YOU 1 [Charli D'Amelio]

Chapter 74.

"Do you want to get your car and take it to your dads?" I ask Max as we drive back from my room.

I changed my clothes and took a quick shower, even though I am going to get dirty planting with Karen. Max waited patiently, fiddling through my underwear drawer to keep herself busy. She told me to pack enough clothes to spend another night with her, which made me smile. I would spend every night with her if I could.

"No, I'm okay. As long as you stop swerving all over the road." She tells me.

"Excuse me? I am an excellent driver." I defend.

She snorts but keeps her mouth shut. "So what made you decide to get a car anyway?"

"Well, I got the internship and I didn't want to keep taking the bus or depending on other people to take me places." I explain.

"Oh.. did you go alone?" She asks and looks out the window.

"Yea.. why?"

"I'm just wondering." She lies. She is trying to ask if Zayn went with me.

"I was alone, that was a bad day for me." I say and he flinches.

"How many times did you and Zayn hang out?" She asks. Why is she bringing this up now?

"Twice, we went to dinner and a movie, then the bonfire. It wasn't anything for you to worry about."

"He only kissed you once?" Ugh.

"Yes, only once. Well besides the time that.. you saw. Now can we move on from this? You don't see me asking about Molly do you?" I snap.

"Okay..okay. Let's not fight. This is the longest we have ever gotten along so let's not ruin it." She says and reaches for my hand. Her thumb rubs small circles on my skin, defusing my annoyance.

"Okay." I say, still slightly annoyed. The image of Molly on her lap makes my vision blur.

"Aww come on, Charli. Don't pout." She laughs and pokes my side. I can't help but laugh with her.

"Don't distract me, I am driving." I tease.

"This is probably the only time you'll ever tell me not to touch you."

"Not likely, don't be so full of yourself." Our laughs blend together and it's a lovely sound. She brings her hand to my thigh and rubs her long fingers up and down.

"You sure?" Her raspy voice whispers and my skin tingles. My body responds to her so quickly, my pulse drumming heavily.

I gulp and nod, causing her to chuckle and pull her hand away. "I know that's not true.. but I'd rather not have you driving off the road, so I will finger you later." She smirks and I swat at her.

"Maxxy!" I blush.

"Sorry babe." She smiles and looks out the window. I love when she calls me babe, no one has called me that before. Chase and I had always thought that the ridiculous pet names people called each other were too juvenile for us, but when Max calls me those names, my blood sings in my veins.

When we get back to Max's fathers house, Ken and Karen are in the back yard waiting for us. Ken looks out of his element in jeans and a WSU t-shirt. I've never seen him dressy so causally, he looks even more like Max when he is dressed this way. They greet us with a smile and Max tries to return it but looks uncomfortable as she shifts on her heels and buries her hands in her pockets.

"I'm ready when you are." Ken says to Max. He looks just as uncomfortable as Max, but he seems nervous where as Max seems apprehensive.

Max looks at me and I give her an encouraging nod, it seems our dynamic has changed dramatically. I am surprised that I have suddenly become someone she looks at for reassurance, but it makes me happy in a way I hadn't expected.

"We will be in the greenhouse, just bring the soil in there." Karen says and gives Ken a small kiss on the cheek. Max looks away from them and for a second I think she may give me a kiss too but she doesn't. I follow Karen to the greenhouse and when we walk inside I gasp. Its huge, bigger than it looks from outside and she wasn't joking when she said it need a lot of work. It is practically empty.

"It is quite the project, but I think we can do it." She smiles.

"I think so too." I tell her. Max and Ken come in both carrying two bags of soil each. They are both silent as they drop them where Karen directs before walking back out. Twenty bags of soil and hundreds of seeds, flowers, and shrubs later we have a pretty good start. I haven't seen Max in a few hours and the sun is down. I hope Max and Ken are both still alive.

"I think we have done enough for today." Karen says and wipes her face. We are both covered in dirt.

"Yea, I better check on Max." I tell her and she laughs.

"It means a lot to us, Ken especially that Max has been coming around more, we have you to thank for that. I take it that you two worked out your differences?"

"Sort of.. I guess we did. We are still very different." I laugh. If only she knew.

"Well, different is sometimes what we need, it is good to be challenged." She gives me a knowing smile.

"Well she is definitely challenging." We both laugh and she pulls me in for a hug.

"You sweet girl, you have done more for us than you know." She says. I feel my eyes tearing up and I nod.

"I hope you don't mind that I've been staying overnight, Max has asked me to stay again." I tell her and try not to make eye contact.

"No, of course not. You both are adults and I trust you're being safe."

Oh god. I know my cheeks are a deeper shade of red than the bulbs we just planted.

"We ..uh.. we don't." I stammer. Why am I talking about this with Max's soon to be stepmother? I am mortified.

"Oh." She says, equally embarrassed. "Let's go inside." She says and I nod, following her.

When we walk inside the house, we both take our shoes off at the door. Max is sitting on the edge of the couch and Ken is in the chair. Max's eyes immeditaly find mine and relief flushes through them.

"I'll make some late dinner while you get cleaned up." Karen says. Max stands up and walks over to me. She seems glad to be out of the room with her father.

"We will be back down soon." I say and follow Max up the stairs.

"How was it?" I ask as we enter her room. Instead of answering me she wraps her fingers around my ponytail and brings her lips to mine. We stagger back against the door and she presses her body against mine.

"I missed you." She breathes. My insides liquefy.

"You did?' I squeak and she chuckles.

"Yes, I did. I just spent the last few hours in awkward silence and a few even more awkward comments here and there with my father. I need a distraction." She runs her tongue along my bottom lip and my breath catches in my throat. This is different, Welcome, and very hot, but different.

Her hands travel down my stomach and stop at the button on my jeans.

"Maxxy, I need a shower. I am covered in dirt." I laugh. Her tongue runs along my neck.

"I like you this way, nice and dirty." She smirks. I gently push her back and grab my bag before heading to the bathroom.

My breathing is unsteady and I try to close the bathroom door only to have it stop midway. When I look down I see Max's boot stopping the door.

"Can I join you?" She smiles and pushes her way into the bathroom before I can answer.