Not Like You

Chapter Sixty-Two

"Summer!" I jumped on Max's back, and he stumbled forward.

"Dios Mio, Meil, why are you so hyper?" Max asked, trying to turn his face to mine. 

"I just turned in my last final! I am a free woman!" I exclaimed, hugging Max tighter. He laughed and I slid off of his back.

"Now I can leave this treacherous place," I grabbed Max's hand and he sighed.

"Yes, you can. But we need to talk before you go," my smile faltered. I knew what he wanted to talk about. We lived far away from each other. Where would we go from here?

I nodded at Max and squeezed his hand, dragging him to the coffee corner, which was as empty as ever, but still held the smile of Finch at the front counter, and no doubt Becky at the last corner.

"Rose? Not gone yet?" finch asked, pouring coffee into two mugs, adding sugar to one, but no the other.

"Not yet," I grabbed the one with sugar and added a little bit of cream. Finch shook his head and handed Max the other one.

I let Max set his full mug down before I shoved him into our booth. He laughed and put his hands up in surrender.

"You are very violent today," he remarked. I laughed and took in the sight of Max.

When I first met him, he was muscular and handsome. Now, he's even more muscular and, even though it seems impossible, he's more handsome.

"I guess so," I plopped down next to him and sipped my coffee.

"I'll miss that. If you choose to go home this summer," the words were rushed and forced, like a test.

"I'd miss you if you went home too," we were silent, sipping our coffee. Well, I was kinda gulping mine, but whatever.

"I... I don't really want to go home this summer," I bit my lip as the words passed through my lips, "I mean, I love my Dad, but I just don't think I want to go back. Not live there, I mean," Max nodded in understanding.

"And my house is too far away," he sighed and laid back.

"I had an idea, but it would require some work," I said, turning to face Max. He raised his eyebrows.

"Spill,"

******************************

"Lemonade," I called. Max, Harlow's Dad, my Dad, Nash, and Ethan were all working on the addition. They climbed down from the roof, sweaty and gross-smelling.

"You're awesome," Max said, trying to wrap an arm around me. I shriveled away, wrinkling my nose.

"Nuh-uh. You aren't getting any hugs until you shower. Three times," I handed him a glass of lemonade and he rolled his eyes, a smile playing on his lips.

"So, how's it going?" I asked. The cabin wasn't small, but with my book, I was earning more than enough money. I had almost become famous, to be honest, although I turned down most interviews. Max pressed me to go, and I was signed for one on a local news station next week.

"Good. It's enough space for another bedroom. We can always add another later," Harlow's Dad said. I nodded and sipped my own lemonade. While the guys worked on the house, Harlow and I were inside, painting our nails and watching Netflix. We both agreed to leave the hard work to them. Relaxing was much better.

"When you asked if I could do you a favor, I didn't know it'd be this much work, Rose," my dad said. He was smiling. I smiled back.

"Love you, Dad," I called, taking their empty glasses back inside. I caught Max staring at me from behind.