Make It Right

by Megan Erickson

  THE LAST TIME Max had sung in front of Lea was in the supply closet of the rec center on campus. He’d pitched his voice high and intentionally sang off-pitch just to mess with her and make her laugh.

  He licked his lips and gripped the microphone of the karaoke machine tighter in his hand. At Bowler, Max was known for belting out classic rock, getting the crowd excited. But Lea had never seen him.

  She watched him now as he stood on the makeshift stage. A smirk to her mouth, beautiful dark eyes sparkling, like she couldn’t wait to laugh while he made a fool of himself.

  Max curled his lip into a smile, feeling a little devilish. He’d show her.

  The familiar guitar rift surged through the speakers. Max grinned and Lea returned it.

  Alec’s whistle drew Max’s attention and he gave his best friend a chin nod. Kat was already bouncing around, hands in the air.

  Max rocked his hips, shimmied his shoulders, then raised the microphone to his mouth and started singing the classic Bon Jovi song.

  The emotion in “Livin’ on a Prayer” always warmed him from the inside. The song was friendship and love and celebration. He lost himself in the words and the beat, belting out the chorus with fist pumps, playing air guitar. The crowd clapped and hooted and sang along with him.

  When he sang, “we got each other,” he stole a glance at Lea. She stood out in the crowd because she was the only one not moving. She watched him, her lips parted, her eyes wide and unblinking. He shouted into the microphone, “we’ll give it a shot!” and she jolted at the words, then came out of whatever trance she’d been in, cupping her hands to her mouth and hollering. Then a huge smile stretched over her face and she began dancing to the song.

  When the music faded, Max tossed the microphone to Tanner and hopped off the stage. He went right to Lea, grabbed her face, and stole another kiss. Because he was so fucking grateful that he could, that she returned his kiss and clutched his biceps like she didn’t want to let go.

  When he pulled back, she licked her lips. “Yeah, let’s give it a shot.”

  He smiled.

  After grabbing another drink, Max relaxed on one of Tanner’s couches with Lea.

  He doubted the couch was sanitary, but he was too tired to protest. He wanted to relax with Lea, enjoy this moment where he felt like he had control of his life. The party swirled around him and he cradled Lea in his lap, protecting her from whatever diseases lived in the fibers under his ass.

  She ran her fingers through his hair and he wanted to purr like Wayne. “Why do you always smell like coconut?”

  She smiled. “It’s coconut oil.”

  “Coconut oil?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I use it like lotion.”

  And there went every rational thought in his head. “Are you telling me you cover your body in oil every day?”

  “Max—”

  He cut her off, closing his eyes. “No, don’t ruin my fantasy. Okay, so you step out of the shower and drop your towel. You are naked and wet and then you rub—”

  She pushed his shoulder, laughing. “Max! Stop!”

  He opened his eyes grinned. “I’ll cherish that mental image for the rest of my life.”

  She rolled her eyes and kissed him, a slow teasing swipe of her lips. “If you could do anything after graduation, what would you do?” she asked, her musical voice trickling into his ear.

  He could barely keep his eyes open, a result of too much rum and the warmth of Lea’s lips on his cheek. Oh, now they were traveling down his neck.

  “Max,” she whispered below his ear.

  He was in that buzzed place where the alcohol in his veins was like a truth serum. And Lea was a pint-sized superhero, coaxing the words from his lips.

  “I loved helping teach that self-defense class, you know?”

  Lea pulled back, gripping the sides of his neck. She nodded. “I know.”

  He rolled his lips between his teeth and admitted to her what he’d barely admitted to himself. “If I could do anything, I’d want to teach gym class at a middle school or high school and coach hockey.”

  She licked her lips and rubbed the base of his neck with her thumbs. “So, you wouldn’t help your dad at the garage.”

  He clenched his jaw. “I hate it,” he whispered. “And it kills me because it’s a family business. And Dad helps pay for my school. And the money I earn there helps pay for the rest of it. And I love my brothers.” He paused and gulped. “But doll, I hate it.”

