49

I turned my attention to Max's message. “I'm more anxious about the consequences of this,” I told myself. I felt like I was going to throw up all my breakfast. Instead, I looked at the remaining texts, which were from Emma.

I snorted. As usual, so authoritative.

Well, I didn't need to meet Max until five o'clock. Which would give me more than enough time to think about what to say to him. I had to find a way to make it not sound so harsh, but still enough for him to understand that I could never

there is an “us” between us..

**

CHLOE

The hours passed painfully quickly.

I sat at home, thinking about whether or not I should pretend to be sick and not go to the date. But then I imagine Max getting hurt because I dumped him, and I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Max has been nothing but sweet to me since the first time I met him

He took care of me, gave me a shoulder to cry on when Aaron treated me—his own partner—like trash. Why couldn't I have been mated with Max? Why was the Mo