Right Back to You

25. Real Reasons

Kyle didn't know why he hadn't expected this. After all, Max was never one to beat around the bush. He faced stuff head on and he'd raided Kyle to do the same. Maybe it was the recent craziness in his life, or how he'd gotten used to his messed up family that had made him blind to the object.

Now that he was faced with Max, he realized he wasn't ready.

And yet, everyone was staring at him, waiting for him to make a choice. The choking feeling in his chest didn't let him. Then, suddenly, a small hand took his and squeezed. He knew the softness of her skin even without looking, could feel the encouragement.

"Okay," he said. His voice came out even, lacking any emotion, which was strange given the turmoil inside him.

Max gave a court nod and headed inside the hotel lobby. Kyle followed and didn't protest even when Max led them to the bar out of all places. It was sufficiently crowded so that their conversation would be lost among others, but not enough for anyone to overhear them. It was a good choice.

The bartender appeared and Max ordered a glass of whiskey for himself and a grapefruit and orange juice for him, with just a pinch of lime. Because of course he knew exactly what Kyle liked.

"I see Kay is with you," Max observed as the bartender left to get their drinks.

"No thanks to you."

His uncle bowed his head in acceptance of the jab and the pain in Kyle's chest only seemed to grow.

"I'm still happy you're back with her."

So was he, but this didn't really make any sense. Why do what he did in the first place? Their drinks arrived and Max downed his glass in one go. Kyle watched him, stirring his own drink with the straw.

"Another?" the bartender asked.

Max shook his head. "Get me one of those." And he nodded towards Kyle's juice.

The man moved away, leaving them alone. Kyle waited, but it wasn't like Mad was in a hurry to talk. He waited for his juice before relaxing the slightest bit.

"Why are you here?" Kyle asked.

"What happened didn't change my feelings for you, Kyle."

"How's that going on with your own life thing working out for you?"

Max winced. "Well, actually, but I can't take the full credit for that one. How long have you known about me and Rosario?"

"About two years, I think."

"Yikes, I'm very bad at hiding, then."

"Yes, you are." Which made his betrayal even more spectacular, come to think about it.

"Anyway," Max said, "it turned out for the best. But what about you? Are you happy?"

That was a very loaded question. His first answer would have been yes. He had Kay back and he couldn't wait to get her into their room and screw her brains out five more times. He was on tour and was about to play with his friends. He had new friends.

But then came the complicated part. Tom and Jimmy and how they'd ended up lost, Jessie and her abusive family, the need to decide where to go from here, how they'd handle going back to Chicago. His own parents and the forced marriage. Even Max's potential betrayal.

"Did you know?"

Max's expectant expression turned confused. "Know what?"

"About Jessie, about what they were trying to do."

"Jessie?"

"Jessica Stefani."

"Huh. I've heard of her since she'll be playing on town and with you nonetheless, so you probably know anything about her better than I do."