Page 36 of Max

Laura was five years ago. Laura had a vision of what her life should look like. Unlike Skylar, she didn’t want to work for it. She was convinced that it should have been handed to her just because she was alive. She also wanted me to quit my team. I told her countless times, the time for that would come, it wasn’t in the distant future, but they need to do it was still present. She should have been patient. She wasn’t. And the day she left me for a man fifteen years her senior who had a nine to five job, big car, and bigger account, I thought my world was ending. What I didn’t know was why she was bringing her up. Laura was ancient history and would remain so.

“She destroyed you. That woman doesn’t deserve you. She never did.”

I guessed Rory heard that Laura was back on the market.

“Laura doesn’t exist for me anymore, Rory. So, you can drop it,” I tried to soothe some of her worries.

She didn’t drop it.

She carried on.

“But Sky? Max, she’s the one who could give you everything.”

Skylar decided she had enough of gazing up at me and broke off. I wanted to snatch her back the moment she was out of my reach. We all watched her as she stumbled her way to Jason who was sitting on the couch

“You’re handsome, you know that? It’s a shame that you’re not as handsome as Max is,” she drawled.

Then she slapped his cheek, turned, and found a new fascination, the living room walls. Jason looked at me, and I couldn’t help it, I gave him a smug smile.

“Like what?” I asked, tracking the woman in question with my eyes.

I didn’t have the energy to live through one of Rory’s interventions. I needed to get Skylar in bed. Then I needed to get in with her and sleep But I knew it was my best bet to play along, or she would hound me until she said what she needed to say.

“She could give you, you back.”

I watched as Rory looked to a drunk Skylar who was wandering around my house, muttering about wall paint and a porch.

“Hell, she’s doing it already, and you don’t even know it.”

Oh, I knew it all right. I knew it with the way my blood ran smoother in my veins every time I laid eyes on her.

“She’s tangled with some really bad shit.”

“So what?” Rory exclaimed. “You know how the interior of a cell looks, in detail.” She waved her hand, “and I don’t hold it against you.”

“You’re the one that put me there every time.”

“Yeah...” she smiled wistfully then shook her head. “Look, all I know is that I’m tired of trying to revive a memory. And then one day someone who has the power to do it, came knocking at your door.”

“She texted.”

“Semantics.”

“You don’t understand. She texted someone else. I was just intrusive.”

“No. You were a selfish and nosy bastard,” Rory shrugged her shoulders.

“Take that back!” I demanded and took a step toward my sister.

“Please, don’t kill her,” Jason piped up. He stood up from the couch, walked over to Rory, and took her in his arms, almost as if he were trying to protect her. “I kind of like her.”

He should have known better. Rory didn’t need his protection. She had her own. She took her phone out and dangled it in front of me, “You do anything stupid; I’m calling 9-1-1.”

“You do that. I’m getting Jason drunk!”

“You wouldn’t?” Her eyes popped out.

“Try me,” I crossed my arms on my chest, knowing full well I have got the upper hand.