YOU 2 [Charli D'Amelio]

Chapter 119.

When Max and I enter the living room, her mother is sitting on the couch with her wet hair pulled into a bun.

"So what do you two usually do all day?" She asks and I look at Max.

"Well.. we just watch television." She shrugs.

This couldn't possibly be more awkward.

"We should rent some movies and I will make dinner for all of us. Don't you miss my cooking?" She smiles at Max and she rolls her eyes.

"Sure. Best cook ever." She remarks sarcastically.

"Hey! I am not that bad." She laughs and I shift uncomfortably.

I don't know how to behave around Max unless we are together or fighting. This is an odd place for us, for me to be friendly but pay enough attention to her that her mother gets the impression that we are still dating. This is obviously a pattern of ours, Karen and Ken had been under the impression that Max and I were dating before we actually were.

"Can you cook Charli? Or does Max do all of the cooking?" Anne asks me.

"Uhm, we both do." I answer. My chest burns thinking about the few times we prepared meals for one another.

"I am glad to hear that you are taking care of my baby, and this apartment is so nice you too. I suspect Charli does the cleaning." She teases.

"Yea.. max is a slob." I answer and Max looks down at me with a small smile playing on her lips. I am not 'taking care of her baby' but I would have if she wouldn't have hurt me the way she did.

"I am not a slob, she is just too clean." Max remarks and I roll my eyes.

"She's a slob." Anne and I say in unison.

"Are we going to watch a movie or pick on me all night?" Max pouts.

I walk to the couch and sit down before max so I don't have to make the uncomfortable decision on where to sit. I can see her eying the couch and me, silently deciding how close to sit. She sits down next to me, right next to me and I feel the familiar heat from her close proximity.

"What do you want to watch?" Her mother asks us.

"It doesn't matter." Max answers.

"You can choose." I try to soften her answer.

She smiles at me before choosing 'Fifty First Dates' a movie I am sure Max will hate.

"This movie is old as shit." Max groans as it begins.

"Shhh." I say and she huffs but stays quiet.

I catch her staring at me multiple times during the movie while Anne and I laugh and sigh along with the movie. I am actually enjoying myself and there are even a few times when I almost forget everything that has happened between us. It is hard to not lean on her, not touch her hands, not move her hair when it falls onto her forehead.

"I'm hungry." Max says when the movie ends.

"Why don't you and Charli cook since I had such a long flight?" She smiles.

"You are really milking this long flight thing aren't you?" Max says and she nods.

"I can cook, it's okay." I offer and stand up.

I walk into the kitchen and lean against the counter. I grip the edges of the marble countertop harder than necessary, trying to catch my breath. I don't know how long I can do this, pretend that Max and I are together, pretend that she didn't destroy everything, pretend that I love her. I do love her, I am miserably in love with her. The problem is not my lack of feelings towards this moody, egotistical girl. The problem is that I have given her so many chances, always dismissing the hateful things that she says and does but this time it's too much. Especially her sleeping with Molly.