by L. Wilder
“Anytime, Half-pint. Don’t tell him I said it, but you’re already a better driver than your brother.”
“My ninety-year-old great-grandmother is a better driver than Brody.” I mocked. “And she’s practically blind.”
“I figure anybody could drive better.” He snickered.
“Yeah, like a preschooler.”
“Or Anna Kate, blindfolded.”
“Or Mom when she’s talking on the phone and painting her nails.”
“Or my dad after a two-week bender.” I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not, and apparently my expression revealed my confusion. He cocked his head and smiled. “Too much?”
“Umm … Yeah. Maybe a little.” I laughed. “But I think you made your point.”
Just as we were starting for the door, Max said, “Harper?”
I stopped and turned to look at him. “Yeah.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about tomorrow. Just be you. The real you, and you’ll do great.” I felt my lips curl into a smile, and I was just about to say thank you when he knocked me back to reality. His finger motioned towards my chin as he tried to smother a laugh, “And the goiter should be gone in a couple of days.”
I gasped in horror. “Seriously?”
“Just keeping it real, Knucklehead,” he teased as he walked through the door and into the kitchen.
I stood there for a minute, angry and pouting, and without thinking, I brought my finger up to my chin and touched my blemish, feeling the hard, little mound under my skin. “Damn .”
“Stop touching it.” I quickly dropped my hand and turned to see Max standing at the door with a goofy smile on his face. “You’re only going to make it worse.”
“Shut up, Max!” I snapped as I charged for the door.
Knowing I was about to clobber him, he took off like a bolt of lightning. And just like that, the boy who held my heart in his hand reminded me that life was filled with ups and downs, and while mine wasn’t always easy, I had it pretty damn good. I had a family who loved me, a best friend who always had my back, and I had Max. What else could a girl ask for?
CHAPTER 3
Max
O ver the years, it had become a tradition for everyone to head out to the Point after a home football game. It was just far enough from town where the locals wouldn’t give us a hard time for being loud and unruly. The guys would set up a bonfire out on the beach, and everyone would spend the night partying by the fire. After another big win, Brody and I headed out to meet the others, and by the time we got there, the fire was blazing and the music was blaring. Brody had barely parked the car when Penny came rushing over. She was still wearing her cheerleading uniform, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a bright, red bow. As soon as we got out of the car, she jumped into Brody’s arms and wrapped her own around his neck and her legs around his waist. “I thought you’d never get here. What took you so long?”
“I’m sorry, baby. I had to make a quick stop.” With Penny’s body still clinging to him like a fucking chimpanzee, he reached inside the car and pulled out a four-pack of wine coolers. “I thought you might want a few of these.”
“Oh my God!” she shrieked as she hopped down and took one of the drinks from the pack. “You are too good to me, Brody.”
“I do what I can.”
I grabbed a beer from the cooler, then followed Brody and Penny over to the fire. We hadn’t been standing there long when Alexa, Penny’s best friend, started walking in our direction. I took a long slug from my beer, trying to brace myself for her arrival. Alexa was a beautiful girl with large, perfect breasts and a tiny waist. Most guys would jump at the chance to hook up with the head cheerleader, but I had no interest in her.
She used her hand to flip her long, blonde hair over her shoulder as she batted her eyelashes and gave me her sexiest smile. “You played a great game tonight, Max.”
Even the sound of her voice got under my skin, making it difficult to hide my distaste for her. “Thanks, Alexa.”
“You’re the best one out there. I just love watching you play.”
“I’m far from the best, Alexa, but thanks anyway.”
“I think it’s sweet that you’re so humble about it. Most guys would be throwing it in everyone’s face how they’d scored three touchdowns in one game.”
“I didn’t do it by myself.”
As she continued to babble on and on, I took another drink of my beer and looked out into the crowd. Just when I didn’t think I could take any more of Alexa’s incessant yapping, I spotted Harper and Natalie standing a few yards away on the other side of the fire. They were talking back and forth, and I found myself staring at Harper as she laughed at something Natalie had said. I couldn’t help myself. I was stunned, unable to move or think, like I was caught up in a spell as I stood there watching her. I had no idea when or how it had happened, but she had changed. Harper was no longer the kid with scraped knees and pigtails who I teased and tormented on a daily basis. That kid had been replaced with a beautiful girl with dark hair that flowed down her shoulders, blue eyes that sparkled by the light of the fire, and a body that filled out her cheerleading uniform in a way that crowded my mind with thoughts I had no business thinking. She was Brody’s little sister. He was like a brother to me, but that didn’t stop me from heading in her direction.
As soon as I reached them, Natalie looked up at me and groaned, “Hey, Max.”
“Hey, Red. How’s it going with you two?”
“Fine, I guess. It would be better if Harper would stop being stupid.”
“I’m not being stupid, Nat,” Harper argued. “Now, drop it.”
“There’s no reason for you to get your panties in a wad,” Natalie argued. “I was just trying to help.”
“Thanks, but you’re not helping,” Harper snapped back as she rolled her eyes.
