TAMING MAX (Completed)

CHAPTER 23 - TRYING TO FORGET

After a few minutes, I stretched and yawned, pretending to wake up. He pulled himself away as I began to move and I wondered what was going through his mind. Did it feel as good to him as it did to me when he held my hand? Why did he kiss my forehead? Why did I wake up on his chest?

I was being awkward and I knew it. Somehow, I just couldn't stop myself. I was overthinking every single thing like a crazy person. We had been inseparable for so long and all of a sudden I had no idea how to act around him. I had to get a grip. I had to pretend everything was normal. I scolded myself mentally for not getting a grip and plastered a smile on my face.

"What's on the agenda today?" I asked him.

"Well, my dad's memorial is tonight and the service is tomorrow morning. I was thinking we could get as far away from here as possible and then meet the 'mystery man' tomorrow."

I was growing worried about his determination to avoid saying goodbye to his father. I wasn't sure it was healthy but I knew he had to deal with it in his own way.

"Max, are you sure you don't want to attend at least one of the services?"

"I am positive, I made special plans for us today."

How on earth had this man found time to make plans with everything going on?

"Why don't you ask Piper to come along?" he insisted.

"Oh, about Piper. You should know that she might look a little different when you see her."

He looked at me completely confused.

"She met some guy on the internet and he has apparently been using her as a punching bag. Chase and I saw her yesterday," I explained.

"So you were with Chase yesterday?"

"Yeah, we met Piper at the coffee shop. I left you a note."

He looked so disappointed.

"I didn't realize Chase went with you. I thought you just got back at the same time."

It wasn't the first time he had made a comment about me and Chase and I was becoming convinced that he was jealous of him. I couldn't even conceive that Maxwell Livingston would be jealous of anyone. Maybe I was just reading him wrong.

"Are you okay with us being together?" I finally asked him.

"Yeah, of course," he said in a rushed tone that sounded all too suspicious.

"Okay good because he means a lot to me," I honestly admitted.

When I said that he casually walked out the room without even responding. I followed close behind him and we ran into Chase in the kitchen. He told Chase and me to get ready and asked me to call Piper and tell her we would pick her up.

He didn't exactly tell us where we were going so I had no idea how to dress. I finally decided on something casual because I didn't know what else to do. Hopefully, a gala wasn't in store for us because I would be sorely underdressed.

When we picked up Piper I could see the shock on Max's face. Luckily, preparing him was a smart idea because he didn't comment on her appearance. That would have only made her feel uncomfortable.

We drove for about half an hour and finally wound up at a Marina. When I saw the yacht I recognized it from our trip together.

"Are we going on the yacht, Max?" I asked.

"Yes," he said as a smile filled his face.

Chase was smiling too and it was abundantly clear that the two of them were no strangers to boating.