Page 90 of The Chase

“Bud, what did you say?” Noah asked.

“I told her I needed space.”

Noah groaned. “Bud!”

“It gets worse,” I warned.

“T, what did you say?” Dinah asked.

“I think I broke up with her.”

She punched me in the arm. “Why did you do that?”

I rubbed my arm. “Ow! How come all the women in my life punch harder than hockey players?”

She smirked. “Three older brothers!”

I groaned and leaned my head on the back of the couch. “I fucked up really bad. Maybe I’ve always been right.”

“About what?” Dinah asked.

“I’m not the relationship type. She’s been constantly pushing me away and telling me I’m not good enough.”

Dinah narrowed her eyes at me, but Noah spoke up instead. “When has Max ever said that? Because based on our previous conversations, it’s her who thinks she doesn’t deserve you.”

“She hasn’t,” I grumbled. “But I know she’s thinking about it. She says I don’t deserve her and that she’s this burden. It’s so hard sometimes with her, but I love her and want her to be happy.”

“But you don’t think she’ll be happy with you?” Noah asked and stroked his beard.

“Why would she? I’m a fuckup.”

“Oh, honey…” Dinah sighed.

Noah stared at me for a long time, and then he looked at his girlfriend for reassurance. “Are you confused? Because I’m confused.”

The tiny brunette nodded. “Yeah. It sounds like you’re talking about something else, not about the fight you got in with Max.”

A lot of what I was feeling wasn’t about anything Max said today. It was all shit Natalie said to me in high school. When Max lashed out at me, saying I was going to get her fired, I projected all the darkness I kept inside on her. I was a Grade A asshole. My girlfriend had clearly been upset and probably in the middle of a panic attack, and instead of talking her through it like I always promised, I stormed off like a petulant child.

I watched my friends share a concerned look, and then Dinah got up. “Stay for dinner, T?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“My cooking isn’t that bad!” she teased as she walked into their kitchen.

“Apologize,” Noah urged me.

He was right, but I wasn’t sure an apology would cut it. Max looked crushed before I stormed out. I promised I’d never hurt her, but then I went and did it today. I looked at my phone but ignored all the texts from my sister. I swiped over to Max’s name on my contact list.

ME: Baby girl, I’m sorry. I was an asshole.

I saw the text bubbles pop up on my screen, showing that she was typing something back. They stopped and restarted a few times before a text popped up on my screen.

BABY GIRL: K.

“In person!” Noah said and shook his head at me. “Lovey!” he called into the kitchen.

“What?” Dinah called back.