftop terrace, home to a sparkling blue pool, greenhouse garden, and gray stone patio.

I shut the terrace door and see Maximoff walking in the shallow end of the pool, his arm wrapped tight around Ripley’s waist. The baby tries to kick his legs in the water, and my lip begins to hike up, then falter.

See, we haven’t talked about the phone call last night. I was pulled away a few hours ago, and now that I’m back, I pry the earpiece out of my ear.

Maximoff’s brows crinkle at my black workout shorts, glistening shirtless chest, and sweaty hair. “I thought you had a security meeting at Studio 9. Not a boxing match.”

“It’s called multitasking.” I take a seat near them at the edge of the pool. “I can work outandbe debriefed about wedding security for three fucking hours.”

“How’d that go?” Maximoff asks seriously.

“Nothing to worry about.” I tilt my head. “Except I was repeatedly told that I’m ‘off-duty’ the entire time in Capri.” It’s a little frustrating. I’m fine with taking a backseat during parts where I’d rather be less vigilant, but we’re going to be in Italy a week before the ceremony. I’d rather be the one protecting Maximoff while we’re at the airport and sightseeing along the coast.

He’s smiling like he beat me at something.

“What?” I detach the radio from my waistband, but I can’t look away from him.

“Now you know how it feels to be the prince who wants to be the knight.”

I roll my eyes, and I can’t say he’s wrong. But I’m not about to tell him he’s right. “More like I’m the knight who has to be a prince.”

He licks his lips to hide a smile.

He likes that.