While I was amused by their little argument, I had no idea what they were talking about. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on here or am I supposed to just guess?”
“You know Homecoming is—” Natalie started.
Before she could continue, Harper stopped her by hissing, “Nat!”
“What? I was just going to tell him that we have Homecoming next week.”
“Yeah? What about it?” I asked.
“You know how the cheerleaders have escorts to walk them out on the field before the game?” Natalie asked as Harper stared daggers at her. “Well, Tanner is walking me out, and I was telling Harper that she should ask—”
“Can we please not talk about this?” Harper cut in as she crossed her arms. So damn cute.
I looked over to her and smiled as I asked, “Who are you thinking about asking?”
“No one.”
Natalie put her hands on her hips as she turned to me. “I told her she should ask Luke Mansfield.”
“I’m not asking Luke. We’ve barely said three words to each other all year. He would think I was an idiot,” Harper grumbled.
Luke was a good enough guy, and I had no doubt that he’d jump at the chance to escort her. Maybe, I should’ve encouraged her to talk to him, but I didn’t. Instead, I said, “I’ll do it.”
Harper’s eyes widened with surprise as she mumbled, “What?”
“I’ll be your escort.” Both girls stood there staring at me like I was talking out of the side of my head. “I mean, if you want me to. Either way, it’s no skin off my back.”
I was trying to play it cool, like I didn’t really care, but the fact was, I did. By the way she was looking at me I wasn’t sure she felt the same way, so I was relieved when she finally replied, “Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
“Oh, okay.” She smiled nervously. “Thanks. That would be great.”
Natalie’s eyebrows furrowed as she stood there studying me. I couldn’t figure out if she was pissed that I’d ruined her plan for Harper to hook up with Luke or if she knew I had my own selfish reasons for volunteering to be her escort. Ignor
ing her, I said, “I’ll call you, and we can work out the details later.”
“Okay.”
Natalie was still glaring at me when I heard Brody calling out to me. “Yo, Max! Get your ass over here.”
When I turned in his direction, Brody was sitting on a piece of driftwood with Penny in his lap, and Alexa was sitting next to them, watching me as she waited on my return. Knowing Brody would just keep bugging me until I came back, I looked back over to Harper and said, “I guess I better get back over there.”
“Okay.”
I gave her a playful wink and said, “Stay out of trouble, Freckles.”
“I’ll do my best.”
No sooner had I left, I looked over my shoulder and found Harper staring back at me. There was something about the way she looked at me that filled my chest with an unexpected tightness. That feeling stayed with me as I headed over to Brody. As soon as I reached him, he held up his empty beer and said, “Looks like it’s time for another beer run.”
He lifted Penny out of his lap and started towards the car. As I followed him, Alexa slipped her arm through mine and smiled. I stopped dead in my tracks. I had every intention of blowing her off, but when I turned to look at her, I noticed Harper standing just a few feet away. The smile she was wearing earlier was gone, and her eyes were filled with hurt as she watched Alexa inch closer. Before I had a chance to set Alexa straight, she wrapped her arms around my waist and purred, “What’s the hold up, baby?”
“Fuck.” I pushed Alexa off me. Knowing I needed to set things right, I looked back over to Harper, but she was no longer there. I quickly glanced around the crowd, but she was nowhere to be found. I wanted to go after her, but in Brody’s drunken state, there was no way I was going to let him drive.
Having no other choice, I walked over to the car and took the keys from Brody’s hand. “I’m driving.”
“That’s good with me.” He snickered as he climbed into the backseat with Penny.
I hadn’t noticed that Alexa had joined us until I closed the door and found her sitting next to me. I knew then she wasn’t going to be an easy one to shake. I glanced in the rearview mirror, hoping to find some backup, but quickly realized I was out of luck. Brody and Penny were already going at it, and neither of them had a clue about the clusterfuck of thoughts that were racing through my head. As I started the engine I looked over at Alexa, and knowing she was one problem I could do without, I decided it was time for us to have a talk.
CHAPTER 4
Harper
I t wasn’t like I hadn’t seen Max with other girls before. I had, plenty of times, but watching Alexa get in the car with him after the party got to me, especially since he’d just agreed to be my escort on Homecoming. Just thinking about it made me doubt everything. I couldn’t help but wonder if he offered out of pity, thinking I’d never find anyone else to do it. The more I thought about it, the more hurt I became. I was a complete wreck, and was even considering telling him to forget the whole thing, until I overheard Alexa and Lisa talking in the bathroom. They had no idea I was in one of the stalls when they walked in.
“I can’t believe he said that,” Lisa squawked.
“I know! I mean, who does that?”
“So, he tells you he isn’t into you, and then pulls up at your house?”
“Yep, and then, he just sat there without saying a word and waited for me to get out,” Alexa whined.
“Oh my God. What a jerk! He could’ve at least taken you back to the party.”
“I know!”
“Don’t even worry about it. There are tons of guys who would kill for a chance to go out with you. You can do better than Max Lanheart.”
