Keeping Secrets

More Questions Than Answers

PEYTON

Max and I stayed up and talked long into the night. I learned he had an older brother who was in law school and engaged to be married, and an older sister who was a nurse and a mom to two little kids. He was originally from Georgia, but his family had moved to South Carolina his freshman year of high school.

I told him about growing up in a small town with a younger brother and about Amanda, but I didn't mention my anything about Trudge Lite or any of its members.

The house got quiet as people left or went to bed. The next thing I knew was Max's alarm was going off, signaling it was time for him to go to practice. I was half-sprawled across him, with my head buried in his pillow and my arm and leg draped over him.

"Oh, my God," I blurted out, completely mortified I'd fallen asleep half on top of him in his bed, that I jumped to my feet a little faster than I should've and got a head rush.

"Wow." Max grabbed onto my arms to steady me. "Easy, Peyton."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep," I babbled as I tried to make his bed look like we hadn't just slept there. "I should've left, I..."

"Peyton." Max said firmly. "It's okay, really. No big deal."

I took a deep breath and felt my shoulders relax a little. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he said with a small smile. The warmth in his eyes made my embarrassment fade, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"You're sure."

"Positive," he chuckled.

"Okay."

He smiled, and I relaxed. He looked so cute with his rumpled clothes and bed hair. His blond, usually perfectly styled hair was all messy.

"I have to go to practice. You can stay if you want."

I shook my head no. That would be super embarrassing. Even worse than it already was.

"I'll text you when I'm done, okay?"

"Okay."

Max walked me down the stairs, and the house was mostly quiet except for the sound of a shower running somewhere and the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen. I thought we'd managed to leave unnoticed, but as we reached the front hallway, we ran into Hal of all people, and after he did a double take, he grinned with his entire face and punched Max jokingly on the arm.

"Morning lovebirds," he teased.

Max laughed while I mumbled a "morning," in response. It wasn't the time for explanations, plus I kind of felt like it was Max's decision.

As soon as the front door closed behind me, I took off and ran almost the entire way back to my dorm. Thankfully, it was early enough on a weekend that few students were awake.

I couldn't get over how I'd fallen asleep in Max's bed, and that I'd slept surprisingly well. So well in fact that I hadn't even realized I was draped half over him. I was so embarrassed about it, but Max hadn't seemed to mind.

I had just pushed the door open to my room when I heard Becca's voice behind me. "No way," she laughed, slipping through the door before I could close it. "You slept with Max!"

"Shhh, Becca," I warned, glancing nervously down the hall. I didn't want the entire floor to hear.

"Who the hell cares?" she asked. "Max is like, super hot. Every girl would be jealous if they knew."

"Yeah, well, I care," I replied, closing the door firmly behind us.

She pulled back and grimaced. "Why?"