Saving Max

Chapter 32

"Are you guys sure you don't want these?" I ask Katie for about the billionth time, my voice worried and skeptical as I look at her. I can almost feel Caden smiling behind me, probably finding my internal struggle over something as small as this quite amusing. Deep down, tough, I know he's probably thinking the same way I am right now. We haven't really had a lot of things go in our favor recently.

Katie sighs, grabbing my hands and closing them around the two tickets firmly, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Yes, Bella, we're sure." she says, looking behind her shoulder to cast a quick glance at Adam. "Now please, just go and have some fun today." she pauses looking between Caden and I with a desperate  plea. "You guys look like you need it."

I nod my head, leaning over to wrap her in a quick hug before hesitantly pulling away. "I still feel bad for taking your tickets, though. And what about the extra one?" I ask, looking down at the four fair tickets now held tightly in my hands.

"Both my mom and Adam are sick, Bella. We're not using the tickets, and we can't get our money back for them, anyway. Someone should still get some use out of them." Katie shrugs, trying to brush it off like it's not a big deal.

In the grand scheme of things, I guess it really isn't, but that still doesn't stop me from feeling bad about it. It feels wrong to just take the tickets from all of them.

"We'll pay you back." Caden says from behind me, making his first appearance in the conversation ever since we drove over here this morning. I turn to face him, seeing the serious expression on his face as he addresses Katie, letting me know that he's telling the truth. I know he wants to pay her back just as much as I do.

However, when Caden says this, all she does is raise her eyebrows at the two of us, a small gleam in her eyes as she does so. "You guys don't have to." she says, her words softer than her appearance, but I know what she really means to say to us. You guys can't.

We're broke.

"Thank you, Katie." I tell her, plastering a wide smile on my face. Giving her another tight hug, Caden  leans in after me and gives her a quick one, too, much to my surprise. Caden really isn't one to show affection unless it's to me or Max, so I'm glad he's learning to loosen up, even if it's just a little bit.

She waves us off, but I can see the happiness in her eyes as she looks at us, pushing us quickly out the door. "Whatever. Just go have fun. And take lots of pictures." she instructs, sending us off with a wave, but not before blowing a few kisses our way as well.

I chuckle, shaking my head as she closes the door behind herself with a kick of her foot, leaving Caden, Max and I alone in her driveway. Classic Katie.

"Is she always this.... spirited in the morning?" Caden asks in a mumble, trying to search for the right words to describe Katei's personality.  He wears a concentrated look on his face as he pulls open the door to my car, helping Max get situated in the back seat. I laugh at this, too, seeing the slightly tired and exhausted look on is face.

"Pretty much." I tell him, nodding my head along with my words as I throw myself into the drivers side of the car. "Unless she's sad, Katie's never in a bad mood. Even in the mornings."

"How?" Caen asks, puffing out a long breath as he runs a hand through his messy hair, only succeeding in making it messier. He sinks down in his seat, his eyes droopy from not having  good nights sleep. On top of  that, he didn't have a cup of coffee this morning, either.

I know Katie's a morning person, but Caden sure isn't.

"She's just a peppy person." I explain, pulling carefully out of the driveway and onto the street. "Unlike some people." I add under my breath. Casting him a quick glance, a smile flashs onto my face for the brief second my eyes meet his.