Page 32 of Besties
“Well, then, talk to me. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
He wrapped an arm around himself, grabbing his other arm.
“You need a hug?”
His lip wobbled slightly as he took a step forward. That was my cue. I pushed up out of the chair and rushed forward, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“I’m so sorry.”
The pain in his voice undid me. “Tell me what I did wrong.”
As he was about to speak, his phone rang with a familiar tune.
“Don’t answer it.” I was desperate to know what was going on.
“I have to. It’s Allyssa.”
He slipped his phone out, opened it, then held it to his ear. “Hey, what’s up?”
No, this wasn’t going to happen. I reached out and grabbed the phone from him, then spoke with Allyssa. “He’s busy right now. He’ll call you back.” Before she could reply, I hung up, then put the phone in my pocket.
“What the hell?”
Fire filled his eyes again. He reached for me, but being a lot smaller came in handy as I ducked away.
“Gimme my phone, Max.”
“No. We’re going to talk.”
“Max.” His voice was dark and held a note of warning. I have to say the growl in it was kinda hot.
“As soon as we get this out in the open.”
He huffed out a breath. “Fine, keep the damned phone. I’ll get a different one.”
He moved toward the door, but I stepped in front of him, my arms spread. “You’re not getting out of here.”
“Do you really think you can stop me?”
“Are you gonna hit me?”
He reared back. “What? No! I’d never hit you.”
“Then, yeah, I think I can stop you.”
He shrank in on himself, his gaze darting everywhere but on me. “Don’t do this. Please. Everything changes if we talk, and I don’t know that I can handle it. Just drop it, okay?”
“No.” I was adamant. Something was eating away at him, and I’d finally gotten my head out of my ass and noticed.
He went to the desk and slumped into the chair. “Max, I don’t want things to be weird or different between us.”
“It’s already weird. You’re upset, and I need to know why. All my life, you’ve been there for me. After Dad left, you were my rock. You were the only thing in my life that seemed permanent, and I clung to that with a fierceness. No matter what went to hell, you were always there for me.”
He groaned. “And I always will be, but that might not happen if we talk. I want to be there for you, so can’t we just leave it at that?”
I wouldn’t deny I worried that he was right. If we talked, things between us might never be the same, but right now Richie was hurting, and I wouldn’t be a friend if I didn’t try to find out why.
“Would you? If something was wrong and I was obviously distraught, would you leave it if I asked?”
