Page 53 of Where the Dark Knelt
Strange that Max reacted like that, and I wondered if his reaction was just that he’d recognized Alfie’s behavior because he had been thinking the same thing about me. They both wanted to have sex with me.
Reaching out, I touched Max’s arm in reassurance. “Don’t worry about me, Max, I’m a big girl, and right now, I want to spend time with you. Please let’s not argue about anything, least of all Alfie, he doesn’t figure. The guy barely knows me. Let it go, Max, especially today.”
Max camecloser and kissed me softly, before cupping his hand behind my head, pulling me in to deepen the kiss. I smiled at him when we broke free, but I hated knowing that Alfie was watching while Max had been kissing me.
Trying to avoid Alfie’s stare, I focused ahead as I started the engine. It made me feel sick to do this in front of him.
As I drovepast him, Max’s blood boiled again. “He so wants to fuck you, though. Look at the way he’s watchingyou.” I looked over at Alfie trying to figure out what his game was, and why he was doing this.
Max turned to face me. “Are you truly not aware how that man feels about you, Lily?” I was stunned by the intensity of Max’s reaction to Alfie.
“Max, all the guys I’ve met that have wanted me,haveonly wanted my body.”
My mother used to tell me that she saw beauty as a curse sometimes. I often wondered what she meant by that, but I think Iwas beginning to understand her better now. I couldn’t help how I looked, but I could help how I felt. “Trust me, Max, Alfie isn’t interested in me.”
We sat in silenceduring the drive back. I think that I gave him something to think about with my self-righteous speech about men. I also noticed that Max never contradicted me on my point about men in relation to himself either.
As we neared the condo, Max reached over and took my hand, sprinkling small kisses over my knuckles. His hand then slid along the back of my seat and into my hair. He massaged circles into my neck as I drove.
Peering at him over my sunglasses, I said, “Is this the female equivalent of a blow job at the wheel?” I teased, trying to divert his thoughts. Max threw his head back with a loud chuckle, and his mood was instantly calmer.
Saffywas up and about when we burst through the door, weighed down from our shopping trip. “Where have you been? I’ve asked Will over and thought we could all go out on a boat this afternoon.”
Coming from the Midwest, Max andSaffydidn’t get much of a chance to see the ocean. Neither did I, come to think of it, until I arrived here. Max disappeared intoSaffy’sroom, and I went to change for the trip.
I pulled on ared bikini and black shorts and packed some soda and water in a cooler for us. As we headed downstairs tomeet Will,Saffylinked arms with me. “Thank you so much for taking care of Max last night, honey. I owe you,” she mumbled quietly to me.
Max heard her and snickered. “Yeah, it must have been a real chore for her.” He gave me a sly smile, and I blushed crimson.
Saffycaught it. “What was that look?” She pointed between Max and me, and he threw his hands open.
“What… what look?”
“The look you just gave her, like some secret smile or something. You’re sick, Max.”
Chewing the inside of his mouth, Max tried not to smile. “Saffy, I’ve come a long way to see you!” He snorted. “You skipped out on me, leaving poor Lily to keep me company.”
Looking at my feet, I pinched the underside of my thigh where my hands were, to stop myself laughing at the guilt trip he was putting on his sister.
Relentlessly, Max continued to make Saffy and I feel uncomfortable.“Then, when I was honest with you this morning, you freaked out, calling me a liar, and now this? Makes me wonder why I bothered to come. My trip would have been awful, except little Lily took me under her wing.”
“See!”Saffyspat at him, “You just contradicted yourself!”
Looking confused, Max raised his eyebrow questioning her, “I did?”
She nodded, pointing at me. “Yup, one minute you were off getting laid, and the next, Lily was keeping you company.”
Max’s eyes were pleading withme, and I wanted to support him, so I gave him a slow nod and blushed. I scrunched my eyes up and pulled my shoulders to my ears as I waited for the onslaught whenshefound out.
Chuckling as he looked backat me, it was clear he was making Will look uncomfortable. Will rubbed the back of his neck looking awkward at being there. Max turned tohissister. “Listen to me,Saffy,I’m only going to say this once, so you need to listen carefully. Ididget laid last night,fact.”
He struggled to keep himself from laughing. “Lilydidkeep me company. The two events don’t have to be mutually exclusive you know.” My heart stuttered as I waited for the onslaught ofSaffy’sresponse when it sunk in.
I swallowed hard as my adrenaline kicked in, making my heart pound in my chest.Saffy’shead snapped round, and she stared at me silently for what seemed like a verylong time, her facial expressions changing from disbelief, shock, horror, disgust, then settling on anger.
Will shuffled his feet, his eyes flicking between us, and he looked like he wished he was anywhere else except here. He seemed thoroughly embarrassed, his eyes darting betweenSaffyand me several times. I could see him cringe like he was hearing something he’d never recover from.
He was also staringat me as if he couldn’t believe I’d have intercourse withanyone. Of everything that was going on, his face was the one thing I found the most amusing during this whole obtuse situation.
