Page 93 of Saddle and Bound

"Wait," she says, taking a step back. "You asked Max for help?"

My heart sinks. I absolutely didn't want to make her angry or upset. "Rosie, I..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she interrupts, her voice tense. "Why Max?"

I shake my head quickly, realizing that perhaps I've made a huge mistake. "I... I wanted to help you, resolve the situation. I couldn't stand seeing you so worried."

Rosie crosses her arms, her body language clearly defensive. "But why ask Max? Why not talk to me first?"

I run a hand through my hair, frustrated with myself for handling the situation poorly. "I don't know, Rosie. I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't want to make you angry or hurt you. I just wanted to help."

Rosie remains stone-faced. Her eyes are wide, and I'm seriously starting to panic.

"Hey baby, tell me what's going through your mind," I plead.

She stares at me for another long moment that feels like an eternity.

Finally, she speaks. "A lot of things are going through my mind, but above all, I still don't trust Max. I don't understand what magic he worked to make all this possible, and most importantly, I don't understand why you took over my problem and decided to solve it on your own out of nowhere."

Suddenly, fear grips me. I look at Rosie, studying her face. Her eyes, usually warm and welcoming, are now distant, clouded by a veil of disappointment and confusion. Her lips are pressed into a thin line, as if holding back a flood of words.

"It was our problem. And I tried to solve it. I told you I would find a way," I say sincerely.

Rosie seems even angrier.

"I thought you would support me and that we would figure something out together, not that you'd outsource everything to some random creepy guy!" she says, raising her voice.

"I..." I try to find the words, to reorganize my thoughts and fix this mess. "Max... he's like a brother to me... I just asked for advice. I didn't tell you because I hadn't received a response from him yet."

Rosie shakes her head, a mixture of frustration and sadness in her eyes.

"You assured me he wasn't shady..."

I feel a pang of pain at her tone. "He's not! I know you don't trust him..."

"Then tell me: how did he solve the problem?" she interrupts.

"I... I have no idea... I asked for advice, and he showed up here telling me everything was resolved."

"Seriously, Alex? And you expect me to believe there's nothing strange about his methods?"

She looks at me for a while... I shake my head. I know Max isn't an angel from heaven, but he's never gotten me into trouble... in fact, he's always gotten us out of trouble.

"And then it didn't occur to you that I might be perfectly capable of solving my own problems without asking for help around?"

She adds, even more indignant.

"Listen, Rosie... I don't know how Max did it, but he's not a bad person. I'm sure he found a legitimate way. I trust him. And I didn't mean to imply that you can't solve your own problems. You're an incredibly strong woman, and I'm sure you can handle anything... I just wanted to be there for you."

Rosie's eyes are glistening. I watch her take a small step backward, and here my world is about to crumble even more.

People fight... and this is just our first fight. I should stay calm, right?

"Ros," I try to say, but she interrupts me.

"I need to take a walk. I'll see you later," she says, continuing to shake her head.

Chapter 60

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