Falling for the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 1) (12 page)

It’s Friday night and Max is taking me to my surprise. He’s got me blindfolded as he drives us to wherever. I’ve come up with different theories in my head. It could be bungee jumping, skydiving, bowling, an amusement park. The possibilities are endless.

Although I’m not a fan of surprises, I can’t stop myself from filling up with excitement. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything fun with a guy. As long as Sebastian keeps his distance, which I’m pretty sure he will, tonight should be spectacular. Maybe that’s exaggerating a bit, but it’s how I feel.

My genie still hasn’t returned home, and I miss him like crazy, but my life can’t revolve around him. As much as it pains me, I need to let him go. Because I
am
going to have to wish and he’ll leave me. It’s better to slowly get used to the idea as opposed to having it hit me all at once.

“Okay,” Max says, stopping the car. “We’re here.”

I try to get a sense of where we are by listening to the sounds around me and smelling, but all I get is his new car smell. He got it eight months ago and it still smells like new. “Can I take the blindfold off?”

“Not yet.”

The anticipation is killing me. I hear him get out of the car, slam his door shut, then open mine. He reaches for my hand and helps me out. The fact that he’s taking the time to surprise me means so much to me. I think I may be falling in love with him.

He leads me somewhere before telling me to stay put for a second. Then he urges me inside some sort of building. It’s noisy and smells like food. A restaurant? It doesn’t seem like one.

I feel him slip behind me and place his hands on my waist. “Okay, ready?”

“Yes!” Now I’m more than excited.

He chuckles softly before pulling the blindfold off. The first thing I see are kids running around, then their parents, then posters on the walls. We’re in a movie theater. I didn’t expect this at all.

“Surprise,” Max says with a goofy grin on his face.

This is the surprise? A movie? I try to hide my disappointment and ask, “What are we watching?”

Beaming, he points his thumb to the nearest poster. I follow his gaze and see people and lots and lots of blood. “Zombies?”

He beams again, his eyes shining like they have gold inside them. My heart sinks a little more. I guess I was hoping he’d pick a romance movie, since I’ve mentioned how much I love them. But I’m okay with watching zombies. He loves them and I want to enjoy his interests. Maybe I can love them, too.

Smiling, I take his hand. “Let’s go.”

We get comfortable in the theater and Max wraps his arm around my shoulder. I lean in close. When the movie begins, I enjoy it. For maybe the first ten minutes. The more I watch the more my stomach churns. All this death, I don’t think I can handle it. All the family members crying as they have to murder the ones they love just to avoid spreading the plague that transforms people into the undead. The dead bodies I see don’t belong to the actors. I see Daisy lying in a pool of blood with me standing over her, ready to chop her head off with an axe.

I try to be strong, try to get into it like Max is. But I can’t. If I stay here any longer, I’m not going to make it.

“Max?” I whisper, wiping my eyes with the back of my sleeve. “I need to go.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t watch this.”

He nods and we quietly make our way out of the theater. My breathing is labored and I can’t see well. Everything is blurry and spinning. I manage to lower myself onto a chair in the theater lobby. Max sits down next to me with a startled expression on his face. “Are you okay?” He rubs my shoulder.

I dab my eyes with a tissue, conscious of all the curious eyes on me. I don’t know why I’m reacting this way. The movie isn’t real. The deaths and blood aren’t real. “No, not really.”

He continues stroking my arm, his gaze flicking to the entrance to the theater that is running the movie.

“Go back to the movie,” I tell him.

His brown eyes meet mine. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll get a ride home.” I’d like him to stay with me, but he’d rather see his movie. I won’t stand in his way. He kisses me quickly before dashing inside, sending a chill over me. I hug my arms. I shouldn’t be upset he left. I told him to. I guess I didn’t think he’d actually leave me like this. Is that a reason to be concerned? Am I overthinking this?

I wait a few minutes, keeping my eyes on the theater. He doesn’t come out. I want to call Macy, but Andy just came home from the hospital and I’m not going to bother them over something so silly.

