Kevin was munching his dinner at the coffee table when Max’s SUV rumbled into the dirt space beside our beat-up car.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Kevin, grabbing my bag and heading outside.
“Hey, I would have come to the door,” Max said, coming around the vehicle.
“That’s okay, but I was wondering if I could get your cell number in case anything comes up here.”
“Sure,” he said, opening the passenger door of his vehicle so he could lean over the seat to grab a pen and a piece of paper out of the middle console.
I couldn’t help but admire his backside as he leaned over.
“Here you go,” he said, abruptly turning around in time to catch my admiring glance.
He smiled brightly, making me blush heavily at being caught.
“Okay, I'll be right back,” I stuttered, turning on heel to head back up the stairs, wondering what it was about him that made me lose control.
.
“Here’s a number you can reach me at,” I told Kevin in a rush as I handed the slip of paper over. “Call me if anything happens,” I added, making my point clear.
He nodded his head solemnly, knowing without asking what situation would warrant a phone call. Four days of peace was unheard of and a blowup could be only moments away.
I glanced back at him one last time as I bounded down the stairs. I was immensely relieved that the owner had equipped the trailer with a working phone line, there was no such thing as cell phones in our family.
“Everything okay?” Max asked, still standing by the passenger door where I had left him.
“Yeah,” I said, looking behind me at the closed door. “Everything’s fine,” I said, trying to reassure myself more than him. This was not new territory for me, but I always felt like a traitor leaving Kevin behind. Lucinda never took her anger out on him, but I hated that he even had to listen to the battles. By the time he was two, Kevin had been exposed to every curse word imaginable and more violence than anyone should ever have to see.
Max looked concerned, but I smiled at him. “You sure it’s okay to go?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s good, let’s go have some fun,” I answered, allowing him to help me into the SUV.
“You look nice,” he said, settling into the driver’s seat next to me.
“Thanks, you too,” I replied, speaking the truth. The jeans he wore fit him well and had that faded look that came that way when you bought them, as opposed to mine that were faded because they were just worn out. He topped it with a black, long-sleeved thermal shirt under a deep grey hoodie. The casual look served him well, even with his model-like good looks.
"So whose house are we going to again?”
“Clint’s. He and I take turns hosting movie nights because we both have big TV’s with surround sound and stuff. Plus, like I told you, the closest theater is almost an hour away.”
“That’s cool,” I said, not quite sure a bigger TV was still in the same league as a movie theater.
Max smiled at me in the dim light. “Trust me, once the movie starts, you’ll never want to go to a theater again.”
“Wow, that’s a strong statement.”
“How about we bet on it?” He said, grinning mischievously. “If I win, you come to my house next week for my turn at movie night.”
“What if I win?” I asked, arching my eyebrow at him.
“Then we take a drive to the city and see a movie at the megaplex there.”
I returned his smile, seeing that win or lose, another date was on the horizon.
“What if you decide you don’t want to see a movie with me next week?” I teased.
“Not even a possibility,” he said, looking scandalized.
“You never know,” I laughed. “What if I’m one of those people who laughs at all the inappropriate parts?”
“Then I’ll laugh with you, so you don’t feel bad,” he countered easily.
“What if I like to throw popcorn at all the lame parts?” I said, having a hard time controlling my giggles.
“Then I’ll pretend I don’t know you,” he said without cracking a smile.
“Whatever,” I laughed, slapping him on the arm.
“Okay,” he busted out laughing. “Maybe I’ll just hold your hand to take it out of commission.”
The thought of him holding my hand was enough to send butterflies fluttering across my tummy.
“Alright, one more, what if I’m one of those people who likes to talk through the entire movie?” I asked less playfully.
“Then I guess I'll have to distract you so you'll forget about talking,” he said huskily, making my heartbeat race out of control.
I wasn't sure how to feel about the direction our banter had taken. Usually, I maintained strict control with every guy I went out with, but Max seemed to have a way of getting my guard down. I was glad when it seemed we had arrived, interrupting the conversation. Max turned off the main road onto a dirt drive, leading to a house about a quarter of a mile in. He maneuvered his oversized SUV around the circular drive before parking it beside a BMW and a Jeep Wrangler I had seen at school.
The drive was paved in the same bricks that covered the exterior of an extravagant house that was by far the biggest I had ever seen. I instantly felt out of place as I took in the wraparound porches on both floors and the intricate mahogany door, inlaid with a stained-glass window that would rival one you might see at a church.
“Holy crow, that’s a big house,” I said before I could stop myself.
Max chuckled as he climbed out of the vehicle and walked around to my side.
“What are you doing here?” I muttered to myself before Max could open my door.
“Come on, you’ll be fine,” he said, seeing the anxious look on my face before I could mask it.
I sat frozen, gnawing nervously on my bottom lip and feeling puny in front this mansion of a structure.
“Are you sure?” I finally asked, giving all my trust to him.
“I promise,” he said solemnly, gently grabbing onto my hand.
His touch helped calm my nerves somewhat, and I allowed him to pull me from the vehicle.
