“Kent Nicholson.”
“Oh, a boy. Do you love him?”
“I don’t know…”
“Love isn’t unsure. You either love someone or you don’t. Hurry, quick. If you could never see him again how would that make you feel?”
I picture it. No more Kent. I grip my chest and glare at Max. “Why would you do that to me?”
“Does that answer your question?” He sounds so sure of himself. “Does he love you too?”
“I don’t know anything,” I admit. “We never got that far.”
“Is he abusive?”
“No!”
He peeks at me. “You sure? You can tell me. I promise.”
“No. He’d never hurt me.” Not physically.
“Then why is Becca so against him?”
“Because he’s not a prince. That’s why.”
“I like to think I’m Claire’s prince. I didn’t start out that way. Her family couldn’t stand me. They disowned her when she chose me. It was me and her against the world. I tried to get her to stay with her family, thinking I wasn’t worth it. I couldn’t be the man she deserved.” He shakes his head at himself. “But she risked everything she knew for me. Sometimes you have to risk everything now to get everything you want later on in life. Claire took a chance on me and I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving she made the right choice. Imagine if she listened to me. If she let my fears win I’d be in jail, or with someone I didn’t love, or doped up. I don’t know, but it wouldn’t be where I am now. You know what I’ve learned?”
“What?” I ask, my breath nearly gone.
“Love is worth it. It’s worth the pain, the sadness, and the uncertainty. It’s worth all of that. Because I get to wake up next to the person I want to be with forever every morning. When things get tough I look at Claire and know as long as I have that woman, I have everything. Do you think Kent wants that from you?’
“I don’t know.”
“We’ll, answer me this. Do you want that from him?”
“Yes. I want that. But he’s so untrustworthy.”
“Have you given him a shot to be trustworthy? Sometimes all men need is a shot. We’re not all low-down dirty bastards, you know?” He smiles hugely at me. “We’re not psychic either. We don’t know what you’re thinking. All we know is what you tell us. Does he know you love him? Come on. It’s not that hard to admit. You either love him or you don’t.”
“I love him. There, are you happy? I am in love with Kent Nicholson. But I can’t trust him and he’s in love with his ex.”
“Is he? What happened? Tell me everything.”
I sit in the front seat of Max’s truck and spill my guts. It isn’t something I’ve ever done, trusting a man with my secrets, but as I tell Max everything that happened between Kent and me, I feel a tiny sense of relief I’m no longer the only person who knows the truth. “That’s it. Now Becca and I are living with you and I’m going to go get a tattoo.” I roll my eyes at myself.
Common sense? You there?
“That’s some heavy stuff. Sounds to me like Kent is trying to do the right thing.”
“No. I’m like everyone else to him.”
“You ever think you want to be, so you can be right? You’ve been living like this for so long and then Kent comes along and all of a sudden everything you thought you knew is wrong. You might be wrong and it’s driving you crazy. Life isn’t what you envisioned, but something else. I’d be pissed too, Raina. I wouldn’t let that ruin something this perfect for me, though.”
I wipe my eyes. “We’re terrible for each other.”
“Not every relationship is perfect and easy. Sometimes it’s hard. You both have terrible trust issues. I can imagine how scary that might be. Wouldn’t it be scarier to be without him forever because you’re too afraid to be wrong? What if he’s your Claire?”
I don’t answer and take a deep, unsteady, painful, torturous breath.
“Poor thing. You’re so afraid.”
I pull down the visor and start fixing Becca’s makeup job. Thankfully my tears ran down the side of my face. “No, Max. I’m terrified.”
When we arrive at the tattoo shop I follow Max hesitantly. For such a big man he’s quite sweet and intuitive. No wonder Becca likes him. He’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before in a man. He’s the protective brother we never had. The tattoo shop embraces Max with