“Think about it, honey.”
I bit my lip then said, “Okay.”
“All right.” His thumb swept my jaw then his hands brought me closer and his lips went to my forehead. “Be back as soon as I can,” he muttered there, kissed me sweet then let me go and walked away without looking back.
The minute I lost sight of Max, I ran to the bathroom, closed the door, put my back to it and lifted my hands in front of me. They were shaking.
I closed my eyes and tried to blank my mind.
I like him, Charlie said to me.
“Be quiet,” I whispered.
Nina? Charlie called.
“I said, be quiet.”
Sweetheart, see that light? he asked.
“Please,” I begged.
Neenee Bean, it isn’t a train, Charlie told me.
“Shut up.”
You’re almost there, he finished.
I closed my eyes, slid down the door, pulled my legs to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, putting my cheek to knee.
A knock came at the door and I jumped.
“Nina?” Mindy called.
“Be right out!” I called back.
“You okay?”
“Great, just going to take a shower.”
There was a hesitation then, “All right.”
I waited for Mindy to come back, say something more, knock again, for Charlie to invade my mind.
When nothing happened, I took a shower.
* * * * *
Feeling the need to be prepared for what came next, I not only took a shower, I did my hair and makeup too. Then I dressed in jeans and a thin, violet, boat neck sweater that had a wide dip at the top of the back and a tie across my shoulders holding the sides together.
Dressed and ready to face my next ordeal, I wound my way down Max’s stairs and saw Mindy sitting at his computer. All buoyant, skip-dancing Mindy gone, what happened the night before had worn her innate cheerfulness clean away.
Last night she’d cried all the way to Max’s house then she’d pulled herself together when we walked in then she starting crying again when Max got me some ice for my eye.
“Go upstairs, honey,” Max had whispered while he held the ice to my eye. “Get ready for bed, lie down, keep the ice on as much as you can. I’ve got Mindy and I’ll be up soon.”
Considering the situation, I hadn’t argued about him “having Mindy” or, more importantly, meeting me in bed. Firstly, since Mindy was sleeping on the couch, there was nowhere else for either Max or I to bed down. Secondly, I knew Mindy needed Max just then and me arguing about sleeping arrangements would delay her getting him. Therefore, I did as I was told, lying in bed and listening to their murmuring until I fell asleep.
Now I knew, even with all that crying last night, watching her despondently clicking on Max’s computer, she was having a very prolonged “bad moment” and I had to do what I could to make it go away.