He just looks at me with hollow eyes.
Max lifts his head. “Who are you talking to?”
His hands are shaking. I crawl out and reach for his hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Are you okay?”
He nods. His face is pale and his eyes are wide. I shoot Sebastian another glare before spending the next few minutes coming up with excuses as to why my apartment looks like it’s being haunted by a ghost.
***
Once Max leaves, I march into my room and throw the door open. Sebastian isn’t around. I catch sight of his lamp sitting on my bed, and a part of me wants to hurl it to the floor. It wouldn’t break, of course, but maybe he’d feel what he’s done. He ruined my date with a guy I’m really beginning to like. And now I’m not sure he wants anything to do with me.
I grab the lamp, and instead of chucking it against the wall, I rub the side of it, feeling the roughness of those swirls. Smoke appears, then the genie, with his arms folded, chin raised high.
“What the hell was that?” I demand.
He sends me an, “I didn’t do anything” look. I slam my hands on my hips and stare him down. He does the same.
“Do you know how long it took me to convince Max that my house isn’t haunted? That I’m not a witch and that I’m not crazy? Are you really that jealous?”
His eyes narrow. “Jealous?”
“Yes, jealous. I don’t understand why. You made it perfectly clear that you don’t want whatever’s happening between us to happen, so why don’t you let me move on with my life? We decided you’d stay in your lamp.” I know I’m being very harsh with him, but he needs to grasp that he can’t go around screwing things up for me. First my job and now my love life? Maybe the best course of action to take is to finish up my wishes.
A pang stabs my stomach. Despite how pissed I am right now, I don’t want him to leave, even though I know he has to.
His lips are pressed in a firm line. “I don’t want you to date him.”
“Oh my god…”
“Because he’s not a good person.”
“What?”
“He’s not a good guy. I was just protecting you.”
I gape at him. Is he serious? “What are you talking about?” Max seems like a great guy. He’d never hurt me, he’d never scare off the guy I’m currently seeing. He’d never mess anything up for me. I’ve only known him for a few days, but I know him.
Sebastian shrugs. “He’s not a good person.”
“So instead of talking to me about it, you pretty much nearly gave him a heart attack?”
He pushes some hair out of his eyes. “I did that because I knew how you’d react. Like you’re reacting now. You don’t believe me.”
“No, I don’t. I have no reason to.” Max doesn’t make me feel small or bad about myself. He makes me feel special. He’s listens to everything I say, even though I know I must bore him out a little, especially when I go on and on about the latest book I read.
“Lily, please—”
“Do you have proof?”
He shifts from one foot to the other. “It’s not something I can explain. It’s something I feel when he’s around. He makes me uneasy.”
“There’s a word for it, Sebastian. It’s called jealousy.” He won’t admit that he has feelings for me, and he’s taking it out on Max. That’s the real reason behind all of this.
He rolls his eyes. “I’m not jealous.”
“Really? You said yourself that you’ve never felt anything for anyone. So how can you know for sure what jealousy feels like?”
He’s quiet for a bit before saying, “I told you I don’t feel human emotions. I’m just trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need your protection. I can take care of myself.”
He rakes his hand through his hair. “I know you can, but you’re blinded and don’t see things for what they are.”
“I’m the one who doesn’t see things for what they are? Really?” He’s the one who won’t let us explore what’s happening between us. No, what was happening between us. I can’t be with someone who terrorizes someone else. He saw the look on Max’s face. How he was seconds away from needing to be sent to the emergency room. And Sebastian just laughed.
Even if Sebastian is right and Max isn’t a good guy—which isn’t true—he didn’t deserve that treatment.
“Lily, please consider my warning.” There’s a desperate tone in his voice.
I sigh. “Look, I’m going out with Max. He’s not going anywhere and you need to accept that.” Assuming Max still wants to go out with me. I won’t toss my genie’s words away, though. I’m going to be careful. “Promise me you won’t do anything like that again.”
