Page 52 of A Love So Sweet
She told herself to put her phone down and go back to bed, to disappear into the safety of Treat’s arms. But Ryan would always be lurking in the shadows. With a shaky hand, she clicked on the message icon. She was pretty sure there was no way he would respond, but she had to try to slay the demons that were poisoning her like a disease.
She stared at the message box with absolutely no idea what to type.Hey, this is Max. Remember me? The girl you mistreated?She closed her eyes, and it was Treat’s voice whispering through her mind, telling her he’d be there no matter what and that they’d heal together, that gave her strength. She struggled for what seemed like hours but in reality was probably only fifteen minutes before finally typing,Hi.That was all she could do. She hit return and then stared at the screen like it might come alive. Her body was poised to flee, or fight, which was silly since it was only a message.
“That was stupid,” she said to the empty room, and padded into the kitchen. She set her phone on the counter while she poured herself some juice.
A few minutes later her phone chimed, and Max’s pulse sprinted. Holding her breath, she reached for the phone, then stopped.I don’t want to do this. Yes, I do.She closed her eyes, gathering courage like a cloak, and finally picked up the phone. With her jaw clenched so tight she worried she might crack a tooth, she read his message.
Hey, Max. How are you?
She bit her lower lip and typed,Fine.Since when had she become a liar? She was so far fromfineright then, she could barely think.
His response was instant.Glad to hear it.
She stared at the screen, trying to figure out what she wanted to achieve. She never did things without a plan in place, and suddenly she was adrift in a sea of worries. Why had she reached out? What did she really want? Closure? To see if she was strong enough to actually face him? To see if he regretted how he’d treated her?
All of the above?
She typed,Where are you living?Again, his response came quickly.Yakima, Washington. You?
Max’s hands stopped cold. She didn’t want him to know where she lived, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she was already forming a plan.
She typed,I’m in your area tomorrow for work. I’d like to come by and talk.
He answered quickly.Working all day.
Where?She stared at the screen after sending the message and then read his response twice—Crowne Inn, off Central Ave—before making her decision and typing,Can I stop by?
She held her breath as his response rolled in.
I never thought you’d speak to me again. Yes, I’d like that. I have things to tell you.
She had things to tell him, too, though she had no idea if they’d come out in tears or rage, and she didn’t care. She needed to do this, if for no other reason than to get the hatred she’d been harboring out at therightperson. Her efficient, organized mind was already racing through the travel and work arrangements she’d need to make. She hated the idea of leaving Treat to deal with this, but she knew if they had any chance at a future, it was necessary.
She responded with,Okay. 7:00 p.m.?
Once he agreed, she went to work making travel arrangements before she could chicken out. She’d left Ryan once, and she’d carried the nightmare of him with her like a silent predator.
After tomorrow she hoped to never feel like his prey again.
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Chapter Twenty-Five
TREAT’S ARM FELL on an empty sheet. He opened his eyes and found Max curled up in the chair by the window. “Hey, babe. You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said softly as she came to him and sat on the bed. “I need to talk to you.”
“I’m all ears.”
She pressed a kiss to his bare chest and said, “Well, notallears.”
He put his arm around her, pulling her down for a kiss. “What’s going on? You seem tense.”
“I am. I have to leave.”
“Leave?” He sat up, feeling gutted. “Why? What’s going on?”
“Nothing bad. I promise.”
