Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

IVY

My knee bounced nervously as we drove toward my home. It was my mother's birthday weekend and both Daisy and I promised we would come to celebrate. San Diego was just little over two hours from San Matjo.

Max offered to drive and I was grateful for that, considering it was going to be the first time I was facing my parents post break-up when Ander was clearly dating my sister. It was going to be a shit show.

At least I didn't need to struggle through the looks of pity as I had a hot and smart boyfriend of my own.

"Fair warning, my parents love Ander," I muttered as I stared at the passing cars. "They are obsessed with him and he can do no wrong in their eyes. They didn't even care about the whole sister switch. They said at least he remained in the family."

"Great, can't wait to meet them."

The smell of flowers was overpowering, as Max convinced me that buying a gift of expensive jewelry for my mother was not enough, and he stopped to get her flowers and a bottle of whiskey for my dad. I had no clue how he remembered when I mentioned it in passing, but he got the flower and the drink right.

His attention to detail was superb.

"Why don't you play a bit?" Max pulled out his Nintendo Switch from the middle console and handed it to me.

I immediately turned it on, feeling grateful he brough it even though I wasn't sure when he thought he would have time to play. "How do you even play FIFA?"

"It's more the strategy part of it, selling and buying players, making the best team," he explained as the screen loaded. The rest of his explanation was lost on me as the home screen showed another game next to his beloved FIFA.

Minecraft.

"You..." I stared at him, tears burning my eyes. He clearly told me he never played.

"I think it's installed and loaded," he said, not even acknowledging my wave of emotions. "I wanted you to have your comfort game with you in case the weekend got too much."

"Gosh," I sniffled as a tear rolled down my cheek. I was ridiculous. One small act of kindness was making me all emotional. "Thank you... it's really thoughtful. Incredibly. Really."

"It's okay. I'm happy if it makes you happy."

And that was why Maximilian Aarons was the best boyfriend ever.

Best fake boyfriend ever.

The rest of the trip I spent my time playing Minecraft listening to some country music I have never heard in my life but apparently Max loved it. It was weird to see this new side of him and to explore who he really was outside of his soccer playing persona.

I barely noticed that we arrived into San Diego, as we turned onto the street where I grew up and I recognized the palm trees and the houses.

"You can park on the driveway," I offered as he pulled to stop in front of our picture-perfect white house with white picket fence. Ander's Mercedes was already parked next to my Dad's BMW, and Max carefully reversed back to park his car in front of theirs.

"They got here early," I muttered, my knuckles turning white as I held onto the Switch. Anxiety rolled off me in waves, and I started to sweat. I wished I could sink into the cold ocean water instead of going through this family weekend.

"It's going to be okay." He reached over and squeezed my hand. "I'll be with you every step of the way, don't worry!"

I forced a smile and nodded, trying to look confident, but I was terrified.

"I'll even go surfing with you," he offered, his lips curling into a sexy smirk. "I know you want to see me in a wetsuit."

A chuckle escaped me, and just thinking of his hard abs and lean body wrapped in a wetsuit got me hot. There was no denying Max was hot as hell and my body noticed it too. But he was making a sexual joke in private that never happened before.

"Ivy!" The entrance door swung open, almost hitting the wall of the house as Daisy marched out. She was wearing a yellow sundress that would have washed her out if it wasn't for the fake tan she wore. Her long blonde hair was braided to the side and her grin wide as she approached Max's car. "Wow, what a shitty car."

Max let out a low laughter and pulled away. "Sanchez is rubbing off on your sister and not in a good way."

"Tell me about it." I sighed and reached for the handle. "Guess, there's no more hiding."

"We don't need to hide. Just remember, there's no shame in upgrading from that." He nodded toward the door where Ander stepped out in his faded jeans and Lion's T-shirt. His hair was messy.

With a nod, I watched Max exit the car and rounding it, he opened the door for me.

"Daisy." I nodded at her with a smile and she threw her arms around me, squeezing me into a tight hug.

"I missed you!" I cringed internally, like she wasn't the one siding with her boyfriend and humiliating me during the past weeks, but I ignored it. "Mom's going to be so happy you came. She was worried you might feel bad coming to celebrate with us ."

I felt Max's hand around my waist as his fingers danced over my lower back and he protectively pulled me to his side.

"I'm Max, by the way, but I guess introductions aren't necessary." He looked at Daisy once I nestled against him.

