“And I love you. I suppose I better go get your Mom from therapy, huh? Do you want to come along?”
“Sure.” Chloe rose to her feet then froze in place.
Max frowned. “Is everything all right?”
She pried open the bag on the coffee table pulling out the gloves. With a sweet smile on her lips, she handed them to him. “Let’s get one out of the way.”
Max laughed as he tossed them on the table beside the front door. He laced his fingers between hers, wrapping her hand tight in his. “That sounds great to me.”
»»•««
Max slowly stepped out of his car as he stared at Hard Drive. Last night had been incredible. Just that one step he had taken with Chloe had brought them closer. He loved Liz’s reaction when they had walked into the hospital holding hands. It was like Christmas for Chloe’s mom. She had hugged them both then scolded that it had taken long enough for them to see they belonged together.
All night, Chloe came up with reasons to be near him, to brush his fingers with hers. Max happily obliged. It was a feat to make dinner with one hand, the other content to be laced with hers. She giggled as she tried to help with her free hand. He wasn’t sure how they managed to finish making the meal. All Max knew was that he planned to make dinner like that every night, with Chloe tucked close beside him, holding his hand.
He sighed as he stared at the building. That was last night. Was he going to get a repeat performance today? Or was their relationship going to be a secret?
“Come on, slow poke,” Chloe giggled. “We have to get to work.”
There it was. Her hand outstretched, waiting for his to complete it. He could feel a grin stretch his face as he wrapped his fingers around hers and led her to the building.
The sign of affection turned almost every head in the gym. Max heard a whine of protest come from the receptionist desk. He glanced over to Phoebe in time to catch the blonde’s indignant temper tantrum. Like she should be upset. I’ve never shown any interest in her. He kissed Chloe’s cheek before she pulled free and scampered off to the locker room.
Rico, Dan, and Mark looked puzzled as he approached. He smiled at them. Rico glanced toward the locker room before he spoke.
“Hey, Max. We three were talking about going out Saturday night. You want to come?”
“Sorry, guys. I’ve given up drinking,” Max answered.
“We don’t drink, either. This is right up your alley. Trust me.”
“Sure, then. I guess I’m in.”
Dan shot his own uneasy glance toward the locker room. “Do you need to run it past Chloe?”
“I’ll talk to her later. She’ll be all right with it.” Max pulled a pair of gloves on and motioned Rico toward the mat. He waved Mark and Dan to the other one.
“Is Chloe going to be all right with this?” Rico protested.
Max sighed. “That, I don’t know.”
Max and Rico started sparring. As normal, the gym fell to a hush as they fought. As they separated, Max glanced to the side of the mat. Here it was. The moment of truth. His eyes met Chloe’s. She stared at him then shrugged before hustling off to work with the girls. Max followed behind her.
“Chloe,” he called to get her attention.
She turned. “Yeah. What’s up?”
He glanced back. “I just thought…”
“Thought what?”
“I’d get more of a response.”
“You’re really good. You’ve must have done this before.” She clenched her hands to her hips. “And you gave me grief over keeping a secret from you.”
“In retrospect, I was unfair to you. I should have shared my secret when you shared yours.”
“Spill then.”
He glanced behind her at the waiting women. He motioned to Rico to start her class then led her into the hallway. “It’s going to take more time than you have right now.”
“Abbreviate it. Did you used to train?”
Max took a deep breath. “I used to fight. In college. Until I got hurt.”
“Why was it a big deal not to tell me?”
“I didn’t know how you would react. I didn’t want to scare you away.”
“You should have had faith in me.”
“I know. I’m sorry. You mean the world to me. I couldn’t lose you.”
“You wouldn’t have lost me. Did you like it?”
“I loved it. At least until I screwed up my knee. You’re all right with this?”
A smile crept across her face. “It was kind of sexy.”
He grinned. “Really?”
“Yep. I need to save my girls from Rico before he starts asking for phone numbers.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“No more secrets?”
