Page 83 of Out Of Time

He loved this.

This life with Remi, and music, and the beach, and hummus, and new plants, and cat ears, and closets, and sex, and Remi… full circle.Remi.

The next song began to play and the room around him was a blur, but the vibration of the music brought every inch of his skin alive. Remi bounced on her toes as she shot her hand into the air while the band played a sort of anthem; the whole crowd knew the words. It was like an unspoken understanding that you shouted these lyrics and pumped your fist.

Max wanted more.

He wanted to be a part of this.

He had never been a part of anything outside of hockey.

Hope filled his chest.

He was going to be okay.

This was going to be okay.

“I love this,” he shouted into Remi’s ear right as the music stopped. A few people around them laughed, and the lead singer looked out into the crowd and responded.

“Good. I’m happy you don’t hate it.” The crowd all laughed again, and Max felt his face grow red at the newfound attention he got as the next song started.

Remi turned to face him. “This is my favorite new tradition,” she shouted.

“It’s our only tradition,” he said, leaning in to kiss her mouth that tasted like beer and the mint gum she had gotten from their new friend, Chris.

“For now.” She smiled.

“I want you,” he shouted, only realizing it for himself as the words escaped his mouth.

“You have me,” she said, not grasping what he was asking.

He took her hand and placed it on the crotch of his pants, his want for her very obvious, the music doing something to the entire makeup of his DNA.

“Oh,” she said, her smile turning mischievous. “Youwantme, want me.”

“Yeah. Iwantyou.Now.”

She scanned the crowd; the band’s set was just taking off. “I have an idea.”

“Yes,” he agreed.

“I didn’t even tell you what I was thinking yet.”

He pulled her in to kiss her. “I said yes.”

She gripped his hand, beginning to move away from the mass of people. “Follow me.”

And he did.

They pushed through the crowd, his hand in Remi’s as the outline of bodies in the dark blurred around him.

She pushed on the bathroom stall door; it was locked.

“A bathroom?” he asked skeptically.

“You said yes,” she said, biting her bottom lip teasingly between her teeth.

Max pushed her up against the wall of the dark hallway, the music and the sound of the crowd singing along carried through the space around them, loud and heavy. He pressed his body against her, his mouth taking hers like he owned it, like it was his to keep. Her hand gripped him through his pants, and he didn’t care that they were only hidden away by the dark hallway, no one here would notice, and if they did, he was certain they wouldn’t care.

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