Josie huffed out a breath. “Yes, that’s early. And that’s not the point.” She shook her head, tried and failed to find something to look at that wasn’t him. “What are you doing here at all?”
“I, well, I have a proposition,” he said, his tone measured and even.
“A proposition,” Josie repeated slowly.
“Yes.” He took a breath. “I want you to come out with me for the day.”
Josie stared at him, incredulous, then shook her head. “And why on earth would I do that?”
“Because…” He ran his fingers through his perpetually rumpled hair, then dropped his hand to his side, where it seemed to hang flatly. “Because you said that you loved Edinburgh, and I thought you might like to see more of it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I can see it myself, but thanks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to go back to bed and sleep for at least another two hours.” She stepped back, going to shut the door, but he moved to stop her.
He backed away just a step when she shot him a glare before she could help herself. She fought to even out her expression, even as the arm around her midriff tightened. “Josie, look,” he began. “I know you think I’m a dick.” She snorted derisively at that. “And I know the way I…that what I did to you wasn’t right. And I know that you’ve moved on or whatever…” He’d moved on, more like. Not that she’d say it out loud, because she very much did want him to think she was just dandy. “But I’d really like to make it up to you. Please. I’ve got somewhere I’d really like to take you.” His eyes searched her face as she stood there, considering.
She sighed, then shook her head. “I just don’t think it’s a great idea, Max. Sorry.” She’d actually managed to half close the door this time when he reached out, grabbed her hand. She looked down at it pointedly and he let go.
“Please,” he said again. “We’re here together anyway this weekend, what have you got to lose?”
“We’re not together,” she snapped, before she could help herself. A little grimace crossed his face before he nodded, smoothed it out. As for what she had to lose…There was nothing she could say to that, without sounding clichéd. But she’d given so much to him in December, more than she’d realized, and she wasn’t sure she could face opening that door again.
“Where’s Bia?” Max asked after a beat, peering into her room over her shoulder, as if expecting to see her lurking there. As if Bia would even be letting her have this conversation if she were in the room. “She could come too?”
“I haven’t even said I’m coming yet,” Josie said, a little tightly. But it made her think. What if Bia was caught up the whole day with her new conquest, and Josie was left to fend for herself, having to spend the day alone until dinner? And now, Max had guaranteed that she’d just be sitting here, thinking of depressing things, if that was the case.
“Where would we go?” she asked eventually.
His expression lightened a little. “Edinburgh.”
“Yes. Where in Edinburgh—you said it was somewhere specific?”
He hesitated. “It’s a surprise. But I promise it’ll be worth it,” he added quickly. “And I’ll make sure you get some good photos for that Instagram account of yours.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How do you know I’m still doing that?”
“I saw the photo of the castle that you posted when you first got here.” She said nothing, though she felt her lips tighten. So, that was why he hadn’t been surprised to see her here then.
“What about Erin?” she asked suspiciously.
“She’s going to see some friends in Edinburgh, so she doesn’t mind.” They looked at each other for a moment.
Slowly, she nodded. Because if he was trying this hard to be friendly, then she would try too. Besides, she really did want to see more of Edinburgh, and she really didn’t want to spend the day alone—and if she could get Bia to come too, then all the better. And it would be for today only, she promised herself. One day with him—maybe it would help her to move on, help her to see that she’d just been romanticizing last Christmas, making it into a bigger deal in her head than it really was. “All right. But you can wait down in the entrance hall while I shower and change.”
His shoulders seemed to relax as he smiled. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”