Page 63 of Set to Love

“Yeah. My request. I haven’t had a burger and fries in ages.”

“I think you’ve earned the extra-large fries,” he says.

He finally shifts closer, his shoulder brushing mine. The warmth of him is a welcome contrast to the ice numbing my ankle. He reaches down to adjust the edge of the towel that’s slipping. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for the start of your matches,” he whispers.

I sigh, the lingering sting of the afternoon finally fading. “I really thought you weren’t coming. Why didn’t you text me?”

Max pulls his hand back, resting it on his knee as he stares at the concrete. “I did. Or I tried to. I sent a message when we were stopped somewhere outside of Boca Raton. Then again when I was in Fort Lauderdale. I tried ringing you too, but you didn’t pick up.”

I frown, a small crease forming between my brows. “I never got them.” I reach into my bag, my fingers brushing past my spare overgrips and a crumpled energy bar until I find my phone. The screen flares to life, making me squint. “Oh,” I mutter.

The notifications begin pouring down the screen. Right. I left my phone on Do Not Disturb before my first match. With Zoe and Theo there all afternoon, I never thought to check it again. Until now.

“They’re all here,” I say as I scroll through a string of increasingly frantic bubbles.

Max

Katie, I’m on my way, but the train is running late.

A half hour later.

Max

Sounds like a problem with the signals. We should be moving soon.

Max

Katie, I’m only just getting to Fort Lauderdale. I might miss the first part of your match. So I’ll wish you luck now.

Then, twenty minutes after that, a missed-call notification stares back at me.

My eyes flutter shut for a second. “I had my phone silenced,” I whisper.

Heat floods my face. For hours, I’d been building a case against him. Convinced he’d chosen London over me. Convinced he’d left without looking back. But all that time, he’d been trying to reach me. Crossing half the state to get here.

“I thought . . .” I start, then stop, looking at him properly. “I thought that the beach was the last time I’d see you before your flight tomorrow. I should’ve known you wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

He shifts closer to me, his knee brushing mine. I don’t move away. “Don’t apologize for being focused, Katie. Remember, I’m the same way.” He sighs wearily. “I just hate that you had to be out there thinking you were on your own.”

“None of that matters,” I say softly. “You’re here now. That’s what counts.”

Max doesn’t say anything. He reaches out, tracing the line of my jaw with his thumb. His touch is so light that it’s almost a question. I lean into it and my defenses begin to crumble.

The last few months crash into me all at once. The injury. The motel. Losing my car. Constantly scrambling just to stay afloat. And now, losing Max.

That last one hits me with a more painful ache than all the rest combined. I thought I’d already made peace with saying goodbye. Apparently, I was lying to myself.

All I want right now is to be close to him and forget everything for a few minutes. I rest my head on his shoulder.

“If you want me to stay, Katie, tell me. I’ll miss my flight. I don’t even care.” His voice is low and vibrates through my temple.

“No,” I say, firmer than I feel. I sit all the way up, ignoring the protest from my ankle. “Staying doesn’t fix anything, Max. The theatre, your family, your big break—it’s all in London. Not here.”

I dig my fingernails into the tender flesh of my palm. None of what I’m saying is untrue, but I need him to believe letting me go is the right choice. If he sees how badly I want him to stay, he will, and I couldn’t live with being the reason he walked away from his dream.

Loving someone means wanting the best for them. Even when the best thing for them hurts you.

“I can figure something out,” he insists, his eyes searching mine.