He held onto my hand firmly as we headed up the three steps to the elegant porch.
I glanced around as Max knocked on the door. The porch was a reader’s dream with large padded chairs that begged you to settle in for an all-day reading spree with a good book.
“Dude, what took so long?” Clint complained as he opened the door.
“We’re right on time, knucklehead,” Max said, sticking out his closed fist so Clint could pound it.
“Hey Katelyn, I’m glad you could make it,” Clint said, shifting gears to give me a one-armed hug.
“Thanks for inviting me,” I said stiffly, not used to such easy affection.
“Everyone’s in the kitchen loading up their plates. Maria hooked us up with a killer taco bar,” he said over his shoulder as we followed him and the noise through the house. I couldn’t help feeling like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole as we passed one room after another. Each room was tastefully decorated and looked like it was awaiting a photo shoot for Better Homes and Gardens or some other home magazine.
The noise level increased as we neared the kitchen which opened up to the entire backside of the house. I'd never seen anything like it in person, stainless steel appliances, marble countertops and an oversized fireplace. It had to be any cook's dream kitchen.
“Hey, Katelyn,” Rebecca, Alicia and Shirley said in unison, rushing to our side.
I smiled at them, relieved by their warm welcome.
Looking around, I saw a few other students from class, including Courtney and her boyfriend, Chad, who was a junior. Three of the kids I didn’t recognize, so I assumed they were also juniors like Chad. Doing a quick head count, I saw there were sixteen of us in all. The kitchen was so large that our group didn’t seem nearly as big as it would have under normal circumstances.
“Ever
ybody load up and let's head downstairs for the first movie,” Clint said loudly, trying to organize our group.
I moved in line behind Max as everyone made their way through the buffet-style setup. I usually hated loading up a plate of food in front of other people, but it all smelled heavenly and I couldn’t resist putting a little of everything on my plate. Max grabbed two cans of soda and stuck them in his jacket pockets while I grabbed napkins and silverware in my free hand.
Max led me through a doorway right off the kitchen that held a staircase leading to a lower level. I followed behind, marveling at the plush carpet that cushioned each step I took. Finally reaching the last step, I nearly laughed out loud when I realized Max had suckered me on our bet. A television almost as tall as our trailer lined the far wall of the dimly lit room. The movie magic continued with two rows of eight leather reclining chairs each. An old-fashioned popcorn machine sat along the back wall along with a soda machine and a cabinet holding every movie candy imaginable.
“I think I've been hustled,” I mumbled to Max as we settled into the first row of seats.
“Just stacked the odds in my favor,” Max said out of the corner of his mouth before winking at me.
Feeling flustered by his attention, I looked down at my plate as everyone else piled into the room. Clint used one remote to turn on the TV and another to control the lights. Sound came at us from all sides thanks to the several speakers that lined the wall.
“Wow, this is just like a theater,” I said as the opening credits flashed across the screen.
“Told ya,” Max said, smirking at me knowingly.
“Okay, you win,” I conceded.
The rest of the night was a blast as we watched two blockbuster movies I had been dying to see. Before the second movie, Clint made popcorn for everyone and passed out candy. I hadn't had this much fun in a long time and by the time Max pulled up in front of my trailer at the end of the evening, I felt drunkenly happy.
I shivered in the cold as he helped me down out of the vehicle.
“Sheesh, it gets cold here,” I complained as I stomped my feet, trying to warm them.
“You get used to it,” Max laughed, rubbing his hands vigorously up my arms to help warm me.
“I had a great time tonight,” I said facing him.
“So did I,” he said, leaning in just as the trailer door burst open behind me.
Max jumped back like he had been scalded. “Hello, Mrs. Richards,” he said politely to my mom as she took a long draw on her cigarette.
I backed up from Max and headed for the steps before Lucinda could say anything. “Thanks again,” I told Max, using my body to block Lucinda as much as possible.
“Um, okay, I’ll see you at school on Monday,” Max said, looking at me strangely.
Chapter 7
I was glad I had kept the goodbyes abrupt since I discovered Lucinda was picking for a fight as soon as I closed the trailer door. A pissy mood was to be expected, given the fact she was left to take care of her own needs for one night. She gave me the full verbal assault, calling me every name imaginable until I was finally able to escape and retire to my room. At least the attack wasn't physical. I had once heard someone say that verbal abuse was worse than physical abuse, which is a bunch of crap. I would take Lucinda's verbal rants any day over a beating. After years of being called the worst names possible, I had learned to tune it out and still look appropriately hurt at the same time. Physical attacks on the other hand, came so quick and unexpected that I had no time to prepare myself mentally for them. I knew that anyone looking into my life would wonder why I didn’t toughen up and challenge Lucinda. What they couldn’t understand is that you can never win with her. If I stood up to Lucinda, she might decide to start going after Kevin, or she might decide to up and leave one day, taking Kevin and leaving him to deal with the repercussions alone.
I put up with all of Lucinda’s crap for one reason and that was Kevin.
