Sober Max had pushed me out of a window.
I brushed my hand over the bruise on my thigh and winced. It was certainly a reminder of this weekend, no matter what happened.
Why couldn’t I simply be happy to get to know Trent better and see how things went with him? It would certainly be less complicated. But I didn’t have the feelings for him like I had for Max.
How did I get myself into this situation?
A part of me wanted to run away and hide out until it was all over and go back to New York, back to work, and back to inconsequential dating.
But as I looked around the room, seeing how elated Brianna and Joshua were, how delighted their family and friends were to see them finally married, I knew in my heart that running away wasn’t the thing to do.
I needed to speak to Max.
To find out whether Drunk Max’s words were the ones I should be listening to.
Spurred on by my newfound confidence, I placed my glass on the bar and touched Trent’s arm. “Thank you,” I said, stretching up on my tiptoes and placing a kiss on his cheek.
“For what?”
“For making me see sense and helping me to realize what I need to do.”
He gave a small bow. “Go get him, Soph.”
I had to find him first.
I turned to start my hunt and bumped, slap bang into Autumn.
My enthusiasm withered like one of the discarded balloons at the side of the dance floor. Her face was hard to read. She’d be damn good in a poker game. She wasn’t going to make this easy for me, now that I’d finally come to a decision as to what I was going to do.
“Hey, Autumn. Everything okay?” I plastered on a smile, hoping she wouldn’t be able to hear the hammering of my heart.
“I’ve been talking to Max.”
My mouth formed an O shape. “What did you—”
She held up a hand. “I didn’t say much. Only the pertinent stuff, obviously. He needs to talk to you himself.”
Now I was desperate to know what they’d spoken about. Whether it tied in with what Trent had told me.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“Last seen upstairs in the Gentlemen’s Suite.” Autumn leaned in and gave me the briefest of hugs. “When did you last see Jodie?” she asked.
I pointed to the other end of the bar, where Jodie had moved on from the barman and was now flirting with one of Brianna’s cousins. From her posture, it was clear she’d had several drinks and wasn’t feeling any pain.
“Good. She’s hammered. What I have to tell her might not hurt quite so much now.” Autumn gave me a wry smile. “I’ll catch you later.”
Still no clearer as to what the hell she was talking about, I continued my search for Max. A walk around the dance floor brought nothing. He wasn’t with Joshua or Evan, and neither of them had seen him for a while. The foyer was mostly full of the older crowd milling around and catching up with friends and family they hadn’t seen in a while. I even hovered outside the restrooms for a few minutes to see if he was in there. When it was clear he wasn’t, I went in myself, suddenly desperate for a pee. That last vodka and soda had gone straight through me.
After I’d washed my hands, I took my time in touching up my makeup, just in case I happened to find Max soon. The reflection which stared back at me radiated hope and optimism, tinged with a little anxiousness. My stomach churned with nerves, not really knowing what I was going to say if and when I finally saw him.
Drawing back my shoulders, I popped my lip gloss back into my bag. I had to find Max before I totally lost my nerve.
Purposefully stepping back into the foyer, I saw Max head back into the reception room, and I faltered.
There he was.
Now was the time.
Now or never.
When I walked back into the room, I noticed Max had found Trent at the bar. Their heads were bent close together, but from my vantage point, I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
Step.
One step closer to knowing whether Max and I could ever work out.
Step.
One step closer to potential humiliation.
Step.
Shit. I was at the bar.
“There you are.” Max beamed at me. “I’ve been looking for you.”
What did that mean? Was he going to apologize for this morning? Or…?
“Me too,” I blurted out.
Neither of us said anything. We just stood there, grinning at each other.
“For Christ’s sake, will the two of you sort it out already?” Trent laughed. “I don’t want to be in my 80s when I’m at your wedding. Max, don’t screw it up. Sophie, if things don’t work out with Max, you know where I am.” He winked, then waved at someone on the other side of the room and made a beeline for them, leaving Max and me staring at each other.
“Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars started up. It was practically the theme song for my teenage years. When all this had started with Max.
He held out his hand. “Sophie Hale, will you do me the honor of dancing with me?”
“Max Coady, how could I refuse?” I took his hand, feeling the warmth of his palm against mine. Instantly, a flutter shot down my spine.
This is what had been missing when I danced with Trent.
The anticipation.
The butterflies.
The warm feeling pooling between my legs.
This is how I knew Max was the one for me.
Max pulled me close to him, and we moved onto the floor.
It felt like everyone was watching us, even though they weren’t. I caught Autumn’s eye, and she lifted her glass up in celebration.
Relief flooded through my body. Everything would work out fine. I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy.
Chapter Fourteen
Max
I could almost feel Sophie’s heartbeat
