Chapter 22

Why, Max?” I asked again, my voice quieter this time, more searching than accusatory.

He hesitated, eyes flicking away from mine. “I just want to be there for you, Lila.”

I folded my arms and studied him. “That can’t be all. No one just throws themselves into someone else’s life, especially a messy, complicated one like mine without wanting something in return. You can’t tell me this is just about being nice.”

He looked down at his feet, jaw tightening. “It’s not about wanting something from you.”

“Then what is it about?” I pressed, my voice gaining edge. “You’re offering to take responsibility for a child that’s not yours. You rushed me to the hospital. You’re trying to convince me to let you take care of me and the baby, like you’re... more than a friend. What’s in it for you, Max?”

His silence stretched. The longer it lasted, the louder my heartbeat seemed to pound.

Finally, he looked up, his eyes shadowed with a mix of frustration and something else. “Because I care. Isn’t that enough?”

“It might be,” I said, “if I believed that was all there was.”

The air between us thickened. I could see his internal war, his hands clenched and unclenched, his mouth opened and closed as if the words were jostling in his throat, unsure of how to escape.

“Do you like me, Max?” I asked gently this time. “More than just a friend?”

He stared at me like I’d asked him to walk through fire. “Lila…”

“Tell me the truth.”

His eyes dropped again. I waited.

“I think you’re not ready for the truth,” he said at last, his voice barely audible.

“Let me decide that,” I said, stepping closer.

He let out a breath, one that seemed to drain the fight out of him. He leaned against the edge of my counter, fingers drumming a rhythm on the surface like a man buying time.

Then he spoke. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time now.”

The words didn’t land immediately. I blinked at him.

“Yunno, I was the one you sat beside in class,” he said, a sad smile playing on his lips. “The guy who waited for you after school, who listened when you were mad at the world, who believed you when nobody else did, who laughed at your terrible jokes just to make you feel happy.”

I felt like the room was shrinking. Every corner felt like it was drawing inward by the weight of his confession.

“You never saw it,” he continued, voice softer now. “You looked right through me. I was the safe guy, the dependable one but never the one you wanted or liked back.”

“Max…”

He shook his head. “It’s okay. I accepted it a long time ago. But then you called me this morning about the baby, it brought all of it back. Everything I’d buried.”

He looked up at me, eyes glassy. “I don’t want anything from you, Lila. I don’t expect anything. But if being your friend is the only way I can be part of your life, then I’ll take it. Even if it kills me.”

His voice cracked at the end, and that did something to me. My heart clenched.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I didn’t know... I didn’t realize.”

He gave a sad laugh. “I figured.”

I walked over slowly, standing in front of him. “I’m not in a place to return your feelings, Max. I’m a mess right now. Everything feels like it’s falling apart. I don’t know how to hold myself up, let alone someone else’s heart.”

He nodded, jaw tight. “So it’s because of Drew.”

I frowned. “What?”

“You’re in love with him,” he said, bitterness laced into his tone. “That’s the real reason. Not because you’re a mess, not because you’re scared but because you’re busy loving a man who doesn’t give a damn about you.”

“That’s not true,” I snapped, more forcefully than I intended. “I’m not in love with Drew.”

He scoffed. “Could’ve fooled me.”

I stepped back, rubbing my temples. “Why does it even matter? I’m not in love with anyone. I have too much going on in my life to even think about love. I don’t have the strength to feel anything right now.”

Max was quiet for a beat, then nodded. “Fine.”

I looked at him, his shoulders rigid, his gaze distant.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I said softly.

He finally looked at me, his face unreadable. “Make sure you rest, Lila. That baby needs you strong. And if you ever need a friend... I’ll be here. No matter what.”

Then he turned and walked toward the door. This time, I didn’t stop him.

The door clicked shut behind him, and the silence that followed was deafening.

The guilt sat heavy in my chest, but something deeper than guilt clawed at me regret. For not noticing sooner. For not knowing how to fix what I’d just broken.

I sank into the couch, heart pounding. And then, on impulse, I reached for my phone.

I scrolled to Drew’s name.

If I couldn’t lean on Max the way he wanted, maybe I could at least give myself room to breathe.

Maybe just maybe Drew would understand and give me a week off.

I hit dial

He picked up after two rings. “Yes?”

“Hi... it’s Lila.”

A pause. “What is it?”

I bit my lip. “I was wondering… sorry I wanted to ask if I could take a week off. Just to rest. It’s been a lot lately and a little break would do me a lot of good.”

Another pause.

Then his voice dropped, cold and sharp. “If you need time off, then consider yourself off the project entirely.”

I blinked. “Wait…what?”

“You heard me. If you can’t stay committed and handle the pressure, don’t bother coming back.”

Click.

He hung up.

I stared at the phone, heart sinking. My breath hitched. He didn’t ask why. He didn’t even give me a chance to explain.

The man whose project I’d poured myself into... dismissed me like I meant nothing.

The man who didn’t know that I was bleeding myself dry to protect his child he didn’t know existed.

The sob hit me before I could stop it.

And just like that, I collapsed onto the floor, holding myself as the tears came in waves.

Not for Max. Not for Drew.

But for me.

How did I become this train wreck?

Why does each day end with me being in a poodle of my own tears?

Why can't I just have a whole day of peace.

Now, I don't even know if I could ever have the strength to stand.