Getting Closer

Chapter Fourteen - Juliet

After a very long movie and a lot of glances towards one another, it is also revealed that Max lives just a couple blocks away from my parents' house. After being squished in between Charlie and Max as he drives us back, I can't stop my heart from racing. Like what the actual fuck is going on lately?

Right when Charlie pulls up, Max says, "Drop us off here. I'll walk her back."

Charlie frowns. "I can drive you guys you know." Charlie also doesn't add his other thoughts that he doesn't quite trust Max with me.

"It's fine, Charlie," I say. "I want to stretch my legs anyways."

Shrugging, Charlie does as we ask and drops us off at the entrance to our neighborhood. We wait until he drives off before we silently walk home. As we walk along the suburban road, my mind races. I mean - the coincidence alone! Just as I'm getting to know Charlie and wanting to get to know Charlie, I had already slept with one of his best friends. I never in a million years would have expected that. In the corner of my eye, I catch Max smirking to himself. I roll my eyes in response but I can't stop myself from chuckling at the situation. He turns to me as we round a corner. "Who would've thought?" I laugh.

Max seems to agree with me as we get to my front yard. Awkwardly standing there, we stay silent until he says softly, "Even our parents seem to know one another." I know mostly everyone in this neighborhood but him. He would never attend any activities that we would host or attend. I barely knew that Mrs. Torres had a son.

"What now?" I ask. I'm so conflicted right now. "Do we admit that we slept together? Do we forget that night?"

Quickly, "I don't want to forget it." I blush at his statement. Did I really leave him wanting more? Max clears his throat and says quickly, "Let's just say that I haven't stopped thinking about it."

Though I literally have the same sentiment, I still laugh, "Which part was memorable for you? The smell of detergent or the faint sound of people puking in the bathroom?"

"All of it." We stand there as I'm trying to figure him out. At Charlie's house he had such confidence and a darker side to him but that boy is not the boy in front of me now. He seems to be soft and I immediately know where this conversation is going.

Slowly I say, "And I'm guessing you wouldn't mind another night with me." When he doesn't respond right away, I get my answer. "Listen, that night was fun but I was post-breakup... and I still am. It wouldn't be fair to you if we continued."

"You made that clear that I was a rebound," Max laughs. "But I don't care if I continue being a rebound."

I sigh and cross my arms. "You just want me for sex."

"And you'd be using me for sex as well." That boy at Charlie's house is reappearing.

"Who says that that night was memorable for me?" I slightly attack. Even though I truly am interested especially because I finally had sex with someone other than Michael, I want to keep him humble. Seeing his face slightly change tells me I hit a chord. "I'm not interested in a relationship. I just got out of one."

He scoffs. "I'm not a relationship guy."

I scoff back. "Yeah I can tell." His eyes glimmer with intrigue. He knows I'm interested by playing hard to get. "You know the whole 'friends-with-benefits' thing never really works out."

"Who says we're friends?" He's challenging me. I like that.

Changing subjects again, "I don't want to ruin things with Charlie. I've never felt more free since meeting him. And fucking his best friend might change that."

"Charlie is a big boy. He can handle it. Anyways he knows who I am." Looking into his eyes tells me that he's telling the truth. "If you get bored of me, you just say so and we stop. No big deal. I just want to have a little fun."

"Let me think about it." I turn to walk away to play with him and I know I've got him when he runs up in front of me. "If we do this, it's very likely you'll fall for me. I can't take that risk right now."

"Don't worry about me catching feelings." He tilts his head as if he's getting to me but I don't fall for it.

I push past him and when I reach for the door, I call back to him, "I'll think about it!"