Free Finding Us (Finding #2) by Shealy James Page A

always going to be a phone call, car ride, or plane ride away, and you’ll always be here for me. If Becca’s the other half of my heart, then you’re the other half of my soul. Distance doesn’t break a soul.”
    “Max,” she gasped. “That was the most romantic thing you have ever said!”
    I groaned. “Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want anyone to know having a girlfriend has made me soft.”
    “Aww…you’ve always been soft. I just let you think otherwise.”
    She patted me like a puppy, so I squeezed her side making her squeal and squirm away. Once we settled back in our spots, I told her the one thing that would always be true, “I love you, Mags.”
    Without hesitation she said, “I love you too, Max.”

Chapter 5
     
    Parker
     
    I had been waiting all night to talk to Maggie, and she was still outside with Max well after midnight, making me wonder if she would ever come inside. I knew better than to interrupt their time. I just had to be patient and let Max work his magic.
    Tonight had been a cluster fuck. I don’t know what Alexis was thinking, but if it hadn’t been for Billy and Grady getting her out of here, I think I would have snapped. She looked so pleased with herself until Sarah got a hold of her as she was walking out the door. Billy and Grady wouldn’t hold back either once they had her alone in the car.
    I didn’t know what her goal was tonight, but if it was to get exiled from my life she went about it in all of the right ways. There wasn’t one person in this world I would pick over Maggie. She was it for me. Pops and Preston knew it. Max, Sarah, and Becca knew it. Billy and Grady knew it. The only person who had apparently missed the memo was Alexis.
    My phone went off and I glanced down to find a text from Max.
    Max: M
    That was my signal. We devised it a long time ago when we needed relief from the girls. We loved the girls, but sometimes it was helpful to have the other one there, especially if alcohol was involved. We could text a single letter, any letter, without looking at our phones, so the girls never knew.
    This time he wasn’t looking for help though. He was relieving me from my misery of waiting to see what my fate with Maggie would be. I had run all different scenarios in my head. I imagined her breaking up with me or stopping our sex life cold and even kneeing me in the balls for being such a dumbass. I would take the knee to the balls before the other two if I were telling the truth. I should just thank my lucky stars that Maggie didn’t still run to her dad when she was upset. If her dad knew any of the bullshit Alexis had spouted, I wouldn’t have to worry about him chopping off my nuts like he threatened when I first met him. He would kill me and dump my body in the Gulf Stream like Dexter does. Jim had a boat and knives. He could easily chop my body up into bits, wrap me up in trash bags and feed me to the fish.
    My phone buzzed again.
    Max: ?
    I realized then that I was stalling. I was actually afraid to talk to Maggie. It had to be done though. I had to face the fact that my past might be too much for her to handle. Sweet, innocent Maggie didn’t need to be corrupted by my irresponsible past.
    I walked out the French doors and headed to the beach. When I rounded the other side of the loungers, I found Maggie and Max snuggled together holding hands. Anger ran through me before I could stop it. It drove me crazy that she let Max comfort her and not me even when I was the one who caused the problem. I wanted to be everything to her, but I knew she would always need him. They had an unspeakable bond that only comes with years of unfailing support. When others would let them down, they were always there for the other, and time wasn’t something I could compete with. Normally I didn’t mind, but it threw me off seeing them curled up together after a night like tonight.
    I took a deep breath and calmed down. “Hey,” I said. I know, I know…clever opener, right?