Font Size
Line Height

Page 50 of Invisible String (The Underground #1)

I’ve never told a soul about the scars on Max’s back, how his father would hit him. It’s personal and not my story to tell.

“I’m not sure I’ve thought that far ahead. I just don’t trust my heart with him.” Or any other part of my body. It feels too good.

“You haven’t had sex in four years, and I don’t know how you’ve done without it.” I narrow my eyes at her. “Okay, sorry, I know why you haven’t. It’s me who doesn’t understand because I’ve never found anything like you had with him. It must be fate for you two to see each other again.”

Finally, it’s our turn. “Strawberry cone for me,” I say.

“Double chocolate,” Lana adds. We both pay and walk to a clothing store.

“I don’t know what it is. But he’s been coming by every day we’re open.” Except for that one Saturday. I don’t know where he was, but I was watching the door pathetically. “After the kiss, when he showed up, I felt stuck. I don’t know what to do after all he said.”

Lana licks the cone around to catch all the drips. “Is it possible to be friends with him without getting attached again? Or sleeping with him, telling your heart not to get emotional? Like a no-strings-attached type of ordeal?”

I raise my brows. “Maybe if it was a guy I’d never met or knew little about, but this is Max. The man I love. I mean loved.”

“Oh boy, Ney. You're in for a ride. The question you should ask yourself is, what if he keeps trying and you keep pushing him away? One day, he stops coming. You have to understand, hun, that if it’s months and months of trying, a person can only take so much rejection, and he’ll get the hint.

You sure you really don’t want him? How will you react to that? Will it be okay, or will it break you?”

I hate her questions because she’s right. I love seeing him as much as I’m terrified of being with him and hurting me. “It would break me,” I whisper.

She places a wet kiss on the side of my head. “I know it would, babe. How about you start with small talk instead of biting his head off every time?”

We try on a couple of outfits and dresses, and dinner with my dad is forgotten. We walk back to our car with bags in hand. Shopping really helps. I needed it.

“I have something to tell you.” Lana gives me a devilish smirk.

“What did you do?” I laugh.

She stops midway on the sidewalk and fists a hand on her hips. “Why do you think I did something?”

“I’ve known you since middle school. Now spill it.”

We continue walking. “I’m just going to blurt it. I had sex in the hospital while at work, on a hospital bed.”

Oh, titties. It’s my turn to cover my mouth. “With a doctor, nurse, or another employee?”

She shakes her head, grinning.

Oh wow. “A patient?”

“Ding, ding, you’re correct,” Lana says in a game host voice. “So, let me explain here. I had a patient who needed stitches on the side of his forehead.”

“Oh God, Lana, don’t tell me you fucked an incoherent patient.”

“Jeez, I’m not a lowlife. He was very awake and hard.”

“You’re right. Finish.”

She rolls her eyes playfully. “Okay. He’s hot, Rainey.

It’s like you want to live inside him, hot.

He had this accent that drove me wild. I don’t know why him telling me he got into a fight turned me on.

The chemistry was nothing I’d experienced.

He said, ‘You’re gorgeous.’ He was breathing, heaving as I patched him up.

I was shaking. I don’t shake, Rainey.” No, she never acts out of sorts with men.

Lightning strikes the night sky, and the smell of rain fills the air.

Lana continues. “We both kept our gaze on one another. He asked me some questions. You know, small talk. After I was done sewing him, we kissed, and it got heated. I told him I wanted him, and he said the same. Then he pulled his pants down, then I slid off mine, and we fucked. It was quick, but damn, it was good.”

We reach our cars. I press the fob to unlock my vehicle, then slide my bags into the back seat. I turn to Lana. “This is a crazy story, but hot. So, are you two seeing each other?”

She sucks in her bottom lip. “I told him I was going to be right back. I need to see another patient. When I came back, he was gone.”

My shoulders slump. “Did you at least get his name and number?”

She sighs heavily. “Not from him. I saw his medical chart. It doesn’t matter though.

He saw it as a one-night stand. It’s stupid to think he might have been into me.

At least that’s what I thought I saw and felt.

” Lana might say she’s okay with a one-night stand, but she’s honestly not.

She wants more, but she hides it in her smiles and laughter. My heart breaks for her blue eyes.

“Maybe you should call him?”

“No, if he wanted more, he would have stayed to give me his number himself. I’m not going into his medical records.” She’s one hundred percent right. “He knows where to find me.”

When I wrap her in a hug, my friend smells of wildflowers and ocean breezes from all the sample perfumes she sprayed.

We say our goodbyes. She drives home to her empty house, and I drive to mine.

We have thought about being roommates at one point, but I know she doesn’t want me to see her take a guy home.

That would imply I would see her face when another guy walks out on her, not wanting more than just her body.

My thoughts go to Max. He wants me to tie him down, but first we need to start from the beginning.

But we need to begin openly, without barriers, a little at a time.

He wants me to uncover who he truly is beneath all his layers.

I’ll do just that, peeling them away, one by one.

However, my defenses will be up, and if he wants to get through, he’ll need to earn my trust.

The café opens at six as the first light of dawn creeps over the horizon.

Outside, the air is filled with the cheerful chirping of birds, and the golden rays of the sun spill across the sidewalk.

I carefully place the chalkboard sign by the entrance, meticulously writing out today’s special: a decadent Nutella-stuffed croissant paired with a refreshing matcha smoothie.

