Hjj/In and Out of Love-Chapter 19

By MyNameIsCAL

---One month later---

Nudge had left back to college, leaving too much time for Gazzy to spend by himself. Max and I would often come back to find Gazzy at the apartment with Iggy. There was this girl at school he was always complaining about. She liked him, or something, but it was obvious he wasn't into her at all.

There were a couple of times I tried to take Max out, just the two of us, and Gazzy tagged along without warning. It annoyed me until he told us why he never bothered to stay home.

"Angel keeps annoying me about Nudge and stuff," he said over dinner one day. "And everything I'm thinking about."

"She's just looking out for you," Max replied.

"Yeah, I know. But it's annoying. I can look after myself," Gazzy sighed. "And Angel's friends are always hanging out at the house."

I laughed.

"What?" Gazzy frowned.

Even though Angel was past the age of playing with dolls, I pictured Gazzy being dragged to play with her, dressed up as a princess and sipping fake tea.

I shook my head and Max threw me one of those you better stop looks.

Dinner continued as Max changed the subject. It was mostly Gazzy and her talking. I was too busy thinking about the ring that sat in my pocket. I could have asked her tonight if Gazzy hadn't tagged along. But I'll be patient.

And then one night I felt restless. I was tired of waiting for the perfect moment. No, this didn't have to be something big. I just needed to ask her.

"Hey, Max." I sat down on the bed next to her.

She raised her eyebrows. "Yes, Fang?"

"So I was thinking…" I paused. "Well, I was wondering…"

"Wondering what?" Max asked.

"Actually," I finally said, sliding off the bed and kneeling in front of her, pulling the ring out. "Max, will you marry me?"

"Oh, get up off the floor." At first I thought she was rejecting me, but she pulled me off the ground and onto the bed, smiling. "Of course I'll marry you."

I slid the ring onto her finger, feeling relieved.

"I thought you'd never ask," she joked.

I smiled back sheepishly. "Iggy helped me pick it out."

"Iggy?" She chuckled. "Iggy?"

"Well, ok, he told me that I should stop waiting and ask you. He came with me when I bought it when we were Christmas shopping," I admitted.

Max replied. "It's beautiful, Fang."

And then she leaned in and kissed me.

The flock no longer had to hold its breath about whether Max and I were going to actually keep it together this time.

"Seriously!" Gazzy was almost jumping up and down. "That's awesome."

Max laughed and I sighed. It made me feel guilty that they actually thought we might fall apart again.

"About time," Iggy sniggered.

"Shut up," I snapped.

Max smiled though. "It's alright, Fang. You think I wouldn't have waited for you?"

My eyes met hers. "I don't know."

"Well, now you know." And she took my hand, giving me an encouraging smile.

"I'm sorry," Iggy finally said.

"It's alright," I shrugged.

PAGE BREAK!!!

I lay in bed with Max, staring at the ceiling. If I listened close enough, I could hear Iggy talking to Ella on the phone, probably about Max and me.

"Fang?"

"Yes, Max?"

"Can I ask you something?"

I rolled onto my side, facing Max. "Of course."

"Did you really think I wouldn't wait for you?"

Even in the darkness, I could feel her eyes searching for mine. "Sometimes I thought I screwed things up that bad."

She paused to think. "Then maybe I should admit that at times I had gotten a little tired of waiting."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Nah, don't be sorry." She no longer sounded serious. "I should have said something."

"Well, I should have said a lot of things too."

And then there was silence for a while as we let things sink in.

"And Fang?"

"Yes, Max?" Again.

"I'm sorry too."

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