Page 56 of Headstrong Like Us

“Lily heard some noise, and I came down to make sure Kinney wasn’t trying to communicate with the dead. She has school tomorrow.” He flashes a tight smile. “Didn’t expect to see my son crying—”

“Dad—”

“You can cry, bud.” He tries to soften his tone. “You know that?”

Maximoff looks like he wants to be anywhere but here. I place a hand on the back of his neck. He practically leans into my palm.

“I know, Dad,” Maximoff says. “But I promise, I’m fine.”

Lo hones in on me comforting Maximoff, and he seems to stare faraway, then he nods. “Alright.” He heads towards the fridge, and I can’t mistake the look he slips me.

It’s athank you.

For taking care of his son.

It only concerns me because he looks like shit. Exhausted, tensed, and I remember the footage in the docuseries where Lo saw our love and felt a lack of responsibility towards his son.

If Maximoff doesn’t need his dad anymore, then why not go grab a drink?

“How are you doing, Lo?” I ask.

He inspects a leftover container of ground beef and cheese. “Better than yesterday. Or so my new therapist tells me.”

I go cold. “New therapist?”

Maximoff tries to conceal his dread by blinking. A hell of a lot.

Lo sniffs the leftover beef. “How old is this?” He throws the container on the counter and hunts for other food. “Yeah, my therapist retired, and he recommended some guy that he helped mentor. Kaden Simmons—I think he’s around your age, Farrow.”

I comb a hand through my hair. I feel sick.

Maximoff is now trying to comfort me, his strong hand on my taut shoulder. It tookeverythingin me not to confront that fucker at Hale Co.—I let him drift away.

For Maximoff, I’m sure this is just mortifying at worst. His old hookup is his dad’s therapist.

For me, this is a fucking nightmare. Kadenhurthim when he should’ve cared about Maximoff enough to go slow and be safe. It was Maximoff’s first time. And Kaden didn’t give a shit.

I actually fucking hate him—to the point where I want to get in his face.

Fuck, if he tries to speak to Maximoff, I might lose it. Easy solution: I tell Lo that Kaden slept with his son. He’d fire him.

That bastard will never be in our stratosphere.

But I’m biting my tongue.

Lo isn’t in a good place, and I care about his health like Maximoff does. Only bad will come from me exploding a bomb at his feet and ripping away a tool he’s using to get better. Maximoff won’t want that either.

“You like your new therapist then?” I ask, trying to sound casual.

He pops open another leftover container. “So far, so good.”

11

FARROW KEENE

Burstsof light strike my groggy, half-lidded eyes. Wrenching me awake. After the intense sex, emotional conversation, and “Kaden is Lo’s therapist” gut-punch realization, I feel like we just blew up the air mattress and fell asleep.

But I adjust fast. Used to kicking my ass awake for my job: medicine and security. I turned my phone on silent so the vibration wouldn’t disturb Maximoff, but the screen lights up from texts.