  He expected sympathy, a whispered, I’m sorry. But instead those thumbs got up the soothing rhythm, like she was urging his vocal chords to release all the words they’d suppressed for so long. And her brow was furrowed in curious determination.

  “Why do you hate it?”

  “I don’t care much about cars. I don’t feel . . . fulfilled.” God, had he ever uttered that word in his life? “I don’t think I have any purpose.”

  “So why don’t you tell your father that? He might understand.”

  Max snorted. “No.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You don’t just . . . tell my dad anything. He tells you how high to jump and you better double that height.”

  She scooted closer, the grass of her skirt rustling. “But have you tried?”

  He looked into her eyes and saw the fear in his own reflected back at him in her dark depths. “No,” he whispered.

  “Do you plan to?”

  She didn’t understand. “No.”

  Confusion passed over her face before the determination set in. “Promise me you will.”

  The alcohol didn’t let him lie, even though he wanted to. “I can’t make that promise.”

  “So you’re just going to be miserable?”

  He shrugged weakly. “You don’t understand . . .”

  “No, you’re right, I don’t.”

  He closed his eyes and when he opened them, hers were still on him, imprisoning him, challenging him.

  “Can I promise to think about talking to him?”

  Her lips twisted and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Okay. I’ll accept that.” Her begrudging tone made him smile.

  He slipped his fingers past the grass skirt and burrowed under the waistband of her leggings so he could feel the soft skin at her hips. He loved knowing about the tattoos that were there. “You’re tough, you know that?”

  Her lashes dipped and a smirk curled her lips. “I do.”

  He nuzzled into her neck, opening his lips at her skin and stealing a taste with the tip of his tongue. “I like it.”

  A tremor traveled down her body. She leaned in, her lips at his ear. “I like your limbo skills.”

  He threw back his head and laughed and she dissolved into giggles in his arms.

  A half hour later and two more rum punches later, they collected a drunk, dancing Kat and Alec and headed home. Kat rarely drank and in her drunk state, her mouth moved a mile a minute, interspersed with giggles. Max had no idea what she was talking about but he heard “Segway” and some other randomness and shook his head. Pure Kat.

  He called to Alec in front of him, who gripped the hand of a rambling Kat so she didn’t wander off. “Dude, I want pancakes.”

  “Seriously?” Lea looked at him like he was nuts. “It’s three A.M.”

  He rubbed his stomach. “Your point? That’s the best time to eat pancakes.”

  She rolled her eyes and Alec shot him a thumbs-up over his shoulder. “Onward to the Chipped Plate, my king!” he called, gripping Kat’s hand.

  Max held his hand out in front of him like he held a sword. “Onward, my knight!”

  Lea huffed beside him. “You two are so weird.”

  Max opened his mouth to answer, when he spotted a spring rider standing alongside a house. It was one of those playground toys with a large coiled spring stuck in the ground and a metal purple unicorn sitting on top.

  “Oh shit, I love those things!” He let go of Lea and jogged over. He knew the toy wasn’t made for his six-foot
frame but he didn’t care. He sat on the metal saddle, which froze his ass through his thin swim trunks, and gripped the handlebars, propping his feet on the foot rests.

  “Yee haw!” He yelled and pitched forward, then waited for the spring to throw him back.

  But it didn’t. One shift of his weight and the whole thing gave way. He plunged face forward, slamming his chin into the cold ground, the horn of the stupid unicorn jammed into his groin. He rolled and watched as his three friends blinked at him in surprise.

  He groaned. “The fucking unicorn bucked me off.”

  They erupted. Alec roared with laughter, doubled over, clutching his stomach, and Lea and Kat clung to each other, giggling hysterically over his epic fail in the face of a metal unicorn.

  He rose to all fours and glared at it. “That is not cool, putting this here without securing the spring into the ground. There’s probably a hidden camera around here somewhere. Preying on stupid drunk college students.”

  “Like you!” Alec yelled, dissolving into another fit of laughter.

