Into My Heart
By: Izabel
Chapter 3: Forever Friends
*~*~*~*
Several hours later, Max heard a knock on her door. She pulled it open and Kekoa stood there with JD. "Hey," she said with surprise. "Where'd you know to find me?"
"I called JD and Jason gave me directions," Kekoa replied, stepping into the room and pulling JD along. "Jason had plans, so I told JD you probably wouldn't mind him coming along for the ride."
Max came into the room and waved a hand. "I don't mind." She plopped down on the sofa. Kekoa came over beside Max, curling her tanned legs underneath of her. JD sat in the armchair facing them.
"So how do you like Hawaii?" he asked.
Max smiled gently. "I grew up here—but it's nice to be home," she said. She looked at Kekoa. "Want anything to drink?"
"Coke," Kekoa replied.
"Diet?" Max asked.
Kekoa gave her a look and Max laughed. She went to the refrigerator and came back with a non-diet drink. Max shook the can roughly and placed her finger on the top. She arched her eyebrows suggestively to JD who laughed as Kekoa yelped in protest. Max tossed back her head and laughed. She set the drink on the table beside her. Kekoa grimaced and threw a pillow at her head. Max caught it and held it. Kekoa grabbed another pillow and they simultaneously threw them at JD. He cried out in surprise. Kekoa and Max slapped hands and laughed.
"Two on one isn't fair," JD started.
"Oh, you big baby," Max said nonchalantly. Kekoa gave him a puppy face and sat on his lap. She kissed his cheek.
JD sighed and relaxed. He turned to Max. "So Kekoa said you just got back. Where from?"
"Manhattan, actually," Max responded.
"I tried your Manhattan line," Kekoa exclaimed, turning to Max with a hurt look. "Ignoring me?"
"No!" Max quickly disagreed, shaking her head vehemently. "I changed my number once I got there." She opened her soda and took a long swallow. "I wasn't ready to be found."
"Found?" JD looked completely clueless.
Kekoa shushed him. "I get that. But not even me?"
Max bit her lower lip. "It wasn't you, K. I just couldn't risk him knowing."
Kekoa nodded in understanding. JD looked lost and bewildered. "Him who?"
Max and Kekoa exchanged uneasy glances.
"Are you two speaking in a nonverbal code?" he demanded. He looked slightly annoyed, but Kekoa gave him another look and he quieted down.
The room drifted into a valley of silence. Max coughed, sorely noting how it rang through the apartment.
"Sorry about ditching you with Jason today," JD said, breaking the tension.
"You what?" Kekoa asked, looking him in the eye. She turned back to Max. "You were with Jason?"
"Something wrong with that?" Max said defensively.
"No, no!" Kekoa amended. "Jason's a great guy. Really. Did you two do OK together?"
Max frowned. "I'm a big girl, K. I take care of myself."
Kekoa sighed and looked slightly distressed. "That came out wrong. I mean, did you two get along?" Kekoa drew in a deep breath and rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "Maybe I should just stop."
Max and JD nodded. Max rolled her eyes. She looked at Kekoa and laughed under her breath. "He's a sweetie. I like him."
Kekoa raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
Max flopped back as Kekoa and JD laughed at her red face. "I didn't mean…"
"Sure you didn't," JD smirked.
Max glared at him and then tossed Kekoa a haughty look. "Next time don't invite the boy-toy."
Kekoa laughed at JD's shocked expression. She smiled at Max, though. "Yeah, but he's so cute."
Both women laughed as JD's face turned an unusual shade of crimson.
It was past one in the morning when Max looked at a clock. "I'm beat," she said aloud.
JD yawned. The phone rang beside Kekoa, who was now lying on the couch with Max. She gave Max a shrug who nodded for her to pick it up. She lifted it gracefully. "Hello? Oh, hey, Jason." Max perked up almost immediately. "Yeah…Yeah…OK, here he is," she said, handing the phone to JD.
Max felt something in her flutter at the mention of Jason. She watched JD's brow furrow in thought.
"So, Carrie's there?" he said.
Max was caught off-guard. Who was Carrie? Something flipped in her stomach and she felt ill. So, Jason truly was just like the rest—a cheating, lying jerk. And he actually had the nerve to call JD and tell him he had a girl over while JD was sitting across from her? She listened in on the rest of the conversation.
"OK. Yeah, I might be home in a little while. I don't know. But at least I won't be shocked when I see her there tomorrow morning," JD laughed. "OK, man. Bye." He hung up the phone.
Max stood quickly. Kekoa and JD stood up too.
"I'm just…Really tired," Max said weakly. "You guys mind?"
Kekoa gave her a confused look. "No, it's cool. We'll catch up later. Jason said something about you trying for a spot at Baywatch?"
Max winced at the mention of Jason. "Yeah. I'll see you then, OK?"
Kekoa nodded. She leaned over to Max and hugged her. "It's good to have you home," she whispered.
"Nice meeting you, Max," JD called as Kekoa pulled him back out the door.
Max sighed and grabbed a pillow. She curled into a small ball on the couch and let a tear fall down her cheek. So much for love at first sight.