Page 77 of The Sidekick

Me: Max doesn’t believe you’re like a brother to me. He’s reading this BTW. How do people NOT KNOW THIS?

His response takes a minute as I lay the phone down so Max can read it and go back to the struggle of eating. I want to repeat my words of affirmation to see if it helps, but not in front of Max.

When the photo of a text conversation comes in, I blow it up absently and start reading. Then I gag and shove my food away from me.

“Wow,” Max says with a chuckle. “His sext game is strong.”

“Oh gosh, I need help. Is there brain bleach? Please say there is. I might throw up.” I gasp as the realization of who was responding in the picture hits me. “Oh my gosh, YES! He’s doing it! They’re finally starting to give in! And he never told me, that jerk. He has some serious explaining to do. I changed their birth certificates already.”

Max starts laughing so hard that tears well up in his eyes. “Fuck, I’ve missed you.”

I look at him in confusion, “I’ve been asking to meet up with you. That’s your fault, not mine. Please do me a favor and delete that. I can’t see that ever again.”

Goodbye, burger. I’m never going to be able to eat you now. I push the plate even farther away.

Max picks the phone up, and I hear the refreshing sound of something being deleted.

“Thank you,” I say emphatically. “You can hold that phone until the memory leaves, too. I feel like it’s been contaminated by his perviness.”

“At least it wasn’t a dick pic,” he says sweetly, and I gag again.

“Please stop,” I whine and drink water as my eyes blur with tears.

My phone chimes with Shade’s text tone, and I eye it warily.

Max laughs again as he reads, “He says I can have the pointers for free since I suck at sex.”

“He’s such a jerk.” I shake my head.

“I should have saved that picture and sent it to Trevor.”

“That makes me want to puke twice as bad,” I shudder in disgust. “It might make its way back to me, and I’ll be haunted forever.”

My reaction causes him to laugh so hard it takes him several minutes to catch his breath.

“I thought he was a stone-cold killer,” Max shakes his head and picks up his burger. I glance at him from the corner of my eye and tread carefully.

“Shade is just really private. Please don’t go around telling people about that text. I shouldn’t have asked him to prove himself to you.” I frown as I think of how much Shade put out there at my request. I owe him some chocolates for that, at the very least.

“I won’t. I’m just relieved more than anything.”

I nod absently as he finishes his meal and eyes mine. My body tenses, waiting for the inevitable question as I refuse to meet his gaze.

“I was going to get a shake to go. Would you like one?”

I eye him warily.

“Chocolaty goodness? How can you pass that up?” He grins at me and stands, offering me his hand.

I frown and then slap my hand in his. “What could it hurt?”

He doesn’t let go as he orders, and I stare at my hand in his, willing myself to pull away. But the simple contact feels like so much more to me, and I don’t want to let go. Once we have our shakes and stand outside, I want to slap myself in the face.

“He bailed on me. Again.”

“Shade drove you?” Max gives me a grin and swings our hands back and forth like a child. It feels so good and silly.

“Yes. He does this to me all the time, dang it. Worst bestie ever. It’s official, he’s the dictator today.”

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