  Max grumbled and he heard a snap. He looked up and Lea held her phone in front of her, eyes bright and wet.

  “Did you just take my picture?”

  She nodded, biting her lip, but her shoulders shook with restrained laughter.

  He lunged toward her. She squealed but before she could take one step, he scooped her up and hauled her over his shoulder, smacking her grass-covered butt. “Let me down, Max!” she hollered but the laughed.

  “Nope, I want pancakes.”

  Chapter 17

  THEY SAT IN the cafe at three A.M. Max crunched three strips of bacon on top of his stack of pancakes, covered it in a layer of syrup and then methodically devoured it. Lea ate a bagel with cream cheese while Kat and Alec shared an order of cheese fries and chocolate shakes.

  Lea tongued the corner of her mouth, chasing an errant smear of cream cheese, and thought about Danica’s kiss.

  When Danica had leaned in and said, “Let’s get Max hot. Give me a kiss,” Lea hadn’t had much time to react or brace before Danica’s lips were on hers. She’d never kissed a girl before and Danica’s lips were soft, her scent pleasing, her hands at the back of Lea’s head and on her knee tender.

  But at the same time, Danica held back as much as Lea did. It was all for show. Both of them keeping the important pieces of themselves.

  Lea missed the roughness of Max’s lips and stubble. The way he crowded her with his big shoulders, at the same time giving everything of himself to her.

  Max didn’t hold back.

  Lea reached over and wiped a smudge of dirt from Max’s chin. He grinned at her and then returned to his pancakes.

  She’d never forget the sound of his voice on that stage, the way he moved his body to the music. He could have been a front man for a band, that’s how much charisma he’d shown. She hadn’t expected that.

  And then his face when he’d fallen off that toy. All tonight, he’d shown a side of himself, more carefree and happy, than she’d ever seen him. Based on what he’d told her of himself on their date, she wondered how many carefree moments he’d had like that growing up.

  The vision of his large, muscular body on that child’s toy before he fell off flashed in her head again. She giggled just thinking about it.

  “What?” Max asked, licking syrup from his lips.

  “You and that unicorn.”

  Max narrowed his eyes. “Bruiser.”

  “Huh?”

  “That’s what I’m calling him.”

  “You named the unicorn.”

  “I named him because he nearly broke my ass.”

  Lea leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I can check for bruises later.”

  Max stopped mid-chew and turned his head slowly, meeting her eyes. “Are you propositioning me?”

  Lea just smiled.

  He leaned in. “You can check my bruises anytime you want. Hell, you can give me new ones.”

  Lea laughed and Kat spoke up. “Alec and I are still here, you know?”

  “Hey, I’ve had to listen to your lovey-dovey bullshit for months now,” Max protested, pointing his fork at Kat.

  She pressed her lips together and didn’t protest.

  Alec threw his arm around her shoulders and leaned back. “Tonight was awesome.”

  Kat snuggled into the crook of his arm. “Very awesome.”

  Alec grinned at Max. “Missed your singing, man. You were on top of your game tonight.”

  When Max had held her in the closet of the rec room and sang, he’d pitched his voice high and it’d sounded awful. But tonight? He’d belted out that song in a deep, gravelly voice that did something to her insides. His voice was strong, notes in tune. It surprised her and turned her on a little.

  Max reached over and squeezed her leg through her skirt and leggings. “Ready to go?”

  She nodded.

  Max paid and held her hand as they walked back to her apartment. Danica’s door was closed and Lea pressed her finger to her lips to keep Max quiet.

  “You shushing me again, doll?” he teased.

  She rolled her eyes and opened her bedroom door. Max walked in ahead of her and then as she shut the door, he turned around and pressed her against the door, his head bending to hers for a kiss. Max’s arousal was evident and pressed into her belly as they tumbled to the bed.

  He rolled on top of her and she arched up with her hips. “As much as you drank, I’m honestly surprised you’re that hard.”

  He raised his eyebrows, his beaming smile proving she’d just complimented his manhood. “Oh doll, a little liquor can’t knock me down. I’m always ready for you.”