His head dips toward the floor before he raises it. “As my master, it’s my duty to protect you.”
“Okay, but as your master and as your friend, I’m asking you to give me space and not interfere with my life. Can you do that?”
His gaze holds mine. We stare at each other for about a minute before he mumbles, “Your request is my command, Master.”
Chapter Fourteen
It’s useless, I know, but I keep texting my mom, and every hour, I check for a response. She made it clear she doesn’t want me in her life, but I’m still hopeful. Maybe a part of me is certain she’ll get out of her depression and reach out to me. But I keep a wall around my heart, because even if she contacts me, she might shut me out again. I wouldn’t be able to bear that.
After what happened at my apartment last night, I don’t expect Max to text me this morning. But he does. I find myself smiling and looking forward to spending time with him. Sebastian enters my mind, but I’m trying to keep him out. He remains in his lamp most of the time.
I still haven’t come up with my second wish. I want it to be perfect.
Macy, Andy, Max, and I are going to a club tonight. As I put on some makeup, I catch Sebastian’s reflection in my mirror. He’s leaning on the wall behind me, his black hair falling into his eyes. I can’t see the expression on his face, but his mouth looks a bit tight. I know he doesn’t approve of this, and honestly that doesn’t matter. He’s not my father, not my brother, not my boyfriend. He doesn’t get to tell me what to do or who to date. Max is one of the sweetest, kindest guys I’ve ever met. I won’t let a jealous genie mess that up for me. Though my heart still skips a beat every time his face enters my head, I need to forget about him.
His warning lies at the back of my head, but I pretend it’s not there. I won’t screw up a relationship with someone who makes me happy.
Sebastian doesn’t say a word as he follows me to the living room, where I check my hair one more time. I don’t talk to him, either. I know he’s going to drill into me how he feels about Max and I don’t want to hear it. As much as I like speaking to him, it’s easier if we don’t. Because I’m not in the mood for arguing, especially when I’m about to have fun tonight, something I haven’t done in a while.
Max picks me up and we meet Macy and Andy at the club. It’s filled with mostly college-age kids. Macy and Andy join in the dancing, and Max smiles at me. “How was your day?” he asks.
It kind of sucked. A few customers were too demanding, a kid spilled juice on my shirt, and one table didn’t leave a tip. I don’t want to down our vibe, so I say, “Good. Yours?”
He smiles again. “Better now.” He takes my hand, pulling me close. “Boss was a little hard on me, but I don’t want to think about that now.” He kisses me. “I’m really glad you’re in my life, Lily.”
I kiss him back. “Me, too. Do you want to dance?”
He kisses me once more before leading me to the dance floor. A fast song is playing, and everyone is toppling all over each other as they sway to the beat. It’s very stuffy and there’s barely enough room to move. Max holds my hand tightly so I won’t get pushed away or swallowed in the crowd.
When the music changes to a slower beat, I wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder. Shutting my eyes, I let the music flo
w through me. Dancing like this is peaceful, but not like it was at my prom with Sebastian. Dancing with Max doesn’t move me like it did with the genie.
My eyes fly open. Sebastian. I can still feel the way his heart pounded, how his breathing got heavy, his eyes filled with emotion, his hands sending shivers all over me. Max’s hands rest on my back, but I barely feel them. Sebastian’s hands felt like they were burning me. I can still remember how good it felt.
Shaking my head, I throw all that away. It’s in the past. It needs to be forgotten. I’m being a terrible person by thinking about another guy.
“You okay?” Max whispers against my ear. “You’re a little tense.”
“Yeah. Just thinking.” I haven’t told him about the crap I’ve been through yet, but I feel close to him and comfortable enough to start opening up. But not now. Tonight, it’s all about having fun.
He holds me close. He doesn’t have that intoxicating, exotic smell as—no, I won’t compare them. When will my heart and mind understand that Max could be the right guy for me and not Sebastian?