I’m going to wait for Max. It’s still early and I don’t want to end our date yet. He was really looking forward to watching the movie with me, and I kind of ruined it. I want to make it up to him. Dinner will be on me.

About an hour later, he emerges from the theater and his face fills with surprise when he sees me. He sits down near me. “I thought you went home.”

I take his hand and run my thumb over his palm. “I don’t want to end the night yet. I’m sorry tonight didn’t go as well as you planned.”

“That’s okay.”

“What do you say about going out to eat? My treat.”

He pecks my lips. “Sure.”

When we’re in his car after our stomachs are filled with Indian food, we can’t keep our hands off each other. The kissing’s gotten better, and I don’t even compare him to Sebastian anymore. Max is slowly taking over my life. I think I might be ready to take the next step with him. He seems like he has the same idea because he reaches for the hem of my shirt. I stop him before he can pull it over my head.

“Wait, not here,” I say. “I don’t want my first time to be in a car.”

His face changes as he shifts his position, sitting straight up. “Hold up. First time?”

“Is that a problem?” My heart hammers in my head as I try to read the expression on his face. It’s blank. Some guys get weird about this sort of thing. They’d like the girl to have experience. “Max?”

He shakes his head and smiles. “No, no. Of course not. We’ll do this right.”

I kiss him. “Thanks.”

He pulls me close. “Anything for you, baby.”

Sunday night is Macy and Andy’s engagement party. She’s dressed in this silky white dress that reaches just above her knees. Andy’s in a white suit. Both have wide smiles on their faces. I couldn’t be happier for them. After everything she and Andy have been through, they deserve the world.

When Max and I wish them congratulations, Macy pulls me into her arms. “We wouldn’t be here if not for you, Lil.” She squeezes me close. “Thanks for everything. Really. I’m going to name my daughter after you. And our son Sebastian.”

I tuck some hair behind my ear. “I told you a million times that you don’t have to thank me. It was nothing.”

“It so was
not
nothing.” She hugs me again. Then I hug Andy and congratulate him one more time before Max and I head over to the refreshment table for some cookies and cakes.

Max has his usual, charming smile on his face, but I notice something strange about him. He nods when I talk, but I don’t feel like he’s paying attention. In addition, he keeps peeking at his phone. I ask him about it and he reassures me it’s work. I don’t want to be a paranoid or accusing girlfriend, so I’m not making a big deal out of it. But something feels off. I don’t know what.

Many couples are dancing, and we join them, but like before, Max doesn’t seem to be into it. His hands are loose on my waist and he’s not swaying to the beat of the music. It’s like I’m dancing with a statue.

“Max?” I ask.

He must be thinking about something deep because it doesn’t appear as though he hears me.

“Max,” I repeat.

His gaze slowly moves to mine.

“Is everything okay?”

We haven’t been
together
yet. He told me he wants to make it perfect, that he’s planning something big. But this isn’t about our personal life. I know that based on the distant look on his face.

“Max,” I say for the third time. He slips his phone out of his front pocket and scans the screen. A small smile captures his face. It drops a second later as he deposits his phone back into his pocket. Staring straight ahead, his eyes look dazed, like he’s in another world.

The guests sit down and different people make toasts. All I can think about is Max’s behavior. It’s selfish of me to be caught up in my own life at Macy’s engagement party, but I can’t help it. Max is scaring me.

There’s more dancing, more eating, more toasts before the night is over.

“Thanks for coming, Lil,” Macy says once I tell her we’re leaving, and congratulate her for the hundredth time.

“Like I would ever miss your engagement party.”

She laughs. “Maybe you’ll be in my place soon. With Lover Boy.” She winks toward Max, who’s chatting with Andy. A sour feeling enters my stomach, but I force a smile. “You guys are really cute together,” she continues.

I wish I could tell her about his attitude tonight, but I can’t. I won’t ruin her special day, and besides, what if I’m blowing things out of proportion?

“He’s not a good guy,”
Sebastian’s words ring in my ears, but I shove them back. He’s wrong. I’m overreacting.

I walk to Max. “Ready to go?”

He nods.

We climb into his car. He doesn’t start it. He just rests his hands on the steering wheel, once again with that withdrawn look on his face. His phone beeps with a text. He doesn’t move.

