Page 84 of Lovers Like Us

Everyone is watchingus.

I have to step back and let him through, but I catch his wrist and whisper against his ear, “You’re not alone,Maximoff.”

He inhales stronger, and his expression almost breaks through. But he says, “I have to take this.” I watch his lengthy stride down the hallway, and then he disappears into the second lounge. Shutting thedoor.

Oscar brings me to the aisle of bunks. “You don’t want to get in the middle of that,” he whispers. “They’ve been at each other’s throats foryears.”

I comb both hands through my hair. “I can’t watch Charlie beat him down,” I say just as softly, but all the Cobalts start talking in French on the couch. In deepconversation.

“They’re both beating each other down,” Oscar whispers. “The fact that you’re not seeing that is the problem. You’re too close to this shit. Back away for the sake of not starting a war on thebus.”

“The war is going to start with or without me,” I tellhim.

“Without you then.” Oscar places a hand on my shoulder “Promise me, Redford. Because if he goes at you and you jump in, I’ll lose my job defending your impulsiveass.”

“Don’t defend me,” I sayeasily.

Oscar pushes back the curlier strands of his hair. “You can pretend like you have no close friends, but you and me are encroaching a decade here. You’re stuck with us like we’re unfortunately stuck withyou.”

I grab onto a bunk, my arms loosening. “Okay—”

“Farrow!” Maximoff calls me, doorajar.

“Saved by the boyfriend,” Oscar says, and I roll my eyes, quickly reaching the secondlounge.

By the time I’m alone with Maximoff, I study his furrowed brows and the phone tight in his hand. His upright posture screams “damagecontrol”.

“What’s going on?” Iask.

“That was yourfather.”

I frown. Maximoff called my father about his shoulder yesterday. The last time he lifted his arm at ninety-degrees, he said he felt like the muscle was pinching. I told him that, at the very least, he should just make the call. When my father didn’t answer, he left him amessage.

“He was calling me back,” Maximoff says and opens the mini-fridge, a game console stacked ontop.

“And?”

He pops a can of Fizz Life. “It looks like I need to find a newdoctor.”

I’m hearing him wrong. “My father is still yourphysician.”

“No. Dr. Keene saidit’s a conflict of interestsince you’re my boyfriend and you’re his son.” Maximoff swigs his Fizz Life, handling the bad news like he’s delivering morning stocks. Outlook:shitty.

“Call him back or Iwill—”

“No,” Maximoff says firmly. “No, it’s not worth the trouble. I’m moving forward from this.” He’s pivoting, swimming at break-neck speed above a current trying to yank him under. But this isn’t the same as paparazzi ruining his morningcommute.

This is a big change in his structured life. Fuck, he’salwayshad my father. It’s a constant, a safety, and this is a rug ripping out from underhim.

I thought he’d be more rattled. “What aren’t you telling me?” Iask.

He looks away, then back to me. “It’snothing.”

That’s bullshit. “You want to protect your cousins and your siblings and your parents, go ahead. But the last thing you need to do iscoddle me. Give me the fucking courtesy that I’d give you and tell me the entirething.”

He stares at me like he’s weighing theoutcomes.

There’s only one outcome. “Maximoff—”