The sadness in his eyes consumed me. I knew he had problems with his father, but I never knew it was to this extent. I guessed that after we broke up, he’d be moving to Chicago and I’d never see him again. He had no intentions of staying in New York.
After we ate, he took me back to my apartment and walked me to the door. He placed his hand on my cheek and softly kissed my lips. “Thank you again for doing this for me.”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled softly.
“I’ll be in touch soon.” He kissed my forehead and turned and walked away.
A feeling of comfort washed over me as I watched him walk down the hall.
“Max!” I yelled.
He stopped and turned around. I threw my purse down and ran to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and giving him the most passionate kiss possible.
“Promise me you’ll always dance.”
“Only if you will.” He smiled.
Chapter 17
All of Macy’s boxes were packed and sitting in the hallway for the company to come pick up and ship off to Paris.
“You sure you have everything?” I asked as I gave her a pout.
“Yep. I sure do. Here’s my key to the apartment.”
“Are you sure I can stay an extra couple of weeks?”
“Yeah. My agency said the new buyer isn’t in any hurry to move in and that he understands your situation.”
I gave her a long hug as tears filled my eyes. “Good luck in Paris and I’ll be seeing you in all the magazines.”
“I’ll let you know when I get there and we’ll skype just like we used to. Keep me posted on things with Max.”
“I will. I love you, Macy. Have a safe trip.”
“Love you too, girl. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Just as she was walking out the door, Max, whom I hadn’t seen in over a week, walked in.
“Hey, Macy. Have a good trip and be safe in Paris.”
“Thanks, Max. Good luck with everything.”
Max shut the door and looked at me before wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a warm embrace. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just a little sad she’s gone. We barely got to spend any time together.”
“I know. I’m sorry. How about we order in and then watch a movie? Maybe have a little sex to take your mind off things.”
I lifted my head. “Did you just really say that?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I did. Sorry.”
I smacked him on the chest and asked him what he wanted for dinner. “By the way, where were you all week?”
“Working. Between my dad’s company and trying to get things settled with my new company, it’s been crazy.”
I understood and I was already getting used to the fact that he wasn’t around much. It was probably for the best anyway, since we only had two weeks left of our engagement. Max would turn twenty-six next week and we would break up a week later.
“I bought you something.” He smiled as he pulled a tissue-wrapped item out of his pocket.
“For what?”
“Open it.”
I slowly unwrapped the tissue paper and inside was a beautiful sterling silver crystal butterfly key ring. I held it up and smiled.
“It’s beautiful, Max. You shouldn’t have. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It’s for your new apartment key.”
“Thank you. As soon as I get it, I’ll put it right on.” I reached up and kissed his lips.
“You already have your new apartment key.”
“What do you mean? I haven’t found an apartment yet.”
“Yes, you have. This one.”
“Huh?” I asked in confusion.
He placed his hands on my hips. “You’re staying right here. I bought the apartment for you from Macy’s modeling agency. You get to live here rent free for as long as you need to. Now you don’t have to worry about being able to afford rent and moving.”
Tears filled my eyes as I stared up at him. “No, Max. I can’t let you do that.”
“It’s already done. Emma, I don’t want to have to worry about you and where you’re living when we’re no longer together. This is your apartment. You should be happy.”
“I am happy. Very happy, but you’ve done enough for me already. This is just too much.” A tear fell down my face.
“It’s not too much.” He wiped away the tear from my cheek and then gently brushed his lips against mine. “I want to make sweet love to you,” his soft voice spoke.
“Please do.” I smiled.
He picked me up and carried me into the bedroom, where we spent the next hour making love.
****
Max and I saw each other a couple of times over the next week. We had dinner with his parents, which was awkward because of the tension between Max and his dad, and then we attended the opening of a new restaurant that one of Max’s friends owned. I had found an apartment for Kara and Molly and sent them videos to get their thoughts. They loved it and the best part was that it was only about ten minutes from my apartment. I couldn’t wait for them to fly in tomorrow and I even decided to take the day off from school to help them move in. I moved into the master bedroom in my place and bought a new comforter and sheets for the bed. Max hung a few pictures for me and with the placement of a few candles, my bedroom was complete.
The next morning, I picked up Kara and Molly at the airport.
“I can’t believe the two of you are here for good!” I exclaimed as the three of us hugged.
“We can’t believe it either. I’m so excited to see the apartment!” Molly smiled.
“When are the movers coming with all your things?”
“They said they’ll be here around noon.”
Their apartment was located on the third floor with a private balcony. It had an oversized living room, hardwood floors throughout, and a decent-sized kitchen with a wraparound counter top.
“This is amazing!” Kara said excitedly as we walked through the apartment. “Look at the closet space.”
“You did good, Emma.” Molly smiled as she hooked her arm around me.
