Even though Max never minced his words and always called it like he saw it, Reese couldn’t help but get pissed at Keira being referred to as something like that. Max must have seen the emotion flicker across his face, because he made a deep noise in the back of his throat and watched Reese intently.
“Okay, so not pussy on the side. More than that.”
Fuck. He breathed out and ran a hand over the back of his head. “Man, I feel like she’s a hell of a lot more than that… than anything I’ve ever wanted.”
After a moment, Max muttered, “Huh.”
“What?”
Max shrugged. “Nothin’. You know her long?”
He shook his head. “Not personally. Today was actually the first time we hung out, but I’ve seen her at school for a while. There’s just… something about her. I don’t know what it is, man.”
“She’s somethin’ special.”
The way Max said that just seemed right, like those three words summed up exactly why he was drawn to Keira Sheppard so much.
“You want to talk about it, kid? You want to get all deep and shit over it?”
Did he? A part of him said yes, while another part wanted to keep her and how he felt for Keira all to himself. This was Max though, the man who had found him wandering along the road when he was twelve, hungry, cold, and dirty. Max had taken him to his home, and his wife, Karen, had fixed him up, fed him, and gave him their guest bed to sleep in for the night. Reese’s parents hadn’t even given a shit about where he’d been. They’d been too drunk to even know he wasn’t home.
At the thought of Karen, who had passed away five years back, the hard, finite reality of life settled in.
“She’s too good for me. I have nothing to offer her, not when she’s got money and surrounded by people of status.”
“What in the fuck are you talkin’ about, Reese?” Max slapped his palm right over his heart and stared at him in the eyes. “You feel your heart beating? You feel the strong, heavy pumping within your chest?”
Reese nodded.
“I’ve told you this a million times, but I’m gonna tell you again.” He leaned forward an inch. “You don’t let anything nasty that has happened in your past affect your future. You’re strong, smart, and damn good-lookin’.” Max chucked him on the chin before standing. When Reese didn’t say anything, Max looked at him again. “You understand me, right?”
Reese’s throat tightened, but he nodded. Max may be gruff and be hard-talking, but he never once let Reese down.
“Good. Now keep me company while I tattoo my next appointment’s ass.”
Reese lifted a brow, and Max chuckled. Leave it to Max to help settle the conversation so it wasn’t so heavy.
“He’s getting his ex-wife’s name printed right on his left cheek.” He slapped his ass to emphasize his point. “Told me she would always be kissing his ass.”
Reese couldn’t help but start laughing.
“I don’t get it.” Max shrugged as he started setting things up. “I mean, you want your ex-old lady’s name on you for life, regardless if it’s a slap in her face? Hey, what the hell ever.” He murmured the last part.
Max turned and leveled a serious expression at Reese. “But no more skipping class, you hear, not even spending time with your girl. You do well and graduate so you can go to a good college and get out of this toxic fucking town.”
Reese smiled, because hearing Max scold him just proved that there was someone out in the world who gave a shit about him.
13
The week at school passed by faster than Keira anticipated, but maybe it had something to do with these growing feelings she had for Reese, and the fact that they were hanging out more. It was nice, really nice, but she knew Molly was curious about what was going on. Keira just didn’t feel like it was the right time to say anything, especially when she didn’t know what this was between her and Reese.
She still heard whispers and rumors circling about her, and even more so that people saw her and Reese hanging around each other at school, but she’d taken a play out of his book and… just didn’t give a fuck.
And God, it was so liberating.
But then at the end of the week, the rumors of her and Reese died down as shit started being stirred about a tuba player in the marching band having been found with cocaine in his locker.
She made her way through the lunch line and grabbed a sandwich and bottle of water, when someone gently bumped her in the shoulder. Reese came to stand next to her and gave her a big shit-eating grin. Someone shouldn’t be that gorgeous, especially not every damn day.
“Hey.” He was so close to her that his arm touched hers as he reached for a sandwich as well.
She’d been thinking long and hard about how she felt and what this might mean, and frankly it scared the shit out of her. Never had something consumed her in life so much as her desire for Reese.
Finding him attractive and wanting him from afar was a lot safer—and a hell of a lot different—than being close to him like this and realizing her feelings ran far deeper.
“How you doing today?” His voice was deep and slightly scratchy in the most attractive way.
They continued to make their slow move through the lunch line, and as comfortable as she was becoming around him, the truth was, the more she let her thoughts and emotions take over, the more she became very aware of every part of him.
“Good. I’m doing good. You're good?” Her face flamed as she stumbled over her own words.
He stared at her for a moment as if trying to decipher why she was acting weird as hell.
Because what I feel for you is a lot stronger than what I thought. Because getting to know you has made me fall harder.
“I’m good,” he responded and flashed her a crooked smile that had her pulse jackhammering behind her ribs.
After paying, she started for where Ian and Molly sat but stopped and looked at Reese. “You want to eat with us today?” She hardly ever saw him in the cafeteria and assumed he went off campus for lunch.
“Nah, got some shit to do this hour, but next time, yeah?”
She nodded, forcing herself not to blush at how good it felt hearing him say it. “Okay, well, I’ll see you later.” She stood there a moment too long, staring at him as if maybe she had something else to say. She hated this awkwardness she was feeling being around him, but acting like they could be friends when she felt anything but was getting under her skin.
She went to turn and head toward the table, when Reese gently grabbed her elbow, stopping her.
“So, how about we do something this weekend?”
“Do something?” She faced him fully, aware people were staring at them.
“Yeah,” he said softly and let go of her elbow, but she didn’t miss how it felt like he did that really slowly, like skimming his fingers along her arm, as if he hadn’t wanted to let her go.
Or maybe wishful thinking.
“Yeah, like grab something to eat or check out a movie? Hell, maybe hang at a party that will most likely be thrown at Devil’s Bluff Lake?”
Another party didn’t sound that appealing after the whole Josh situation, and maybe her face gave that away, but he was shaking his head.