Hello my amazing readers! I know I said I'd have this up over the weekend—and I'm sorry about not having it done-but compared to past updates, nah, no excuses. Buuuuuut here is the chapter you've all been waiting for! (Ten points to anyone who catches the two book/bird references in this chapter!)

BroCode Ch. 12-Breathing

I turned around, my hand slipping up to the necklace I got last Christmas from the boy looking over at me. "Fang…"

"Max, if I ask you a question…do you swear that, no matter how bad it sounds, you'll answer it honestly?" Fang whispered, the pleading, lost look in his eyes nearly driving me to tears.

"Of course, Fang." I answered standing a little straighter.

He took a deep breath as he looked at his hands, his eyebrows crinkling together the slightest bit. "I know this is going to sound terribly coming from me but...I just….Max, why are you going out with Shade?" He looked back up at me "We both know you don't feel anything but friendship for him. He knows as well as we do that you don't like him, he doesn't know you, you don't trust him the way you trust…" He cut himself off and looked back down.

I walked over to the bed and sat beside him. Cupping one side of his face, I turned him to me. "The way I trust who, Fang?" I asked his closed eyes.

He was silent as he rolled his lips before looking me in the eyes. The intensity of his eyes made me freeze. He looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that could ever matter; a look I'd never seen from him before; a look that told me he'd go, do, or be anything for me because I was all that matters. He spoke so quietly that I wouldn't have heard him if I hadn't been holding my breath, "Me."

I pressed my eyes closed as I took a deep shuddering breath. Dropping my arms to my sides I started softly, "You're going to think that I'm the stupidest person you've ever met…Fang, I said yes because I…" I stuttered searching for the right words. "Fang, I said yes because I thought you didn't want me like that…you didn't ever want me like that…and if you didn't want me I could pretend that he was you…" I took a deep breath as a tear slid down my face. "I used him because I couldn't have you. I used him because he was the closest to you I could get….because you didn't want me…" I finished in barely a whisper, closing my eyes again as the tears slowly fell.

The weight on the bed disappeared and I thought the dark haired boy had slipped through the window as silently as he'd come, my tears falling faster at the thought. I reached up to wipe my cheekbones dry but was beat to it by warm, calloused hands sliding onto my face where soft thumbs wiped gently at the droplets and the trails they'd left behind. Eyes still closed, I lifted my hands to his and slid them down his forearms.

He moved his hands into my hair and leaned his forehead against mine from where he knelt in front of me. "Max, I've wanted you since you moved in eleven years ago. Shade and I made the dumbest deal; that since he was older, he got dibs. If you ended up not wanting him, I'd get my chance…Max, the last thing I've ever wanted to do is hurt you, I'm so sorry, Max. I can't just sit back and watch while you try to make it wor—"

"I broke up with him, Fang." He looked at me, his eyes widening the slightest bit. "I can't lie to myself anymore. I realized, after we kissed that morning, that you matter more than him; that everything I have with him over the past eleven years are just a fraction of what I have with you …that I…" I swallowed, stopping my rant.

"I love you, Max." He whispered, caressing my jaw line with his fingertips, the side of his nose rubbing against mine. "More than I ever thought I could."

I smiled at him, "I love you too, Fang."

We sat there-me leaning half off my bed and Fang kneeling in front of me, my arms wrapped up his back, holding his shoulders, his hands wound into my hair—as our breathing synced together.

"Never let go." I whispered.

His eyelashes tickled my cheeks as our eyes connected again. "I won't, not ever."

"Pinky promise?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Naw, better." He whispered near-silent as he brought his lips to mine. The world melted away, leaving only Fang and me.

We pulled apart, barely breathing as he went on, "I love you Maximum Ava Ride. I love you more than anyth—" I smiled and cupped his face in my hands, pulling his lips back to mine.

Fang pulled away first and, hugging me to him, stood up. It was nearly déjà vu as we stood together by my window for the second time this week, our arms wrapped around each other. The slight change in the atmosphere sunk in as we realized what was happening, that we were happening.

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. I leaned my head to the side, not letting go of Fang. "Come in."

The door cracked open, my mom's head poking in through the crack. She smiled at us, he eyes lighting up. "The flock's downstairs. Iggy's giving me the night off on kitchen duty so I'm off to the mall with Val. He told me to tell you 'it's time' whatever that means." She said, adding air quotes.

"Thanks, Momma. We'll be down in a sec."

She smiled again and slipped out, clicking the door shut on her way.

"Max?" I leaned my chin against Fang's chest and looked up into his eyes. "What did she mean 'it's time'?"

" 'Plan L' " He arched an eyebrow at me, smirking lightly. "Lissa likes Shade, Shade's single and like—"

He smiled at me before kissing my forehead. "I like the way you think."

"It was mostly Iggy's idea."

"Don't ruin it." He joked, pressing a quick kiss to my smiling lips.

The smell of Iggy's cooking had found its way up the hallway and I looked up at Fang with bambi eyes. He chuckled and slipped his hand into mine, pulling me down to the undoubtedly blow-your-mind good food that awaited.

Oh, I love that boy.