Page 46 of Rox

We go back and forth for a while, and unfortunately, I don’t feel any better. I have no idea if I handled this the way I should have or not.

“Wait. Go back.”

“Um, to what? We’ve been talking for a while now,” she laughs.

“Yeah, yeah. But anyway, you said he loves me.”

“Roxie, are you okay?”

“Yes, why?”

“One, I said that about thirty minutes ago, and you’re just now realizing it.”

“And two?”

“There is no two. It’s just that.”

“Well, you said, you know what? It doesn’t matter. But yes, I’m now coming back to that. You said he loves me.” The same thing Max told me twice before he left. He’s never told me before that he loves me. Tonight, he said it and kissed me like he meant it before he walked out the door. And now, my mom is telling me he loves me too. Am I so stupid I can’t see it? Or am I refusing to believe it? And how must he be feeling because I didn’t register until right fucking now that he told me he loves me.

“Roxie, I’ve known he was in love with you for years.”

“How,” I whisper in disbelief.

“All I had to do was look.”

* * *

A few days have passed since I learned Max loves me, too. I haven’t told him yet that I love him either because while I’ve seen him, he’s been passed out. Club business is my dad’s fancy way of saying he isn’t going to tell me what happened to him, even though it’s clear my dad kicked his ass. I’ve done what I can to care for him, but I can’t stop working. I need to get this problem solved once and for all.

I’ve been waiting for him to come back. Because I know he’s okay, I’m giving him the space he needs. Hopefully, he’ll stop sleeping all day and be able to make his way home.

The shop door chimes, and I turn to see who’s here.

“Hi, welcome to—oh. Hey, Mark.”

Mark smiles as he walks up to my station. “Hey, Roxie. I realized I never made my next appointment. If you have timenow, I’d love to sit with you, but if not, I’dreallylike to get in the books.”

“Yeah, sure.”

An uneasy feeling comes over me as he smiles at me. I pulled open my schedule because even though I know I don’t have anything for today, I wanted to make it seem like I did. There’s something about him I can’t put my finger on, and while I know I should finish the piece, there’s a nagging feeling at the back of my mind telling me to run.

“Thanks. I’m really happy with the work you’ve finished so far, and I can’t wait to see it completed.”

I smile at him before I decide to bite the bullet. “Looks like I had a cancellation. Let’s get ya in the chair, yeah?”

“Hell yeah!”

He’s been in the chair for almost two hours when Ink walks into the shop.

“Hey, Ink.”

“Hey, Roxie,” he smiles as he walks up to see what I’m working on. It’s a full sleeve on his upper thigh. I was dumb to think I would finish it in the first session, but I was too worried about everything; I was lying to myself to make myself feel better. Honestly, I owe him at least one more session before I don’t have to see him again. “Are you almost ready to head out?”

I give Ink a confused look before the bell dings. “Oh, shit, I completely forgot. It wasn’t on my calendar.”

“Is something wrong?” Mark asked, his interest suddenly peaked.

“Just an appointment I have to get to. My house burned down, and I have to go talk to the fire chief.”

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