Chapter 25: Confrontation

Maryanne holds at bay her anxiety as she says goodbye to her friends. Max stands across the foyer and yet she can feel his stare burning a hole in the back of her head. Jessica is all but dragging Shelley from the house as their coworker continues to argue. Veronica leaves them behind and walks to her car, waving goodbye to them before driving away quickly. Shelley finally throws Jessica off and walks to her SUV on her own. She throws open the door and gets in, slamming herself in with a tantrum.
Jessica sighs and waves at Maryanne once more before also leaving.
All too eager and yet reluctant to slam the door, Maryanne waits, staring at the now closed door, emotions building up into her throat. The silence in the house is almost deafening, ringing in her ears.
Maryanne wonders if she can just quietly walk up to her room without being confronted. She knows it is a slim chance, since Max is just standing there and staring at her. She can hope though.
She refuses to even look at him as she pivots around. She stares at the ground, trying to think of what to say.
“Maryanne,” Max begins. Although he is across the foyer, his voice carries as though he is right behind her.
“Don’t,” she tries to bite out quickly before he can speak further.
Maryanne’s heart skips as Max releases a rough sigh. Heat has taken over her entire body as she remembers the kiss. This was all a mistake.
“I deserve an explanation.” Max is standing closer to her now, his arms folded as he looks down at her.
“I shouldn’t have done it, I’m sorry.” What else is she to say?
His voice is even deeper than normal as he speaks. “That’s not a reason why.”
She tries not to wince. Why did she have to go and do that? They were just getting back to normal too. Now she has ruined it once more.
“I didn’t know what else to do. It was the only way I could prove the lie that we are together.” Maryanne’s shoulders are lowered as she feels the pressure of his presence. How else does she explain it?
“Why make a lie in the first place?”
Isn’t it obvious? How could he not understand? “Because Shelley has no business asking all of the questions she has been demanding. If I don’t tell her that we’re together, then she will continue to come after you.” Maryanne chances a look up at Max, but realizes that it is a bad idea, as her heart tightens with the intensity of his stare.
His head tilts to the side and lowers closer to her. “Why do you care?”
She has to force out her answer. “Do you want her to keep hitting on you? By all means, I’ll give her the go ahead,” she shrugs.
Max shakes his head, his arms still folded. “That’s not what I said. I asked why it matters to you if she believes we’re together or not.”
Irritation is now taking place of Maryanne’s nervousness. “Because Shelley doesn’t have a filter and she’s really only after you for your money.” Why won’t he just understand why she did this? She was only thinking of his wellbeing.
“Isn’t that what she said about you too?”
“Maxwell,” Maryanne’s voice is harsh and loud. Guilt begins to build up in his chest.
“I’m kidding, sorry. I don’t really care about her. What I do care about is that you said we’d never kiss again, and yet you’re the one that instigated it.”
“Like I said, it was merely to prove to Shelley that we are together. Nothing more.”
“Are you going to keep kissing me as proof? I mean I’m not complaining.” Max shrugs and laughs.
Maryanne tries to focus on her irritation and not how close Max is to her. Or the way his stubble is coming in and causing him to look even more rugged and handsome.
“This isn’t funny.” She clenches her jaw and averts her gaze.
“You’re right, it isn’t. Mary if you plan to just use me whenever you feel like it, I think that you need to be careful. I have emotions just like everyone else and being constantly confused like this is going to make me come up with my own reasons for you wanting to kiss me.”
Maryanne doesn’t even respond. Instead, she backs away as Max advances on her slowly. She continues to refuse to look at him, her heart now a quivering mess. She is not sure if he is actually upset about the situation or not. She knows she shouldn’t have kissed him, but she wasn’t thinking clearly. She only knew that she didn’t want Shelley to get close to him in any way.
Max allows a smirk to cover his face, his ego lifting his brow and brightening his gaze. “Such as, that you feel something more than platonically for me.”
“You would be wrong if you thought that way.” Maryanne forces her heart to calm and her emotions to die down. She has to remain calm in order to rationalize her responses.
“The thing is, Mary, a kiss isn’t a hug, and it can escalate a lot quicker as well.” He takes another step closer to Maryanne who tries to back away, but she isn’t quick enough.
She is able to make out every curve of his facial structure and it causes the butterflies to multiply ten-fold in her stomach.
She hopes her voice doesn’t sound as quivering as she believes it does. “What are you saying?” She knows that her question is ridiculous. It is quite obvious what he means. Maryanne just doesn’t want to admit the outcome of what he is implying.
Max now pauses right next to Maryanne’s ear, his breath tickling her neck and causing a shiver to run its course through her body. “Be careful the next time you kiss me. It won’t end there.”