Pride swells in my chest as I step back to admire the café I built from the ground up.

The entrance is adorned with a cascade of vibrant flowers, their petals glistening with dew, and wrapped with delicate strands of twinkling fairy lights, creating an inviting and enchanting atmosphere.

I head to the back and complete baking a hundred dozen cookies. Isabelle arrived earlier than I did to begin baking the breads that require more time in the oven. Having two new employees has really improved things. I’m thinking of adding more items to the menu.

My body erupts with flames of desire when I hear Max’s voice. “Good morning, Isabella.”

“Good morning, joven . How have you been?” Isabella asks.

Luckily, my Spanish has been sharpening up. According to Isabella, I can pronounce words perfectly. Joven means young man. I think I got that right.

“I’m good. I’ve just been busy with work and boxing. How have you been?” he says in Spanish. That was easy for me to pick up. They act like they’re best friends. Well, he is here every day except Sundays.

“And you still make time to come here every day?” she says in their native tongue.

“ Siempre para ella ,” he answers Isabella, saying, “always for her,” and my heart flutters like a bouquet of butterflies. “Where is she?”

“In the back, making the last batch of cookies. What can I get you?” Isabella asks.

I retrieve the last batch of white macadamia nut cookies from the oven. Max orders the usual croissant with eggs, white cheddar, bacon, and avocado. And the special Matcha smoothie.

When I’m done, I set the cookies on the cooling rack and make myself a sourdough breakfast sandwich. My stomach grumbles. I’ve been up since three this morning.

Nervously, I walk toward the front with my plate and lemonade.

Kathy, the new employee, sets his breakfast and a smoothie on the table.

I’m starting to second-guess my actions here, but he looks up from his plate, and damn, he is perfect.

His smile dimples as he takes me in. I look like I've fallen into a bag of flour. “Hey, sunshine.”

For the first time since seeing Max again, I give him a genuine smile.

“Are you going to eat with me?” His stunningly beautiful green eyes gaze up at me with hope.

My hands tremble underneath the plate. “Umm, can I?”

God, his frown is so cute. “Rainey, of course, you can.” He stands and pulls the chair out for me. He reaches for my trembling hands when he sits back down. “Relax, it’s just me.” He rubs his warm hand in my cold hands.

Now that I’m not sucking on his face or yelling at him, I take in his features, really take him in.

His golden tan skin glistens in the warm ray of sunlight cascading through the window.

A new scar is visible on his chin. Not big, but I notice.

I’m sure it’s from boxing. His hair looks tousled, as though he’s combed it with his fingers, with a stray strand casually falling to one side.

Max opens his croissant and takes out the inside. Our croissants are always freshly made every morning.

“How’s the café coming along? It’s great in here. Having a bookstore combined is brilliant.” He eats the inside and not the croissant. I’m highly offended.

“Is there something wrong with it?” Worry lines crease my forehead.

He looks down at his plate. “No, not at all.” He gives me a weak smile. “It’s that I can’t really eat a lot of carbs. I’m trying to stick to more protein and healthy food. The croissants are amazing. It’s just that I’m training for the fight.”

My mouth goes into a big O. “I see.”

“Don’t worry. I’m taking the croissants home. It won’t go to waste. Daisy loves croissants.”

Wait who? Does he have a child? No, that can’t be.

He reaches over and, with his index finger under my chin, he lifts my head up to me with his gaze. “Daisy is my dog. I bet you’d love her. She’s a German shepherd.”

My ears grow hot. “I figured as much…that it was a dog.”

His head falls back in laughter like a kid.

“Stop it.”

“Sorry, you’re just too cute.” He covers his laugh with a napkin.

“Daisy is a cute name,” I tell him, to get him from staring at me like he wants to kiss me.

He takes a bite of his eggs. “She’s a cute dog. A puppy.”

He only had three mouthfuls, and he’s done. Not much protein. “I’ll be right back. Okay?” I stand from my chair, and he gives me a tilted-head frown.

He nods, and I rush to the back.

Five minutes later, I’m back with an omelet with six eggs, spinach, turkey, cheese, and sliced avocados.

I set the plate in front of him. “You said you needed protein. It’s not enough, what’s in the croissant.

” I bashfully twist my fingers. I know I’m doing anything to avoid sitting in front of him to ask a question I wondered about.

Four years ago, I was willing to do anything to run into him at the cabin to the point of leaving him cupcakes at his doorstep.

Now I’m a mess doing anything to avoid a conversation.

I do think protein is important, though.

Max gently tugs my hands, then places a warm kiss on my knuckles. “Thank you, baby. You didn’t have to. You need to eat. Your food is cold.”

He scoots my chair closer, and I sit, our legs touching.

We eat in silence for five minutes. I’m grateful he sees I need it. I roll my shoulders to ease the tension in the back of my neck. “Max, can I ask you a question?”

He drops his fork, then leans back in his chair. “Sure.” He gives me his undivided attention.

“When did you start your business?”

He watches me pensively. “What you’re asking is how did I get this far, and what happened that night?”

The cold lemonade soothes the dry patch in my throat. “Yes…regardless of what happened between us, I’m proud of you. I’m not asking because I think you weren’t capable.”

“The night I left, I wasn’t in a good place.”

Ad If ads affect your reading experience, click here to remove ads on this page.