  He kissed her, starting out slow but gaining speed, and Lea could feel his excitement in the kiss. She squeezed her eyes shut, tamping down the anxiety of what she was about to do. But the kiss proved to her all along that Max trusted her. And it was time to repay him with her own trust. “Max,” she whispered, licking his bottom lip before pulling away a fraction. “Your turn.”

  His eyebrows dipped. “What?”

  She took a deep breath and raised her hands above her head, gripping the headboard. “Your turn.”

  His eyes traveled up her arms, lingering on her hands where they white-knuckled the spindles before returning to her face. He trailed his fingers down the side of her neck, right over her carotid artery and her lips parted as his tongue followed the path of his fingers, igniting her blood.

  He gripped the side of her neck, pressing his thumb into the indent at the base of her throat then he licked the spot.

  He took his time touching her, paying extra attention to the rings in her nipples and the ink on her hips. He nipped her skin with his teeth and caressed her inner thighs, his thumbs moving in a circular pattern that drove her crazy. She wanted to tell him to get to it already, give in to what they both wanted.

  But she’d given him control.

  So she closed her eyes and gave in to the sensations of his talented tongue and hands and lips.

  She opened her eyes when his weight settled full on her. His face was inches above hers and he nudged her nose with his own. “You drive me crazy,” he whispered, echoing the words he’d said earlier in the night.”

  “You drive me crazy,” she whispered back.

  His thumbs pressed into her neck, moving across her skin, leaving goose bumps behind. Every so often he added a scrape of a thumbnail and the sensation went straight to her toes.

  “Been on campus over three years. Three fucking years. Took me this long to find you,” he mumbled and she didn’t know if he was talking to her or to himself.

  “But we did now, so that’s all that matters, right?” her voice was faint, barely a tone as she concentrated on speaking the words over the rush of arousal spreading through her body like wildfire.

  “Yeah,” he whispered.

  Then his thumbs were gone, and he rolled on a condom and slowly, oh so slowly that she thought she’d come out of her skin,
he entered her.

  She released the headboard and wrapped all her limbs around him. He started out slowly, gliding in and out of her as he touched every inch of her face with his lips, whispered words like, “beautiful,” and “doll,” and “finally.”

  But she wasn’t able to speak because her heart was beating and her ears were ringing and she worried she’d floated away, disconnected from her body.

  Her orgasm hit her like a shot, and she slammed back into herself, crying out, clutching Max as hard as she could as he exhaled her name into her neck and came with a moan.

  She didn’t let go of him for a long time, not until he pried her arms and legs from around him, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he crept to the bathroom and then back into her bed.

  She lay with her head on his chest, their breaths mixing in the air above them. She trailed her fingers through the sparse hair on his chest, loving the strength and solidity of the body under hers.

  “Max?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Thank you.”

  His breath stuttered but he didn’t answer as he carded his fingers through her hair.

  And she knew that while she might hold his heart, he held hers too. Like they both kept the other beating, the symbiotic relationship necessary for them both to survive.

  She didn’t know when this happened, maybe it was seeing him singing in front of strangers. Maybe it was watching him eagerly climb onto a child’s toy. Maybe it was listening to the crunch of the bacon as he broke it into small pieces on top of his pancakes.

  All she knew was that Max had burst his way into her heart with his warm eyes and big smile. She’d let herself trust, and she hoped this time it was right. That this was the time it didn’t backfire.

  LEA STOOD BESIDE the TV with her hands on her hips. Danica and Monica cuddled on the couch watching Kissing Jessica Stein. The current on-screen kiss between two girls was kind of hot. And reminded Lea of her kiss with Danica. She ducked her head to hide her blush, hoping Monica wouldn’t see, because Danica’s girlfriend had only just forgiven her for kissing Lea. She hadn’t thought their “break” at the time was definite enough for Danica to go around in a bikini and lip-lock other girls.

  But they’d made up, and Monica wasn’t glaring at Lea, so she figured all was well.