Beyond Eighteen by Gretchen de la O Page A

you,
Wilson. I quit my job for us . I resigned because giving up
the one thing that makes my life worth living wasn’t an option. I
am completely aware and understand the repercussions of my actions
and I’m ready to live with them. I know being with you was
ethically wrong. I know when people at Wesley find out I will have
to live with their fucked-up judgment of me for the rest of my
life. But, Wilson, in my heart, in—my—soul, I know we’re right;
this is perfectly right.” Max grabbed my hands and pushed them
against his chest. His heart was thundering against his
sternum.
    “I just don’t want you to resent me,” I
managed to breathe.
    “How can I resent the one person who I love
more than anything?” Max whispered.
    “Anything?” I asked.
    “Anything,” he answered as he wrapped his
arms around me and swooped in, pressing his lips against mine. His
mouth was so sweet, so needed, and so perfectly and completely
mine.

Chapter Eight
    ~ Max ~
     
    “ You ready?” I said
quickly before I ran my hands down Wilson’s arms to her biceps,
clenching them as I leaned in and kissed her forehead.
    “ Yeah, I’m ready. As long
as I have you next to me.”
    I smiled at her, tugging
every muscle in my face toward the ceiling before I opened the door
to the kitchen. The spring made the same high-pitched, annoying
squeak my father would always complain about when we’d come
home. Huh, funny how one day it’s just an
annoying squeak and the next it’s one of the most comforting sounds
I could hear.
    I was glad when I pulled Wilson into the
house and nobody bombarded us. As a matter of fact, the house
seemed quieter than usual. I didn’t call out to my family. I just
kept looking back at Wilson to make sure she was still
breathing.
    After the door shut, she
stopped and our hands broke apart. She smiled as she looked down at
her feet. Habits die hard; no matter how
new they are . I chuckled. I knew she
wanted to take off her boots.
    I bent down, ready to pick
up her foot when I heard hurried footsteps approaching from the
dining room. I recognized them; they were my mom’s. 4…3…2…1 , she shuffled
around the corner. She was still swathed in her black mourning
dress but her hair was up and her black shoes were replaced with my
dad’s leather slippers. She looked so vulnerable.
    “ Hi, Ma, look who I got to
come back home with me,” I said as I held my arms out presenting my
girlfriend. I looked back at Wilson just in time to see the smile
drop from her face. Her eyes grew wide, loaded with fear, like
she’d just seen the most terrifying accident. Her chin wrinkled as
it began to dance under her pursed lips. Her cheeks turned red as
tears started to run down her face.
    They both stood on either side of me, just a
few feet apart but they read like miles. I looked back at my mom,
who was mirroring Wilson’s same reaction. Her green eyes were
perimetered by red lids. Her cheeks were deep set, her lips pouting
just like they did when I’d disappoint her as a kid. She looked
older, worn, and exhausted, like she was alone in the world.
    I couldn’t tell if I was going to see them
hug or break out into a fight. I pulled Wilson closer and wrapped
my arms around her while I pressed my lips against the curve of her
ear.
    “ It’s gonna be okay,” I
whispered, making sure to sneak a whiff of the sweet aroma of her
coconut shampoo.
    When I let go of her the absence of her body
in my embrace chilled me to the core. I turned to my mom and gave
her a hug, telling her the same thing I told Wilson.
    “ Mom, everything is okay,
right?”
    The two most important women in my life and
neither of them acknowledged my words. It was like they struggled
to find the ability to start a dialogue. So I started it for
them.
    “ Mom, Wilson, I want you
to know—”
    “ Maxi, can you give me a
moment alone with Wilson?” My mom suddenly found her voice. I, on
the other hand, lost mine.
    “ Ummm,” I hummed as I
looked back at