Page 80 of Together Again

Isaac

It didn’t shockme that Max had offered Lucy the spare bedroom until they figured out what to do. What was interesting was that Max seemed shocked by his own decision as displayed by his recent behavior.

He’d come home after work and stare at the three-place setting on the table. More than once, I caught him putting one plate back in the cupboard and had had to remind him that Lucy would join us for dinner.

He would look at me like I was crazy and then he’d laugh it off. Lucy hadn’t noticed, but I was getting increasingly worried about Maxand even more concerned about how it would affect Lucy.

To add to it, he canceled the plans we’d made to have dinner with Joel and David before they returned to Portugal. I understood why he hadn’t wanted to tell Joel about Lucy straight away, but I couldn’t deny it hurt that he hadn’t shared that part of his life with me. Especially since I’d shared what had happened to me.

How had he survived and coped all those years without telling anyone? I didn’t know, but I understood and respected his wishes to keep both lives separate.

My shift at the center finished early, so I met Max at the hospital. He’d done a night shift but had sent a text to let me know he was staying longer because of a major incident locally, which meant they needed all the help they could get.

I bought a coffee from a nearby coffee shop and waited outside for Max. I’d forgotten my gloves that morning and my hands were freezing. I still hadn’t gotten used to the New York’s cold weather, and when the sky was bright blue in the morning, I always forgot that, unlike Portugal, it didn’t mean it would be a milder day.

Fortunately, I now had a new coat that kept me warm.

“Hey, baby.” Max came out of the ER doors and put his arms around me, not caring thatI was holding a hot cup of coffee.

“Hi. Good day?” I asked, readying myself for the kiss I knew was coming.

“It is now.” When his lips touched mine, it was like fireworks going off in my belly. I really hoped it would always feel like this for us. A whistle came from inside as the automatic doors opened.

“Hi, Shelly.” I waved back at Max’s friend and then kept my arm around his waist as we walked.

“Baby, I had an awesome idea,” Max said full of excitement.

“What’s that?”

“I think we should go to the Hamptons for the Thanksgiving weekend. I’ve swapped my shifts so I’ll be off all four days. We can see the Christmas lights and get cozy under the blankets,” he whispered suggestively, pulling me even closer to him.

“That’s awesome! Lucy will love it.”

“What?” He stepped away to look at me. “She’s not coming. This is for us, so we can spend time together.” His voice was only a tad short of whiny.

“Max, Lucy is sixteen, and she’s been through a lot. I don’t think it’s right to leave her on her own for a whole weekend. She’s only been with us a week. It’s too early.”

I wanted to say what was on my mind, but I’d have to bite my tongue until we got home. Max didn’t know it yet, but Lucy was spending the night at a friend’s house so we’d have the apartment to ourselves. I was planning to wine and dine him before we got serious. I hoped that plying him with either wine, hot chocolate, or cookie dough would get him to openup.

“Fine, we won’t go then. All I wanted was to spend a freakin’ naked weekend with my boyfriend.” He was now stomping a few feet ahead of me and picking up pace.

Despite his outburst, I still got all giddy when he called me his boyfriend.

I sped up to catch up with him. “Hey, boyfriend.”

He turned to face me, not caring that he’d suddenly stopped in the middle of a Manhattan street, which by all accountswas almost illegal. A few people swore at us, complaining we shouldn’t just stop like that on the street.

He came closer until he was face-to-face with me. It was like we merged into one person living in slow motion with everyone else moving around us at super speed.

“I’m sorry, Isaac.” He brought his hands up to cup my face. I closed my eyes as he traced my eyelids, my cheeks, and my lips with his thumbs. “You are so beautiful, you know?”

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Sometimes I’m just so scared of the future I forget to live in the present.”

“What are you scared of?”

“Waking up in the morning and realizing I’ve only been dreaming of you.”