“Max?” I place my hand on his. “What’s going on?”

“We need to break up.” He says it with no emotion. No remorse. Not softly or slowly. Just bam. Like he doesn’t give a damn. He won’t even look my way.

“What…what are you talking about?” I ask, my insides filling with dread and scorching with pain.

He doesn’t respond, just keeps his gaze on the windshield.

“He’s not a good guy.”

I shut my eyes, ignoring my genie’s warning. It can’t be true. He’s
wrong
. “Is this because…I’m a virgin?” I ask, opening my eyes and glancing at him.

“No.”

“Then why?”

Again, he’s quiet. He phone beeps again.

“Who’s been texting you?” I don’t mean for it to come out demanding, but I think I have a right to know what went wrong with us. Why he won’t explain.

Just like before, he’s quiet. I want to reach for the phone and check for myself, but I don’t. I won’t invade his privacy.

“Please,” I say. “Talk to me. I need to know why you want to break up with me.” I was falling in love with him, was ready to take that next step. And now this? “You’ve been acting weird all night. What’s going on? Maybe we can work through this. We can fix this.”

He slowly turns his head to me. “You want the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, then. The truth is that I was never really into you. I was just using you to distract myself from my ex. She started texting me a few days ago. I was so happy to be communicating with her again. We talked about getting back together. I wanted to, so badly, but I didn’t want to be a dick and break up with you right after Andy’s accident. I pretended to have feelings for you. She was also seeing someone and was waiting for the right time to call it off with him. Once she was available, we decided to give us another shot. So there it is. She’s the one I was texting. I wanted her to be with me at Andy’s engagement party. Not you. I was looking for the right time to dump you. I didn’t want to be an ass and do it right after you told me you’re a virgin. Are you satisfied now?”

Tears burn my eyes. My throat feels scratchy. I can’t do anything but sit here and replay his words over and over in my head. It can’t be true. He…he’s lying. He was falling in love with me, too. He
had
to be.

I finally get feeling in arms and legs and manage to shove the car door open, slam it shut, and head toward home. The hall where the engagement party took place is very far from my house, but I’ll walk. I need to shake this off, to make sense of it, if that’s even possible.

He broke up with me. He crushed my heart.

I don’t dare turn around. I don’t want to see the expression on his face. Is he proud of himself? He didn’t seem one ounce sorry. He was
using
me to get over his ex-girlfriend. I’ve never felt so ashamed and humiliated in my life.

The tires screech and the car zooms off. Although it’s July and very hot, goose bumps pop up all over my arms. It’s dark and I’m alone. Glancing down at my feet, I realize I’m wearing high heels. These shoes are not fit for walking long distances.

How could he do this to me? Max, the guy I was staring to open my heart to, the guy I was staring to love.

Sebastian was right. Max is not a good guy. Because good guys don’t do things like this. They don’t give a girl attention, they don’t make it seem like she means the world to them and then they just go back to their ex. He was texting her while we were still together. All this time his heart belonged to another girl. I’m such a fool.

I should have known better. He abandoned me in the theater when I was vulnerable and distraught. I’m sure if his ex was upset by a movie, he wouldn’t leave her to go watch it. He’d wait with her. That should have been the first red flag. But I ignored it. Because I trusted him.

Pulling out my phone, I’m about to call for a cab, when I notice my phone is dead. Great. Now what am I supposed to do? I guess walking it is. It’ll take me a while, but I don’t have another choice. Folding my arms over myself at the cold that makes no sense but makes very much sense, too, I start homeward.

There aren’t many people around and I’ve never really been afraid to walk in the dark by myself. I suppose I’m paranoid now. I had a bad day and a part of me feels like more crap is going to come my way. I guess that tends to happen when I feel so bad about myself. There are worse things out there, I know that, but it’s like the ground vanished from beneath me and I’m falling down a never-ending hole.

Until someone grabs me, hauling me to an alley. He presses me against the wall of a building and places his hand over my mouth before I could scream. It’s a soft hand. A shiny, golden one.

Sebastian.