When I heard his name, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Suddenly all was right in the world, and a week later, I found myself at the Homecoming football game with Max at my side. There was no better feeling on Earth than having my arm wrapped around his as we walked out onto that football field. It was the perfect night. Max was the perfect gentleman—sweet and funny, making my sides hurt from laughing so much, and I had a great time. Apparently, he did too.
There was no defining moment, no kiss or hidden innuendo, but something changed between us. After that night, we started spending more and more time together. At first it was just fleeting moments, like a brief conversation on the front porch steps or sitting together at lunch, but as time progressed, it seemed like we were always finding excuses to be together. We’d spend hours studying for tests, running errands for Mom, or watching TV—like the night we started watching Lost together.
I was sitting at the end of the sofa, flipping through the channels, when he walked up behind me. “Is it on?”
While I knew he liked the show, I didn’t expect him to leave his pool game with Brody to watch it with me. “Not yet. I think we still have five more minutes.”
“Cool.” He disappeared into the kitchen, only to return with a couple of drinks and a bag of chips. He plopped down on the other end of the sofa, and after he handed me a soda, he reached for my feet, pulling them into his lap. I couldn’t help but smile. I felt so at ease with him, like he was just Max , not the guy who haunted my every thought. “So, what do you think happened to Claire?”
“I have no idea, but that Ethan guy gives me the creeps. I bet he knows something.”
I reached for a handful of chips as he nodded. “Yeah, there’s definitely something up with that guy.” He offered me the bag, and after I grabbed another handful of my own, he said, “I wanna know what’s up with Jack. There’s something going on with him, too.”
“Maybe Kate will help him figure it out.”
“Kate is awesome,” he smirked, and I suddenly felt a little jealous of a character from a stupid show.
“Yeah, I think Hurley is, too.” Hurley was far from awesome. He was a big guy with long, curly hair, but he was sweet and I liked his smile.
“Hurley is the man,” Max agreed.
Seconds later, the theme music started to play, and our focus was drawn to the television. It became our Wednesday night ritual to pile up on the sofa and spend the night debating our theories of who or what was on that island with them. Each time we were together, I fell for him a little more. Without even trying, he made me laugh. I felt special when I was with him, like I meant something to him, and even though I tried my best to hide it, I often wondered if he knew how he made me feel.
It was the one thing we never talked about. A part of me didn’t want to know what was going on with us. Not knowing meant I could keep fantasizing that we were something more, so I left it alone. I convinced myself that just being with him was enough. I cherished every moment, every laugh, every touch, and over the next few months, those little moments became more and more frequent. By the time Christmas came around, I no longer had to wonder how Max felt about me. His gift said it all.
Like always, Max spent Christmas Eve with us, and after Mom fixed us all a huge dinner, we all piled up in the living room. She was about to explode with excitement as she sat down by the tree. “Who wants to go first?”
It was one of our traditions to open a gift on Christmas Eve, and as usual, Brody was the first to shout, “Me!”
“Okay, but I’m choosing which one you get.”
“But, Mom ,” Brody whined. “That’s not how it works.”
“It does today.” She reached under the tree and handed him a rectangular box, and then she handed one exactly like it to Max. “You both need to open them at the same time.”
Without hesitation they both started ripping away at the wrapping paper, and seconds later, they were both uncovering the exact same present. Brody stood up and held the black t-shirt to his chest. “Ah, man. This is so cool.”
Max smiled as he looked over to Mom and said, “This is awesome. Thank you.”
I’d been so focused on Max’s smile that I hadn’t noticed what the t-shirt said. When I finally looked at it, I was surprised to see a Marine’s logo and the quote, “Some people s
pend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don’t have that problem. ”
It seemed like an odd gift until my father said, “It takes a special kind of man to join the Marines. You boys have made us both very proud.”
My mother and father sprang from their seats and hugged them both while I sat there frozen in my seat. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I was too stunned to even think. I just couldn’t believe it. I’d heard Brody and Max talk about the Marines, but I’d always thought it was just talk. That’s what they did. They were always going on about some crazy idea, but after a few days, they’d forget about it and move onto something else. I never dreamed that the Marines would be the one thing that actually stuck. I couldn’t believe Max would even consider it, especially after everything that happened with his father. I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even notice when Mom placed my Christmas gift on my lap. Brody finally nudged me with his foot.
“Are you going to open it or just sit there staring at it?”
I feigned a smile and started tearing at the paper. After I opened the box, I pulled out a silver bracelet with a small cat charm. Even though it was something I would’ve worn when I was eight, I looked over to her and smiled. “It’s really pretty, Mom. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it, sweetheart.” She stood up, kissed me on the forehead, and started for the kitchen. “Who wants dessert?”
I had to fight back the tears as I watched them all file into the kitchen. Max glanced back at me, and I couldn’t fight it any longer. I didn’t want him to see me crying, so I rushed up the stairs to my room and shut the door. Tears streamed down my face as I laid down on the bed and pulled the covers over my head. I just couldn’t believe he was really leaving. College was one thing, but joining the Marines meant I might never see him again. Just as I was really starting to sob, there was a light tap on my door.
