Two weeks had passed since Don and I had made up and become friends again. In those two weeks, I had gone out on dates with Max regularly. He was usually over at mine every night - since we were both working during the week we couldn't really go anywhere else.
At the weekends, we had gone out properly though. We both really liked going to the pool, and had one or two dates there.
Max was the only one who was still really interested in me. I didn't want to risk losing Don's friendship again, Buck hated me, Tyson only wanted me for sex, and so did Angel. Max, however, was interested in more than that. Or it seemed that way, anyway. For the time being I was happy going out with him, even if we hadn't made anything official.
On those dates we also forgot the time more often than not. He was free at the weekend, but I still had practice. I wasn't required to be at the stadium until 3pm, so we still had the mornings together, and we put that time to good use.
Somehow, my car pool always seemed to know where I was, and it had become a habit for us to spent every last minute together until the driver would call me. I usually had to run, but I was in pretty good shape by then and didn't mind the little extra work out.
Towards the end of those last two weeks, I noticed how Max was getting quieter. I really wanted to go on another date with him, so I invited him to the park for a change. We sometimes already hang out there, although it was mostly during the evening or night, when it was dark. It definitely looked different during the day!
We had a really nice time, talking and cuddling on the grass, but eventually that got boring.
"Wanna see a movie?" He asked me, and pulled me up to my feet. Without me noticing, Max had gotten stronger and easily pulled me into his arms.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun!" And, well, we actually saw the whole movie! No sneaking out in the middle of it, no constant making out in the back seats - and it was really nice. Was it possible that I was actually falling in love? Me?
Had I found what I had been hoping to find?
By the time the film had finished, it was dark outside. It was a clear night, and the stars lit up the sky.
"Come, sit with me" Max whispered, and I happily obliged. Not that I really had a choice - he was handsome, and he was already pulling me down to the ground.
"Thank you for spending all this time with me, I've had some really nice days." I said and could feel my heart beat faster.
"Me too." I couldn't help but notice that something was off about his voice, but I couldn't figure out why. We did have a nice time, didn't we?
"Hey, look! It's a shooting star!" He pointed into the sky, where a bright light was quickly flashing across the darkness. I hadn't made a wish like this since I was five, but I could see that he was wishing for something. Personally, I had no idea what I should wish for, so I simply wished that whatever he was wishing for would come true.
"I haven't seen one of these in years..." I told him quietly. It seemed like a silent night, and it felt like I was intruding something by talking.
"Neither have I" a tiny smile spread on his lips, but it was gone again when he continued "They're pretty rare here."
"Just like good men" I added, not expecting him to tense up immediately and get up. I had meant it as a compliment to him, but he was clearly offended by it.
"And you would know all about that, wouldn't you!" He sounded so hateful suddenly that I nearly jumped. Was this the reason he had been so quiet? Because of- but he'd known about that!
"Excuse me?" I felt a little taken aback by his sudden change in mood, and became defensive. It wasn't like I had tried to keep anything a secret! "I haven't been with anyone else, Max! Not since we started going out!"
"Oh, is that so? I bet Don thought the same when you were in a steady reationship with him, too!"
"That was different, that was-"
"Was it? How was it different?" He sounded so angry and so hurt, but I wasn't entirely sure where all this had suddenly come from. He had known. Why did he bring this up now?
"It just- It-" What was I supposed to say? That I loved him? How could I say that when I didn't know myself if I did? "I can't explain it, Max."
"Yeah, that really puts my mind at ease."
"Max, I'm sorry! Tell me what I can do to-"
"What you can do? Nothing, Kate! Nothing short of not sleeping your way through town! And I don't think you're mature enough for that." After that he left. He didn't look back once, he just got back into a taxi and drove off. Leaving me to deal with whatever was happening inside me - why was I so upset that he had stormed off? I felt hurt, yes, but I had felt hurt before. This was different.
There was nothing left for me to do but go home myself.
I slept surprisingly well that night, until my phone woke me up at 6.30 am.
With my eyes still shut, I reached across the bed to my bedside table, my hands feeling around for my phone.
"Hello?" Who the hell would phone me at this time?
"Kate? It's Max." He sounded sad, similar to the night before but not quite the same.
"What do you want?" He had stared the fight. I wasn't going to make this too easy for him. He wanted to say somehing about it? Then he would actually have to say it out loud before I believed it.
A sigh at the other end. "To apologise, Kate. I'm sorry for everything I said last night, I-" Another sigh. "I just want to be sure that I mean to you what you mean to me. I really like you, but if you're just going to be fucking other guys behind my back I-" He actually seemed lost for words.
"Then will you accept my promise that I'll be loyal to you, Max?" I didn't know what came over me, but I meant those words. I actually really liked him back.
He accepted, and we promised to get together again soon.
I felt weirdly motivated after that, and even sat down to read that book my boss had given me. It had been lying around for far too long already, and I didn't know how much longer my boss would be patient with me. Plus he had promised me that reading it would make a very good impression on him, which I was sure would translate into a raise, maybe even a promotion.
Work also went well that night. I shot more goals during practice, and left feeling oddly accomplished. It was only just gone 8pm, so I quickly rang up Max. I wanted to see him after our talk that morning, badly, but I didn't want to go to the usual places. I wanted to go somewhere else, somewhere special.
After we had agreed on a destination, I jumped into the first taxi I could find.
It didn't take long to get to the gardens, but Max was already there. Some wannabe singer was there, too, and sang a bad love song. I had a feeling she would stay a wannabe, this whole situation felt weirdly cheesy.
"Sit down with me?" I asked with a smile. Something about him made my heart beat faster.
He nodded, and followed me to a corner of the park where her awful singing wasn't quite so loud, or mood spoiling.
It was another beautiful night, some birds were even still singing.
"Thank you for coming, Max. I'm glad you're here."
"Me too. Again, I'm sorry for last night. I just don't want to share you with some other guy, Kate. You're pretty special, you know that?"
I could feel my cheeks get hot. Thank god it was dark. "I'm not that special" I giggled, excited that his hand found mine.
"You are to me." For a moment we sat in silence, and I simply enjoyed how his arm felt around me. Then-
"Look! It's another shooting star!"
"We're pretty lucky to have seen two in such short succession. Have you made a wish?"
"I have." This time I had known what to wish for.
But you're not supposed to tell these things to anyone.
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Wishes fulfilled
Kate: Hang out with someone
Have Woohoo in Hot Tub
Talk to someone (2x)
Go on a date with Max
Watch a movie
Prepare a meal
Watch the stars with Max
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