Page 12 of Courtney
She’s the only one in group I told about what happened. Somehow, I feel like it’s my fault that I let Max into our private group.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to push away the ache in my heart. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Trust me,” she says. “You are going to want to see this.”
I walk over to my laptop sitting on the table and open it up. It takes a moment load and I can hear the giddy anticipation in Michelle’s voice as she keeps asking if I’ve seen it.
I type in the website and wait for it to load. I’ve been to Maxine’s website before. After I found out the truth about Max/Maxine. I wanted to see if there was something on there that could have clued me into what was going on, something I might have missed. But in the end, there wasn’t anything there. Like so many of the guys that have passed through my life, he was very good at hiding his true self to me. I bought the lies he told me and once again I got crushed by them.
The page loads, and instead of the wall of colorful book covers showcasing Maxine Devore’s back catalog of book covers, there is a picture of Max with a caption over his head that reads, “The Max behind Maxine.”
Hello Readers,
You’re probably wondering what’s going on here. You’ve opened this site to catch up on any new news about Maxine Devore’s upcoming release and instead you’re finding a picture of some guy you don’t know. Well, you know me better than you think. I’m Max Devers, but I write under the pen name Maxine Devore. I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in for a moment. I know from experience that this news doesn’t always hit the taste palate like the floral notes of a fine wine or a smooth smoky taste of whiskey. I didn’t intentionally set out to deceive you but deceive I did all the same. This truth is something I’ve struggled with for a while now, but until recently I wasn’t willing to reveal to the world, but I think its time to finally show you, my readers, the real me. I recently lost the love of my life to this deception and I can’t take the thought of losing you too. I will continue to write the stories I love to tell and the stories you love to read. I hope you will take this journey with me.
Max
I’m up and out of my seat before Michelle can say another word. I grab my keys off the table and run for the door. I swing it open but stop when I see Max standing there with flowers in his hands and look of agony mixed with hope.
“Is he there?” I hear Michelle call out.
“Yes.”
“Forgive him,” she says and hangs up.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
He nods towards my phone still on the table. “What she said. I’m here to ask for your forgiveness. I screwed up and I will spend the rest of our lives trying to make it up to you. I love you.”
I feel happiness fill me for the first time in days. “I love you too.”
“Do you think you’d be willing to forgive me for being an idiot?”
“No more secrets?” I ask.
“No more secrets.”
I reach out and wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. I knew my reaction had more to do with shock at the situation than with anger, but seeing him here, willing to fight for me, for us, is all I need to know that we can go the distance.
Epilogue
MAX
I’m shocked when we pull up to the bookstore and see the line of readers standing outside waiting to meet with me. It’s been nearly a year since I broke the news on my website about me being Maxine Devore.
There were a few reasons I went underground after my confession to Courtney. I needed to find the best way to break the news to my readers, but I also need to find a way to get Courtney to forgive me. Thankfully, her friend, Michelle, came to me when she found out what I did and took pity on me. She could see that Courtney was hurting without me and me without her.
I wrote out my declaration and she said that she’d make sure that Courtney was at her house when she read the post. Then I could be there to surprise her and beg her forgiveness.
“Don’t be nervous,” Courtney says.
“I’m not.”
“Then maybe taking a breath every once in a while, will help.”
I smile at my wife and think about how that title for her still sounds so weird and amazing at the same time. Sunlight catches the diamond on her left hand as she grips the steering wheel of the car.
“You’re coming in, right? I don’t know if I can do this without you.”
