Our Broken Love (Angels of war series #4)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A laugh bubbles in my throat and I'm so grateful when it escapes. "Oh, Max."

He's laughing in that low way. "I wouldn't mind but I spent half an hour choosing the ones I did. I had no clue."

"I'll send you the name of the ones she likes," I reply, turning to lay across the bench.

The sky is so blue, crystal clear and gleaming. My eyes close for a moment, craving the rest that refuses to come. Max stays silent, now laying on his side with heavy eyes. It's creeping up to ten o'clock over there, probably meaning he's done his favourite Wednesday nighttime ritual of washing his hair and shaving his face, but the stubble marking his jaw says otherwise.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

He waits. "I'm okay if you're okay."

"That's not really an answer." I sit up, but he shakes his head.

"It's not about me right now. I'm feeling really sad for you, baby. And I don't know how to make it better." When his voice breaks, tears flood my eyes.

"You being here... it's all I need," I whisper, wiping under my eyes. "I just wish I could wave a magic wand to take away this nightmare. It's so unfair. Nobody could ever see it coming."

"Life is horrible that way. It can just turn your life around within a blink of an eye." If anyone knows this, it's him.

"You really can't take anything for granted, can you?" I reply and he shakes his head.

"Nope."

"I'm so happy I have you in my life." I feel compelled to tell him.

The desperation in his gaze makes me wish I could touch him. My phone screen is warm when I put my fingers against it, Max doing the exact same.

"This house is so quiet without you," he says, fingers still touching mine from away. "Lonely."

"Why don't you see if you can stay with James?" I reply, not enjoying the thought of him being lonely.

He pulls back.

"What's that look for?" I ask on a gentle laugh that turns sour. "Max?"

"It's not something you need to worry about right now," he softly says.

"But you know I will so spit it out," I reply.

He frowns. "No."

I frown right back, but say nothing.

We talk without words. It's intense and I know I won as soon as he sighs. "We had an argument. It's nothing. We always patch things up pretty quickly."

"It can't be nothing if you need to patch things up," I say.

"Yes it is, it's honestly trivial in comparison to what you're going through right now. I shouldn't of said anything, I'm sorry," he responds, fighting with the duvet when he sits up to stride out of the bedroom.

I keep quiet as he makes his way downstairs to the kitchen, balancing me against the kettle while he pours himself some water. Then his phone vibrates with a text and another, then another.