Max crouches down in front of Dex and gives me a sheepish smile. Just like last time, I’m completely struck by how whole and real and, well, large he looks. Like nothing changed for him at all. Like death was just a hiccup, like he hadn’t just been in Hell for a long time. I can’t even imagine what that would do to a person, whether they were alive or dead. Either he’s always been tougher than he seemed or he’s managed to move on. Maybe being a Jacob helps in that regard.
“I’m doing okay,” Max says to me softly. “Don’t you worry about me. Let’s just worry about him.”
“You said he can survive almost anything!” I cry out.
He laughs. “Yeah, I reckon he can. But how is he going to handle me? That’s another story entirely.”
But I can tell from the shit-eating twist to his lips that he’s going to enjoy the hell out of this.
He clears his throat and puts his hand on Dex’s arm. “Dex? Bout time you pulled yourself together, son.”
Dex lets out a moan and I shine the light on his face, his eyes pinching shut against the intrusion. “Fuck,” he eventually says, brows knitting together. “What the fuck just happened?”
“You fell,” I tell him.
He groans, trying to move, eyes still closed. He raises his hand to block the light. “Feels like I ran into a fucking tree.”
I glance at Maximus briefly before looking back at Dex. “Well, you kind of did. Remember that sequoia joke you told me?”
He blinks, opening his eyes in confusion.
Only to see Maximus grinning down at him.
“Nice to see you, old friend,” he says.
Twelve
Stunned.
Dex is absolutely stunned, staring right at Maximus, his eyes growing wider and wider, seemingly frozen in place.
“Dex?” Max prompts.
Then Dex yelps and tries to move backward, shuffling along the floor until he backs up against the wall.
“It’s okay,” I try to assure him. “It’s really him.”
Dex is breathing heavily, his eyes jumping to mine, now looking at me like I’m crazy, before going back to Maximus. “This isn’t real,” he manages to say, still in disbelief. “You’re not here. You’re not real.”
Max gives him a sympathetic head tilt and then turns to me, offering his hand.
“Perry!” Dex barks at me. “What are you doing? Don’t touch it.”
But naturally I don’t listen.
I put my hand in Max’s and he hauls me to my feet. I give him a grateful smile and then eye Dex, my brow raised as if to say, see, he’s real.
“What the fuck is going on?” Dex asks, then rubs his hands over his face vigorously. “How hard did I hit my fucking head?” He removes his hands, frowning when he realizes Max is still right here. “I don’t get this.”
Maximus folds his arms and peers down at him. “I have to say, you’re being more obtuse than I thought you’d be.”
Dex eyes me, shaking his head. “How come you’re not freaking the fuck out? I don’t understand. See, this is how I know it’s not real.” He points his finger at me and then at Max. “If this were real, Perry would be losing her shit.”
“Oh, she did,” Max drawls. “Remember the last time you were here, when you were locked alone in that room? Well, I sure as heck surprised her then.”
Dex is looking at me now, eyes rapidly searching my face.
It’s true, I try to tell him.
“And when I kissed her, well, that really got her spooked.”
“WHAT?!” Dex roars, scrambling to his feet.
I close my eyes, pressing a fist to my forehead. Oh, fucking hell.
“Max!” I hiss at him. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Already dead, sweetheart.”
Dex stands there, eyes wide, nostrils flaring, hands balling up into fists. He’s angry as hell but he’s also scared. “What the fuck are you talking about? You kissed her?” He looks at me. “He kissed you?”
“I was trying to prove a point,” Maximus says dryly. “The point came across. Hey, if it helps you believe me, I’ll kiss you too.”
Dex looks so horrified that I almost laugh. “The fuck you will.”
“Offer’s on the table,” he says with a wink, just to piss him off more. “Things feeling a little more real now?”
Dex keeps shaking his head, walking over to me. “Did this chodepigeon really kiss you?”
“Oh my god, Dex, really? That’s your concern right now?”
“Right, right, right,” he says, eyes flashing. “I guess my concern is why the hell this happened to you days ago and you never fucking told me.”
I knew that would bite me in the ass.
I wave my hand at Maximus. “He told me not to.”
“And you just believed him? And you believed he was real?”
“Well, no,” I say carefully. “I checked with Jacob.”
His eyes nearly fall out of his head. “Jacob? When…the fuck, Perry! Is that why you went for a drive with him?”
“Oh, you saw Jacob. Good,” Maximus says glibly. “Hope he’s doing alright.”
I glare at Max to shut up, then look back to Dex. “I had to make sure.”
“And you didn’t tell me!”
“He said not to tell!” I yell back. I face Maximus. “You told me that I shouldn’t tell him about you.”
He shrugs. “That’s right, darlin’. I did say that.”
“And you honored his wish instead of telling me? Your husband?” Dex asks snidely. I know he’s full of anger right now, I just wish he didn’t sound so hurt underneath.
“He’s dead,” I protest. “You can’t just not honor the wishes of the dead. I didn’t know what to do.”
He turns his fury to Max. “And why the fuck couldn’t she tell me?”
Max runs his hand over his jaw, supressing a smile. “No real reason. Just more fun this way.” Now he’s full-on grinning at us, looking pleased as punch. “I wouldn’t have traded any of this for the world.”
“Ugh, please don’t tell me you reverted back to being an asshole,” I scowl at him.
“I was in Hell, you know,” he points out. “Saving both your apparently ungrateful asses, lest you forget.”
“Is this what we have to look forward to when we pull you out of there?” I say to him. “You reminding us of that? Because it’s going to get old real soon.”
“What are you talking about?” Dex asks. “Pull him out of where?”
“He’s in the Veil,” I say, waving my hand around. “This whole house is like the Veil. Jacob dragged him out of Hell but could only take him this far.”
“You have got to be shitting me,” Dex says, a look of awe coming over him as he stares at Max. “It really is you, isn’t it?”
“Something like that,” he says. “You gonna give me a hug or what?”
Dex wrinkles his nose. “I don’t know. You going to try and kiss me? Because I might need a breath mint.”