"Nice to officially meet you." She batted her fake eyelashes at him. I was taken aback by her change in appearance mostly because before she never showed any interest in fake tan and fake eyelashes.

Ander approached, his arm reaching around Daisy's shoulders and pulling him into her. "Aarons."

"Sanchez." Max nodded to him, his tone cold, but offering his hand to him. Ander reluctantly shook it.

"What brings you all the way here?" Ander asked like he was oblivious to the fact that it was my mom's birthday and attendance was mandatory.

"Good food. Pretty girls. Curiosity." Max shrugged with a grin, and I almost chuckled. His usually sweet personality was taking a passenger seat and I didn't recognize his underlying alpha side as it took over the driver's seat.

Ander scoffed, and Daisy immediately ran her hand over his chest. "You should come inside, we were just starting with lunch. Weren't sure how long you were going to take."

I rolled my eyes as she turned away, and Max brushed his lips over my forehead before reaching for the gifts in the back seat.

I was annoyed he only showed sign of affection once they turned away, but I caught a glimpse of Ander looking back and catching the moment which seemed way more intimate this way.

"Mom, Dad, Ivy and Max are here!" Daisy informed the whole neighborhood as she bounced into the house, Ander on her toes.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ridge," Max greeted my parents with his beautiful smile. If I was worried how my parents were going to react to him, I shouldn't have been. My mother's face immediately softened as she took him in, her face showing an appreciative glimmer as she gave him a once-over and found him hot enough to replace Ander. They were both built similarly, with similar dark hair and dark eyes. But while Ander's personality was manipulation, there was something warm that radiated from Max.

"It's nice to finally meet you," my mom said, stepping up to him and giving him a hug. "Call my Irene."

"Sure, Irene, thank you! These are for you." Max handed her the flowers with a grin. "Happy birthday."

"Ah, beautiful," she cooed. "Daisies and lilies, my two favorite flowers."

I ignored that Ivy's weren't her favorites when she named her first daughter after them. Max laced his left hand with mine, giving it a small squeeze.

"Thank you for having me, sir." He stepped up to my dad, still holding my hand and handed him the whiskey.

My dad's eyes lit up slightly seeing the brand he liked and the impressive age of twenty on the whiskey. "Welcome to our home."

"I'm here too," I muttered, giving a small wave before my mom hugged me.

"Aw, you found such a handsome boy. I was worried about you," she muttered into my ear, and I almost gagged. Not the words I wanted to hear, but also exactly what I expected, hence the whole fake boyfriend.

Max threw me a glance that told me he heard her, and I exhaled as I hugged my mom back.

"Yeah, he is perfect."

"I'm glad you and Daisy sorted it all out and the four of you get along," she went on. "Ander told me you all went to a party together."

I didn't correct her.

"Lunch is ready, let's get started. You might be able to catch some waves before dinner," she said, making me smile. "Are you a surfer, Maximilian?"

Max grinned and his eyes locked with mine. "No, but I can't wait for Blossom to teach me."

"You play for the Titans, right? You won the cup the past four years in a row," my dad said, since he was a great soccer fan, too.

"Yes, sir," Max replied dutifully. "It's my first year as a captain and I hope to guide my team to victory again."

Ander snorted, clearly annoyed by not getting any attention.

"And you also played for the National Team," my father went on, clearly doing his homework on Max.

"Yes, I do. I hope to play again this year."

"You are coached by Sky McCarthy?"

I let out a frustrated groan with all his questions, but Max only bobbed his head again.

"He is the best midfielder and I can only hope to be half as good as him."

Ander snorted again, catching Max's attention.

"Heard your season is going well." Max turned to my ex.

"Yeah," Ander said it in a disgusted way. "Better than you guys. I heard you choked the first half time and didn't take your shot. Must suck having your mind somewhere else." The smile he flashed him was pure malice and it made me wonder how did I ever love him.

Max shrugged, but I knew it was still eating him up. My hand found his thighs under the table, and I gave him a gentle squeeze. "I take every opportunity to learn," he muttered. "And distractions happen, especially when your girl is watching you play. Guess, it went to my head."

The words felt false as they left him. It wasn't him, but he played the role I needed him and Ander was seeing exactly what I wanted him to see. A distracted, lovesick player.

Nausea hit me stronger this time and my appetite vanished as I stared at the steak and mashed potatoes.

Ander snickered at Max's confession, and conversation moved from me back to Daisy and Ander who both enjoyed the spotlight.

