Page 135 of The Romance Line

He sighs but then shoots me a serious look. “Does she though? Does she believe that?”

“She probably should,” I say.

“But did she say that?” he presses.

“She just said to give her space tonight.”

“And are you doing that?”

I gesture to his kitchen. “Yes. I’m here. And I apologized already. As soon as she called me on it, I realized I was wrong, and I apologized right away.”

“That’s good,” he says, but he’s hedging.

“It’s not enough though?” I ask, my gut churning with worry. But before he can answer, I say, “I’ll get her a lifetime supply of London fog lattes every morning. A diamond necklace. Her dance studio membership for the rest of her life?”

Chuckling, he holds up a stop sign hand. “Slow down. You can’t buy your way out of this or gift your way out of it or play your way out of it, Max. You have to use words and your heart.”

I stare at him. “But I tried.”

“Try again,” he says then adds thoughtfully, “When you’ve given her exactly what she asked for. She asked for space. The greatest thing you can do right now is listen to her. Give her that. Then try again. Own your shit.”

“Own your shit,” I say, repeating those words of wisdom from my dad. “That’s what I have to do?”

“Yes. Own your shit because relationships aren’t easy. And they can’t always be fixed with gifts. You win her heart with the way you care for it, and the way you listen. Have you won her heart?”

I flash back to all our nights together. To our days. To our secret dates. To the way we connect, to how we treat each other, and then to what she did for me a couple days ago. She told me about the picture Elias took at the senior center, and how she made him delete it. She protected me. And I missed the full meaning of that moment. I missed how deeply she cares for me because of my own fears.

My fears that have nothing to do with her.

The wounds she didn’t cause.

The past she had nothing to do with.

I need to leave my trust issues behind once and for all. To trust that this love between us is real, and do my part to help my girlfriend do the hard thing. She’s the only one who can, but I can do a much,muchbetter job supporting her. “I hope I’ve won her heart, Dad.”

He pats my arm. “Give her the time she needs and then be there when the night is over.”

He’s right. That’s what I have to do. Show up, let her know I might make mistakes, but I’ll do everything I can to un-make them.

“Love you, Dad,” I say, then give him a hug and take off.

I return to the city close to midnight, pull up outside her place, and cut the engine. Then I lower the driver’s seat, grab a ball cap from the back, and cover my eyes. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when she wakes up. Just like I’ll be here for her, whatever she needs.

49

THE PADLOCKERS ASSEMBLE

Everly

I don’t go to sleep right away. Correction: I can’t fall asleep. After an hour or more of tossing and turning, I grab my phone and ask for help.

I text The Padlockers.

Everly: Are my no-sex-with-Max sponsors still awake?

Maeve replies first.

Maeve: I have the heart of avampire. What’s up???