Max Irons Always Gets What He Wants

Chapter 13

Okay guys, this is it! Sorry for the nine month wait, and no, I wasn't pregnant lol. I was sort of lazy and I didn't realize the draft of this chapter was done since forever and the draft just sat there unnoticed lol. So partially my fault. Enjoy! I know why you want updates, the last chapter was hawt.

Dedicated to @angie0mg for taking time to message me, I think she was the one who fnally persuaded me to update lol. Check her out! XX Annie

I sat calm and collected on his expectedly comfortable leather couch (of course, it was a five star hotel, who was I kidding?) meanwhile Max paced back and forth, probably thinking of ways to execute the thought from my mind and to convince me not to attend the dinner.

            “But Nic, what if it was a paparazzi trap?” Jazz music was floating through the room like a thousand pool noodles in the midst of an ocean.

            In all honesty, I still felt like what was going on was a jumbled mess. For example, Max making me his involuntary fiancée in order to make everybody jealous and get some revenge and stir the paparazzi- it didn’t feel right that we were taking it out of the pretend state (Of course, after quite a short time and a long span of events, some feelings desperately bloomed and showed itself incessantly, however, it was a very quick transition from our pretend to non pretend. I just don’t get why he didn’t ask me on dates or give me flowers or anything. Was he even the romantic type? I barely knew him. In fact, I believe I don’t even know him at all. I’ve missed 27 years of him and I’ve just known him for a couple weeks, months, I don’t know. It’s just absurd somehow that I’ve managed to break up with Declan and get a new guy and have feelings for the said new guy after a few days. Right?). Thus, my questions flew out of my mouth like birds during spring season.

            “Max, have you ever considered if we were ever real? If this is still a pretend thing? What if you behaving like this is a practice to your acting occupation, or even a publicity stunt? Have you ever even considered where we would go from the point you claimed I was your fiancée? Do you even care? Or is this just for publicity? Because as far as I am concerned, you haven’t told me anything about yourself, nor do I know you that much. I just don’t get why we are in this stage right now. I also don’t get why you’re so mad,” I felt relieved after the words spew out of my mouth.

            Max’s face twisted into numerous expressions, of which I could honestly admit was rather adorable. He was trying to maintain his manly vibe while revealing his emotions simultaneously. Not that it didn’t tug at my heart- I mean, it did, but it was sweet to see him so confused and mad and in thought.

            He looked hesitant before replying at last.

            “Well, I want us to be,” he mumbled with a tinge of his accent. My heart fluttered.

            I certainly did not wish for our relationship to be labeled by our arch nemeses, the cameras, but even they were in the midst of chaotic discombobulating. You wouldn’t have thought of a young girl jumping from one fiancé to the next. Even old girls have issue with that. Moreover, the fact that Max is not even a label in my life bothers me. I like my life organized. I keep my priorities straight. Is it so wrong to have a straight path, no matter how narrow? I have a road built with my name all over it and I plan to walk the journey.

            “This is so far from normal,” I admit, and he agreed. Of course we weren’t normal. Heck, even normal relationships weren’t as casual as they seemed. People seem to disappear from other people’s lives or even sit there, warming other people’s seats while giving vague information on why they are tenants to someone else’s events.

            Max finally gave into the demands of his sore limbs and sat beside me, providing me the warmth of him. Sometimes I felt as if the warmth of him could devour me whole. Unfortunately, I was a sun all on my own.

            “What about I take you in?” Max riddled, his eyebrows raised and his arms folded casually behind his head.

            I was baffled. What sort of word game was he playing at during this time of distress and hair-ripping frustration? I assumed he was asking me on a date. Rather peculiar way of asking, however. He was most likely trying to avoid the popularity of jock-style date invites.

            I snorted, an unladylike and pitchy inhale producing the most grotesque noise in the room. “Take me in? Please do elaborate.”

            “Well, we have a few date invites that I happen to have used before. I don’t mean to repeat them, for every occasion is a special one in itself. I have expressed my date requests in the very common ‘dinner and a movie’ or ‘let’s hang out sometime’ or ‘let’s meet up’ and I purposely did so in order to save my special date night invitations for a person I feel is worthy of it. General people get general words. Special people- they are a very different story. I would’ve said I wanted to take you out, but you are rather a homebody and I think it would be great if we could spend the day in and not out and about; something in the safety of ourselves. How do you feel about it?” The vigor in Max’s face as he explained the date invite was palpable; it caused me to further anticipate the fire that would burn in the bone of his cheeks during the actual date.

            “Okay. But we still have this Declan burden to deal with,” I woefully complained. “Do you think I should do the dinner and seal everything?”

            Yeah, sealing everything tight like a zip lock bag. All those years of comfort and affection and hatred and disgrace kept in a compartment I am proud to finally lock and give away. Those events might be half mine, but if Declan wants them, he can have them. The old and messy days were no longer my concern. Declan can have Georgette, and I still wouldn’t care. Besides, Jake is lusting after that kissy woman. I have no comment on that.

            Max let out a breathy sigh. “Alright, if you think it is the best alternative. I support this decision. Just make sure it doesn’t harm you and your career reputation in any way. Or even, I can attend with you. And you can ask Declan to bring a date. It could be a double date.”

            I took my phone out and started dialing Declan’s number. I still knew it by heart. To reassure Max, I put my phone on speaker mode. The suspense was nothing short of torture.

            “Nic, have you finally realized how much of a little butthole Max is and decided to come back? I will always have the left side of the bed prepared for you. In fact, it still quite smells like your strawberry body scrub.”

            Max held back an aggravated yell. His eyes sent daggers through the screen of my phone and I could tell he was just about ready to explode.

            Uh-oh.