“That’s it. You now know my deep, dark past.”
“Noted.” She laughed as she gave him a quick hug before hurrying back to her class. Max chuckled, relieved, as he strode off to face off with Rico again.
Max wondered the entire week what the guys had planned for their guys night out. He asked for hints. He got none. The closest he got to a clue was the advice to dress comfortable. Not jeans comfortable. Gym shorts comfortable.
He talked to Chloe about his night out. She didn’t object, but she didn’t approve either. He assured her it was just a night out with the guys. There would be no clubs and no women. It didn’t seem to put her heart at ease.
He kissed her on the cheek as Rico pulled up to the house to pick him up. He didn’t miss the scowl on her face as he said good-bye and jogged to the car.
They chatted as Rico drove nearly across town until they reached the city’s newest, state-of-the-art gym. The place made Roadie’s look like a hole in the wall. Mark and Dan stood outside, waiting for them.
“Okay, what’s this about?” Max inquired.
“Guys’ night. Hard Drive has some great workout equipment. Don’t get me wrong. But not like this place. They’re giving out month-long trial memberships.”
Max laughed. “Then let’s go workout.”
Signing up only took a couple minutes. Before long, they were off to find the free weights room. Rico slipped two-hundred fifty pounds on the bench press bar and offered for Dan to have a shot. They were all amazed when he lifted it with relatively little difficulty.
“So, Max. Answer a question that we’ve wondered about all week. Is it you? Is it Chloe? Or is it you and Chloe? Like a couple?” Mark asked.
“It’s Chloe and me. We’re a couple,” Max confirmed.
“Well, we got the holding hands thing, like you’re in middle school. Have you kissed her?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“And nothing. There’s nothing to tell. I love her. I’m not rushing things.” Max sighed. “A guy…” He took a deep breath to suppress his rage. “Hurt her. Raped her. I’d say that, between her Cyclic Vomiting and what happened to her, she’s gone through hell. But that would be sugar-coating it.”
The three men stared at him. “Max, I’m sorry,” Mark said softly.
“Nothing to be sorry about, guys. She’s got the CVS under control. Mark, that’s because of you. I won’t let anything else happen to her. So, let’s get back to lifting.”
They nodded in agreement. Dan sat up and let Rico have a turn.
The four men closed the gym. Famished from hours of exercise, they stopped at an all-night diner for something to eat. The whole night was full of talking, laughing, and light-natured ribbing.
“I’m glad you’re with Chloe,” Dan admitted. “You guys are cute. It’s kind of nice that one of us has a girl.”
“What about your girlfriend?” Mark pried. “Did you mis-wire her? Did the part you need not come in?”
“At least I can make a girlfriend to love me. That’s still more than you’ve got,” Dan snapped back.
“Down, boys,” Rico laughed. “And for the record, Max isn’t the only one with a girlfriend.”
“Really? Do we know her?�
� Dan pressed.
“Of course. It’s Phoebe,” Rico replied proudly.
“Wow. Congrats.” Max clapped him on the shoulder.
“Thanks. I’m still trying to figure her out. She’s hot one minute, cold the next.”
“Aren’t all women?” Mark chuckled. Just then, the waitress threw the tab down in front of Mark’s face and stomped away, her long, blonde ponytail swinging angrily behind her. All men sat silent for a moment before they roared in laughter.
Once home, Max quietly unlocked the front door. It had been a wonderful night with his best friends. He rubbed his shoulder. He hadn’t lifted that much in a long time. He was certainly going to be sore tomorrow. Max stepped inside the house and stopped.
Chloe sat in the middle of the sofa, her legs crossed beneath her and her arms crossed across her chest. She glared at the television.
“Chloe, it’s two in the morning. You should be in bed.”
“I’m watching TV,” she barked.
Max glanced at the screen. “Sweetheart, it’s an infomercial.”
“So?”
Max bent over the back of the couch and kissed the top of her head. “Sweetheart, go to bed.”
