An Ounce of Hope (A Pound of Flesh #2)(97)

“I thought I’d come and see you,” Carter grinned. “You know, see how you’re doin’.”

Max narrowed his eyes. “Bullshit. You’re here hiding from Kat, aren’t you?”

Carter snorted, rubbing a palm across the back of his neck. “Maybe.”

Max waved a hand. “Well, whatever, come in.” He stood back for Carter to enter and closed the door behind him. It was so good to see his best friend, especially in light of the fact that shit was not at all copacetic. Maybe a little normalcy was what Max needed to pull his head out of his ass.

With his hands in the pockets of his jeans, Carter looked around the room, his gaze spending time on the canvases in the corner of the room. He approached them and dropped to his haunches as he took a closer look. Carter’s finger moved over the lime-green patterns of one particular piece. “These are great,” he commented.

“They’re all right,” Max muttered, reaching to grab a pair of worn blue jeans to change into. He’d been slopping in sweats since his shower after he arrived back at the boardinghouse that morning.

“Modesty doesn’t suit you,” Carter said over his shoulder. “This one would look sweet in my apartment.”

“Then take it,” Max uttered dismissively. He wasn’t fond of the green anyway.

Still crouched, Carter turned at the waist. “Really?”

“Call it a birthday gift.”

“My birthday was in March.” Carter smirked.

“Shit, really?” Max paused. “Then it’s a belated birthday gift. Surprise!”

Carter laughed, shaking his head. “Thanks.”

After a silent moment where Carter’s stare on him began to make Max nervous, Carter stood and wandered closer. “You okay?”

Max ran a hand through his hair, debating quickly whether to simply spill. He settled for giving a lackadaisical shrug. “Sure.”

Carter tilted his head in the way that Max recognized. He was looking for a lie. “Well, you look good, dude. The West Virginia air is working its magic, huh?”

Max coughed an uneasy laugh. “Yeah, look, what do you say we go and get some coffee?”

“Food, too. I’m starving. Haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“You drove?”

“From the airport.” Carter grimaced at Max’s questioning frown. “Company private jet.”

“Shit, man.”

“I know,” Carter said with a shrug. “But it was that or drive for four hours and I need to head back tonight.”

Max nodded as he grabbed his keys and wallet. “Flying visit then.”

“Seems that way.” Carter walked out in front of Max and waited as he locked up. “So how are things?”

Max pocketed his keys and walked shoulder to shoulder with Carter down the hallway toward the stairs of the boardinghouse. “I’m . . . okay.” Carter didn’t look convinced, lifting a curious eyebrow, which Max tried to ignore. “It’s nothing major. I’m just a f*cking idiot.”

Carter snorted. “That’s not news, man.”

Max laughed as they reached the foot of the stairs and pulled the boardinghouse door open to let Carter through. A fast-moving body who exclaimed, “I’m so sorry,” careened into him.

Max gripped soft arms, smelled cocoa butter, and immediately let go, stepping back. “Grace,” he blurted.

Christ, it was just like the first time they’d met, she bumping into him, all nervous and flustered. Except now she didn’t look flustered. She looked tired and unhappy. She gazed up at him, her green eyes expectant, but Max had no words of comfort for her. He had no words at all. The silence in the small vestibule became suffocating, before she glanced over to Carter, who smiled and held out his hand.

“I’ll introduce myself, shall I?” he said, knocking his shoulder against Max’s. “Carter.”

They shook hands and Max watched a perfect smile crease Grace’s face.

“Max’s best friend,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“None of it’s true,” Carter replied. “Well, some of it. Okay. Maybe all of it.”

Grace gave a little laugh at the same time Max shifted on his feet. Carter looked back and forth between the two of them, noticing the tension. Jesus, Max could barely look at her. Not that he didn’t want to; she was gorgeous. But the shame that clutched his chest, along with something that was both heavy and foreign, kept his eyes stuck resolutely to the floor. He wanted nothing more than for that sucker to swallow him whole.

“We’re just heading for a late lunch,” Carter added. “Do you wanna come?”

Max threw him a look that would have rendered any other man dead on the spot. “No,” he said before Grace could answer. “She has stuff to do.” He finally looked at her. “Don’t you?”

Guilt and frustration burned up his back when he saw the wounded flicker in her eyes. “Sure.” She took a deep breath and looked to Carter. “Sure. You two have fun. It was nice to meet you.” She pinned Max with a look that defied argument. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Max nodded. It wasn’t until the door closed behind her that he felt he could breathe.

Carter whistled low. “Dude, what the f*ck was that?”