Chapter EIGHT-PENELOPE

The atmosphere inside the bakery was so tense, I swear I could hear time crawl by. Avery was looking back and forth from Max to me, and I knew her evil little brain was spinning all sorts of ideas.

No. No. No. Do not do it, Avery, I silently pleaded.

“Ok, well, um, here you go,” I said, nodding to his boxes of cupcakes and taking an exaggerated step back.

“Thank you,” Max said, and his blue eyes seemed to bore a hole right through me.

“Um, goodnight,” I added, trying to end whatever this exchange was.

It was too much for total strangers. He struck a nerve or something, but even though I nodded at the door and crossed my arms, Max made no move to go.

He simply watched me, his head canted to the side like a curious animal.

What did I need to do to get him to leave, for fuck’s sake? Draw a map?

“Hope you like the cupcakes. Bye now,” I said pointedly.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Max asked, narrowing his gaze.

“No!”

But really, yeah, I was.

I wasn’t stupid.