Macy and I take a break and sit at a table with our drinks. She beams at me. “I finally got you to come here.” She rests her hand on mine. “Max is really good to you. You seem so much happier.” She narrows her eyes playfully. “I’m waiting for a thank you.”
I roll my eyes. “Thank you so much, Macy.”
She giggles, then gets serious. “Really, you’ve changed so much. For the first time in a while, I actually see you smiling.”
“I am happy.” I play with my drink as a frown crawls onto my face. “Macy?”
“Yeah?”
I look at Max, who’s doing the robot with Andy. They’re not dancing with the other girls, and ignore the ones rubbing themselves against them. “Do you think Max might not be a good guy?”
“Why are you asking that? Did he do something to you? Because if he did—”
I stop her from pulling up her sleeves, something she does when she’s about to bite someone’s head off. “The opposite. He’s very sweet to me.”
Her eyes fill with confusion. “Then why…?”
I play with my drink some more. “I don’t know. I guess it’s a feeling I have.” As much as I like Max, I don’t want to throw away Sebastian’s warning. Maybe I am blinded. Maybe Macy sees something I don’t. “Does anything seem off about him?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Andy told me he was very messed up after his ex broke up with him, but that’s it.”
Max and I talked a little about his ex-girlfriend and he told me she broke up with him the night of their two-year anniversary. He cried for days, refused to leave the house, and thought his life was over. But he worked through it and is in a much better place now. There’s always a chance he still has feelings for her, but he assured me it’s over. And I believe him. He doesn’t get mysterious texts when we’re together, he doesn’t seem distracted, and he doesn’t look at other girls. He seems to be really into me.
I hug Macy. “Thanks. I’m probably just freaking out. I’ve never felt this way about a guy before.” Not counting the genie.
“Max is a great guy—not as great as Andy, but he comes close.”
I punch her playfully.
“He’s someone you shouldn’t let go of so easily,” she continues. “It’s okay to be scared, but you can’t let that hold you back from being completely open and honest with him.”
I know what she’s referring to. She’s telling me to tear down my walls and let him get to know the real me. The good, the bad, and all the baggage that comes with me.
I’m ready.
Chapter Fifteen
Max and I spend the next two weeks getting to know each other better. I tell him about Daisy and my mother, and he seems sympathetic. But he’s not as caring as I hoped he’d be. I figure he senses I don’t want to talk much about it and doesn’t pry. A part of me is grateful for that, but I suppose I want him to care a little bit more than he seems to do.
I call Macy and ask her opinion on it and she tells me that maybe I need to give him time. Some guys don’t know how to deal with sensitive topics like that. I really like him and am going to give him a chance. Other than Sebastian, he’s the best thing to happen to me since I lost my sister.
He visits me at work and all I want to do is sit down at his table and talk. At my break, I get a chance to do that, but it isn’t enough. Max and I can talk about anything. Though we don’t have much in common other than our love for Italian food, he’s interested in my hobbies and I’m interested in his.
He tastes the food I serve him and frowns. “Doesn’t come close to yours. Too bad you passed on the job.”
“It’s okay. The person who got it deserved it. I’ll get the next one.” I smile, and I mean it. Because as much as I wanted the job, I’m happy for Joshua.
When I’m taking the garbage out at the end of my shift, someone grabs me and pulls me to his chest. Max laughs as he presses his lips against mine. “Off work yet?”
“Soon. I just need to get my things.”
He holds me close, kissing me deeply. Our kisses have gotten better, but they’re still nowhere near the ones I shared with Sebastian.
“I have something special planned for tonight,” Max whispers in my ear. “Been planning it for a few days and I hope you’ll love it.”
I smile against his mouth. “I’m sure I will. Gimme a hint?”
He shakes his head, closing his mouth over mine again. I can feel his passion, but just like usual, it doesn’t move me. It’s still nice and enjoyable, but that’s all it is. A kiss. I hate admitting that, but no matter how much I try, I don’t melt. I wish I could change that. Hopefully with time.
