knew about her, but it wasn’t my place to tell you Scarlett. I didn’t know what, if anything, Rat had told you and I just couldn’t…” His voice trailed off. I didn’t say anything. I was so terribly furious and crushed that I could not even conjure up a meaningful sentence. I really just wanted to yell “ FUCK YOU!” o ver and over again at anyone and everyone.
He turned and looked at me, “He wants to be with you. I know he does.” I closed my eyes and shook my head, remaining silent. Max continued, “Rat and I became close last year and we’ve stayed tight since everything happened… so I know what he wants. He was really starting to fall for you when you left. It tore him up... he’s been struggling.”
“Yeah, it looks like he’s really been struggling .”
“Well what did you expect Scarlett? For him to sit around forever and wait for you to come back? None of us have heard from you in over eight months; he had no idea if he’d ever see you again. You just disappeared.” I winced recalling the events of that horrific night.
“No… I know,” I begrudgingly agreed. I wasn’t stupid enough to think that he’d been celibate while I was gone; I just didn’t expect him to get into a relationship so soon. “Who is she? Why is he moving to Austin to be near her?”
He snapped his head up and looked at me. “He’s moving to Austin?”
I shrugged. “I guess so.” The rage began to simmer and I was quickly slipping into the “I don’t care about anything” mode. Difficult situations were much easier to handle when I turned the pain sensors off. “That’s what she said. I don’t know; he really didn’t say anything.”
“What do you mean he didn’t say anything?”
As we continued to sit in the parked car, I gave Max the short version of what had happened. I hoped he could share some insight or advice or anything that would make me feel just a little bit better, but instead he played Switzerland.
“Scarlett, you and Rat have a lot y’all need to talk about; like I said earlier, it’s not my place to tell you his story. I don’t want you to think I’m hiding things from you, so I’m going to give him his chance tonight to tell you everything. After tonight I won’t hold back or lie to you, but I think he deserves that.”
I just sat there, staring off into space, wondering what in the world I was doing. I knew it would be tough returning, but I had only been back in Houston a week and I was emotionally drained. And all of it for what? He apparently had a girlfriend or a crazy ex-girlfriend that he was about to move to Austin to be with.
“That’s fine, Max. You’re right; it’s not your place to tell me. It’s his. Well, it was his.” It was my turn to lay my head back on the seat. There were no words to describe what I was feeling.
The engine came to life as he turned the key in the ignition and we took off out of the parking lot. Thankfully, Max knew the way to Mason’s place so I could just quietly lay with my head back and my eyes closed. It wasn’t until we pulled into the parking lot that I remembered I didn’t have any way to get inside the apartment. I forgot to ask Mason for his key.
“I can’t get in,” I stated flatly. “I didn’t even think about it. Do you mind taking me to my place instead?”
“Rat will be here in just a couple of minutes; he left a few minutes after us,” he answered.
“What?” I asked confused. He lifted up his cell phone and smiled sheepishly. “He messaged that he was on his way a little bit ago.”
“Great. I can’t wait,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. “This should be loads of fun.”
“Please just listen to what he has to say, Scarlett,” Max wrinkled his forehead in frustration. He reached over the middle console and grabbed my hand, making me look in his pleading eyes. “Look, you know I don’t want you to hurt anymore, but from what you told me he wasn’t responding to her and then
He turned and looked at me, “He wants to be with you. I know he does.” I closed my eyes and shook my head, remaining silent. Max continued, “Rat and I became close last year and we’ve stayed tight since everything happened… so I know what he wants. He was really starting to fall for you when you left. It tore him up... he’s been struggling.”
“Yeah, it looks like he’s really been struggling .”
“Well what did you expect Scarlett? For him to sit around forever and wait for you to come back? None of us have heard from you in over eight months; he had no idea if he’d ever see you again. You just disappeared.” I winced recalling the events of that horrific night.
“No… I know,” I begrudgingly agreed. I wasn’t stupid enough to think that he’d been celibate while I was gone; I just didn’t expect him to get into a relationship so soon. “Who is she? Why is he moving to Austin to be near her?”
He snapped his head up and looked at me. “He’s moving to Austin?”
I shrugged. “I guess so.” The rage began to simmer and I was quickly slipping into the “I don’t care about anything” mode. Difficult situations were much easier to handle when I turned the pain sensors off. “That’s what she said. I don’t know; he really didn’t say anything.”
“What do you mean he didn’t say anything?”
As we continued to sit in the parked car, I gave Max the short version of what had happened. I hoped he could share some insight or advice or anything that would make me feel just a little bit better, but instead he played Switzerland.
“Scarlett, you and Rat have a lot y’all need to talk about; like I said earlier, it’s not my place to tell you his story. I don’t want you to think I’m hiding things from you, so I’m going to give him his chance tonight to tell you everything. After tonight I won’t hold back or lie to you, but I think he deserves that.”
I just sat there, staring off into space, wondering what in the world I was doing. I knew it would be tough returning, but I had only been back in Houston a week and I was emotionally drained. And all of it for what? He apparently had a girlfriend or a crazy ex-girlfriend that he was about to move to Austin to be with.
“That’s fine, Max. You’re right; it’s not your place to tell me. It’s his. Well, it was his.” It was my turn to lay my head back on the seat. There were no words to describe what I was feeling.
The engine came to life as he turned the key in the ignition and we took off out of the parking lot. Thankfully, Max knew the way to Mason’s place so I could just quietly lay with my head back and my eyes closed. It wasn’t until we pulled into the parking lot that I remembered I didn’t have any way to get inside the apartment. I forgot to ask Mason for his key.
“I can’t get in,” I stated flatly. “I didn’t even think about it. Do you mind taking me to my place instead?”
“Rat will be here in just a couple of minutes; he left a few minutes after us,” he answered.
“What?” I asked confused. He lifted up his cell phone and smiled sheepishly. “He messaged that he was on his way a little bit ago.”
“Great. I can’t wait,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. “This should be loads of fun.”
“Please just listen to what he has to say, Scarlett,” Max wrinkled his forehead in frustration. He reached over the middle console and grabbed my hand, making me look in his pleading eyes. “Look, you know I don’t want you to hurt anymore, but from what you told me he wasn’t responding to her and then
Similar Books