“How was your night?”
Max fought back a smile. Here it is. Insecurity. “It was fine. Just me and the guys. Why?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on. We both know it’s something.”
Chloe only huffed in response. He sat beside her and took her hands in his. “I don’t know what’s bothering you. I do know that I have the most beautiful girl in the world right here. There’s no reason for me to look somewhere else.”
Chloe’s cheeks tinged pink as she picked the remote off the coffee table and tapped the off button. She pressed a kiss to his cheek before she jogged up the stairs, shutting the door behind her. Max sighed as she disappeared.
As he had predicted, Max woke up sore the next morning. He stiffly lifted himself out of bed and tugged on a pair of sweats.
Also as he had predicted, Chloe refused to talk to him. The night had bothered her more than he had thought. But her resistance didn’t last long. She plopped down next to him on the porch swing as he enjoyed the late morning warmth. She crossed her arms over her chest.
Max smiled as he stretched his arm across the back behind her. Before long, her hands were in her lap. Then, the hand closest to him lay on the wooden slats. He laughed as he took it in his, squeezing it tighter as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“Are you still mad at me for going out last night,” he asked.
“Maybe,” she pouted.
He chuckled as he pressed his lips against her forehead. “Even after what I said last night.”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to believe.”
“Believe what?”
Chloe gave him a dirty look. “That I could possibly be the only woman you want to be with.”
He kissed her forehead again. “You are. Very much so.”
“I doubt it.”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“Max, I don’t want to argue. All right?”
“What do you want to do, then?”
“Sit here and hold your hand. Be close to you.”
Max pushed a lock of her brown hair behind her ear as he gazed at her. “I want to do that too.”
She smiled softly at him as she snuggled closer. He felt himself swell with contentment. This was life. Not fighting, not lifting, not Hard Drive. This. Sitting on the porch swing with Chloe. Watching her breasts raise and lower with each breath. The feel of her curves blending against the hard planes of his body. To watch the sun glisten on her long, brown hair. No fight would make him feel this strong and powerful.
“Is the swing going to fast?” he asked.
“No. It’s perfect.”
“Just wanted to make sure.”
“Thank you for thinking about me.”
“I always think about you. Every day. Every where I go. You’re the last thing I’m thinking of when I fall asleep. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up. Followed by which muscle is hurting on that day.”
Chloe looked up at him. “Do you like what you’re doing? MMA?”
“That’s a loaded question.”
“Explain.”
“I’ve always loved MMA. But it brings back bad memories. And yes, when I’m working they come up. But I love being with you. And I love being with Rico, Mark and Dan. The good outweighs the bad.”
“What bad memories do you have? Getting hurt?”
“Among other things.”
“Like what?”
“It’s not important.”
“I thought we weren’t going to have secrets.”
“Considering our little disagreement last night, it’s not something I want to talk about.”
“It was a girl.”
“Yes. Ancient history. If anything, she only reminds just how great I have it now. It reminds me how very happy I am that we didn’t end up together because she wasn’t the woman for me. You are.”
Chloe looked up at him as she laid her hand on his chest. “You’re the only man I’ve ever wanted.”
He stared in her eyes. Her touch sent his heart racing. “I wish I could kiss you.”
“Soon.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead again then held her close. Things couldn’t be more perfect than it was then.
»»•««
Max’s body continued to hurt as he followed Chloe into Hard Drive on Monday. She was still giving him a tinge of the cold shoulder. He was hoping it wouldn’t be long before she warmed back up to him.
He stopped short inside the door where Rico, Dan, and Mark waited.
“Seriously.” Max pointed from Mark to Dan. “I thought you guys had jobs.”
“Just got off my shift,” Mark reported.
“Taking a week of comp time,” Dan grinned, his green eyes twinkling excitedly behind the lenses of his glasses.
“So, your idea of time off is ambushing me?” Max questioned.