As we’re kissing, Max is yanked back, like he’s pulled by an invisible rope. He bangs into the dumpster behind us and splats to the ground. I look to my left and see Sebastian standing there with the same hollow expression on his face. His eyes move from me to Max, then back to me.
What the hell is he doing here? Did he just push Max? I want to yell at him, but checking on Max is more important right now.
I rush to him and help him sit up. “Are you okay?”
His rubs the side of his head. “I think so. What happened? It felt like someone pushed me.”
I glance at Sebastian, who has disappeared into the shadows. I see the outline of his body. I glare at him. “Why did you do that?”
“Who are you talking to?” Max asks, squinting to where I’m looking at.
Sebastian steps into the light. He looks a little apologetic. “I’m sorry, but I told you he’s not a good guy.”
My insides sear with anger. “Get away from here.”
“Lily?” Max asks.
Sebastian just stares at me.
“I said, get away!”
Max grabs my hand. “Lily, who are you talking to? There’s no one there.”
I open my mouth to say something, then close it. What exactly can I tell him? That my genie shoved him into the dumpster?
Sebastian waves his left hand and the dumpster heads for Max. Letting out a yelp, Max covers his head and leaps out of the way.
“Stop it!” I yell.
“I’m gonna go,” Max says, giving me a look like I fell from the moon.
I reach for his hand, but he already starts running. “Wait, Max. What about tonight?”
He stops, but doesn’t turn around. “Something came up. Sorry.” And he’s gone.
I sink down to the ground and bury my face in my hands. I can’t believe this. Max ran out on me because he thinks I’m talking to imaginary people. Do I run after him and explain the genie? No, I can’t do that. He’d think I’m crazy and would break up with me in an instant.
The only solution is to get rid of the genie. Sebastian is still standing there, his gaze pasted on me. Slowly, I get to my feet and march toward him, my breathing heavy, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. “What have you done?” I shout.
He doesn’t answer, just
keeps his eyes on me.
I move closer to him until our faces are only inches apart. “You had no right push him. No right. I don’t care about your reasons. I don’t care how you feel about him. I told you to stay out of my life.”
“Lily—”
“No.” I try to keep my voice steady, but it’s shakier than a ship caught in a storm. “Get away from me, Sebastian.”
“Lily, please. I wasn’t going to hurt him. Just scare him off.”
“I said, get the hell out of my life. Take your lamp and leave.”
He holds out his hands. “Please.”
“Genie, I wish for you to leave.”
Nothing happens. He shakes his head. Clearly that doesn’t work.
“We’re not attached at the hip. Take your damn lamp and get the hell away from me.”
He doesn’t move. I step closer to him. “Do you not understand what you just did? You ruined a great relationship for me with a great guy.”
He twists his nose, shaking his head with a sigh. I want to slap him, and my hand itches to do so. But I hold back. As much as I hate him right now, hitting him will accomplish nothing. Using my last two wishes is an option, but I want nothing to do with Sebastian right now. I don’t need favors from him. I want him out of my life.
“I don’t want to see you ever again.”
I flee the area in the direction Max ran off to. I know he thinks I’m crazy, but I need to make things right. I don’t know how I’m going to explain it, but I’m not going to give up.
As I strut down the streets, my anger doesn’t subside. What was Sebastian thinking? What’s so bad about Max that he wants to tear us apart? Is it jealousy or something more? No, I know Max is a good guy. Sebastian is the problem. If I have been blinded by someone, it’s Sebastian. I thought he was this kind, honest, sweet, caring genie, but the truth is he’s an awful person. No, not person. He’s an awful being.
I don’t give a crap if I never talk to him again. He doesn’t deserve my friendship. I don’t care if he’s stuck because I can’t wish. I don’t care if he dies because of it.
I stop. No, of course I care if he dies, but right now my rage is taking over and I can’t think straight.
Falling for the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 1) Page 9
