Lenox once more began ranting and raving at Sam.
She slid her gaze to Max. “Do me a cheesy quaver and shut him up, will you?”
I smiled, having learned ‘cheesy quaver’ was slang for ‘favour’ in Sam’s vocabulary.
Releasing me, Max closed his fist, and then Lenox’s curses were totally silent.
Sam turned to a very pale Ursula, tilting her head. “I’m wondering why you’re here.”
Her voice shaky, Ursula explained how Lenox had snatched her as she’d been on her way to work. She and I both then gave our accounts of what happened here. All the while, Lenox stood unnaturally still thanks to Cassie, and utterly quiet thanks to Max.
Sam beamed at Lenox. “Well, let’s take you to your new home. Just think how ironic it is that Paige has been healing your victims by transferring their injuries onto prisoners … and one night in the future she’ll use you in the same way to save someone else. I think they call that karma. I call it fucking fabulous.”
She, Jared, and Lenox then disappeared.
Ursula made a beeline for the still-open front door and darted out of the apartment. Cassie moved at a slower pace, expressing her relief that I was fine.
Max and I were then alone.
CHAPTER TEN
(Paige)
Blowing out a breath, he sank onto the sofa as if the life had been sucked out of him.
Not sure what to think of that, I tipped my head to the side and asked. “Are you okay?”
His gaze met mine, alive with chaotic emotions. “You could have been fucking killed so, no, I’m not. When I realised you were in danger … Shit, Paige. You don’t know how hard it was for me to let you shut that door in my face. But I knew I had to. I knew I couldn’t barge in here, because I didn’t know what kind of scene I’d be dealing with. It fucking killed me to stand out there and trust the others to help you. Killed me.”
Bowled over by the sheer anguish in his voice, I just stared at him, not knowing what to say. Not knowing what to do. I wasn’t good at comforting people, and I was beyond shocked that he seemed to need said comfort.
Feeling unable to just stand there, I slowly moved toward him. But even as I then stood before him, I was still uncertain about what to say or do.
Max exhaled heavily. “The things you told us Lenox said to you … Fuck if I’m not him.”
I almost jerked back. “What? No. Why would you even think that?”
“He held back from the person he most wanted, didn’t he? He swore that he’d simply keep them safe instead. That’s what I did with you.”
I crouched in front of him and rested a hand on his leg. “That doesn’t mean you’re like Lenox. Or that you’ll end up like him, if that’s your worry. You would never do the shit he did. Ever.”
Max scoffed. “Do you know why I came here?”
I felt my brow furrow. “No, why?”
“I was going to ask you to agree to a fling. Not a shallow, meaningless one. More of a casual but exclusive relationship.”
I sighed and shook my head. “Max, I—”
“Then I realised you were in danger, and my world fucking tipped over.”
“What?”
“When I stood out there in that hallway waiting for news from Jared that you were okay, safe, alive … every second that went by felt like a goddamn hour. And during those seconds that turned into minutes, I realised a few things. Mostly that I’d been lying to myself.”
Refusing to let hope build inside me, I asked, “About what?”
“A few things. Do you remember I once told you that forever was a long time to have what you want just out of your reach?”
I nodded. “I remember.”
“I had it in my head that what I felt for you was mostly sexual. I told myself we could fuck each other out of our systems. Told myself I could walk away afterwards without a problem. But subconsciously, I knew none of that was true. Knew I didn’t just want you in my bed; that I wanted you smack bam in the middle of my world.”
I felt my pulse quicken. “What are you saying? That you want to try a relationship?”
He leaned forward and drifted his fingers through my hair. “Sam said something to me a few nights ago. She pointed out that I’d have to watch you Bind with someone eventually. That I’d get to watch it all play out in front of me, so it was good that I was ‘happy’ alone. The thing is … it would eat me up, Paige. Eat me up to see you with someone else, which isn’t the right reason to ask you to give me a shot. So I wouldn’t, if that was the only reason I wanted to try a relationship with you.”