“I’m willing to wait six weeks, not a day more. I also don’t want us to have it scheduled down to the detail so that it’s circled on the calendar. I want it to be spontaneous and in the moment.”

“Six weeks?” he repeats, “Why six weeks?”

“Because my birthday’s in seven, and from what I’ve heard, Fifty Shades lied about wanting to have sex twelve hundred times within the same week of losing your virginity.”

He squeezes my hand and glances back to me. “It sounds like you’ve been thinking about this a lot.”

“More than I care to admit.”

“Do you want to know anything about my …” Max swallows audibly as he glances at me, a look of unease across his face.

I shake my head slightly. “I prefer ignorance.”

“I’ve slept with other women though, Ace. Not as many as you apparently think I have, but I don’t want you to feel angry or caught off guard if you learn something you don’t like.”

I turn to look out the passenger window, slowly processing Max’s words. Do I want to know a number? Do I want names or details? Is his past going to haunt me? Would Max be imagining other women? Was he already? What about STDs?

“Ace, talk to me.” He runs his thumb over the back of my hand.

“Have you been tested?” I blurt out, instantly feeling embarrassed by my lack of tact.

“Yes.” Max nods and glances over at me again. “Yes, I got tested a month ago and I’m completely clean. I have strict rules about protection. Your parents went all out educating you on drinking, my mom did the same with me about sex.”

My thoughts briefly wander to my own discussions about sex with my mom, and I consider having had them with my dad and nearly shudder.

“You know I didn’t sleep with all those girls in high school, right?”

I pretend not to appear as shocked as I feel and watch as his eyebrows rise as he nods. “You thought I did.”

“I saw a lot of girls coming and going from your house while your mom was at work.”

“I didn’t even make out with half of them.”

We’re both quiet for a few moments. My mind races from questions and concerns to imagining Max with other girls while this new information leaks into my thoughts with a whole new barrage of thoughts and questions.

“Why did they come over, then?” I don’t want to doubt Max, and yet there’s no viable conclusions that I can draw. Granted, high school is a breeding ground for rumors, but I was his neighbor and saw it happen.

“I think some of them wanted to do more than just hang out. I think more just wanted to have something to say. Piss off a guy they were flirting with or a friend that they were fighting with.” He shrugs, and glances over at me, his lips pressing firmly together and his blue eyes looking ashamed. I feel a rush of relief by his discomfort to know they hadn’t all been there for what we’d thought.

“What did you guys do?”

Max’s lips quirk up slightly. “Most of the time I’d watch baseball, and they’d do whatever they wanted, like talking on the phone. Sometimes someone would really think I was going to do something with them, but most of the girls that came over knew before they got there that nothing would happen.”

A small part of me wants to focus on this unveiling and ask a dozen more questions about why they would do this, and why he’d allow it, but a larger piece of my mind has begun contemplating my own situation.

“What are you thinking?” Max asks.

“I don’t know.” I carefully try to articulate my feelings and concerns. “I knew you were experienced, Max. I knew that before anything started. It’s just these insecurities I suddenly have are intimidating the hell out of me.” He doesn’t understand what I’m trying to hint at as his brows knit together.

“What if I’m bad? What if you start thinking of one of your ex’s? I don’t like the idea of being compared to—”

Max pulls the car onto the shoulder of the road, unbuckles his seat belt, and leans forward grasping my face in both of his hands. He holds me with gentleness, but firmly so I can’t move as he stares directly into my eyes.

“Ace, stop. This is why you have nothing to worry about.” He presses his lips to mine. The instant pull fills me with heat and yearning that is so strong I know it’s coming from both Max and me. It hasn’t managed to dim at all in the past few days, rather it’s even more potent.

He pulls back and stares into my eyes as his breathing comes out in gasps. His eyes silently search mine in confirmation and I understand exactly what he means. I haven’t slept with other guys, but I’ve dated more than I’d like to admit, so I know that what I feel with Max is different; the tingles, the racing hearts, the haggard breathing, we’re like active live wires that when we connect—ignite.

“You have nothing to be insecure about. Nothing.” He stares into my eyes for a long moment before kissing my forehead, the tip of my nose and then my lips. “Nothing,” he repeats.

I take his hands from my face and press a kiss to the inside of each of his palms and nod as I focus on his eyes, confirming that I understand.

His lips spread wide in a smile as he sits back and puts his Jeep back into gear. He reaches over and takes my left hand in his right and holds it securely as we pull back out into traffic.

Saturday we spend our first day apart when Max goes to see his friend Wes, a guy that he has known from baseball for years. Max is thrilled to see him and invited me to tag along, but I declined knowing that he’ll have a better time without worrying about me being entertained. I invite Abby over instead.

She and Jesse both come over and the three of us hang out for a while until Jameson and Kendall arrive home from having gone to San Diego to take a load of stuff to Kendall’s apartment.

“Hey, guys, this is Jesse. Jesse this is my sister Kendall and her boyfriend, Jameson.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jameson says, offering his hand to Jesse who shakes it with an easy smile as Abby begins discussing classes with Kendall.

“Where’s Max?” Jameson asks.

“He’s hanging out with his friend Wes. I think he’ll be back soon though.”

“Alright, well you guys want to play some basketball, then? We can warm up until he gets here. I’m dying in this heat.” Jameson pulls his shirt from his body.

We bob in the water and talk, getting acquainted. I still don’t know much about Jesse; he seems nice but rather quiet, and I’m working to break down a layer of his outer shell as Jameson and Kendall flirt and grope at one another, occasionally joining in on our conversation.

“I’m seriously going to miss these moments,” Abby says from where she’s sprawled across a float with her eyes closed.

A giant splash rains down on us as Jameson plunges into the water, emerging with a satisfied grin as Abby shrieks at him.

“You were a little too dry to be in a pool. Plus you’re starting to get freckles,” he says with a laugh.

“Just because I don’t want to be ass-white like you!” she yells, running a hand carefully under each of her eyes.

“Ass-white? I’m pretty sure my ass is whiter than the rest of me,” he says, turning around and gripping the edge of his shorts, “Here, you guys tell me.”

“No one wants to see your white ass.” I turn, hearing Max’s voice and see him shaking his head at Jameson, obviously curious as to how our conversation has landed here, though not looking overly surprised.

“Some people seem to really enjoy seeing my white ass.” Jameson leers at Kendall, earning a round of laughs.

Max quickly peels off his T-shirt and slides into the water, raising his arms up to guard me as I shoot the basketball that has floated over to my side.

“What’s that?” Max asks as the ball leaves my hand. He holds my arm up, peering at my side.