“We wanted to know if you’re sore,” Mark pried.
Max could help the grin cracking his lips. “Yes, I’m sore. Does that mean that you’re sore too?”
“Yes. Kind of.”
“What we’re really here for,” Rico interrupted, “is to see if you want to join us in a repeat performance this Saturday. Maybe we’ll sneak in a pick-up basketball game too if the court is empty.”
Max shook his head. “I can’t, guys. Chloe wasn’t happy about last Saturday. I’m still getting a little bit of the silent treatment.”
“Bring her with.”
“Isn’t this guys’ night out?”
“It’s not like we’re hitting the strip clubs, Max.” Mark scanned the gym. He stopped as he saw Chloe come from the locker room. “Chloe, come here!”
Max groaned as Chloe approached them. “Yeah, guys. What’s up?” she greeted.
“We’re going out Saturday night again. We’d like you to come with us.”
Chloe glanced at them apprehensively. “That’s guys’ night.”
“And we want you to be one of the guys for a night.” Rico winked at her. “What do you say, short stuff?”
“I don’t want to intrude,” Chloe insisted.
“You’re not intruding, Chloe,” Dan countered. “If I thought you wouldn’t like it, I wouldn’t let these guys hound you. Have I steered you wrong before? I let you date this one.” He slugged Max in the shoulder for emphasis.
“Let me?” Chloe giggled.
Max watched Chloe smile at Dan. He grinned with them. Dan and Chloe shared a special relationship. They had since Max and Chloe had started at Hard Drive. It was nothing romantic by any means. It was more familial, like a brother and sister.
Chloe gazed into Max’s eyes for several moments. They sparkled excitedly in anticipation of a night away. She nodded. “Sure. I’d love to go.”
“Great!” Rico confirmed. “Max knows wher
e he’s going. We’ll meet you there.”
Rico walked toward the mats until he was suddenly stopped by Phoebe. The blonde wrapped her arms around his neck as she drove her lips against his. Rico moaned as he pulled her closer. As they parted, she shot Max a malicious look over Rico’s shoulder. He shook his head, confused, as he took Chloe’s hand in his and led her toward the mats.
All week, Chloe tried on different outfits in hopes of figuring out where the guys had gone the previous Saturday night. Max chuckled every time he sent her back to her room by telling her she was overdressed. Liz was baffled by the whole thing. After a day of the sweet torture, Max let her in on the secret. He half-expected Liz to rat him out. Not Liz. No, she joined in the fun.
By the time Saturday night arrived, Chloe was frustrated with both of them and still had no idea what to wear. She descended the steps one final time in a silk blouse and a pair of jeans. Her long, brown hair was in soft curls. Max, dressed in a dry-fit T-shirt and gym shorts, said nothing. He just laughed.
She balled her fists at her sides as her temper snapped. “Would you please tell me what to wear?”
Max strode to her, cupping her face in his hands. He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Chloe. When you pick the next outfit, think Hard Drive.”
“You mean we’re going to work for guys’ night out?” she asked incredulously.
“Not work. A place like work. Now, hurry and change. We’re going to be late.”
Chloe shot him a confused look before she jogged up the stairs. A few minutes later, she returned in a tight-fitting tank and a pair of shorts. Her curls were tied up in a ponytail.
Max smiled. “That’s perfect. Now, let’s go.”
Chloe gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek before she tugged on her shoes and followed Max out the door.
The trip across Minneapolis was silent. Max glanced at Chloe at each stoplight they came to. She was still a little upset with him. And he could sense that she was anxious. He reached over and wrapped his hand around hers.
Rico, Mark, and Dan were waiting outside the gym as Max put the car in park. Chloe gasped. “Oh, wow! I’ve heard of this place! I wanted to try it, but…” Her voice trailed off.
Max stepped out, closing the door behind him. He strode around to open her door for her. He offered her his hand to help her out. “Well, if you like it, then we can get memberships.”
Breaking the Cycle Page 10