Max leaned back and laid his arm across my chair, leaning in to kiss my cheek softly. I turned to face him, our noses brushing. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing you need to be sorry about," he muttered, his lips brushing mine as he spoke. Electricity sizzled down my spine at the contact, and I desperately wanted to kiss him deeper and devour his soft lips. The side of his lip kicked up and the sexy smirk was driving me crazy.

Someone cleared their throat and our attention snapped back to the table. "Are we bothering?" my mom asked with a soft chuckle. "You love birds will be soon alone to devour each other. But if you are done... cake is coming."

"I'm ready for dessert," Max said, his gaze holding mine, and we both knew he wasn't talking about cake.

Butterflies awoke and flapped their damned wings in my stomach. This was a dangerous game we were playing, but not one I wanted to stop.

Especially when he was looking at me like there was nothing and no one else in this world who mattered more than me.

"Yeah, cake sounds good," I muttered, wetting my lips with the tip of my tongue and grinned when Max's eyes darkened. There was always chemistry between us, but this was the first time we really used it to drive a point home and everyone at the table believed we were ready to rip each other's clothes off. "Do you need help cleaning up?" I asked my mother, my eyes still on my fake boyfriend. "I can help."

My mom chuckled. "Yes, otherwise you might burn up from the intensity of your boyfriend's stare. He is ready to…"

"I'll help." Max stood, pushing the chair back and slipping back into his gentleman role. "You stay put, Blossom." He kissed the top of my head, and his lips brushed my ears, where he whispered, "I'm sure you are soaking wet for me, and I wouldn't want anyone to see the stain on your dress."

Daisy gasped, clearly hearing him, but thankfully my parents were far out of earshot.

"Asshole," I muttered, making him laugh.

Ander followed to help, of course, because he couldn't not go if Max was helping and I stayed burning up in my seat.

It might have all been a joke for him, but I was needy for him. I've been horny and needy since our first date. And with every little thing he did for me, I was falling for him deeper.

My body wanted him, and my heart was ready to take the plunge and follow.

"You found a nice guy," my dad told me from across the table, and I gazed at him in surprise. He never commented on any of our decisions, but clearly, he wanted to make a comment on this one. "He seems like he knows what he wants and he is focused. And he cares about you."

"Ander cares about me too," Daisy chimed in, her face flushed and frustrated. "Why would you not say that?"

Dad exchanged a sad look with me. Ander might have fooled my mom with his charm, but my dad wasn't as forgiving on the whole sister switch.

"Yes, I'm sure he does, my love," he muttered to my sister in a condescending way. "Like he cared about your sister before he cheated on her with you."

Daisy gasped. "That was rude, Dad! We fell in love, it's not his fault it happened, and we were both terribly sorry. Right, Ivy? We made up." She glared at me, her eyeballs almost falling out.

I nodded. "Sure, I don't mind… I moved on."

"As you should." Dad nodded. "That boy has a future."

"You are saying it like Ander…" Daisy jumped in again.

Dad let out a sigh. "I'm having a conversation with your sister."

"By trashing my boyfriend," she whined.

"Just stating facts." He shrugged, unbothered by the crocodile tears pooling in her eyes.

"You make it sound like Max is better than Ander."

"There is no such thing as better," I soothed her concerns in a bored tone as my dad let out a low sigh and exited the dining room. "Simply, your boyfriend is not someone suited for me. Max is suited for me."

"He is way too nice. I'm sure he is boring as hell in sex."

I chuckled and shook my head. "Actually, I can't complain. And that is one thing where we can easily compare guys. And let me tell you this… Max is much better than Ander when it comes to sex. Ander does that thing with his finger, but Max knows how to use his tongue way better."

Daisy gaped. It was totally worth it for seeing my sister's face. I felt bad for hurting her, but at the same time, I wanted to put her in her place and make her realize her fairytale was built on lies.

"Who's ready for the cake?" My mom returned with the huge pink two-tier cake with three sparklers.

Max hugged me from behind, his head resting on my shoulders. "Glad to know my tongue made such a good impression on you."

I let out a low laugh. "I'm just using my imagination."

"Love the endorsement." He chuckled, making shivers dance on my spine. "Would love to prove it too, but we have rules."

Fuck the rules, I wanted to say, but thankfully, the celebration interrupted me from making the biggest mistake of my life and acknowledging that his teasing might have been real and not fake.