Page 117 of Lovers Like Us

Kinney, Xander, Luna, and Maximoff loudly discussed who was better: Batman or IronMan.

“Parenting never gets easier,” he said to me. “Not when you love them, and you need to be hard on them, but you’re afraid to break them. And you think you’re doing everything right as a parent because you know what’s wrong, but still, it’s inevitable. We’ll fail. We always do, but if I learned anything in my fucked-up life, it’s that picking ourselves up is what matters. And Lily and I—her and me—we can survive anything. And if we can, they can.” He nodded, then looked to me. “Words of wisdom from an unwise man. Take it or leaveit.”

I told him, “It’s better than anything my old man has eversaid.”

He put a hand on my shoulder. “No offense, I’d believe you more if you weren’t fighting withhim.”

I smiled. “True.” But I tried to find a memory where my father looked at me the way that Loren Hale looked at hiskids.

Medicine was supposed to bring me closer to family, but I’d never felt the strength of one until I joined security. Shit, I couldfeelhow deep and connected Lily and Lo were to their kids. It doesn’t surprise me how empathetic Maximoff is when he has parents likethat.

On the tour bus, Maximoff digests his dad’s words slowly. “So…” he says. “You want Luna tostay?”

“Do Iwanther to stay? Hell no,” Lo tells him. “But when she talked to me and your mom, she said she felt internally ‘trapped’—like she couldn’t breathe, and she just needed to getout.”

Fame is a motherfucker. Stifling. And Luna is flighty, restless. With that combination, I’m not that shocked she’d try to leave Philly if the opportunity appeared. And it did with thistour.

I unwrap a piece of gum, and Maximoff lies back on the couch, his legs outstretched over my lap. Phone on his chest. He fixates on the blinkinglights.

I wave a hand in front of his face.Come on, wolfscout.

“Huh?” He rubs hiseyes.

“Can we FaceTime?” Lo asks, concern in hisvoice.

“I’m alright.” He licks his lips. “So let me get this straight. Luna is staying here?” He tries to sit up, but he just falls backdown.

I restrain a laugh and pop gum in my mouth. He flips meoff.

“We’re hoping ashortexperience away from home will make her feel better,” Lo explains. “One month on the bus, then we’re flying her back to finish homeschooling. And she’s agreed to see a therapist again.” He pauses. “You can sayno, Moffy. It’s a lot to handle, and if you’re toostressed—”

“No,” he says quickly. “I mean…noI’m not too stressed, andyes, I want her here. I can take care of Luna, I promise.” Maximoff pinches his eyes. His head isspinning.

“I know you will, bud,” he says strongly. “Hold on.” He hangs up too fast for Maximoff to protest, and then calls back forFaceTime.

“Fuck,” Maximoffgroans.

I grab his forearm and pull him to a sitting position. His shoulder against my shoulder, and the phone falls to mylap.

“Do I look like I’m high, honestly?” Maximoff asksme.

I chew my gum, studying his reddened eyes, his ashen cheeks. He’sMaximoffHale, the chance that anyone—his family or security—would think he’s high would be slim tonone.

But truly, he looks 5% high and 95% close topuking.

“You look sick,” I tellhim.

“I can go with that.” He angles the phone towards his face. Keeping me out of the frame, and then he answersFaceTime.

Lo pops up on screen. A ten-foot Christmas tree decorated in garland and gold bows twinkle, and a towering cardboard cutout of a twenty-something Connor Cobalt stands behind him, a Santa hat on and scarf around itsneck.

In December, that cutout is shifted through the lake house every morning. A tradition for their families. People have Elf on the Shelf. Maximoff has a six-foot-four replica of hisuncle.

Lo’s brows cinch. “What happened?” He’s talking about Maximoff’s bustedlip.

His eyes widen.Paranoid.

My mouth stretches.Maximoff.I squeeze his knee.Speak,man.