“Thanks. I must say it’s a nice place and the rent is pretty decent for two people to split.”
Just as they were unpacking their suitcases, there was a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it,” I yelled from the kitchen.
When I opened the door, there were two men wearing blue jumpsuits standing there.
“We have a TV delivery.”
“Kara, Molly, your TV is here.”
They emerged from their bedrooms and looked at the guys in blue suits.
“We didn’t order a TV. You must have the wrong apartment.”
The heavyset man looked at the invoice and then at the apartment number on the door. “Nope. This is the right apartment. “We’ll go grab it off the truck and you need to tell us which wall you want it mounted on.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Kara asked.
A few moments later, the two men carried in the seventy-inch LED HD TV. “Where do you want it?”
There was only one wall in the living room that it would fit on, opposite the door wall.
“This wall right here, please,” Molly spoke.
“Here’s a card that came with the TV for a Kara and Molly.”
Kara took it from the deliveryman and opened the envelope.
Happy housewarming and welcome to New York.
You’re going to love it!
Love, Max
“Wow. It’s from Max.”
“What? Let me see that.” I took the card from her and couldn’t believe it.
“What a great guy.” Molly smiled.
I gave her a small smile and went back to the kitchen.
We spent the day getting all their stuff organized, and once the movers brought their furniture, we left and went shopping for some kitchen and bath essentials. By time I got back to my apartment, it was already eleven o’clock and I was exhausted. I changed into
my pajamas, took off my makeup, and as I went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, my phone beeped with a text message from Max.
“Are you up?”
“Yeah, just about to go to bed. I’m exhausted.”
“Open your door.”
I looked at his last message in confusion, set my phone down, and opened the door.
“Hi.” He smiled.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was hoping to spend the night with you. You look tired.” He walked in and wrapped his arms around me.
“I am. It was a long day and, yes, I would like you to spend the night.”
The tone in his voice seemed sad and I found it odd that he would drop by unannounced at eleven o’clock at night. I could tell something was bothering him, but I was too afraid to ask. We walked into the bedroom and I took off my nightshirt and climbed under the covers while he took off his shirt and pants. He climbed in next to me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him.
“I just want to hold you and fall asleep. No sex tonight if that’s okay with you.”
“It’s fine, Max. Good night.” I lifted my head and kissed him on the lips. He smiled as he pushed a strand of my hair away from my face.
“Good night, Emma.”
I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes as he reached over and turned off the light. What was going on with him?
Chapter 18
I opened my eyes and quickly jumped out of bed, running to the bathroom and hovering over the toilet.
“Are you okay?” Max asked with concern.
“I don’t think so.” I began vomiting.
Max entered the bathroom and pulled back my hair, rubbing my back as I vomited a few more times.
“Do you have the flu?” He handed me a tissue.
“It’s possible. A few students at school had just had it, so I know it’s going around.”
“You better go back to bed and get some rest.”
“I can’t. I have that huge project to turn in today. I have to go to classes.”
“But if you’re sick, you can’t.”
I stood up and splashed some cold water on my face. “I’ll be fine. I have no choice.”
“We have about an hour before we need to be up and ready, so let’s go back to bed for a bit.”
He helped me into bed and climbed in next to me. I snuggled up against him and closed my eyes. Before I knew it, he was waking me up.
“Emma, you have to get up or you’ll be late. Are you okay?”
When I opened my eyes, Max was standing over me, fully dressed and ready to leave.
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” I climbed out of bed. I didn’t have the energy to shower, so I just threw my hair up in a ponytail, and pulled on a pair of black leggings and an oversized sweater. Fall had settled in New York and it was getting chillier by the day. I wasn’t used to November weather anywhere but Miami. Max gave me a kiss and said goodbye.
“I’ll call you later to see how you’re doing. Try to take it easy today and come right home after school.”
“I will. Have a good day at work.”
I pulled the orange juice out of the fridge and poured myself a glass. My stomach still had that sick feeling, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. No matter how I felt later, I needed to stop by the jewelers and pick up Max’s birthday gift. His birthday was in a couple of days and we were going out to dinner with his parents and Fiona. As the day went on, I could barely keep my eyes open in class. Hannah wasn’t in class today because she was sick with the flu. When my last class got out, I saw Darren waiting at the curb. He smiled.
“How are you feeling, Emma? Max told me you were sick this morning.”
“I’m not doing too well, Darren. What are you doing here?”
“Max sent me to pick you up and make sure you go straight home.”
I sighed. “That was nice of him, but I need you to take me to the jewelers first. I have to pick up his birthday present. It’ll only take a minute.”
“Of course.” He opened the door for me and I slid in the back seat.
As soon as Darren dropped me off at my apartment, I set down my purse and climbed into bed. I awoke to the ringing sound of my phone.
“Hello.”
“Were you sleeping?” Max asked.
“Yeah. What time is it?”