Lying in bed, I tried to find a feasible solution to being able to see Max while keeping him away from the nonstop drama that was my life. I finally came to the conclusion, after tossing and turning for hours, that I would just keep it casual. That way, if Max decided dating me wasn’t worth the baggage I came with, he could back out. Easy peasy, no harm no foul. Satisfied with my resolve, I finally drifted off to sleep.
The next morning I woke late to find the trailer unusually quiet. Creeping out of bed, I discovered that the late night attack had exhausted Lucinda and she and Jim were sleeping in. Kevin and I decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet by spending the day together. The only time we heard from them was when they made demands for food or something to drink.
All day, in the back of my mind, I worried about how Max was handling the abrupt goodbye from the night before. I'm sure he was probably confused over why I didn't introduce him to my family like any normal person would do, but there was nothing normal about my family. My one goal last night had been to get Lucinda as far away from him as I could.
Enjoying our freedom, Kevin and I hung out in the living room, minus the television, though, since it had been moved to the room down the hall. Kevin was disappointed when he discovered its absence, but he kept his complaints to a minimum. Instead, he worked on another picture that he wouldn’t let me peek at while I buried myself in a book. It was by the same author that Mr. Graves was reading to us in class, and I absolutely loved the writing style. The author had an uncanny knack of being able to suck you in, making you feel like you were a part of the story. Since the book was highly suspenseful, I spent the majority of the time anxious for how it was going to end.
Dusk was just beginning to set in when I read the last page of my book.
“How ‘bout some dinner?” I asked as Kevin continued to work on his masterpiece.
“Okay,” he said, not looking up.
I headed off to the kitchen, tickled by his diligence. I absolutely loathed cooking, but made an effort for Kevin’s sake.
“How about spaghetti?” I asked, pulling the jar of Prego sauce out of the cabinet.
“With meat?” he replied.
I held up the package of ground beef I had gotten the day before, making him grin happily.
I was letting the sauce simmer on the stove while the noodles finished up when the only phone in the trailer rang for the first time since we had moved in.
I picked up, expecting it to be a wrong number.
“Hello.”
“May I speak to Katelyn?” Max's voice asked, coming across the line.
“This is she,” I replied as a smile stretched across my face.
“Hey, it’s Max.”
“I kind of figured that,” I said teasingly. “How did you get this number?” I asked curiously.
“From my iPhone when you used it last night to call home,” he said, proud of himself.
“Clever.”
“Oh yeah, I’m practically Sherlock Holmes.”
“True dat,” I said, using Kevin’s favorite line.
His laughter filled the phone line.
“Anyhow, I was calling to see if I could give you guys a ride to school tomorrow?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“Ummm,” I said, stalling for time. On the one hand, I wanted to see him and not riding the bus was definitely a perk, but on the other hand, he was making it hard for me to keep our relationship casual. “Isn’t it way out of your way?” I asked, trying to throw up a roadblock.
“No, I actually pass your place on my way to school every day.”
I mulled over his words as I dumped the water from the spaghetti noodles down the drain.
“Okay,” I said, finally conceding.
Max whooped with delight at my words. “Great, I'll pick you guys up at eight fifteen,” he said before hanging up.
The dial tone filled my ear and I slowly put the phone back on its cradle. I grimaced at my lack of willpower. I knew I was playing with fire by letting him get so close, but I couldn’t help the d
raw I felt toward him. He was unlike any guy I had ever known.
***
True to his word, Max pulled up into the driveway at eight fifteen on the nose the following morning. Jim had already left for his new job as a day laborer at some construction company, so Max pulled into the space closest to the door.
Kevin and I bounded down the stairs before he could even put the vehicle in park.
“I would've come to the door,” Max said as we climbed into the car.
“That’s okay, we were ready,” I said, glancing back at Kevin to make sure he was buckled in.
The ride to school went fast as Kevin and Max chatted away like long-lost friends. I tuned out most of their conversation once it turned back to superheroes, which became a very popular topic for them the rest of the week. The daily commuting kept me in a happy bubble, discovering new things about Max every minute we were together.
We also had our math tutoring time twice a week. Staying focused on algebra proved to be a challenge, spending that kind of intimate alone time without our other friends around. I noticed small little habits he had that made him even more endearing. Like the way he would rake his fingers through his hair when he was trying to get a point across, or how he had a dozen different smiles that all kept my heart beating erratically, especially when they were directed solely at me.
“What time should I pick you up tomorrow?” Max asked as we headed toward his car on Friday afternoon with Kevin bringing up the rear.
“Um, five should be okay,” I answered, climbing into the vehicle as he held the door open for me. “Lucinda's supposed to take me shopping tomorrow, and it shouldn’t take too long to find a dress.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Before my sister headed off to college, she could make dress shopping an all-day affair.”
“Well, I’m pretty decisive.”
“Max, can I play on your iPhone?” Kevin asked as per usual on the drive.
“Actually, buddy, look on the seat beside you, in that case,” Max said, pointing to a black leather case on the seat. “It’s my iPad. I thought you might like the bigger screen better.”