Roommates with Benefits [COMPLETED]

Chapter 52 - Confession time

Emma

It's late afternoon the next time I wake up. There's a glass of orange juice and a bottle of water on the nightstand. I drink the juice. I'm feeling much better now.

The apartment is so quiet, for a moment I think I'm alone. But when I get to the living room, Max is sitting on the couch and watching something on his phone with headphones.

There's a blanket next to him, as if he slept on the couch.

As soon as I appear, he stands and puts away the phone.

"Emma. How are you?"

"You have to stop asking me that." I smile. So much has happened that I don't know where to start. I guess I should start by thanking him.

Suddenly shy, I walk up to him and put my arms around him. "Thank you for saving me."

His breath is warm against my hair as his arms close around me.

"Anytime." His grip tightens. And tightens.

"Max. I can't breathe." I pant.

"Sorry," he barely relaxes his grip. "I can't imagine what I would do without you. If anything had happened to you..."

"Max?" I crane my neck so I can look up in his face. And there it is again. That overwhelming love that I've been so scared to see.

"I don't care," he says. "I don't care if you don't feel the same. You need to know that I will always be there for you, Emma. No matter what you feel for me. Or don't feel. I don't care if you ever feel the same for me, but you need to know that I love you. And I will be in your life for as long as you let me. You're the one for me and I will do whatever I can to keep you safe and happy. And I'm sorry if Frank can't see you for the wonderful, amazing person that you are. But if he doesn't value you, then he doesn't deserve you."

My heart grows so big and warm it almost hurts. Tears fill my eyes again and I wrap my arms tighter around him while I breathe him in and ground myself. Then I pull back so I can look up into his face.

"Max?"

He groans. "I love it when you say my name."

I laugh a little and wipe away an errant tear. "Max, I was never in love with Frank. It was never him. Apart from some fangirling at first, I couldn't care less about him. He's vain and a bit silly, and much too flirtatious."

He furrows his brow at me. "But you were so upset when you found out. I saw how sad you were."

"I was never sad about him." My voice chokes up. Had he really not seen it? "I was sad about leaving you. I was upset about losing you. You kept saying you only wanted to be friends, and I had promised myself I would never fall in love. And while you kept saying you just wanted to be friends, that's when I realized I was falling in love with you."

He inhales sharply. "Emma?"

"Max," I can't believe I'm finally saying it out loud, "I love you."

"What... what do you mean?" He looks so terrified I almost laugh. But I can tell he really needs to hear it.

"I mean, I've fallen in love with you."

"So... you want to move back in?" The panic is settling a little.

I nod. "Yes. I still want my own room, though."

He looks at me in disbelief. Then he puts it all out there. "And does that also mean you want to be my girlfriend?"

His insecurity is adorable. The way he's holding his breath, waiting for my reply. I put him out of his misery. "Yes."

"And so," he seems to relax a little now, "all of this, does it mean I can kiss you?"

I can't stop the smile on my face. "Yes. In fact-" My words are interrupted by his hungry mouth crashing into mine as if he wants to devour me. I open up for him, my mouth and my heart and it's scary, but it feels so right.

I'm home.