TANGLED PLANS

49

I stare at Max as he covers his eyes with an arm over his head. What did he mean? I place a hand on his arm slowly and say, "Max, what happened?"

"Okay, Daisy," Max says, completely disregarding my question, sitting up now. "Your brother is probably in the bathroom; I need you to guard the door while I sneak out of your room."

"Why are you sneaking out of my room?" I whispered to him because he had been whispering as well.

Max stands up from his spot, and I try not to look at his body. I'm trying hard to keep my eyes on his face, but it's hard to do so as the temptation to look at something that I know looks good is large. Max shifts away from me and toward my door.

"Go, make sure your brother is in the bathroom," Max says, and then opens the door. I walk over to him, but instead of walking out as I'm probably smartly instructed to, I cross my hands across my chest, and stare at him.

"I asked you two questions, and you ignored both," I say to him, my voice controlled. Max closes the door behind me, and I notice how his hand is over my head now. I felt kind of silly as I had my arms crossed in hopes of acting intimidating. "Why are you acting so weird?" I hold up three fingers now, and he smiles down at me.

"Cute, Daise," he comments, and he moves on as if my heart hadn't wanted to cave in on itself.  "One: Your brother is getting ready to head down. Two: I'm sneaking out of your room because if Brayden knows I'm up here again, I'm dead. Three: I'm acting weird because I only have a few minutes to save myself."

"Wait," I say to him as soon as he is done. I look up at his eyes and squint at him. "If Brayden knows you're here, he will kill you."

"Not literally," Max says, and I roll my eyes at him. That causes him to grin widely.

"I know that," I quip, and then add, "What do you mean? And why are you acting like being up here with me will get you killed?"

Max lets out a soft breath and says, "Long story short: Your brother found out that I slept in your room the night of your mom's passing. As part of your older brother, he yelled at me. As part of us being best friends, he asked me to not do that ever, and the rest doesn't matter."

"What are the rest?" I asked him because I got the first part. What was the second part? Max couldn't sleep in my room again because Brayden didn't want him to be his best friend. That part wasn't clear.

Max's eyes flash something before he closes his eyes. The door behind me opens again, but I push it back closed behind my back. Max opens his eyes and exhales. "Tell me," I say to him.

Max doesn't keep eye contact with me when he says, "As part of his best friend, he asked me not to like you. Like that."

"Like what?" I ask him, but I know that Max wasn't going to elaborate. I already had a feeling I knew what it was. Max couldn't like me—like romantically. Did that mean he used to like me? A year ago? What did any of it mean? If Brayden forbade him from liking me, then why had he wanted to kiss me a few months ago? If Brayden had forbid him from liking me, then why didn't he listen?

Max opens the door again, and this time he pushes me out. His mouth is close to my ear when he leans down and says, "Please go and make sure he stays in his room or either the bathroom. Let me just get back downstairs."

"You liked me?" I ask instead, and Max leans back and closes his eyes. I knew the answer. Max had liked me. Romantically. He confirmed it. 

I walk toward the direction of the bathroom, and it opens as soon as I do. Before Brayden can see me, I shout, "I'm naked!"

"The hell?" Brayden shouts as he closes his eyes immediately, and I pull the door closed. Turning back, I give Max two thumbs up, and he nods as he walks away. The boy who claimed he liked me moves away from my eyesight, and I'm left gaping after him. Max liked me. Not now. But in the past, Max liked me when I was younger and not at all as I am now.