YOU 1 [Charli D'Amelio]

Chapter 97.

"So now that we have our own place I assume you don't want to stay at my father's house still?" Max asks to change the subject. I force Zayn's beaten face to the back of my mind.

"You'd assume correctly." I smile. "Unless Karen asks then you know I won't say no." I tell her.

I am nervous to see Ken after what Max told me last night. I am trying to clear it from my mind but it is harder to accomplish than I thought.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She says and reaches for the radio.

I look over at her and she hold her finger up to tell me to wait.

"I decided to give The Fray another try." She informs me.

"Really? And when did you decide this?" I question.

"Well, after our first date at the stream but I didn't open the cd until last week." She admits.

"That was not a date." I tease and she chuckles.

"You let me finger you, I would say that's a date."

She grabs my hand as I try to swat her and kisses my palm. I giggle and wrap my fingers around her slender ones. Images of me laying on the wet t-shirt while Max gave me my first orgasm flood my thoughts and Max smirks.

"That was fun. Huh?" She boasts and I laugh.

"Anyway, tell me your evolved opinion on The Fray." I request.

"Well, they are not so bad actually. There is a song that really sticks with me." She says.

"Really?" Now I am even more curious.

"Yea.." She says and her eyes flicker to the road before she presses the button on her radio.

Music floods through the small space and I immediately smile.

"It's called 'never say never'' Max informs me even though I already know the song, it is one of my favorites.

We silently listen to the lyrics and I can't fight the silly grin on my face. I know she is embarrased slightly by playing this song for me so I don't discuss it, I simply enjoy this tender moment with max.

The rest of the drive is filled with Max flipping through songs on the album, telling me what she thinks of each song. This small but meaningful gesture means more to me than she will ever know. I love these moments when she shows me a new side of herself. This side is one of my new favorites.

When we arrive to her father's house, the street is full of cars. The crisp wind blows and I shiver. The thin jacket I wore over my dress doesn't have the power to warm me in my small dress. Max shrugs out of her jacket and lays it over my shoulders. It is surprisingly warm and smells like Max, my favorite scent.

"Well.. look at you being such a gentleman. Who would have thought?' I tease.

"Don't make me take you back to the car and fuck you." She says and I make a noise between a gasp and squeak which she finds very amusing.

"Do you think you have room in that.. purse thing.. to hold my phone?" She asks.

"It's a clutch and yes." I smile and hold my hand out. She places the object in my palm and as I push it into the small purse, I notice her background is no longer plain gray. The small screen holds the picture of me that she snapped while I was talking to her in the room. My lips are slightly parted and my eyes are full of life. My cheeks have a warm glow, it is strange to see myself that way. This is what she does to me, she makes me come alive.

"I love you." I tell her and close the bag without putting her on the spot about her new background. Ken and Karen's large house is full of people and Max grips my hand tightly after putting her jacket back on.