“Seven o’clock. I was going to bring you over some chicken soup. Are you up for some?”
“That sounds good. Thank you.”
“I’ll see you in a bit.”
I couldn’t believe that I had slept for three hours. It was a good thing I didn’t have classes tomorrow because I just wanted to stay home and rest.
“I’ve unlocked the door. I’m going to take a quick shower. Let yourself in.”
Stripping out of my clothes, I stepped into the shower and stood under the hot water, hoping that it would wake me up. Once I was finished, I stepped out and heard Max talking from the living room. He must have been on the phone. After drying off and slipping into my pajamas, I followed the aroma of chicken soup to the kitchen.
“Hey. How are you feeling?” he asked as he put his phone in his pocket.
“Like crap.” I smiled.
“You may feel like crap, but you don’t look like it.”
I gave him a small smile as he took down a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with soup. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down at the table.
“Thanks for bringing this over. If you wouldn’t have called me, I don’t think I would have gotten up. Hannah wasn’t in school today. Apparently, she’s sick with the flu as well.”
“Ah, it must be going around. I’m sure you’ll feel better in the morning after you get a good night’s sleep.”
“You’re a good friend, Hamilton.” I smiled as I held up my spoon.
“So are you.”
****
Max didn’t spend the night. He was flying out to Chicago first thing in the morning to meet some lawyers about his software company and said that he’d be back tonight. My stomach was feeling queasy as I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. I couldn’t believe I’d slept until ten o’clock. As I started to brush my teeth, I could feel the vomit rise up in my throat. I threw my tooth brush down and leaned over the toilet. As I grabbed a tissue and wiped my mouth, I heard my phone from the bedroom ring.
“Hi, Mom,” I answered as I climbed back into bed.
“Hi, Emma. What’s wrong? Did I wake you?”
“No. I was up. I have the flu.”
“Oh no. When did that start?”
“Yesterday.”
“Make sure you drink plenty of fluids. You don’t want to get dehydrated.”
“I know, Mom. Was there a reason why you called?”
“No. Nothing in particular. I just wanted to catch up and see how you were doing. Give me a call when you’re feeling better.”
“Okay, Mom. I’ll talk to you soon.”
The overwhelming guilt that I hadn’t told her what was going on was still with me and I felt like shit for keeping it from her. But if I had told her, she’d worry, and that was the last thing I wanted. As I laid my head on the pillow, a text message from Max came through.
“Good morning. How are you feeling today?”
“A little better.”
“Good to hear. Make sure you rest all day. You have to be better for my birthday tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. I will be. Have a good day in Chicago.”
“I will. I’ll be over later tonight when I get back and hopefully you’ll feel better for some great sex.” He sent me the winky face.
“Looking forward to it.”
I didn’t want to tell him that I was still sick because I didn’t want him to worry. As I lay on the couch and binge-watched Veronica Mars, I kept thinking about Max and how, in a week, my life would completely change.
****
His hand cupped my breast as the warmth of his
tongue slid up my throat. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he thrust inside me, moving slowly and passionately. Our mouths met with delight and my fingers played in his hair as he moved in and out of me fluently, bringing me to my second orgasm of the night. His sexy moans deepened as he exploded inside of me.
“I hope that made you feel better.” He smiled as he placed his hand on my forehead.
“It did.”
He kissed my lips before rolling off of me and headed to the bathroom.
“Someone has a big birthday coming up in a couple of hours.”
He emerged from the bathroom with a smile on his face but still a hint of sadness in his eyes. He climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around me.
“I can’t think of a better way to wake up on my birthday than with your perfect naked body wrapped around mine.”
I gave his chest tiny kisses as I placed my hand down below, feeling his cock over the cotton of his underwear.
“I think this big guy may get his own present in the morning.” I felt it twinge and I smiled.
“I’m going to make sure you keep that promise.” He kissed my head and turned off the light.
The next morning, I made good on my promise and gave him an amazing birthday present.
“Happy birthday, big boy.” I smiled as I finished and kissed his lips.
“Damn. It sure is a happy birthday. Thank you.” He cupped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me into a passionate kiss. “I guess you’re feeling better.”
“I am and I have something for you.” I reached in the drawer in the nightstand and pulled out the small gift bag. “Happy birthday, Max.”
He sat up against the headboard and took the box from the bag. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I wanted to. Now open it.”
He removed the lid and pulled out the stainless steel and black onyx pendant with his name engraved on a black leather rope.
“Emma, this is amazing.”
“Do you like it? I thought you could wear it when you dress a little more casually.”
“I love it.”
“Turn it over.” I smiled.
He ran his finger over the small phoenix that I had engraved. “The phoenix, much like the butterfly, symbolizes transformation and rebirth. I thought it was appropriate since you’re embarking on a new adventure and renewing yourself out from under your father’s shadow.”