Chapter 26

Micah let me from Jack's room to the elevator and up to the recovery floor we went.

Max's room was filled with light, I'm not sure a shadow would survive in here. The view overlooked the distant city, a chair with a steaming cup of coffee by the leg facing out. He was laying in the bed, his brown chocolate hair plastered to his forehead as his gaze turned from the Price is Right to me.

"Wendy!" He sounded weak, not the strong Texan god I knew him to be. He reached out to me, his hand shaking slightly. I sat by him and took his hand.

"Hey, Max...how you feeling?" His strong hand clutched mine like a crane taking hold of a prize.

"Ah....I've felt better." He chuckled warmly. "But I'm so much better now that you're here." Micah gagged playfully by the door.

"I'll leave now while the romantic music swells in the background from the orchestra." And so he did. But Micah was wrong. We didn't need an orchestra; the butterflies in my stomach were suffice enough to make a tune.

"Come here and give me the kiss I wanted on the hill." I smiled and leaned into him, gently kissing the lips I missed so much and worried over like nothing I've ever experienced. He sighed happily and smiled when we parted, though he wouldn't let my hand go.

"I've been wanting to do that for a LONG TIME." He pat the other side of him away from his wound for me to lay down beside him and I took up the offer, crawling into the cradle of his arm. He snuggled me close and kissed my forehead.

"Where's Jade?" I asked. A harsh scoff came from the man beside me.

"Who cares?" Max answered with a sarcastic laugh. "I don't know. It wouldn't matter anyways, we've broken up."

"Oh." My heart raced. He's not with Jade anymore? Naw, I can't get my hopes up. Maybe he just wants to remain single for awhile...but maybe, this is my chance to make things permanent with Max. After all. Kyle isn't with me anymore..and apparently Jade isn't with him either. Just maybe...

"So. There's something I've been wanting to ask you." I said, inhaling the steak and peppermint scent mixed with morphine from his chest.

"Yes?" He asked, turning his attention away from the ceiling to me.

"If you're not with Jade anymore, who's gonna be next on your list as a girlfriend?" Max smiled that coy fox smile.

"Well. She's smart and beautiful. She loves to have fun, she isn't afraid to speak her mind and she loves without reserve." He shifted me to prop my chin up on his chest to look me in the eye. He touched a stray black curl. "she's stubborn as hell, too." I laughed.

"Wow," I croaked nervously. "she sounds like a great girl for you."

"She is. And you know, I think I want to go so far as to ask her out today." He winked slyly. "Think she'll go for it?" YES! YES YES YES YES YES!!!!

"I..." I took a deep breath, fighting down the urge to jump up and down and scream with happiness. Finally! Max Wakeman was going to be my man! "I think she will."

"Good." Max kissed me again, cradling my face close to his. When we parted, he finally said the words I had been dying to hear since I first met him that night the motorcycle flew mine and Kyle's heads.

"Wendy French, will you be my girlfriend?" My mouth couldn't even move! All I could do was hug him so tight, he coughed from the pain of my grip. "I guess that's a yes."

"It's more than a yes, Max. It's a hell yes!" I kiss him again. "You just have to do one thing for me."

"Anything for you, sweetheart."

"Daddy, this is Max." Max came over to my house later that week after he cleared from the hospital to met my dad for the first time. We decided that it would be best for him to meet everyone over a family dinner, so here we were. Jack, Kane and Grandpa were in the kitchen finishing up making the table and dinner itself.

"Max, it's nice to meet you." Dad shook Max's hand vigorously. "I've heard a lot about you. Honestly, more than I cared to know about, but I've heard!" I grimaced, but Max laughed heartily at my dad's poor attempt to make a joke.

"Well, good to know I was known about at least." Kane and Jack came from the kitchen to the door to greet my boyfriend (can you believe it? MY BOYFRIEND!).

"What's up, dude?" Jack gave Max the peace sign and chugged the rest of his chocolate milk down. "Glad to see you and dudette finally hitting it off." Kane nodded in agreement.

"You and Wends look good together." He said. Max and I smiled at each other. Yeah, we DID look pretty good, didn't we? Everyone at school -especially Jade- will have a surprise when school starts back again, that's for sure. Grandpa French came out with a steaming hot cup of coffee in his hand.

"Well, here's the lucky boy dating my granddaughter!" He shook Max's hand. "So, you finally came around and pursued her!

"Actually," Max said, "I pursued her from the beginning, but it was only now that she decided to give me a try." He winked at me. "Give or take a few circumstances." I nudged him gently in the side and everyone laughed.

"Well," Dad said. "Let's eat! I'm starving!"

Later that night, Max and I sat on the porch swing, cuddling and laughing at the crazy chatter going on inside between my dad, grandpa, brother, and Jack as they played an extremely competitive game on Xbox. A shooting star passed over us, flying off into the distant night sky.

"Make a wish." I said to Max, taking his hand. He kissed my cheek gently.

"I already got mine." He whispered in my ear. "and it was worth every second of jealousy, anger, and sexual frustration." I laughed.

"You know," I told him. "For some reason, I just had this urge to call that number that day...I never really found out why...I just assumed it was my curiosity getting the better of me."

"Well, maybe it was. Either way, we're here together." Max snuggled me closer. "Thank God for Kyle. If it wasn't for him, I never would've met you. And I never would've met the person who could be my equal." The ruckus inside rose and fell again and I looked up at Max, kissing him.

"This has been quite the adventure."

"It has." Max agreed. "One I would take again."

"Same here."

And this, dear reader, is where I leave you. This is the end of the trials and tribulations of the Bathroom Stall Number. Remember: even if something starts out as one of the most bizarre situations, it can always turn out for the better. I hope you enjoyed my story. I sure enjoyed telling it. Until next time.

Wendy French-Wakeman

NOTE: It's over! It's done! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it (sound familiar lolz?) Take care and if you want to, check out my new story, the Pumpkin Patch!

And so I put this story on my shelf of success. Thanks for making that possible!

~BFQ